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Health & Safety
05/02/2010
Free asbestos guidance
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has published updated guidance on managing asbestos risks, which is available to download for free on its website.
‘Asbestos: The survey guide’ replaces the previous MDHS 100 guidance and is aimed at anyone surveying or removing asbestos from business premises.
Regulation 4 of Control of Asbestos Regulations contains an explicit duty on those who are responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises to assess and manage the risks from asbestos.
It is a legal requirement that information about the location and condition of asbestos containing materials within a building is available to contractors and tradesmen undertaking any work in the building.
‘Asbestos: The survey guide’ gives advice on how to select a competent surveyor, recommending the use of ABICS certified or UKAS accredited organisations and what the client should expect from them.
It also contains information on conducting refurbishment and demolition surveys, what asbestos containing materials look like and where to find them and new guidance on the use of surveys in the rented domestic sector.
“This updated and user-friendly guidance clearly sets out the role of the survey in managing asbestos and really helps people make sense of it and relate it to real-life situations,” said the HSE’s asbestos programme manager, Steve Coldrick.
“We’ve worked with more than 30 organisations to develop [the guide]. We wanted those people who were most likely to use the guidance to suggest what they would find most useful.”
The guidance is available to download at www.hse.gov.uk/PUBNS/books/index-hsg-ref.htm.
‘Asbestos: The survey guide’ replaces the previous MDHS 100 guidance and is aimed at anyone surveying or removing asbestos from business premises.
Regulation 4 of Control of Asbestos Regulations contains an explicit duty on those who are responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises to assess and manage the risks from asbestos.
It is a legal requirement that information about the location and condition of asbestos containing materials within a building is available to contractors and tradesmen undertaking any work in the building.
‘Asbestos: The survey guide’ gives advice on how to select a competent surveyor, recommending the use of ABICS certified or UKAS accredited organisations and what the client should expect from them.
It also contains information on conducting refurbishment and demolition surveys, what asbestos containing materials look like and where to find them and new guidance on the use of surveys in the rented domestic sector.
“This updated and user-friendly guidance clearly sets out the role of the survey in managing asbestos and really helps people make sense of it and relate it to real-life situations,” said the HSE’s asbestos programme manager, Steve Coldrick.
“We’ve worked with more than 30 organisations to develop [the guide]. We wanted those people who were most likely to use the guidance to suggest what they would find most useful.”
The guidance is available to download at www.hse.gov.uk/PUBNS/books/index-hsg-ref.htm.
