Selecting your asbestos surveyor

Like many aspects of today's society, the selection of an asbestos surveyor can be very simple. Rules exist to ensure that competence, skill and knowledge are identified, examined and routinely audited in surveying personnel and organisations. However, despite such rules, and the supposed adherence, surveys procured can be very poorly undertaken such that asbestos is not identified correctly, or worst still not identified at all. So how come this occurs with all this regulation in place, and more importantly, just how do i select a surveyor to provide the service i want?
 

Correct selection for an asbestos surveyor

To find out why a poor survey occurs we have to firstly view some of the errors that occur. One of the most common errors is the survey either being done in areas not requested, or the areas being surveyed are subject to the wrong type of survey. This normally is due to mis-communication between either the customer and the surveying company, or the surveying company and its staff. Another issue that raises itself is the missing of asbestos in a premises. Initially we would expect this is the fault of the surveyor, after all he or she carried out the inspection. This does happen, however with the stringent checks in place in most surveying practices, should be rare. So once again this is down to communication, as the customer may not be aware of the time it takes for a survey to be completed safely and properly and thus restricts the time for the survey to be completed, potentially ensuring the surveyor makes mistakes or misses aspects of the survey. A third issue that customers frequently have is a claim that the report they receive is not understandable. This issue frequently manifests itself because of communication about the report style and content, as rarely do surveying practices provide a good customer service at handover of the project. If a surveying practice provides great customer service, there will more likely than not be a handover of the reports (either physically or by telephone) to ensure that the customer is aware of the report findings and recommendations, and solutions for future management (if this has been procured at the same time).
 

So what is the common link between these issues?

Communication. Frequently it is the surveying company who are poor at informing customers what they need or must know prior to undertaking the survey, but more common is the customer who is unaware of their responsibility under the Control of Asbestos Regulations for building management. This regulation specifically states the level of training and awareness for customers, and is more explicit within the new Survey Guide (HSG 264) published in January 2010.
 

Requirements for a survey

The dutyholder should be satisfied that the surveyor is competent to carry out the work required. This means that the dutyholder should make reasonable enquiries as to whether the organisation or individual is technically competent to carry out the survey adequately and safely, and can allocate adequate resources to it. The competency enquiry should be carried out as a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Establish the accreditation or certification status of the surveyor and any relevant asbestos survey qualifications. Obtain a written declaration which states that the surveyor can operate with independence, impartiality and integrity and that personnel carrying out the work are adequately trained for all aspects of the work taking place. In addition, obtain copies of the current insurance certificates for employer’s liability, public liability and professional indemnity cover and check them to see that they cover the proposed work.

Stage 2: Obtain information on the surveyors’ past experience on the type of survey planned and their capability to do the work. References or evidence of recent similar work should be requested. If a company or surveyor cannot demonstrate competence through current accreditation or personnel certification, the dutyholder will need to conduct a more detailed assessment of their competence to do the work. This will include requesting: details of their qualifications, copies of their written procedures (including quality control policies) and references to other evidence of recent similar work.

Once a suitable asbestos surveying practice has been identified, then the task of communication of customer requirements is next.

For more information on correct selection of an asbestos surveyor, please contact GBNS Partnership Limited on 01371 810700 or click here.