Vintec is a UKAS Accredited Inspection Body No. 4455. Our surveyors follow strict in-house procedures and are BOHS qualified, assisting you in meeting current legislative standards and complying with CAR (Control of Asbestos Regulations) 2012. Whatever your asbestos survey or sampling needs, our expert team will be happy to help choose the best option for you.
UKAS Accredited Asbestos Surveys
The high standard of service Vintec provides is guaranteed through the accreditations and memberships we hold for our asbestos services.
UKAS accreditation is the only way you can get independent verification about the technical competence of surveyors working on your site. UKAS assessors look into all aspects of our business including training, equipment, insurance and quality control, and assess against internationally recognised standards.
Due to their strict standards, “HSE Strongly recommends the use of a UKAS accredited surveyor”.
Types of asbestos surveys
All of your asbestos surveys will be conducted in accordance with the 2012 HSE HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide.
ACMs referred to below, are Asbestos Containing Materials.
Management Asbestos Survey
A management asbestos survey is designed to locate and assess ACMs that may be disturbed or damaged during normal occupation, routine maintenance and installation. The assessment will include the likelihood of the ACM releasing fibre into the air which could impact the occupants of your site or building.
The survey involves sampling suspect materials to confirm the presence, or otherwise, of asbestos. All samples taken during asbestos surveys are analysed at our in-house laboratory, allowing us to fast track samples and offer same day results when high risk or emergency situations arise.
Having a thorough management asbestos survey is the first crucial step in preparing an effective asbestos management plan for your building or organisation.
Refurbishment Asbestos Survey
A refurbishment asbestos survey is required before you undertake any refurbishment, improvement or demolition works in a building built before the year 2000.
It is crucial that the asbestos surveyor understands the scope of the planned refurbishment to accurately target the survey, encompassing individual rooms, whole buildings, or a single element such as a window (where the nature of the work is purely window replacement).
A refurbishment asbestos survey requires the surveyor to make intrusive inspections into all areas that will be disturbed during the planned works, including any voids or cavities. This allows any concealed ACMs to be dealt with in a controlled manner before refurbishment work starts. It may not always be necessary to remove ACMs.
For many projects it will be sufficient to record the locations and condition of the ACM then take steps to exclude or protect from the working area.
Demolition Asbestos Survey
A demolition asbestos survey is a compete inspection of a building or area that is due to be demolished. As with the refurbishment asbestos survey, our surveyors will need to make intrusive inspections to locate all of the concealed asbestos.
Demolition asbestos surveys cannot be carried out in occupied properties. We recommend the demolition asbestos survey is conducted as soon as the building concerned is vacated, allowing maximum time to plan and cost any asbestos removal works.
Pre-purchase Asbestos Survey
Buying property is a time when we all want to know what hidden liabilities we may be landing ourselves with.
‘Homebuyers’ reports are not carried out by asbestos surveyors and as a result, these reports tend to not be as thorough or accurate as one undertaken by a trained asbestos surveyor. Pre-purchase asbestos surveys are more comprehensive than a ‘homebuyers’ report giving you a clear picture of any asbestos present.
Read more about this in our blog post here.
Sampling Survey
Our surveyor will visit your site and sample specific materials that you suspect may contain asbestos – ideal for identifying suspected asbestos containing materials where a full survey is already in place or not required.
The main benefit of a sampling survey is speed – with our in house laboratory, we offer very fast turnaround times for tight deadlines.
Re-inspection Asbestos Survey
A re-inspection asbestos survey is carried out to re-assess your currently held asbestos survey data. This is an important aspect of managing asbestos as it provides you with vital periodic updates and also allows you to track the condition of ACMs so you can plan for any removal or remedial works that may be required.
We can provide you with costs and timeframes for re-inspections. We don’t advocate annual re-inspection but instead look to set re-inspection periods using a risk-based approach.
If you manage or own commercial property and fail to effectively manage your asbestos you could find yourself liable to prosecution by the HSE.
KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
Many of the Asbestos Surveys we undertake each year are carried out on behalf of property developers. This type of client generally falls into three distinct categories: Those looking to buy a property but wanting an asbestos survey first Those that have already bought a property and now need an asbestos survey to start demolition…
Is it Licensed, Notifiable Non-licensed Works or Non-Licensed Works? First you need to decide whether the works are classified as licensed, notifiable non-licensed works (NNLW) or non-licensed works (NLW). Work on high risk or friable asbestos containing materials are likely to need a licensed asbestos removal contractor (LARC). Work on lower risk or non-friable asbestos…
What should you expect to receive from an Asbestos Survey and how much it will all cost? Scroll down for some ball park figures for types of property/survey combinations. Type of Asbestos Survey Management Asbestos Survey A Management Asbestos Survey is used to identify asbestos materials that might be encountered during normal occupation and routine…