Asbestos Management Solutions
- 01782 624642
- info@westlandes.co.uk
- Free Compliance Survey
Are you the owner of or in charge of a property built before 2000? If so, you may be at
risk from asbestos. If the building is to undergo any development, building work or any
structural changes, asbestos must be considered.
Find out more
Get a free compliance survey
Please contact us info@westlandes.co.uk | 01782 624642
to discuss your requirements in more detail to obtain the most suitable quotation.
You must comply with the ‘Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
– which means commissioning the correct asbestos survey to identify and manage any risks of asbestos.
Our asbestos surveys are conducted in accordance with all HSE guidance. Furthermore, all our asbestos surveyors hold
BOHS P402 certification or equivalent – and are highly experienced, highly trained and undergo regular audits
How asbestos surveys work
- An experienced survey team will visually check each room
– checking the ceiling, walls, floors and any installations for
materials that might contain asbestos - Where appropriate, samples of suspect materials will be
safely taken for subsequent laboratory analysis - Sampling points are then left safe
There are two types of asbestos surveys. Depending on your plans,
you may require one type of asbestos survey, the other, or both.
Learn more about asbestos surveys below.
Management asbestos surveys
The simplest type of asbestos survey, this is usually a visual inspection noting any possible asbestos risks of the property
– when under normal use.
Management surveys (previously defined as type 2 surveys) involve a combination of sampling materials (where accessible) and presuming
materials (where inaccessible). Then, we confirm via analysis where asbestos is located in order for effective management plans to
be drawn up.
Who are management asbestos surveys for?
The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR 2012), Regulation 4 places a duty on the owners of non-domestic premises, who have maintenance and repair responsibilities, to assess and manage the risks from the presence of asbestos via an asbestos management plan.
What do you need to know?
At times, intrusive inspections are conducted when locations are not visibly accessible – such as above suspended ceiling tiles, within service boxing covers etc. Therefore, although we plan to minimise disruption, you must plan for some degree of damage that may occur.
Management asbestos surveys are not suitable for construction or refurbishment work, or extensive maintenance work. For this you will need an in-depth refurbishment asbestos survey.
Refurbishment/ demolition asbestos surveys
A fully-intrusive type of asbestos survey, this is required when you undergo any refurbishment or demolition work in a building where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are likely.
Refurbishment/ demolition surveys (previously defined as type 3 surveys) locate and describe all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the area – as far as reasonably practicable. The survey will take place where the refurbishment work is planned or in the whole building if demolition is planned. Involving destructive inspection as necessary, we will gain access to all areas – including those that may be difficult to reach.
Who are refurbishment/ demolition asbestos surveys for?
Before starting any refurbishment or demolition work, you need to conduct a refurbishment/ demolition survey.
Also, if you’re embarking on intrusive maintenance and repair work, you may require a refurbishment and demolition survey for plant removal and dismantling.
What do you need to know?
These are disruptive and fully intrusive surveys, which may need to penetrate all parts of the building structure. Although we aim to minimise disruption, aggressive inspection techniques will be needed to lift carpets and tiles, break through walls, ceilings, cladding and partitions, and open up floors.
Localised (Specified or Targeted) refurbishment & demolition survey
These surveys follow the same practice as refurbishment & demolition surveys, however, they are limited to localised areas only.
For example, if you’re removing a partition wall or planning maintenance works in one area of the building, you can choose this survey
– providing the work is restricted within a small area of the building.
This is a good option to minimise disruption for any occupants, disturbance of contained asbestos and damage of building features
throughout the rest of the building.
Bulk Sampling
Bulk sampling removes a small portion of building materials for asbestos analytical purposes. It minimises damage to the original materials and
is a safe technique carried out by our team of experts. The aim is to stop unqualified individuals taking their own samples and seriously risking
their health.
We offer our bulk sampling service both inclusive and independent of asbestos surveys.
- Bulk sampling accreditations
- How we identify asbestos fibres
- We conduct a preliminary visual examination of the bulk sample – using a stereomicroscope at X 10- X 40 magnification to assess for fibres & fibre bundles
- Sample treatment is undertaken (if required) to release or isolate fibres
- Representative fibres are mounted in appropriate Refractive Index liquids on glass microscope slides
- The different fibrous components are identified using Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) and dispersion staining techniques at a magnification of X 100 or greater.
- What do you need to know?
Westland Environmental Safety Ltd is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 7567 for asbestos bulk sampling and subsequent fibre identification.
Our technique is conducted in strict accordance with our in-house documented quality management system based on HSE document (HSG 248) “Asbestos: The analysts guide for sampling, analysis and clearance procedures”.
It is a legal requirement of CAR 2012 Regulations state that laboratories who conduct asbestos fibre identification must be accredited to this international standard.
Upon request, we accept specific site bulk sampling conducted by competent personnel who operate in accordance with our in-house documented quality management system.
Also, we welcome submitted samples to our laboratory by surveyors, consultants and asbestos removal contractors.
Asbestos analysis laboratory turnaround times
Specific site bulk sampling engagements are conducted upon request where competent personnel collect bulk samples as in accordance with our in house documented quality management system or we welcome submitted samples to our laboratory by surveyors, consultants and asbestos removal contractors. Accredited Asbestos Analysis Laboratory Turnaround Services Identification of asbestos fibres is based on the following procedure:
- “While you wait” premium
- 24 hours urgent
- 48 hours priority
- Standard Service 3-5 days
All costs are subject to sample volume and frequency
Westland Bulk Analysis Schedule of Rates March 2022 - February 2023
Westland Environmental Safety is accredited for asbestos bulk sample analysis by UKAS under ISO 17025 (7567). Our laboratory welcomes samples submitted by clients and offers varying turnarounds to help clients meet contract requirements.
| Service Level Request | Cost per sample |
| Same Day Service | £25.00 |
| 24-Hour Service | £17.50 |
| 48-Hour Service | £15.00 |
| 3-10 Service | £12.50 |
| Water Absorption/density test | £75.00 |
UKAS Accredited Asbestos Analysis (ISO 17025) HSG248 Edition 2.
(1) All prices are exclusive of VAT at the current rate.
(2) Turnaround times are based on receipt of samples at our laboratory and exclude weekends and bank holidays.
(3) Unless you specify otherwise, samples will be tested on our 3-10-day turnaround time as standard. If for whatever reason we cannot accommodate your request, we will contact you as soon as possible.
(4) Samples received after 12:00 hrs will only begin to be processed from the next working day unless for same-day service requests.
(5) We will split any bags with multiple floor tiles into different samples and charge them accordingly; a single floor tile with bitumen adhesive will remain as one sample.
(6) A one-off £70 Admin fee applies to all new customers.
Get a free compliance survey
Please contact us info@westlandes.co.uk | 01782 624642
to discuss your requirements in more detail to obtain the most suitable quotation.
