Asbestos Surveys: A Legal Requirement in Bath, Bristol & Somerset 🏛️

Why Are Asbestos Surveys Important?

Most buildings in Bath, Bristol, and across Somerset built before 2000 may contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs)—from insulation boards, ceiling tiles, old pipe lagging to roof sheets. While asbestos use was banned in the UK in 1999, its legacy remains.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), Regulation 4 imposes a legal duty to manage asbestos in non‑domestic premises or in communal areas of residential buildings (like blocks of flats). Even in domestic buildings undergoing refurbishment or demolition, surveys are required before any work that may disturb asbestos-containing materials can begin .

When Is a Survey Required?

1. Non‑Domestic Properties & Common Areas (e.g. offices, schools, flats in conversion)

Duty holders (e.g. landlords, building managers) must arrange a management survey to locate, assess, and record ACMs—creating an asbestos register and management plan .

If refurbishment or demolition is planned, a more intrusive refurbishment/demolition survey is required before work begins to identify hidden ACMs and allow safe removal .

2. Domestic Buildings / Private Owner‑Occupied Homes

No general legal obligation exists to survey purely for domestic use.

However, any construction or refurbishment work (even in homes) triggers the requirement for a refurbishment/demolition survey if the building was built before 2000—because workers become employees under health and safety law, including COSHH and HSE duties .

What Kind of Survey Do You Need?

Management Survey: For ongoing occupation or use of non‑domestic and common parts. Aimed at maintaining records and managing intact ACMs safely .

Refurbishment/Demolition Survey: When planned work might disturb ACMs, requiring a detailed, often destructive inspection before work starts, and certification that premises are safe for re‑occupation .

Local Context: Bath, Bristol & Somerset

These regions include many historic buildings (Georgian terraces, Victorian terraces, older estates), most constructed before 2000. As a result:

Offices, shops, schools, public buildings—or shared corridors/stairwells/lobbies in flats—fall under Regulation 4 dutyholders must have surveys and management plans.

Private homeowners planning building work or bathroom refurbishments also must commission a refurbishment survey before disturbing potential ACMs .

Who Can Carry Out the Survey?

Surveys must be carried out by a competent surveyor, certified in line with HSG264 (Asbestos: The Survey Guide). Independent, impartial, technically qualified professionals ensure accuracy and legal compliance .

Consequences of Non‑Compliance

Failing to comply with CAR 2012 and HSE guidance can result in:

Unlimited fines, possible criminal prosecution, and enforcement action under health and safety law .

Health risks: Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other deadly diseases if ACMs are disturbed

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Our Final Thoughts

In Bath, Bristol & Somerset, with many older properties and shared housing structures, asbestos surveys are not just recommendations—they are legal necessities in multiple cases. Whether you operate a commercial building, manage communal areas in flats, or simply plan to refit a bathroom in your pre‑2000 home, you may well be legally required to commission the right kind of asbestos survey.

At Spa Asbestos, we help clarify those requirements, recommend qualified and competen

t surveyors, and guide building owners and landlords through compliance with confidence.