Identify asbestos, assess the risk and then manage it. It's the law!
Asbestos is the biggest occupational killer in the UK and appears in over 3000 different building products used in our homes, offices, factories and schools.
The population most at risk from contracting Asbestos related diseases are building maintenance and repair workers who are unknowingly disturbing asbestos containing materials. Legislation designed to protect these workers has been in place since May 2004.
If you are responsible for maintaining any type of property with the exception of a domestic house with no common shared areas, you must manage the asbestos within it. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines, disqualification as a director and even imprisonment.
Identification of asbestos is carried out during an inspection of the premises by a qualified surveyor. Samples of suspect materials are collected and later analysed under a microscope. The confirmed asbestos containing materials are assessed for the risk they pose and recommendation made on how to manage those risks. Many low cost solutions exist for managing asbestos; removal is a very last resort.
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