Asbestos Register vs Asbestos Survey –

If you manage a building or carry out maintenance, installation or refurbishment work, you’ve probably heard the terms “asbestos register” and “asbestos survey”.

They’re closely connected, but they aren’t the same thing.

Confusing the two can be particularly problematic when somebody is about to drill, cut, remove or otherwise disturb part of a building.

An asbestos survey is used to help identify asbestos-containing materials and assess them. An asbestos register is a record of known or presumed asbestos-containing materials relevant to the premises and should be kept up to date as part of asbestos management arrangements.

Understanding the difference can help employers, building managers and tradespeople make better decisions before work begins.

What Is an Asbestos Survey?

An asbestos survey is an inspection undertaken to identify asbestos-containing materials within a building or particular area.

The type and extent of survey required depends on what the building is used for and, importantly, what work is going to take place.

This distinction matters because not every asbestos survey is designed to investigate every concealed part of a building.

A survey appropriate for the normal management of occupied premises may not provide sufficient information for major refurbishment work.

What Is an Asbestos Register?

An asbestos register records information about known or presumed asbestos-containing materials within relevant non-domestic premises.

It can contain information such as:

• Where asbestos-containing materials are located.
• What type of material has been identified.
• Its condition.
• Whether asbestos is known or presumed to be present.
• Relevant assessment information.

The register forms an important part of managing asbestos.

However, it shouldn’t simply be produced and then stored away indefinitely.

Information needs to remain relevant and be made available to people who may need it.

Is an Asbestos Register the Same as an Asbestos Survey?

No.

A survey is the process used to investigate a building or area for asbestos-containing materials.

The register is a record used as part of ongoing asbestos management.

Information obtained from surveys can be used to create or update the asbestos register.

A simple way of thinking about the distinction is:

The survey investigates.

The register records and helps manage the findings.

They work together, but they serve different purposes.

What Is a Management Survey?

A management survey is intended to help manage asbestos-containing materials during the normal occupation and use of a building.

Its purpose includes locating, as far as reasonably practicable, materials that could be disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation activities.

The survey should provide information that can be used to manage those materials and prevent accidental disturbance.

However, a management survey isn’t automatically suitable for every type of intrusive work.

This becomes particularly important when refurbishment is planned.

What Is a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey?

Where refurbishment or demolition work will disturb the fabric of a building, a more intrusive investigation may be required.

A refurbishment and demolition survey is intended to locate asbestos-containing materials within the area where the work will take place.

Because refurbishment can involve opening walls, removing ceilings, stripping fixtures or accessing previously concealed areas, the survey needs to reflect the intrusive nature of the proposed work.

This is one reason workers shouldn’t simply ask:

“Does the building have an asbestos survey?”

A better question can be:

“Do we have the appropriate asbestos information for the work we’re actually about to undertake?”

Why the Difference Matters Before Drilling

Consider an engineer arriving at an older commercial building to install equipment.

They need to drill several holes through a wall and run cabling through a ceiling void.

The building manager tells them:

“Don’t worry. We’ve got an asbestos survey.”

That statement alone doesn’t necessarily provide enough information.

The engineer needs relevant asbestos information covering the location and materials their work could disturb.

The existence of a survey somewhere in the building’s records isn’t a green light to start drilling.

Don’t Assume ‘Not on the Register’ Means ‘No Asbestos’

This is an important point for tradespeople.

If a material isn’t shown on the asbestos register, that shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as proof that it contains no asbestos.

The available information may have limitations.

Areas might previously have been inaccessible, materials may be concealed or the proposed work may go beyond the scope of previous investigations.

Workers need to understand the information they have been given and whether it is sufficient for the work.

If there is uncertainty, work should stop until appropriate information is obtained.

Who Needs Access to the Asbestos Register?

An asbestos register isn’t particularly useful if the people who could disturb asbestos never see the relevant information.

Those who may need asbestos information can include employees and contractors carrying out work on the building.

Depending on the premises, this could include:

• Electricians.
• Plumbers.
• Heating engineers.
• Maintenance workers.
• Joiners.
• Decorators.
• Roofing contractors.
• Telecommunications engineers.
• Fire alarm engineers.
• Security system installers.
• Data cabling installers.

Information needs to reach the people doing the work before they begin potentially intrusive activities.

Contractors Shouldn’t Rely on Warning Stickers

Some asbestos-containing materials may be labelled, but workers shouldn’t expect every potential asbestos location to have a large warning sticker attached to it.

Effective asbestos management relies on proper information and communication rather than workers simply looking around for asbestos labels.

Before intrusive work starts, contractors should be provided with relevant information about asbestos risks that could affect their work.

They also need sufficient awareness to understand why that information matters.

