M3 Associates Ltd

Asbestos Oveview

Asbestos was used considerably in the UK in the 1950’s through to the 1970’s and it wasn’t fully prohibited from use until late 1999. This means that there are still a great many building in the UK that contain asbestos, if the asbestos is in a good sealed condition and unlikely to be disturbed then it poses no threat, it is only when it is disturbed or in poor, damaged condition that the fibres can get into the air and cause lung disease and fatal cancers. Asbestos was used in a range of products including, composites, cement, insulation and thermal insulation and it is widely believed that there are over 5000 building products that contain asbestos. M3 Associates can effectively and safely move the asbestos from your buildings and ensure the optimum levels of safety are present at all times.

Asbestos Surveys

M3 undertake asbestos surveys to ascertain how the asbestos containing materials on the premises should be managed. A survey will gather enough adequate information to be able to produce a detailed asbestos register, risk assessment and asbestos management plan.

A management survey is our most common form of survey, it locates the asbestos and determines the extent of how the suspect asbestos containing materials could be damaged or disturbed during residential use, it will also assess the condition of the materials. Additionally, the survey will include foreseeable maintenance and installation works.

Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys

Refurbishment and demolition surveys take place before any work has been carried out. Similarly to a management survey, they are used to locate the asbestos containing materials in the area where refurbishment is required or in the building as a whole if demolition is going to occur. The survey will be intrusive and destructive in order to gain access to all parts of the building, especially those that are hard to reach. It is also sometime necessary to carry out a refurbishment and demolition survey if intrusive repair work is being undertaken or for plant removal or dismantling.

Asbestos Re-inspection Survey

It is a requirement that asbestos containing materials (ACMs) be checked every six to twelve months to ensure that they are still in good condition and are not going to be disturbed or accidentally damaged. This part of the on-going management of asbestos containing materials and M3 Associates Ltd can assist in making sure that you meet this periodical condition.

Asbestos Sampling

We can take a bulk sample of materials to our laboratory situated in Houghton Regis offices where we will analyse for traces of asbestos.  We can provide these analytical services to our own in house survey teams on completion of one of our surveys or we can take commissions from clients that have specifically requested sampling. We analyse samples in accordance with HSE publication HSG 248 ‘The Analyst’s Guide’ and we UKAS accreditation (ISO 17025) for the identification of asbestos in bulk materials. In most cases we can analyse and report back on samples on the same day we receive them.

Asbestos Analysis

We hold accreditation for air monitoring and stage 4 clearance procedures and our fully trained staff can perform the following:

•Background Air Monitoring before commencing any work we determine fibre concentrations to prevent airborne asbestos contamination.

•Leakage Air Monitoring – ensures that the enclosure doesn’t leak or release airborne respirable fibres and remains effective during the removal of the asbestos.

•Reassurance Air Monitoring - after removal of the asbestos has taken place and the enclosure is being dismantled, it confirms that the residual asbestos fibre concentrations are satisfactory.

•Static Air Monitoring – before entry for visual inspections we assess the asbestos fibre concentrations.

•Personal Exposure Monitoring – workers exposure to asbestos during removal/remediation is monitored to make sure that the asbestos works comply with relevant control limits.

•Site Assessment for Reoccupation (Four Stage Clearance) – after the asbestos has been removed premises must be assessed to decide whether it is ready for reoccupation. 

Regulation 4

A safe work place is required under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. However asbestos has its own set of regulations, The Control of Asbestos Regulations and Regulation 4 states that non domestic premises with owners or occupiers that have maintenance responsibilities for those premises must assess them for not only the presence of asbestos but also its condition. If asbestos is found, the owner or occupier must assess the risk that it poses and a written plan identifying the location and the steps taken to manage that risk must be set out and implemented. M3 Associates Ltd has extensive experience in dealing with these regulations and should you be in this situation we are able to fully guide and assist you.

Asbestos Project Management

As fully independent contractors we always guarantee that works are completed to a high standard and in the most cost effective way for our clients. M3 Associates Ltd provide a full turnkey service of all asbestos remediation and removal works, which are overseen and managed by a qualified project manager. The works will be completed to the highest standard and within the specified timescale and agreed budget. Our asbestos contractors are vetted by our in-house procedures and M3 Associates Ltd regularly update and check this process to make sure the contractor meets all required legislation.