As asbestos is a highly dangerous material that has been banned for use for the last two decades, it should come as no surprise that there are several legal obligations and complexities surrounding building owners who discover present asbestos within their buildings.
If a property was built before the year 2000 in the UK, it stands to reason that there could be asbestos contained within its design and construction. If you have recently found what you believe to be asbestos within a property that you own, it is important to have an asbestos survey carried out by a professional asbestos removal company that specialise in asbestos removal services and asbestos removal Cheshire to determine and understand its presence.
Owner responsibility
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, any person who is the owner or holds responsibility for non-residential buildings has the legal obligation to ensure everyone who uses that building is safe from asbestos risk.
By way of UK law, that person has the duty of care to everyone who lives, works, or utilises the building for any reason and is responsible for ensuring all precautions and measures are put in place and administered to fully limit the possibility of asbestos exposure.
A big part of the management of asbestos risk is taking the steps to locate and safely manage asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
Homeowner responsibility
Residential properties come with a different set of rules as there is no specific legal duty of care that a homeowner has in regards to asbestos.
Even when hiring someone to conduct work in your home, you do not have a legal obligation in protecting them from asbestos exposure. This more falls onto the individual who would be doing any work on your home. However, more and more today homeowners are taking motivation concerning personal safety in these instances, especially when wanting to protect the family from harmful asbestos fibres that can be airborne when any work is being done.
Asbestos survey
If asbestos is discovered or disturbed, the first course of action is to have an asbestos survey Manchester conducted by a professional. It is a legal necessity for non-residential building owners, and an advisable step for homeowners.
Surveys look for asbestos and carry out asbestos testing on suspected materials to determine asbestos type, extent, and condition. Regulations demand that all findings within the survey must be passed to anyone at risk of exposure, to provide location and condition for anyone who would come into contact with it.
Contact the team at Grosvenor Asbestos Solutions today for asbestos removal Manchester and asbestos surveying.
