Asbestos Surveys for Construction | HSG Asbestos Surveys
Asbestos Surveys for Construction
IIf you run a small or medium-sized construction business, you are probably working in buildings that contain asbestos on a regular basis. Extensions, loft conversions, kitchen and bathroom refits, commercial fitouts, office renovations — a huge proportion of the building stock across the North of England was built before 2000, which means asbestos is a real possibility on almost every job.
At HSG Asbestos Surveys, we work with builders, contractors, and construction companies of all sizes to ensure the right surveys are in place before work starts. We are straightforward to deal with, turn things around quickly, and understand the pressures of running a construction business.
Free quotes available. Call us: 01274 959994 / 07703 203930 / 07711 855891
Why Asbestos Matters for Construction Companies
Construction workers are among the groups most at risk from asbestos exposure. Disturbing asbestos-containing materials without the right precautions in place can have serious consequences for your workers, your business and your legal standing.
For smaller construction companies in particular, the risk is often underestimated. Large principal contractors have dedicated health and safety teams to manage this. If you are running a smaller outfit, the responsibility often falls directly on you as the business owner or site manager. Getting it wrong can result in HSE enforcement action, improvement notices, prohibition notices or prosecution.
More importantly, asbestos-related diseases are irreversible. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer are all caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. The right survey before work starts is the single most effective way of protecting your team.
Where Asbestos Turns Up on Construction Sites
Asbestos can be found in a very wide range of materials in older buildings. As a construction company working on refurbishments and renovations, your team is likely to come across it in places such as:
- Artex and textured coatings on ceilings and walls
- Insulation boards around boilers, pipes and heating systems
- Roof sheets, soffits and fascias
- Floor tiles and the adhesive used to fix them
- Fire doors and fire protection boards
- Ceiling tiles in older commercial and public buildings
- Lagging on pipes in older properties
- Partition walls in pre-2000 commercial buildings
- Window panels and infill boards in older properties
The problem is that many of these materials do not look any different from non-asbestos alternatives. You cannot tell by looking at them. The only way to know for certain is to have the building surveyed or the material tested before work starts.
Your Legal Responsibilities as a Contractor
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, anyone carrying out work that could disturb asbestos has a legal duty to take the right precautions. As a contractor, this means:
- Before starting any refurbishment or demolition work, you must check whether asbestos is likely to be present
- If there is no existing asbestos survey for the building, or if the survey does not cover the area where you are working, a refurbishment survey must be carried out before work starts
- If you discover a material that you suspect contains asbestos during work, you must stop and arrange for it to be assessed
- You must not knowingly expose your workers to asbestos without the appropriate controls in place
As a contractor, you can be held responsible for asbestos exposure on your sites even if you did not carry out the survey yourself. Having the right survey in place before work starts is the clearest way of demonstrating that you have done your due diligence.
Our Services for Construction Companies
Asbestos Refurbishment Surveys
This is the survey that most construction companies need. A refurbishment survey must be carried out before any work that could disturb asbestos-containing materials. It covers the specific areas where work is planned and involves intrusive inspection to locate any hidden ACMs within the building fabric.
We can turn these around quickly because we know that construction programmes do not always allow for long lead times. If you have a job starting soon and you need a survey in place, get in touch, and we will do our best to accommodate your timescales.
Asbestos Management Surveys
A management survey is less intrusive and is used to identify ACMs that could be disturbed during normal use or routine building maintenance. As a contractor, you may be asked by a client or building owner to provide or arrange a management survey as part of your contract, particularly on commercial projects.
We can carry these out on your behalf or work alongside your client to make sure the right documentation is in place before your team starts on site.
Asbestos Testing and Sampling
If your team comes across a material on site that they are unsure about, we can take a sample and get it analysed by an accredited laboratory. This is a quick and cost-effective way to get a definitive answer without a full survey.
This is also useful when you are pricing up a job and want to understand the asbestos risk before you commit to a programme of works.
Areas We Cover
We provide asbestos surveys for construction companies across the North of England, with full coverage across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
| Yorkshire | Lancashire | Greater Manchester |
| West Yorkshire: Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Batley | Blackburn, Burnley, Preston, Blackpool, Accrington, Clitheroe, Nelson, Colne | Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury |
| North Yorkshire: Harrogate, York, Skipton, Ripon, Northallerton, Scarborough | Lancaster, Morecambe, Chorley, Leyland, Ormskirk, Skelmersdale | Tameside, Trafford, Salford, Leigh, Ashton-under-Lyne |
| South Yorkshire: Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham | Pendle, Ribble Valley, Wyre, Fylde, South Ribble, West Lancashire | Not sure if we cover your area? Just get in touch and we will let you know. |
| East Yorkshire: Hull, Beverley, Bridlington, Driffield, Goole, Howden |
Not sure if we cover your area? Get in touch, and we will be happy to help.
Why Use HSG Asbestos Surveys?
BOHS Qualified Surveyors – All of our surveyors hold BOHS (British Occupational Hygiene Society) qualifications, ensuring surveys are carried out to the highest professional standard.
- Fully Insured – We carry full professional indemnity and public liability insurance, giving you complete peace of mind.
- Local Family Business – We are a local, family-run business with strong roots in Yorkshire. We pride ourselves on honest, straightforward advice with no unnecessary upselling.
- Years of Experience – Our team has extensive experience surveying residential properties of all types and ages, from Victorian terraces to post-war semis and modern homes.
- Clear Reports – We produce detailed survey reports written in plain English, so you understand exactly what has been found and what your next steps are
Common Questions
The building already has an asbestos survey. Do I still need one?
It depends. If the existing survey is a management survey, it may not be sufficient for refurbishment work. A management survey is not designed to locate all hidden ACMs as a refurbishment survey is. You should check whether the existing survey covers the specific areas where your work is planned and whether it was carried out as a refurbishment survey. If in doubt, give us a call, and we will talk you through it.
How quickly can you turn a survey around?
We understand that jobs do not always come with long lead times. We will always try to accommodate urgent requests. Get in touch as early as possible, and we will do our best to fit around your programme.
Who is responsible if asbestos is disturbed on-site?
As the contractor carrying out the work, you carry a significant part of the responsibility for ensuring your workers are not exposed to asbestos. Even if the building owner has not provided a survey, you have a duty to check whether asbestos is likely to be present before your team starts work. Having a current refurbishment survey in place is the clearest way of demonstrating that you have met that duty.
What should my team do if they find something suspicious on site?
Stop work in that area straight away. Do not disturb the material further. Get in touch with us, and we can arrange for the material to be sampled and tested. In most cases, we can get a result back quickly, so the delay to your programme is kept to a minimum.
Get a Free Quote
If you need an asbestos survey for a construction project anywhere across Yorkshire, Lancashire or Greater Manchester, get in touch with HSG Asbestos Surveys today. We offer free, no-obligation quotes and are always happy to talk through what you need before you commit to anything.
Give us a call or fill in our online quote form, and we will get back to you within one working day.
Free quotes available. Call us: 01274 959994 / 07703 203930 / 07711 855891