What lies beneath

James Dodgson, SOCOTEC UK, explores the challenges when duty holders limit the scope of intrusive work during refurbishment surveys.

Prior to major refurbishment or demolition work taking place on anything built before 2000, it is a legal requirement, under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, to prevent the uncontrolled disturbance of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). To locate and identify all ACMs on the premises, as far as is reasonably practicable, refurbishment or demolition surveys are required. These include intrusive techniques to determine whether asbestos is located in hidden and/or inaccessible locations. Duty holders can place limitations on the scope of intrusive work conducted during these surveys, which can have an impact on surveyors in the event of any unknown or missed materials being discovered further down the line.