Synergy News & Blog: Guildford Office
Thinking ahead: planning for asbestos
Works are underway to renew the hall flooring at St Teresa R C Primary School in Morden. Following a successful LCVAP Bid to renew the schools hall floor a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey (R&D) Survey indicated that the void between the concrete sub floor and the timber flooring contained traces of Chrysotile and Crocidolite asbestos.
The implication from the survey is that the pipes were previously lagged with asbestos which had been inadequately removed and as there is no effective seal between the individual sections under the floor the whole void had to be regarded as being contaminated.
This has resulted in the removal and cleaning works being carried out under fully controlled conditions by a licensed contractor following statutory notification to HSE.
This highlights the importance of having an R&D Survey undertaken before putting the works out to tender, as to carry out the R&D Survey after tendering the works would be a folly which could work out to be extremely costly.
It is estimated that nearly three quarters of schools and further/higher educational establishments have some asbestos-containing materials (ACM’s) in their building fabric. If you are about to embark on a maintenance or refurbishment project and require support or advice please contact us.
