What is asbestos due diligence and does it affect you?

Asbestos due diligence

If you’re thinking of acquiring a business that operates from older premises, or already run one, asbestos due diligence is a key issue that protects your employees’ health and could save you money and time in the future.  

Under UK asbestos law the person responsible for maintaining non-domestic buildings can be fined and/or prosecuted for failing in this respect. If you’re the ‘duty holder,’ you may be required to carry out an asbestos due diligence assessment to identify whether asbestos is present in the building, and if so, to manage the risks.

If asbestos is found following an assessment, its whereabouts and condition need to be recorded in an asbestos register to protect your staff, and also workers carrying out alterations or renovations in the future.  

Why asbestos due diligence is so important

The extensive use of asbestos in older buildings in the past, particularly industrial premises, has resulted in widespread asbestos disease among the people who worked there. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the body assigned to protect worker health and safety in the UK, 2,595 people died from mesothelioma in 2016 alone.¹

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer attributed to asbestos exposure, but a similar number of other lung cancer deaths in the same year were also linked to asbestos. So what exactly constitutes asbestos due diligence, and how can you comply with the regulations?

Asbestos due diligence

Seeking guidance and assistance from professional asbestos consultants is the first step in the due diligence process. Whether you’re a prospective buyer or a commercial tenant you’ll get a full picture of your responsibilities from a due diligence assessment, which also reveals whether any further action is necessary.

This type of assessment could include any or all of the following, but should be tailored to the requirements of each case:

  • Desktop study
  • Site visit to evaluate the existing situation via previous audits and any other information available
  • Report detailing all findings, highlighting any ongoing risks, and providing professional recommendations

The benefits of asbestos due diligence

Given the carcinogenic nature of asbestos, and the ease with which fibres can escape when asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are damaged or degraded, asbestos due diligence is a crucial factor if you’re a business owner or landlord.

It allows you to manage any risk to your employees and visitors, particularly tradespeople and maintenance staff on the workforce. From a business purchaser’s perspective, asbestos due diligence provides a full picture of potential future costs and can influence sales at the negotiation stage. Where a property portfolio is concerned, a due diligence assessment across all premises also highlights potential issues and ensures compliance.

Acorn Analytical Services is a trusted and accredited asbestos consultancy offering professional asbestos due diligence services, asbestos repair and encapsulation, and fast and efficient asbestos project management.

Our director-led due diligence procedure ensures compliance with asbestos legal requirements, protecting your staff and visitors, and saving you time and money in the long run. Please contact one of our highly experienced consultants to discuss your needs.

Neil Munro

I work in a dual role at Acorn Analytical Services focused primarily on growing and leading the business from our Northampton office base. My focus is on overseeing all sales, marketing and financial activities from Northampton. I assist clients with high-level asbestos management strategies and training. Together with Ian Stone I host our weekly podcast – Asbestos Knowledge Empire and I'm 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