Asbestos surveys and asbestos management surveys explained - What asbestos management means

Kent Surveys offer total solutions for your asbestos management

   Established 1986 - P402 Qualified Surveyors 

  29 St Lawrence Ave Ramsgate CT110HZ

Offices:  01843 592243 - For a Prompt Service First Call Direct - 07712068424

Email for quote or specific help: asbestossurveys-kent@yahoo.co.uk

Asbestos Surveys - Asbestos Management

Asbestos Management

Asbestos encapsulation is an important part of asbestos management because you are making the material as safe as possible without removing it, the reason that even the HSE recommend management over removal is that removal can release a significant amount of asbestos unless it is done with sufficient control measures in place, even then, some asbestos materials are difficult to remove without releasing many fibres.

Removal can be very expensive depending on what type of material it is. Enclosures, airlocks, decontamination units, HEPA filtered extractors, injections machines, sprayers, asbestos vacuums, training and PPE equipment and an independent analyst are required for most friable materials.

As long as you know its there and have taken suitable steps to keep it in safe condition by: encapsulation, labelling  and regular monitoring, ensuring it is not disturbed by informing staff and tradesmen of its presence, you have mainly fulfilled your duties in respect of asbestos management.

Asbestos Removal

Asbestos removal is seldom recommended in our surveys, unless it is in pretty poor condition (on the floor) or because it is likely to be disturbed by planned installation, refurbishment or demolition work. Having said that, if asbestos removal is required, we can provide information on qualified asbestos contractors and provide advise on safe and inexpensive solutions.

Asbestos Encapsulation

Most asbestos materials are quite safe to start with, many of the materials listed in the gallery have low friability and the asbestos fibres are tightly trapped within the material, other materials (AIB, pipe insulation etc) which are more friable, can be safely encapsulated and labelled to warn people not to disturb it.

Encapsulation for friable or damaged asbestos materials can be carried out using heavy duty PVC, tapes, non-porous materials, metal, wall coverings and certain paints (ET150 is the industry standard).

Accidental Damage of Asbestos Materials

Accidents happen and sometimes asbestos gets disturbed, there should be an emergency plan for asbestos disturbance that allows the material to be made safe without risking exposure.  The easiest solution, if you can restrict access to the area, is to call a licensed contractor to come and deal with it.

An action plan should be formulated that is manageable and practical, a mask (P3 rated) and disposable overalls should be available for use by the person assigned to deal with it. The area should be isolated and the extent of the contamination/damage assessed. 

There are many ways of dealing with different types of damaged asbestos materials which would be impractical to list here. The best solution would be to get advice on each particular situation from licensed experts who will give you accurate guidance what control measures are required and on how to proceed with the remediation.