Asbestos Reinspections

Acorn_School_Site-47

In this blog we will look at asbestos reinspections and how they differ from a survey. Usually, reinspections follow on from some sort of survey – you should have an existing asbestos register from a management survey or a refurbishment survey. Your existing asbestos information – outlining where the asbestos is and what condition it is in – is reinspected. It is a visual check.

You examine the material and compare it to the data you already have on it to ascertain where there has been any deterioration and whether there are any cracks or water leaks or anything that could affect that material in its location.

What paperwork is involved with an asbestos reinspection?

As part of the process, you will update your Material Risk Assessment which looks at how easily the asbestos material in question would release asbestos fibres if it was to be damaged. It also looks at the type of asbestos product, its condition, whether it is sealed or unsealed and takes into account what asbestos fibre has been identified in that material.

It is important to update the information which will follow in with your priority risk assessment and overall risk on how you manage that material.

Why does asbestos need to be reinspected?

Asbestos needs to be reinspected because it can change over time. Weather can lead to paint flaking off damaging the material. If the material has changed the risk assessment connected to it will also need to change in light of this. For example, it may go from a medium risk into a higher risk category. Alternatively, if the use of the area where the asbestos is has reduced it may move from a high or medium risk to a low risk.

How often should you have an asbestos reinspection?

The golden question is how often should reinspections be undertaken? From an industry standpoint, it has always been touted 12 months. Previous guidance documents stated reinspections should be done annually, however, when the new practice was bought out in 2012, it said: “Any identified or suspected ACM must be inspected and its condition assessed periodically.” However, if you are unsure 12 months is a good place to start as a minimum.

Bear in mind there will also be events or situations that take place that might make you rethink this. For example, maintenance works should trigger a review of the plan. Likewise, if you’ve got asbestos materials in high volume, high traffic, high occupancy areas, it would be sensible to increase the frequency of reinspections.

It all comes down to risk. For example, if you’ve got an asbestos material in a school corridor, maybe a panel on the fire door, re-inspecting just once a year is not practical. This would fall into a high risk category because of the occupancy, so you are probably looking at daily, or at least weekly, inspections of the material with proper reinspections every three to six months. On the other hand, if you have the same type of panel on the back of a door in an office corridor, the likelihood of that getting disturbed would be smaller because adults do not generally kick doors open. As a result, the reinspections would not need to be as frequent.

Asbestos reinspection

Who should carry out an asbestos reinspection?

Reinspections should be carried out by someone who is competent, knowledgeable and who has training, qualifications and experience.

There are no set qualifications, the closest one is a surveyor’s qualification but you do not have to go through that as you are not exactly surveying, you are looking at the material that has already been identified. You do need someone who has experience of asbestos and know what it is and what it looks like. They need to know what the materials look like when they change, when they start to peel and when there’s damage.

You can be trained to do a reinspection without having a formal qualification. For example, one of our asbestos consultants could come to your site and give one-to-one training to your property manager or caretaker so they understand what asbestos there is on site and what risks to look out for. You may want to do a reinspection with an asbestos consultant a couple of times to help you gain the experience. Alternatively, you may want to have your re-inspection audited by an asbestos consultant to ensure you are gaining the relevant experience and doing it right.

Once the reinspection is carried out you must ensure all your information is updated. On a reinspection, we take photos and update the report.

Who is liable for the work?

If you do the works yourself, or employ someone outside of the industry, you become the competent person and you take on liability for the works. If you hire a professional to give you that advice and provide you with that information, you have got their competence to rely on.

Insurance companies always remove asbestos from policies because when asbestos goes wrong, it costs a lot of money. Only asbestos specialists have it because that is what they do for a living.

Schools are a particular risk in relation to asbestos. Lots of schools rely on their site managers or caretakers to do inspections and they haven’t got asbestos knowledge in line with a competent asbestos surveyor or consultant. Consider the liability on the school if they get that wrong? You could potentially have thousands of children exposed to asbestos.

In summary

Asbestos reinspections are not expensive and take the liability away from you. Remember, the reinspection should be risk assessment based. Do not rely on the fact that industry says to do it annually – use this as a benchmark.

