Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Surveys
The old “type 3 asbestos survey” is now known as either a “Refurbishment” or a “Demolition” asbestos survey and is required prior to any major refurbishment works or demolition of any commercial premises built prior to 2000.
If only part of a building is being refurbished or demolished, then only that part of the building needs to be surveyed for the purpose of the project, as long as an asbestos register already exists for other parts of the building.
If no asbestos register is available, then the entire property (or demise) needs to be surveyed, though parts that are not affected by the refurbishment or demolition works require only a management survey.
The aim of the refurbishment or demolition survey is to safeguard contractors carrying out the work. They need to know where asbestos might be present and consequently, this type of asbestos survey is destructive and invasive, though in most cases, damage to the fabric of the building can be minimised, though this depends on the skill and knowledge of the asbestos surveyor.
The difference in cost between a management and a refurbishment or demolition survey largely comes down to the amount of sampling that will be required and the extra time it takes to inspect service ducts, ceiling voids, etc., since on this type of survey, it is important that all asbestos containing materials are identified.
In some cases, due to current useage of the premises or difficulty accessing certain items, the surveyor will be available on call to your demolition or refurbishment contractors at commencement and during the works in case suspect materials are identified that could not be safely examined during the survey.
Demolition Surveys – these are required when a building (or part of a building) is to be demolisshed.
Refurbishment Surveys – these are required when a builduing (or part of a building) is to undergo a major refurbishment.