The 3 Types of Asbestos Surveys

10 June 2022

In the asbestos removal industry, it’s always necessary to know exactly what you’re dealing with before you make a plan to either remove the asbestos completely, or ensure it’s not a health risk.

To do that, professionals must conduct asbestos surveys. This will locate where any asbestos might be, and identify which kind of asbestos or asbestos containing material (ACM) is present.

As such, there are three specific types of asbestos surveys that can be conducted, depending on the purposes and use of the site; management surveys, refurbishment surveys, and demolition surveys.

Management surveys

Asbestos management surveys may be required when there is asbestos in a building (whether that’s residential, commercial, or industrial), and there are people living, working, or using that building.

The goal of this survey is to ensure the asbestos or ACM there is being safely managed, so that it is not putting residents, workers, or site visitors at any risk of exposure. This includes seeing if asbestos might become a risk in future through normal use of the building.

The PCBU can use this information to develop an asbestos management plan for the future.

Refurbishment surveys

Asbestos refurbishment surveys may be required when part or all of a building is set to be refurbished. Again, this could be a residential or commercial property of any kind.

This kind of survey can be quite intrusive, as the surveyor will need to truly access all parts of the area to test of asbestos. This can include lifting carpets, breaking into walls, and taking samples of the ceiling.

In this case, the goal is to see if asbestos is present. This will allow those working on the refurbishment to either have the asbestos removed, or ensure it is managed in a way that means it cannot become a hazard to workers or residents during or following the refurbishment process.

Ideally, nobody should be using or residing in the building during the survey.

Demolition surveys

Much like refurbishment surveys, asbestos demolition surveys may be required when some or all of a residential, commercial, or industrial property is set to be demolished. They can be quite intrusive as the surveyor will access all areas of the building to be demolished.

This is important because if a team demolishes a building that contains asbestos or ACM, they may be at risk of releasing asbestos fibres, which can be a genuine health risk. Therefore a survey can determine if asbestos exists, and help to create a plan for managing that risk to keep workers and site visitors safe.

In some cases, a property might require more than one survey. For example, a school might be planning to demolish an old classroom block and may need to complete a demolition survey there, but may require a management survey for other buildings on the premises.

PRO Environmental Services and asbestos removal

PRO Environmental Services does not offer asbestos surveys, but can arrange it with a specialised asbestos survey company.

And should you require asbestos removal from your site for work or occupation to continue, our team can carry out that work and certify that the site is safe upon completion.