Surveys, Registers & Records

What is the purpose of a management survey?

• ATo plan the sequence of works for demolishing the building
• BTo test the fire alarm and emergency lighting installation
• CTo value the building accurately for sale or insurance purposes
• DTo locate asbestos during normal occupation✓

Answer: A management survey supports day-to-day occupation and maintenance. It is not designed for refurbishment or demolition, which need a more intrusive survey.

Which type of survey is required before a building is demolished?

• AA condition survey
• BA refurbishment and demolition survey✓
• CA management survey
• DA homebuyer’s report

Answer: A refurbishment and demolition survey is fully intrusive and locates asbestos everywhere that will be disturbed. A management survey is not sufficient for demolition.

How does a refurbishment and demolition survey differ from a management survey?

• AIt only looks at the outside of the building
• BIt is less thorough and quicker to complete
• CIt is fully intrusive and opens up the structure✓
• DIt is carried out by the occupants themselves

Answer: Refurbishment and demolition surveys open up the structure — lifting floors, opening ducts — because the work will disturb areas a management survey leaves alone.

Should a building normally be occupied during a refurbishment and demolition survey?

• AYes — provided occupants are given dust masks to wear
• BNo — the area should normally be vacated✓
• CYes — occupation makes no practical difference to the survey
• DYes — as long as the survey is done during normal working hours

Answer: Because the survey deliberately disturbs materials, the area should be empty and, where appropriate, treated as an asbestos work area.

What information should an asbestos register contain?

• AOnly the name and contact details of the current building owner
• BOnly a numbered list of the rooms contained in the building
• COnly the date on which the building was originally constructed
• DThe location, type and condition of the asbestos✓

Answer: A register must say what is where, what it is and what state it is in, so anyone planning work can judge the risk before starting.

How often should the condition of known asbestos materials be checked?

• AOnly after a fire or other incident has affected the building
• BOnce when first recorded, with no further inspection needed
• COnly at the point when the building changes hands or ownership
• DRegularly, as set out in the management plan✓

Answer: Materials deteriorate and get damaged, so monitoring is an ongoing duty. The management plan sets the inspection frequency based on risk.

Who should carry out an asbestos survey?

• AThe most senior person on site regardless of training
• BA competent, accredited asbestos surveyor✓
• CThe building’s cleaner
• DAny member of the maintenance team

Answer: Surveying requires training, competence and usually accreditation. Seniority is not competence, and an untrained surveyor may miss materials or create exposure.

If a survey did not access a particular area, what should the register say?

• AThat the area is confirmed asbestos-free
• BThat the area does not exist
• CNothing — omit it from the register
• DThat it was not accessed, so asbestos is presumed✓

Answer: Areas not inspected must be recorded as presumed to contain asbestos. Silence in the register would be read as "nothing here", which is exactly how accidents happen.

What should happen to the asbestos register after asbestos is removed from a building?

• AIt should be left unchanged
• BIt should be replaced with the contractor’s invoice
• CIt should be updated to record the removal✓
• DIt should be destroyed once the work is finished

Answer: The register is a living record. Updating it after removal, with clearance certificates, keeps it accurate for everyone who works in the building later.

Who should have access to the asbestos register?

• AOnly the surveyor who originally produced the report
• BOnly the person or organisation that owns the building
• COnly the Health and Safety Executive on request
• DAnyone who may disturb the building fabric✓

Answer: The register only prevents harm if the people about to drill, cut or lift can read it. Restricting access defeats its purpose.

A survey report says a material is "presumed" to contain asbestos. What does that mean?

• AIt has been tested and found to be asbestos-free
• BIt contains asbestos but is safe to disturb
• CIt definitely contains crocidolite
• DIt has not been sampled, so it is treated as asbestos✓

Answer: Presumed means untested. Under CAR 2012 the material is treated as asbestos-containing until analysis shows otherwise.

Why should records of asbestos work and exposure be kept for many years?

• ABecause the paperwork is needed for VAT and accounting purposes
• BBecause they demonstrate how quickly the job was completed
• CBecause the diseases take decades to appear✓
• DBecause insurers require the records to be kept for one year

Answer: With latency measured in decades, health records are the only way to link a later diagnosis to a historic exposure. Health records for licensed work must be kept for 40 years.