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What is the purpose of an asbestos register, and why is it important for landlords, building managers, property owners and employers?
Read on for a complete guide to asbestos registers, including what they cover, when they need updating, who is responsible for managing them and more. For help building your asbestos register and keeping it up to date, call us now on 0800 3581100.
An asbestos register is a list of all the known Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) within a building or site. Its purpose is to help locate and identify these materials.
It will need to be regularly updated and made available to all relevant parties, including emergency services.
An asbestos register forms a key part of an asbestos management plan, which is a legal requirement for landlords, property owners and employers.
Principally, an asbestos register lists all the ACMs found within a building as well as any locations where asbestos is presumed to be. It also contains details about the type, location, condition and accessibility of those ACMs, as well as an individual risk assessment for each occurrence.
The information from the survey will be used to create the register. This is a live document which should be updated as further information becomes available, for example, through further surveys or remedial works.
The register should also include a material risk assessment and, in some cases, a priority assessment.
To ensure accuracy in the long term, your asbestos register will need to be a live document which is continuously updated. As a minimum, you should arrange regular asbestos re-inspection surveys every six to twelve months. This ensures that the condition and risk of ACMs are kept up to date.
Your register should also be updated following any further surveys, refurbishments or remedial works as the ACMs’ presence, condition or quantity may have changed. Prior to any refurbishments, you will also need to arrange an asbestos refurbishment survey, regardless of whether you have an asbestos register or not.
Asbestos refurbishment surveys are far more intrusive and in-depth than normal asbestos management surveys. They reduce the likelihood of asbestos being accidentally disturbed during work.
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, it is the responsibility of the building’s ‘duty holder’ to keep the asbestos register updated. The ‘duty holder’ is usually the building owner, landlord or an employer operating a business within the premises, generally the person responsible for maintenance.
They will need to make sure that the register is kept current by keeping records of any further surveys or maintenance work.
Failing to update the asbestos register can have serious consequences. Part of the answer to the question ‘What is the purpose of an asbestos register?’ is to help safeguard building occupants. Asbestos is a hazardous substance that is linked to a number of health conditions including asbestosis and mesothelioma. If the register is not updated, asbestos containing materials could be accidentally disturbed or degrade without being noticed.
Under UK regulations, any duty holders (landlords, property owners and employers) who do not keep their asbestos register and management plan up to date could face costly fines and even prison sentences.
Additionally, if you do not keep the register current, and a building occupant is exposed to asbestos and develops a health condition, a poorly maintained asbestos register can serve as evidence of negligence on your part.
Primarily, an asbestos register will contain information about the type, location and condition of any ACMs in a property. But it may also feature details including notes on accessibility of the materials as well as photographs. Additionally, the register should contain a material risk assessment and, in some cases, a priority assessment.
If you own, operate or run a business at any commercial premises built before 2000, you will need an asbestos register as part of your requirement to maintain a robust asbestos management plan.
As a duty holder, you will be required to produce an asbestos register for the building.
You will also be responsible for keeping it updated at all times with regular asbestos re-inspection surveys to ensure the materials remain in good condition and to support good record keeping. The register must be made available to those at risk of disturbing any ACMs in your building, including contractors, emergency services and all relevant people, particularly those disturbing the fabric of the building.
EMS is one of the UK’s leading, UKAS-accredited asbestos surveying consultancies. We offer a range of asbestos surveys as well as consultancy services to help you meet your legal responsibilities.
EMS has vast experience writing management plans for multi-site, national and international organisations, including hospitals, schools and factories, as well as retail portfolios with 1000+ properties, to small single-site businesses. We are able to assist you with your requirements and ensure your asbestos register is accurate.
To get started, reach out to our team today. Just call 0800 3581100, email info@emsgroupuk.com or fill out our contact form.
