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Asbestos services

UKAS accredited asbestos surveys

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and Regulation 4: Duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic properties, places a legal requirement on owners and occupiers of non-domestic buildings and social landlords to actively identify, assess the risk of exposure to and manage any asbestos containing materials that may be present.

BCL is a UKAS accredited laboratory and Type C Inspection Body holding accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17025. Our accredited services include:

We currently hold a category “A” RICE rating and a “Satisfactory” AIMS standard. We are members of ATAC, CHAS and all our site based staff hold the appropriate CSCS cards.

Our accreditation will ensure that you are appointing a competent surveying organisation that will understand and meet your requirements, and that:

  • we have the technical competence to undertake the work in question
  • we have the resources to do the work
  • our surveyors work to suitable codes of conduct to ensure inspections are carried out impartially and with integrity
  • we have an adequate quality system in place
  • we have safeguards in place to ensure suitable liability insurance and professional indemnity

Management surveys

An Asbestos Management Survey is required to identify asbestos containing materials (ACM) that could foreseeably be damaged during the normal occupation and use of a premises, and during routine maintenance activities.

Following suitable survey planning the survey is intended to locate any ACM that could be damaged or disturbed by normal activities. The survey should consider areas of routine maintenance activity and therefore may involve minor intrusion. An asbestos management survey will include a material assessment for all identified ACMs. This is an assessment of the ability of that ACM, if disturbed, to release respirable asbestos fibres into the air. It provides an immediate guide for the prioritisation of any remedial work which may be required.

Refurbishment and demolition surveys

An asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey is required where a premises, or part of it, need upgrading, refurbishment or demolition. The survey may not need a record of the asbestos containing materials (ACMs) condition, unless the materials need managing in the interim period until refurbishment or demolition takes place.

The survey must locate and identify all ACMs before any structural work begins at a stated location or on stated equipment at the premises. It involves destructive inspection and asbestos disturbance. The area surveyed must be vacated and certified 'fit for reoccupation' after the survey.

UKAS Accreditation specifically for inspection provides clients with an assurance of a surveyor's competence:

  • have survey knowledge, and know the risks in surveying
  • have training and experience, and recognise their limitations
  • use a quality management system
  • show independence, impartiality and integrity
  • do their work in accordance with good practice guidance, e.g. as in HSG264
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