From asbestos survey to a living register

What a survey gives you

An asbestos survey identifies the location, quantity and condition of asbestos-containing materials in a building, assesses whether they are deteriorating, and whether remedial action is needed. The survey outputs feed directly into the asbestos register and building plan, and inform the risk assessment and management plan required under the duty to manage.

Turning the survey into a register

A survey is a snapshot; the register is a living record. Each ACM entry should carry:

• location and material type;
• condition and risk determination;
• the control measure applied (manage in place, encapsulate, remove);
• the re-inspection date;
• a log of information shared with those liable to disturb it.

Keeping the record alive

The written record must be kept up to date. Specific events — maintenance works, the arrival of new tenants, or organisational changes — should trigger a review of the management plan, and any identified or suspected ACM must be inspected at intervals appropriate to its location, building use and condition. A register that only gets touched when a new survey lands is not meeting the duty.

PropertyActions is an admin and recordkeeping tool. This guide explains the duty and the records involved; it is not legal advice and does not replace a competent person carrying out the statutory assessment.