Read the following descriptions and select the survey type best suited to you. If you are in any doubt, contact our Technical Helpine on Freephone 0800 0286838 for more information:

Type 2 survey: This is the standard survey type to help fulfil the requirements on the duty-holder of Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations. It is a survey which is undertaken on a building which is in use (although the survey may be undertaken outwith hours of normal occupancy), and provides an assessment of the risk presented by asbestos-containing materials to building occupants. This survey will involve accessing all parts of the building excepting those areas requiring specialist access equipment, or involving significant disturbance to the building fabric. This survey type primarily inspects the surface elements of the building visible to the surveyor, though attempts should be made to access behind such surfaces where this is straightforward and does not involve damage to the building. The type 2 survey (unlike the type 1 survey) involves taking samples of suspect materials for laboratory confirmation, the results of which are comnined with the surveyors experience and reasoned presumption to provide a full survey conclusion. The Type 2 survey is not appropriate where the building (or part of the building) is due to receive refurbishment, re-wiring, demolition or other work which will disturb the fabric of the building. In such circumstances a Type 3 survey is necessary.

Type 3 survey: This survey type does not evaluate the risk to current occupants of the building. It is used to identify asbestos-containing materials prior to works which may involve active disturbance of the building fabric (eg refurbishment, re-wiring, demolition). This survey type involves intrusive penetrations beyond just the surface elements of the building to try and confirm the presence /absence of asbestos throughout the building scope, including voids, wall cavities, solums, risers etc. This survey type usually involves some degree of damage to building fabric and requires to be carried out with non-essential personnel removed. Cosmetic damage to the fabric is also to be expected. Locked doors will require to be breached with consequent unavoidable physical damage. Where full demolition is planned, some areas (eg lift shafts) will require to be accessed with a specialist lift engineer in attendance. It should be noted that where active disturbance works are only planned for a small and well-defined part of the site, a partial type 3 survey can be undertaken specific to those areas, rather than for the building as a whole, where the client can provide clear plans showing the location and nature of the proposed works

Type 1: This survey type is identical to the Type 2 survey in terms of risk assessment, degree of access and level/scope of investigation, with the exception that no samples can be taken. This is really only appropriate in areas where occupants cannot be removed to enable safe sampling. There should be a good reason for not undertaking a Type 2 survey. Examples of where a type 1 survey might be justifiable would include a hospital ward occupied by patients 24 hours per day, or a high-security police/MOD manned area (eg CCTV control desk). In a Type 1 survey, the surveyor has to rely far more on reasoned presumptions to conclude whether asbestos is present in a particular material. Often a Type 1 survey is undertaken in advance of the full Type 2 sampling survey