Summary of HSE guidance, not legal advice. Each point links to the HSE page it comes from.
If you own, let or run a commercial building, the people most at risk from asbestos are rarely your staff at their desks. They are the electrician running cable above the ceiling, the engineer working on an old boiler, or the shopfitter stripping out the last tenant's fit-out. HSE says asbestos is responsible for over 5,000 deaths a year in Great Britain, and that symptoms can take 15 to 60 years to appear (HSE FAQ). A commercial asbestos survey is how you know what is in the building before someone drills into it, and how you show you did what the law asks.
Does my building need a survey?
HSE says the duty to manage asbestos covers all non-domestic premises. That includes industrial and commercial buildings such as factories, warehouses, offices and shops, and public buildings such as hospitals, schools, places of worship, museums and libraries (HSE: check if you have the duty to manage).
If the building was built or refurbished before 2000, HSE's advice is to assume there is asbestos in it. Asbestos can be visible or hidden in the building fabric, for example inside wall cavities or fire doors. In most cases you will need a management survey by a competent asbestos surveyor. Only very simple premises, such as a building whose only asbestos is cement roof sheeting with nothing hidden, may be suitable for your own inspection (HSE: is asbestos present?).
Built after 2000? HSE says asbestos is unlikely, but to think about old industrial machinery or equipment brought into the building (see below).
Who is responsible: owner, landlord or tenant?
HSE says the dutyholder in non-domestic premises could be the building owner, the landlord, or the person or organisation with clear responsibility for the building's maintenance or repair. The extent of the duty depends on the tenancy agreement or contract (HSE). HSE's examples:
| Situation | Who holds the duty (per HSE) |
|---|---|
| Owner keeps responsibility for maintenance and repairs, and controls access by maintenance workers | The owner |
| Tenants are responsible for alterations, repairs and maintenance under the lease | The tenants |
| Responsibility is shared, for example between owners, sub-lessors, occupiers and employers | Each of them, for the part of the premises they maintain |
| Multi-occupied building | The owner for the whole building, or shared, for example the owner for common parts and leaseholders for the parts they occupy |
| No tenancy agreement or contract, or the premises are unoccupied | Whoever has control of the premises, often the owner |
Using a managing agent? HSE says an agreement can pass some or all of the responsibilities to the agent, but the legal obligation to comply cannot be passed to them. The agent acts on the owner's behalf and ultimate responsibility remains with the owner (HSE). If the lease is unclear, agree in writing who is commissioning the survey and who holds the register. HSE's Approved Code of Practice has more detail (HSE: L143).
Which survey do you need?
HSE describes two types of asbestos survey, and says both are likely to need sampling (HSE: arrange an asbestos survey):
- Management survey: for a building in normal occupation and use. Its main aim is to let you produce an asbestos register and an asbestos management plan.
- Refurbishment or demolition survey: before any installation, refurbishment or demolition work that disturbs the building fabric. It is destructive, the area must be vacated, and the surveyor must confirm it fit for reoccupation afterwards.
For most commercial buildings, both come up sooner or later: a management survey to run the building day to day, and a refurbishment survey of the affected area before a fit-out, strip-out, rewire, new partitions, or works between tenants. HSE says there is a legal requirement for all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) to be removed, as far as reasonably practicable, before major refurbishment or demolition (HSE).
Don't forget old equipment and machinery
HSE says asbestos can be in old equipment and machinery, for example oven rope seals and insulation, gaskets, electrical switchgear and heat resistant panels. If you intend to maintain old equipment, find out whether it contains asbestos, ideally from the manufacturer or service engineer; otherwise presume it does. If you don't know what equipment there is and where it is, HSE says you need a management survey. Old equipment that may contain asbestos must not be bought or sold, and disposal needs a consignment note to a permitted asbestos waste facility (HSE).
What the survey should cover
HSE says a management survey should include (HSE):
- all rooms, corridors, stairs, basements, cellars, underground rooms and undercrofts
- under floor coverings, above false ceilings (ceiling voids), lofts, inside risers, service ducts and lift shafts
- external areas, including roofs, soffits, gutters and windows
- other areas likely to be disturbed by maintenance, for example behind access hatches
HSE warns that restricting the scope can seriously undermine the survey. Any area that isn't inspected, for example because there was no access on the day, has to be presumed to contain asbestos and managed that way until it can be inspected.
