HSE will soon be replacing the existing asbestos survey guidance known as MDHS 100 with a new guidance document called Asbestos: The Surveyors Guide.
Since 2001, the MDHS 100 has been the principal source of guidance for the conduct of asbestos surveys. This document laid out rules relating to how surveys should be conducted and materials assessed, together with requirements for reporting. However there was little information on how surveys should be planned or how the information gathered should be used for managing asbestos. As a result, survey reports were often found to be insufficient for effective asbestos management.
The revised survey guidance will contain:
- Specific guidelines for clients
- Greater clarity for duty holder and surveyor
- New sections on survey strategy for the domestic sector
- Avoidance of disclaimers/caveats
- Strengthened guidance on competence
- Greater detail on conducting refurbishment/demolition surveys
In addition to this, there will be a new system of surveying to replace the existing three types of survey, Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 surveys.
Under the new regime, there will be two types of asbestos survey:
- the management survey (akin to the Type 2 survey) – designed to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of ACMs, so that the Duty holder can prepare a plan for the management of asbestos
- the refurbishment/demolition survey (akin to the Type 3 survey) – a much more intrusive survey, designed to locate all the ACMs so they can be removed before the refurbishment (whether small scale or a large project) or demolition takes place. Aggressive inspection techniques will be required, so controls must be in place to prevent the spread of asbestos debris
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