If your business owns its own premises or is responsible for the premises the business works in, then it’s possible you need an asbestos management plan.
Asbestos was once a very common building material, known for its insulation and ability to make building materials stronger. However, in 1999 it was completely banned from the UK. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, it is now considered to be the responsibility of the owner of any non-residential property to have a duty of care regarding asbestos. Therefore, this suggests if there is asbestos located anywhere across your premises an asbestos management plan is needed.
Any property that was built before 2000 could definitely contain asbestos, therefore it is a legal requirement to have a management plan.
How to establish if you need an asbestos management plan.
It is crucial to understand firstly whether you have asbestos on your property. Remember, just because you don’t know about it does not mean it isn’t there. Asbestos can be hidden, and it can also be mistaken for substances which aren’t dangerous.
The only way to know for sure if there is asbestos on your property is to have an asbestos survey carried out on the property. The surveys are an essential part as they help to make that first step in creating a management plan for asbestos present.
The survey will produce a report which details will be given in regard to the asbestos in your property and what the next steps are.
An asbestos management plan is designed to be a simple, centrally located, document that clearly and concisely details the following:
- The person or persons responsible for managing asbestos
- An asbestos register including all relevant details from your asbestos survey such as the amount and location of asbestos
- Details of ongoing and scheduled works that could disturb ACMs
- A schedule of activities to monitor the condition of any ACMs
- Instructions for people who might disturb the asbestos and the background to the decisions outlined within the plan.
If you are concerned about asbestos at your property, or if you do believe an asbestos management plan needs to be put in place then contact ICE Asbestos today.