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Safety Smurf  
#1 Posted : 26 February 2010 11:38:24(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Safety Smurf

Does anyone know off of the top of their head how long superceeded asbestos survey / re-inspection reports should be kept for?
bob youel  
#2 Posted : 26 February 2010 14:12:17(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bob youel

if you think that there may be a medical situation in the future keep such info indefinitely - we have records going back to the 70's and quite recently a medical claim came in with regards to asbestos exposure in the 70's - it was lucky that we had some records
Safety Smurf  
#3 Posted : 26 February 2010 14:19:01(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Safety Smurf

Cheers Bob, For some reason I've got a figure of 40 years in my head but I can't for the life of me remember where I got it from.
stephendclarke  
#4 Posted : 26 February 2010 16:41:15(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
stephendclarke

Hi, I believe the asbestos regs require health/surveillance records are kept for 40 years. I had to investigate an incident that occurred more than 20 years ago luckily we had all the records archived away and had more than complied with asbestos regs in force at the time. Cheers Steve
bod212  
#5 Posted : 01 March 2010 08:17:52(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
bod212

Your question foxed me a bit. If you are asking about health surveillance and any 'personal' record such as personal air monitoring, then 40 years is correct. If the company ceases trading for whatever reason then these records should be passed to the HSE. However, your question seemed to be asking about survey and reinspection records. As far as I know there is no time limit stated for the retention of these records. As they relate to a building I would recommend that they are retained indefinitely and certainly for the life of said building bearing in mind that they will be required for new/ successive building occupiers or indeed for any refurbishment or demolition that may occur regardless of the occupier. The responsiblity lies with whoever is deemed the duty holder for that building.
Heather Collins  
#6 Posted : 01 March 2010 09:37:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Heather Collins

Smurf The 40 years is the period in the Control of Asbestos Regs for the retention of employee health records under Reg 22. However I agree I would keep any asbestos survey records indefinitely due to the long latent period for asbestos-related diseases. I have been asked in the past for details from the 1950s and 1960s for existing sites and from the 1970s for sites that were closed in the 1980s. We had records going back to the 70s and anecdotal reports from previous employees relating to asbestos use going back into the 60s. I have made use of both for Industrial Injuries benefit claims, common law damages claims and - sadly - inquests.
boblewis  
#7 Posted : 01 March 2010 21:01:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
boblewis

Please remember that the 40 year time starts at the point that an employeee is last employed so records that include information attributable to an individual person must be retained for this period of time. Bob
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