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Archive for the ‘Why UKAS Accredited?’ Category

UKAS Accredited Asbestos Inspection Bodies (AIB) Launch Asbestos Industry Dutyholder Client Survey

Friday, September 17, 2010 @ 08:09 AM posted by UKAS Accredited IB's Admin

Following the recent HSE publication of HSG 264 – the Asbestos Survey Guide, a new asbestos surveying, industry-focused blog was formed.  The blog was developed to further promote HSE’s message that clients need to ensure they select competent organisations and that this can clearly be demonstrated by selecting UKAS accredited or certified surveyors for asbestos surveys.

AIB have  launched an industry survey exploring Client’s awareness and understanding of HSG264 and how they select asbestos surveyors and asbestos inspection firms.  The survey can be taken here.

The survey will be promoted across all industries and all Dutyholders, clients, FM’s, Property Managers of non-domestic buildings will be encouraged to take the survey.  Results are expected to give an insight into awareness of HSG264 and its implementation in the marketplace.

UKAS currently accredits over 100 asbestos inspection bodies to carry out asbestos surveys.

John Richards, Managing Director of analytical and surveying firm, Thames Laboratories said:

“The HSG 264 Asbestos Survey Guide strongly recommends the use of an accredited, competent surveyor to carry out an asbestos survey.  The AIB Blog is a collaboration aimed at promoting UKAS Accredited organisations who should be the first choice for companies who have to commission surveys for asbestos.”

He went on to say “Non UKAS Accredited firms will be hit hard by this Guidance since the release of the HSG 264 document, it has been reported that non-accredited companies are already seeing their insurance policies being revoked on that basis.”

The AIB Blog, encourages subscribers to participate in ‘comment and debate’ sessions via Blog posts.  This has many benefits for subscribers, namely, the online promotion of best practice from their individual organisations via articles, press releases, news stories, video and podcasts.

Subscribe to the RSS Feed for regular industry updates:

www.asbestosinspectionbodies.co.uk

Those people who are responsible for a building and have the power to authorise work upon the fabric of the building, have duties under Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Poor quality asbestos insulation in roof void

Poor quality asbestos insulation in roof void.

To summarise those duties:

  • Ensure that the people that work there or visit there are not exposed to asbestos.
  • Ensure that workmen who work on the building are informed where the asbestos is to be found.

Although there is a lot of guidance as to how this might be achieved; how it is actually achieved does not matter.

If asbestos is present in the building, its condition obviously has to be monitored. It may have looked alright a year ago, but what state is it in today? Is it exposing people that work near it to airborne asbestos fibre?

This is as basic a health and safety principle as a worn carpet creating a trip hazard or a pile of boxes blocking a fire exit. We all know that there are organisations where the worn carpet and the pile of boxes are ignored and the likelihood of asbestos being managed is nil.

On the other hand, organisations with otherwise good health and safety procedures may have had an asbestos survey but have done nothing with it. They have started on the road to asbestos compliance but have not completed the journey. Read More

Asbestos surveys are only effective if competent surveyors are employed to do them…That is one of the key messages being promoted at roadshows to help explain new guidance devised for those responsible for managing the risks from asbestos. Read More

Insurance for those undertaking any form of asbestos work has long been an issue as the insurance sector world wide are having to pay substantial sums of money to deal with claims from historic asbestos exposure.

In the UK we have three types of insurance that are applicable to those who undertake asbestos inspection work. Read More