What does an asbestos report really mean?

We have noted in a previous article about customers occasionally not being able to interpret the survey report they have been provided and therefore have come to GBNS to receive some advice about the content. Within the new asbestos survey guidance (HSG 264), this is intended to be reduced through better communication and more legible reporting in a consistent and standardised format utilised throughout the asbestos industry. Although asbestos survey organisations will differ in the layout of their report style, it is expected that customers will receive a report with the following sections:
 

• executive summary;
• introduction covering the scope of work;
• general site and survey information;
• survey results (including material assessment results);
• conclusions and actions;
• bulk analysis results.
• plans and location diagrams

These sections should also be in an easily understandable format with terminology up as far as possible for the layperson, and therefore will be less open to mis-interpretation or misuse by customers or their clients.

The executive summary is the most important part of the document, and is intended to provide information for immediate use (such as urgent works), together with a list of asbestos containing materials identified, locations not able to be accessed, and a summary of recommendations. These should be clear and concise but described in such detail so as to ensure the reader has no opportunity to misunderstand the meaning. Where recommendations are provided, these should detail the works and timescales to minimise risk to occupants of the building as a primary aim. However these priorities may then be altered by the customer when preparing a management plan including budgets provided they can justify the changes.

An introduction should explain the scope of the work and the purpose, aims and objectives of the survey. It should also contain a description of the nature and age of the building(s) (or other structures) plus construction type. The greater amount of information provided by the customer in advance of the survey will ensure the report has more value.

The third section relates to general site and survey information, relating to information gathered prior to the commencement of the survey including the site name, address and building details, name and address of the surveying company and customer. It will also include not only areas inspected as part of the survey and to what form of survey (i.e. management or refurbishment or a mixture of both), but also those areas excluded from the survey (following pre-start discussions). This section should contain any caveats agreed prior to the survey undertaken between the customer and surveying organisation noting of course that one of the aims of the new guidance was to reduce these wherever possible.

Survey results in the fourth section include a full description of asbestos containing materials, plans showing where asbestos has been identified and assessments for each item (material assessment and location assessment for management survey, or a material assessment only for refurbishment surveys). These details are easiest to understand in a tabular format which should also include the recommendations for completeness together with materials sampled but not found to contain asbestos.

The material assessment and priority assessment have similar algorithm factors and values as to previous guidance (MDHS100) so as to provide scores and categorisation for recommendation. These factors within the material assessment include asbestos type in the ACM (eg chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite),accessibility of the ACM;amount of damage or deterioration;surface treatment (if any);the material assessment score or category (high, medium, low or very low); and any actions required from the material assessment. For the location assessment these refer to the separate factors relating to maintenance activity of the location, occupant activity, likelihood of disturbance and human exposure potential (number of occupants, time in location, and frequency of occupancy) to give an assessment score to assist in developing a management plan for the site.

The conclusions section is intended to provide a compreheive summary of asbestos identified in the premises. In essence this is the same infomration already provided in previous sections but provides an easy form to review recommendations in priority order. The bulk sample report section should contain certificate(s) from the laboratory used to analyse samples collected from site and must be undertaken by a UKAS accredited organisation.

Once the customer has received the report, the new guidance expects the dutyholder to check the accuracy of the survey report with the following aspects:
 

• Check the report against the original tender.
• Check for unagreed caveats or disclaimers.
• Check that the survey is as requested: Management or refurbishment / demolition (or a combination).
• Check diagrams and plans are clear and accurate.
• Check all rooms and areas have been accessed.
• Check sufficient samples have been taken (usually 1-2 per area/room) and that sample numbers are not disproportionate (eg dominated by one ACM type).
• Check sample numbers reflect variations in the same ACMs, eg different ceiling tiles in the same room.
• Check for any obvious discrepancies and inconsistencies.

Any obvious alterations between expectations and objectives agreed at the start of the survey process should be discussed with the surveyor and if necessary, reviewed and amended. Once the survey has been checked then it should be used to form a management plan and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure data present is still valid and useful.