I am fully aware that when refurbishment and demolition works are being undertaken the asbestos register provided by our clients must carry information obtained from Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys.

My question to you all is that clients are trying to insist that when the refurbishment works only consist of removing and replacing kitchens and bathrooms an R&D survey is not required and that the management survey is adequate.

I do not agree with this one little bit. Is there anyone amongst the faithful that has had the same issue and what was your response to the client.

Paul

Had a similar one. Checked with an inspector and they informed me that you do not need an Asbestos Survey if you can 100% prove that there is no asbestos contained in the building and there is 100% no risk of coming into contact with asbestos.... They then said... "and how do you prove 100%?"....

Thats right.. you have a survey carried out.

If you client is undertaking refurbishment works then i would say yes, a type 3 is mandatory.

It appears that we're talking about domestic dwellings? (I could be wrong of course) and in that instance there are numerous question marks about the existence and accuracy of asbestos registers.

The good Social Housing Landlords are building up information over time (often by detailed assessment during a change of tenancy) however there is a fairly common approach of applying a limited survey in one house to all similar houses in that street. Fine for every-day purposes perhaps, but not good enough at all when a more involved program of works is planned. The upshot being that no two houses can be guaranteed to be the same. What was plasterboard in one old larder unit can be AIB in the house next door.
I would urge your Client to instruct a more in-depth survey in advance of the works. Yes, this is inconvenient, and causes upset to tenants, but nothing compared to the upheaval due to a later discovery, or worse still, inadvertant destruction of that AIB panel (which, in every other bathroom in the street, was plasterboard).

It's a refurbishment and so the potential is there to discover ACM's previously not identified in the Management Plan and so an R&D would be required.

Tracey

Based on the info you have given, I don't agree either. If, if, the management survey has been carried out correctly and there are ACMs which may impinge on refurbishment activity then and R&D survey, in my opinion is essential. One informs the other, I believe. I have not experienced this situation but common sense tells me that the removal of kitchens and bathrooms is very likely to give rise to ACMs being encountered. Ron is right to highlight the fact that the premises may be domestic and the guidance is weighted to non-domestic premises. That being the case am I correct in interpreting this as a place of work when refurbishment is in progress and therefore asbestos still needs to be managed and controlled anyway?