We’re a professional asbestos consultancy helping businesses deal with asbestos compliance using asbestos surveysasbestos air testing, and asbestos removal management. Please call one of the team, or use the online form to obtain your free quotation. If you would like further information or advice on asbestos and asbestos training, contact the team on 0844 818 0895 or Contact Us

Ian Stone

I am based out of our Northampton office but regularly travel to meet with new and existing clients. I have assisted thousands of clients over the years on varying-sized projects, several have been schemes totalling over one million pounds spent purely on asbestos. Together with Neil Munro, I host our weekly podcast – Asbestos Knowledge Empire and I am Co-author of Asbestos The Dark Arts and Fear and Loathing of Health and Safety.

Need Help? Request a Call Back

Request a call back from one of our expert Asbestos Consultants who will help you identify what you need

More Asbestos Articles

RAAC and asbestos could be a problem in some buildings

Raac and ruin? How concrete crisis also raises the question of asbestos

A LOT has been said recently about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and asbestos. While fears about the safety of RAAC continue to dominate the headlines both nationally and locally, it is the additional threat from asbestos which we believe should be discussed now as a matter of urgency. Just as RAAC is crumbling in … Read more

Asbestos consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services, will be raising money for Mesothelioma UK

Asbestos consultancy gears up for 24-hour fundraising challenge

FOR many years the team at Acorn Analytical Services has been an avid supporter of Mesothelioma UK, the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by this deadly disease. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres and shockingly still kills around 5,000 people each year in the UK – … Read more

RAAC and asbestos could be a problem in some buildings

The Ultimate Guide to Asbestos Surveyors: Why Your Safety Depends on It

Asbestos, once a ‘miracle material’, now poses severe health risks. Uncover the significance of asbestos surveys in the UK and why your safety depends on it.

Asbestos: Having the right consultancy in your corner has never been more important

‘Having the right consultancy to help you manage asbestos has never been more important’

A REPORT written by asbestos expert and director of Acorn Analytical Services, Ian Stone, has highlighted the worrying state of asbestos in the UK. The Annual Asbestos Industry Review provides a unique insight into the industry and a snapshot of the work being done by Acorn Analytical Services – one of the largest independent consultancies … Read more

Management of asbestos in schools

Management of Asbestos in Schools: A Comprehensive Analysis

In this blog post, we delve into the critical issue of asbestos management in UK schools, the recent HSE report, and the role of Acorn Analytical Services in ensuring safe learning environments.

Asbestos: Dispelling 3 common myths

Is your business fully compliant with the latest asbestos regulations?

HOW much do you really know about asbestos? If your building was built before 1999, have you ever had it checked? If you know it’s there, do you know for sure that you’re compliant with the latest rules and regulations around asbestos management? If the answer to either of these questions is ‘no’ it’s time … Read more

Asbestos in fire

Act Now: Uncover the Silent Perils of Asbestos in Fire-Damaged Buildings – A Deep Dive into the Brighton Hotel Incident

Asbestos in fire situations poses significant health risks. Understand the dangers, especially in textured coatings, and the need for expert remediation.

Acorn Analytical Services director Ian Stone has worked in the asbestos industry for 20 years.

#ActNowOnAsbestos: How our FREE training sessions will help raise awareness

ASBESTOS is firmly in the headlines once again and we’re delighted to see an open and very frank discussion finally taking place about the material itself, the risks around mesothelioma and the steps we should all be taking to protect ourselves. At Acorn Analytical Services it’s something we’ve been talking about for years and as … Read more

Asbestos: Having the right consultancy in your corner has never been more important

‘Supporting #ActNowOnAsbestos is the right thing for us to do’

Last weekend The Sunday Times launched #ActNowOnAsbestos, a hard-hitting campaign which urges the Government to take urgent action to protect people from the UK’s asbestos epidemic. The campaign makes important recommendations to help protect members of the public from the hidden dangers of asbestos, which poses a serious threat to our health and wellbeing more … Read more

Ian Stone, director of asbestos management consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services

‘We finally have hope – hope that those in authority will take notice, take action and save lives’

Media statement in response to the launch of the Sunday Times Campaign, Act Now on Asbestos: Ian Stone, Director of Acorn Analytical Services, said: “For ten years Acorn Analytical Services has been on the front line of the UK’s battle with asbestos, banging the drum for change and fighting to raise awareness of the sheer … Read more