Asbestos Testing

Although the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 don't make it a legal requirement for you test materials for the presence of asbestos, there are a number of reasons why you might want to consider testing certain materials.

Under various health and safety legislative measures, employers have a duty to ensure that their employees and visitors to their offices, factories, shops etc., are kept safe.

Whilst many asbestos containing materials are perfectly safe, once they become damaged, they are potentially lethal.

Imagine the potential catastrophe if an office wall panel that you assumed was plaster board was drilled or otherwise damaged by a maintenance worker and turned out to be an asbestos insulation board.

Everybody in that office could be contaminated with millions of highly dangerous, microscopic asbestos fibres invisible to the human eye.

Once inhaled, asbestos is impossible to remove from the lungs, where it eventually hardens, creates tumours or tissue thickening that eventually disables and then slowly suffocates the victim.

If suspected or actual asbestos fibres are released into the work environment;

The entire area has to be evacuated, sealed and decontaminated immediately.

The incident must be reported to the Health & Safety Executive.

Your company will be sued and fined heavily.

Under the CAWR (Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations) 2002, a breach can result in a two year prison sentence for the principal of the business.

As you can see, the implications are serious.

Even if you strongly believe that there is no asbestos in your premises, there is a strong chance that some of the building or insulating materials used in the construction contain it.

That is why it is wise to get certain materials tested by a properly qualified, asbestos testing laboratory.

We now offer a service to test materials for the presence of asbestos. Simply send us a thumbnail sized sample of the suspect material, double-bagged in two polythene sealable bags and we will arrange for one of our testing laboratories to get the sample analysed on your behalf.

It is important that the sample bags are clearly marked as follows:

• Your Name
• Address of the Premises
• Location of where the sample was taken from
• What the sample material is - eg, ceiling tile, fire board etc.

The cost os this service is £30 + VAT per sample (£34.50) - cheques should be made out to Energy & Environmental Surveys Ltd and payment included with your sample.

Our address is:

Energy & Environmental Surveys Ltd
Unit 3 Radway Industrial Estate
Radway Road
Solihull
B90 4NR

Please note that is illegal to send asbestos via the postal service. Samples should therefore be sent via courier or hand delivered. The outside of the package should be labelled, "Caution: Could contain asbestos".

You should receive your results within 3-4 days, though occasionally, we might be able to get them sooner.