Case Study - Surveying

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Asbestos Survey Legislation

Why Appoint a UKAS accredited asbestos surveyor?

Sampling and Surveying for Asbestos

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) and more specifically Regulation 4: Duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic properties sets a legal requirement for owners and occupiers of non-domestic buildings to carry out a suitable assessment to determine whether asbestos is present or liable to be present. The regulations require you to take ‘reasonable steps’ to find asbestos in your premises. Merryhill will be happy to provide you with further details of your options, including full surveys, testing and sampling.

There are many companies that provide consultancy and surveying services. Merryhill elected to be judged against the highest standards. However, before commissioning an organisation to undertake such work it is important to consider the risks:

Selecting an organisation accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) will ensure that you are appointing a competent surveying organisation that will understand and meet your requirements. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body.

Are you satisfied that the organisation has the resources to do the work?

Are the surveyors working to suitable codes of conduct to ensure inspections are carried out impartially and with integrity?

Are you satisfied that safeguards are in place, e.g. suitable liability insurance, in case difficulties arise?

Are you confident that the organisation has the technical competence to undertake the work in question?

Are you confident that the organisation has an adequate quality system in place?

03 Merryhill Asbestos Surveying Experience

Merryhill Envirotec has been undertaking asbestos surveys since 1996. We have been accredited to ISO17020 by UKAS since 2005. Our surveyors undertake comprehensive asbestos management surveys and refurbishment/demolition surveys to HSG264 in a wide range of property types, from single & multi domestic premises, through to complex industrial and commercial premises.

We are preferred supply chain partners for numerous social housing providers, Local Authorities, commercial organisations and we have undertaken management surveys on some 5000 domestic premises over the past decade. In addition we are commissioned to undertake surveys across the defence, education, health, industrial, nuclear and commercial sectors.

We can advise you on how to proceed, arrange for one of our qualified Asbestos Surveyors to undertake your survey and sampling requirements, and safely remove any asbestos containing materials. This type of survey Merryhill can provide for you will depend on whether any works are planned in your premises, such as refurbishment or demolition, what the buildings are used for, and who occupies them.

04 Asbestos Surveying Case Studies

2012 Social Housing Provider (Hampshire)

Management surveys to multi occupied domestic premises numbering 285 properties. Merryhill coordinated all the visits and had a dedicated member of staff available to liaise with residents. We liaised with the housing provider prior to commencement, and they provided us with information on occupation, which included any properties where they felt that there were unusual circumstances of which we should be aware. We provided introductory letters to all residents and invited them to engage with us so that we could make sure their experience of an asbestos survey was safe, positive and inconvenient for them. We coordinated and diarised all visits electronically, and were able to accommodate successfully all the residents requirements in terms of access, security, intrusion and privacy.

2012 – Private School (North London)

A mixture of management surveys & complex R&D surveys to an occupied school bounded by main roads and a river. Access was constrained, and our surveying team worked split early and evening shifts in order to minimise disruption to the pupils and staff. Previous surveyors had performed minimal asbestos testing, making earlier results unreliable for reference. Staff worked a straight 7 days up until Christmas Eve to complete the survey and establish an asbestos register for the school.

2010 to Present – Big 6 Utility Co. (SE, SW, London)

A framework contract for a major 6 utilities contractor, based in the South. Merryhill are contracted to undertake surveys of power sub-stations and associated buildings across a wide geographic area. The works are very high risk, and as such our surveying teams have undergone specialised training in working in high voltage environments. The risks are diverse and potentially lethal, and we have to work quickly and accurately as there are strict time limits imposed in terms of access and egress.