Council leads way on asbestos monitoring

North Yorkshire Council has just undertaken to carry out asbestos surveys in all its properties in a move which prevents new regulations due to come out next year.

The council is planning to spend at least

o1 million to survey all 600 of its non-domestic buildings over a five-year period and develop a system of asbestos management.

The new regulations will require that all workplaces are surveyed for asbestos-containing materials.

In the meantime the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance Surveying, sampling and assessment of asbestos-containing materials as a standard for people carrying out or commissioning asbestos surveys in buildings.

The guidance describes three different levels of survey which can be carried out on a building. Some surveys may involve collecting representative samples of suspect materials for laboratory identification, whilst others may rely on studies of building plans or other information sources. The guidance includes advice on which type of survey is most appropriate for particular situations. Anyone undertaking asbestos surveys or samples should have appropriate training and experience, and be able to demonstrate independence, impartiality and integrity.

Copies of Surveying, sampling and assessment of asbestos-containing materials price £18.00 from HSE books.