Does an Asbestos Register Need Updating?

An asbestos register should reflect current information.

Circumstances can change.

For example, asbestos-containing material may:

• Deteriorate.
• Be repaired.
• Be encapsulated.
• Be removed.
• Become damaged.
• Be identified following further investigation.

Information may therefore need updating as part of ongoing asbestos management.

An outdated register can potentially give workers an inaccurate picture of the building.

What Happens If Asbestos Is Removed?

Where asbestos-containing material recorded in the register is subsequently removed, the asbestos management information should be updated appropriately.

Similarly, where new information becomes available following surveys, inspections or sampling, relevant records should reflect that information.

Good record keeping helps ensure future workers aren’t relying on information that no longer represents the premises accurately.

What Should a Tradesperson Do Before Starting Work?

Workers whose jobs involve disturbing the fabric of buildings should avoid treating asbestos checks as somebody else’s administrative responsibility.

Before starting intrusive work, they should have access to the relevant asbestos information for the area in which they will be working.

They need to consider questions such as:

• What material will I be drilling, cutting or removing?
• Is asbestos known or presumed to be present?
• Does the available information cover this particular location?
• Is the information appropriate for the work being undertaken?
• Are there areas that weren’t previously accessed or inspected?
• What should I do if I encounter something unexpected?

If the information isn’t clear, asking before starting is considerably safer than discovering the problem after a hole has already been drilled.

What If the Register Says Asbestos Is Present?

Finding asbestos recorded in a register doesn’t mean a worker with Asbestos Awareness Training can simply proceed carefully.

Awareness training doesn’t qualify somebody to work on asbestos-containing materials.

The work needs to be properly assessed and planned, and the appropriate people, procedures and controls need to be used.

Some asbestos work requires appropriately licensed contractors.

The correct response depends on the material, condition and work being proposed.

What If You Discover Something That Isn’t on the Register?

Unexpected materials can be encountered during maintenance and installation work.

If a worker discovers material that they suspect could contain asbestos and the available information doesn’t adequately identify it, they shouldn’t simply make their own visual judgement and continue.

Work should stop and the appropriate procedure should be followed.

Further investigation may be required before the task continues.

Asbestos-containing materials cannot generally be reliably identified simply by looking at them.

Where Does Asbestos Awareness Training Fit In?

An asbestos register provides information.

Asbestos Awareness Training helps workers understand why they need that information and what they should do with it.

Training can help workers understand:

• The health risks associated with asbestos.
• Where asbestos-containing materials may occur.
• Which activities can disturb asbestos.
• Why asbestos information should be checked before work.
• Why visual identification isn’t reliable.
• What to do when suspicious material is encountered.
• What to do following accidental disturbance.

An employee could theoretically be given an excellent asbestos register but still make a poor decision if they don’t understand its significance.

Awareness Training Doesn’t Teach Surveying

Asbestos Awareness Training should not be confused with training to undertake asbestos surveys.

Completing an awareness course doesn’t make somebody competent to inspect a building and declare it asbestos-free.

Nor does it qualify them to take samples or carry out asbestos removal work.

The purpose of awareness training is different.

It helps people who could encounter asbestos during their normal work recognise the risks and avoid accidental disturbance.

The Register and Training Need to Work Together

Good asbestos management isn’t achieved simply by having a document called “Asbestos Register”.

Likewise, sending workers on Asbestos Awareness Training doesn’t remove the need to provide them with relevant information about the premises.

The two elements complement one another.

Workers need appropriate information about where asbestos may be present.

They also need sufficient knowledge to understand the information and recognise when they should stop before disturbing a material.

Flexible Asbestos Awareness Training

Businesses employing tradespeople, maintenance personnel and other workers who could encounter asbestos may need to provide training as new employees join or responsibilities change.

Asbestos Awareness Training supplied on USB provides a reusable resource for delivering training in-house.

The USB contains training videos, question and answer test sheets, certificate templates and training record templates. It can be accessed using a compatible PC, laptop or Mac and reused when additional employees require training.

Online Asbestos Awareness Training provides another option for individual employees or businesses with workers operating from different locations.

Final Thoughts

An asbestos survey and an asbestos register are connected, but they aren’t interchangeable.

A survey investigates a building or area to identify asbestos-containing materials appropriate to its scope.

The asbestos register records relevant information about known or presumed asbestos-containing materials and supports their ongoing management.

For somebody about to drill, cut or otherwise disturb a building, however, the most important issue isn’t simply whether either document exists.

They need relevant asbestos information that is appropriate to the location and work they are actually going to undertake.

And they need to understand what that information means.

If the information doesn’t adequately cover the work or an unexpected material is discovered, don’t guess.

Stop and check before disturbing it.