Asbestos Register

Having asbestos surveyors survey a building for asbestos contamination is important, but the real take home value is the quality of the report; the Asbestos Register that is issued to you following undertaking of the survey.

The Asbestos Register needs to be able to advise the Duty holder and any people intending to work on the fabric of the site, where asbestos containing materials may be expected to be found. It is also beneficial if it additionally refers to materials which may, at first glance, look like asbestos containing materials, but which, after laboratory analysis, are confirmed to have no asbestos detected.

Prior knowledge of this is invaluable as it can prevent someone stopping work because of concern about a suspected asbestos contamination which isn't actually there, which may in turn, adversely disrupt the works programme, potentially resulting in undesirable delays and unwelcome additional cost.

In general the registers are in spreadsheet form; in a few cases word documents would be used. The register for each building identifies the following:

• Building / Floor;
• Room Use;
• Photo Reference;
• Position / Description;
• Classification of Asbestos Containing Material;
• Condition;
• Type of Asbestos;
• Level of Identification;
• Material Assessment Algorithm;
• Recommendations.

This folder is a reference to a particular building to ascertain if there are any ACM’s within that building.

The broad requirements on employers are to:

• take reasonable steps to determine the location of materials likely to contain asbestos;
• presume materials to contain asbestos, unless there are good reasons not to do so;
• make and maintain a written record of the location of the asbestos and presumed asbestos materials;
• monitor the condition of asbestos and presumed asbestos materials;
• assess the risk of exposure from the asbestos and presumed asbestos materials and
• document the actions necessary to manage the risk; and
• take steps to see that the actions above are carried out.