Asbestos Management Surveys: What You Need To Know

In buildings constructed before 2000, there is a chance your establishment was built with asbestos-containing materials. If any of these products are found in your restaurant, they must be managed properly to reduce health risks.  A practical approach to locating the presence of asbestos is undergoing an asbestos management survey. Everyone is at risk, and if asbestos-carrying material is disturbed the risk becomes greater. There are steps you can take to help prevent this deadly health risk under your care and responsibility.

Survey Steps

To obtain information about your building, such as a list of previous owners and tenants, and a blueprint, if possible, you can perform an asbestos management survey. The survey consists of several steps: identifying if an asbestos problem exists, offering a risk assessment for registration with the proper authorities and inspecting suspicious asbestos-containing materials. Your specialist walks through and examines the building, judging its condition and identifying any problems with asbestos.

Survey Work

To determine whether asbestos-containing materials in a building are in good condition, samples are taken from existing materials. An analysis follows to determine whether the materials contain asbestos and whether they are releasing their health-harming fibres into the air. The survey identifies any materials at risk, and it offers a guide for their management. Surveys also include presuming the presence of airborne threats due to conditions and age of the building.

Survey Results

After each material containing asbestos is located, its potential risk is evaluated. The asbestos survey results determine your asbestos management plan. The plan is an outline intended to help you manage your asbestos problem and reduce the risks posed by it. Your specialist helps you through the registration process by documenting the risk assessment in an asbestos register and outlining how to best deal with it.