An asbestos audit is an assessment that determines the presence and state of asbestos in your building. Most people do not comprehend the asbestos audit process and why their building needs an asbestos audit. Below is an extract explaining the asbestos audit process.
Who Needs an Asbestos Audit?
Asbestos audits suit commercial buildings or homes that contain asbestos roofs, walls, fire doors, insulation, or piping. In some jurisdictions, the audit is compulsory in commercial buildings since asbestos risks the health of employees and tenants. Regardless of the law, consider an annual audit to establish whether the asbestos used during construction endangers the lives of occupants.
What are the Benefits of an Asbestos Audit?
Most property owners, especially those whose homes were built when asbestos was used as a building material, do not know the location or type of asbestos on their property. An asbestos audit provides accurate details regarding the asbestos presence and threat on the property. Therefore, you can take measures to protect occupants.
Asbestos audits are also commissioned by property buyers to determine whether the property they intend to purchase is safe to occupy. If they fail to conduct an asbestos audit and the property turns out to have asbestos, they could incur significant costs abating the material. If a pre-purchase asbestos audit finds asbestos-containing materials on the property, the buyer could ask for a price cut or opt not to buy the property.
What Happens During an Asbestos Audit?
If you wish to conduct an asbestos audit, you need to hire an accredited surveyor or inspector to examine the property. The general principle is that the inspector should have a valid licence and should not have a conflict of interest in the property. Otherwise, they could be biased.
During the audit, the professional assesses the property for obvious signs of asbestos. For instance, it is easy to identify an asbestos roof or ceiling. The inspector also takes samples from various parts of the house to establish whether the property contains bonded asbestos.
If the surveyor finds asbestos on the property during the audit, they fill in an asbestos register detailing the location and type of asbestos on the property. The surveyor also creates an asbestos management plan that guides the property owner on how to reduce asbestos risk on the property. For instance, they could be required to remove friable asbestos or non-friable asbestos exposed to structural damage. The rule is that the property owner should engage a licenced asbestos contractor when removing and containing the dangerous material.
Reach out to a company like Health Safety Environment Australia to learn more.
Share7 June 2022
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