Posted By Ken Chappell I recently asked an engineer to carry out some work in a particular area. He refused saying the area contained asbestos. When i asked the building landlord about the asbestos he said that the engineer was talking rubbish. The landlord said that he had given the engineer paperwork stating that the area was free of asbestos. I asked to see this paperwork and given a copy of a fibre count report, and a copy of the asbestos remover's on site diary. Personally i find the documentation hard to follow as i am not familiar with sample data ect. I need to know whether the fibre count report is sufficient documentation for an engineer to be told there is no asbestos present. If the engineer or the engineers employer is entitled to a certificate from the landlord, what does it look like? If the fibre count report is sufficient where can i get information on the subject telling me what the report is saying. Hope someone can shed some light on the subject. Many thanks in anticipation.

Posted By Allan St.John Holt Ken, You might also consider what fibres are being counted? It could be just a dust sample, which won't tell you if there's any asbestos! I guess one way to start would be to call the people who provided the count and ask them to explain exactly what they were measuring. But of course any air sampling will only tell you how much is in the air at the time of the sample, and not whether there is any asbestos material in the workplace. The landlord doesn't sound as if he/she knows a lot about the new Asbestos Regulations and the survey requirement to be met within a couple of months from now. Allan