Asbestos Surveys in St Helens

Bond International, Lock Street, St Helens, Management Survey by HSG Surveys

Asbestos Survey Services Available in St Helens

In particular, we carry out all types of asbestos surveys for residential, commercial and industrial properties across St Helens and the surrounding WA9-WA10 postcode area, including asbestos management surveys for occupied buildings and refurbishment and demolition surveys ahead of building work. If you are looking for an asbestos survey in St Helens, we work across the town centre, the industrial estates and the surrounding residential areas. Because we only survey and do not remove asbestos, you receive a completely independent assessment with no vested interest in the outcome.

Asbestos Management Surveys St Helens

Specifically, an asbestos management survey is carried out on an occupied building to identify any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that are present and could be disturbed during normal use or routine maintenance. As a result, it produces a written asbestos register and management plan, which is a legal requirement for most non-domestic premises under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). In addition, we carry out asbestos management surveys across St Helens and the wider area – from commercial premises and public buildings through to schools, community halls and older residential properties. Read our full guide to how management surveys work.

Asbestos Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys St Helens

Before any refurbishment, extension, or demolition work begins on a building constructed before the year 2000, a refurbishment and demolition survey is legally required. Specifically, this more intrusive survey locates all ACMs in the areas to be disturbed, including those concealed within floors, walls, ceilings and roof spaces. In particular, St Helens grew rapidly through the 19th and 20th centuries as a major centre of the glassmaking and coal mining industries, leaving the town with a large stock of Victorian terraced housing, factories and civic buildings. This is exactly the kind of building stock where an asbestos survey in St Helens is most likely to uncover older materials before work starts.

Asbestos Sampling & Testing St Helens

For example, if you have a material you suspect may contain asbestos but are not certain, we can take a bulk sample and have it analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory. Typically, results are ready within 3 working days of sample collection, making this a cost-effective first step before committing to a full asbestos survey in St Helens or a wider remediation programme.

Why St Helens Properties Carry a Higher Asbestos Risk

Overall, St Helens’ rapid industrial expansion through the 19th and 20th centuries, driven largely by glassmaking, chemicals and coal mining, left the town with an extensive stock of Victorian terraced housing, factories, warehouses and civic buildings, together with substantial post-war housing and industrial redevelopment. As a result, asbestos-containing materials are still commonly found across St Helens today.

Specifically, common locations where these materials are still found in St Helens properties include:

• Asbestos insulation and lagging in older industrial and factory buildings
• Roof sheets and guttering on warehouses and commercial premises (asbestos cement)
• Pipe and boiler lagging in Victorian and post-war terraced housing
• Floor tiles in pre-1980 offices, shops and public buildings
• Ceiling tiles and partition boards in 1960s and 1970s civic and residential buildings
• Artex and textured coatings on ceilings and walls in domestic properties
• Soffit boards, window surrounds and external cladding panels
• Rope seals and gaskets in older heating systems

St Helens Postcodes We Cover

Newton-le-Willows (WA12) and Haydock (WA11) have their own dedicated pages – see our Merseyside area page for the full list.

Asbestos Surveys St Helens – Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an asbestos survey before refurbishing a St Helens property?

Yes. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, a refurbishment and demolition survey is required before any work that disturbs the fabric of a building constructed before the year 2000. In addition, this applies to domestic, commercial and industrial properties across St Helens and the surrounding WA9-WA10 postcode area. As a result, starting work without a survey is not only illegal but puts workers and occupants at serious risk.

What qualifications do your surveyors hold?

Our surveyors hold BOHS P402 (Buildings Surveys and Assessment of Asbestos-Containing Materials) and BOHS P405 (Management of Asbestos in Buildings). Furthermore, all surveys are carried out in accordance with HSG264: Asbestos – The Survey Guide. In addition, our principal surveyor has been working in the asbestos industry since the early 1990s.

How quickly can you carry out a survey in St Helens?

Generally, we can usually arrange an asbestos survey in St Helens within a few days of enquiry. For urgent situations, a 24 to 48-hour service is available – so give us a call and we will do our best to fit around your timescale.

Do you survey all types of property, not just homes and offices?

Yes. Specifically, we survey all property types including houses, flats, offices, retail units, factories, industrial buildings, schools and community buildings. In short, whatever kind of building you have in St Helens, we can carry out an asbestos survey to suit.

Do I need an asbestos management survey for my St Helens business?

Specifically, if you own, manage or have responsibility for a non-domestic building in St Helens – such as a factory, office, shop, school or community hall – you have a legal duty to manage asbestos under CAR 2012, which means knowing what asbestos-containing materials are present. As a result, an asbestos management survey in St Helens identifies these materials and produces the written register and management plan you need to demonstrate compliance.

Is there asbestos in my St Helens home?

If your home was built or refurbished before the year 2000, there is a real possibility that asbestos-containing materials are present. In fact, St Helens has a large stock of Victorian and post-war housing. For example, artex ceilings, floor tiles, textured coatings and older boiler cupboards are all common locations. Therefore, the only way to know for certain is to have an asbestos survey in St Helens or sampling carried out.