What to prepare before the surveyor arrives
HSE suggests first checking what information you already hold and asking people who may know (HSE). In practice that means:
- gather building plans, previous asbestos survey reports, any existing asbestos register, the health and safety file and records of past asbestos removal
- check any existing register covers every building on the site built before 2000 and is up to date
- ask previous owners or tenants, your facilities management company, equipment suppliers or repairers, and the architect or builder
- arrange keys and access to every area on the list above, including plant rooms, risers, roof voids and tenanted units, so nothing has to be left as "presumed"
- tell staff and occupiers when the survey is happening, and plan to vacate any area getting a refurbishment survey
Choosing a surveyor
HSE strongly recommends using accredited asbestos surveying organisations, and says UKAS is currently the sole recognised accreditation body in Great Britain for asbestos inspection bodies carrying out surveys. Samples must be analysed by accredited analysts. As the dutyholder, you should be satisfied the surveyor is technically competent and can allocate enough resources to the job (HSE). Surveys should follow HSE's survey guide, HSG264 (HSE).
How to check the report
HSE suggests checking (HSE):
- for caveats or disclaimers you didn't agree to
- that diagrams and plans are clear and accurate
- that all rooms and areas were accessed
- that enough samples were taken, usually 1–2 per area or room, and that they aren't dominated by one type of material
After the survey
The survey is the start, not the finish. HSE says the dutyholder must keep an up-to-date register of the location and condition of ACMs, assess the risk, write an asbestos management plan and put it into action, monitor the condition of ACMs, review the plan every 12 months or sooner if necessary, and give information on the location and condition of ACMs to anyone who may work on or disturb them, including the emergency services (HSE). You must also identify a competent person in your organisation to manage it: for small companies this is likely to be the owner; for larger ones it may be the health and safety, estates or facilities manager (HSE).
See our guide to the asbestos register and management plan, which links to HSE's free example and blank templates. HSE also publishes worked examples from an NHS trust, a local authority and a facilities management company showing how asbestos records were kept and shared with contractors (HSE: examples of managing asbestos).
How much does a commercial asbestos survey cost?
Commercial surveys are priced on floor area, access, the number of buildings and the number of samples, so we don't publish a figure we can't verify. For homes, see our indicative survey costs. The quickest way to a real number is a written quote: tell the surveyor the building type, approximate floor area, number of floors, age, and whether any work is planned.
Questions
Do commercial premises need an asbestos survey?
HSE says the duty to manage asbestos covers all non-domestic premises, such as factories, warehouses, offices, shops, schools and hospitals. If the building was built or refurbished before 2000, HSE says to assume there is asbestos in it and, in most cases, to arrange a management survey by a competent asbestos surveyor. Only very simple premises may be suitable for your own inspection.
Who is responsible for asbestos in a commercial building: the landlord or the tenant?
It depends on the lease. HSE says the dutyholder could be the building owner, the landlord, or the person or organisation with clear responsibility for maintenance or repair. A tenant who is responsible for repairs and maintenance under the lease can be the dutyholder, or the duty can be shared. Where there is no clear agreement, or the premises are empty, whoever has control of the premises is responsible, often the owner.
Can a managing agent take on the duty to manage asbestos?
An agreement can pass some or all of the day-to-day responsibilities to a managing agent, but HSE says the legal obligation to comply cannot be passed to them. The agent acts on the owner's behalf; ultimate responsibility stays with the owner.
Which survey do I need before a shop or office fit-out?
A refurbishment or demolition survey of the area being worked on. HSE says any installation or refurbishment work that disturbs the building fabric where asbestos could be hidden needs this more intrusive survey before work starts. A management survey is not a substitute.
Does old machinery count?
Yes. HSE says asbestos can be in old equipment and machinery, such as oven rope seals and insulation, gaskets, electrical switchgear and heat resistant panels. If you don't know what equipment there is and where it is, HSE says you need a management survey.
How much does a commercial asbestos survey cost?
Commercial surveys are quoted on floor area, access, the number of buildings and the number of samples, so we don't publish a figure we can't verify. Request a written quote and ask what is included, especially which areas will be accessed.
Request a commercial survey quote Duty to manage guide
Related guides: Management surveys · Refurbishment surveys · Register and management plan · Duty to manage for landlords · Survey types · Ceiling tiles · Asbestos cement sheets · Licensed vs non-licensed work