Hello there, We are a facilities management company who are pricing some work for a flat warm roof refurbishment at a school. The work is to strip off the felt covering, replace the boarding underneath & carry out any repairs to the joists if they are found to be defective. I have advised that an asbestos R&D survey be carried out and am basically after a second opinion as to whether stripping a flat roof comes under the regs as 'refurbishment' Apparently there is a possibility that there is stramit board under the felt and i have heard that in some instances this can have an asbestos paper backing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated Regards

You are correct, although it seems to me that this is an area where asbestos issues are often quietly ignored and Joe Roofing Contractor simply cracks on with the work, the spoil being treated as normal building waste. I am curious. If the Survey were to identify asbestos paper, does this then become licensed work?

U are right to advise about undertaking a further asbestos survey to determine the presence or otherwise of ACM's U should also get hold of the councils [where the school is a maintained school] H&S people to get them on your side so as they can support your needs towards the headteacher as other builders etc. may not care and the lower price given for the work to the headteacher will reflect this lack of care Where the school is a non-maintained school U should also ID the schools competent H&S person to get them on board with your thoughts but this may be impossible to do!

Thanks all - quick update A slight misunderstanding - apparently the roof isnt being stripped to the joists but rather, furing strips are to be fixed to the existing flat roof and it will have a new felt roofing system on top of this. In addition there are a number of skylights that will need to be replaced at the same time. An existing management survey states that there is asbestos in the upstands of the skylights. Would it be necessary to carry out an R&D on the basis of the above information? I would be inclined to say yes due to the fact that the skylights need to be removed and fixings will have to be drilled into the existing felt to secure the furings, but possibly since the management survey has already pointed out the upstands, would it be more reasonable just to carry out a local sample of what is below the felt? Many thanks