CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskThe duty to manage asbestos, what the survey must cover, and how to keep the management plan current.
The duty to manage asbestos (Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012) applies to all non-domestic premises built before 2000. For care homes, the duty holder is the person responsible for the maintenance and repair of the building -- typically the registered provider. The duty requires: an assessment of whether asbestos is present, the condition and risk of any ACMs found, a written management plan, and monitoring of the plan's implementation.
A Management Survey identifies ACMs that could be disturbed during normal occupation and routine maintenance. It does not involve intrusive investigation. A Refurbishment and Demolition (R&D) Survey is required before any refurbishment or demolition work -- it is more intrusive and fully destructive in the areas to be worked on. Never carry out refurbishment work without an R&D survey of the relevant areas.
Care homes built between the 1940s and 1990s commonly contain: asbestos insulating board (AIB) in ceiling tiles, wall panels, firebreaks and partition linings; asbestos cement in roofing sheets, gutters and downpipes; pipe lagging on heating systems; bituminous floor tiles; and textured coatings (Artex) containing chrysotile (white asbestos).
The asbestos register must be updated whenever new ACMs are found, ACMs are removed, or ACMs are damaged and their condition changes. All contractors working on the building must be shown the register before starting work -- this is a legal requirement. A copy must be kept on-site at all times.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.