Case Study: Asbestos Refurbishment Survey for a Morley, Leeds School

The Brief

A school in Morley, Leeds, had a summer holiday refurbishment planned, including new suspended ceilings in the reception, replacement floor coverings and a WC refurbishment. The building dated from the 1960s, and the school’s facilities manager needed an asbestos refurbishment survey to confirm the status of these areas before contractors could start work.

Why an Asbestos Refurbishment Survey Was Essential Here

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), any intrusive work on a pre-2000 building requires a refurbishment and demolition survey of the specific areas being disturbed, separate from the school’s existing asbestos register. This approach follows the HSE’s HSG264 survey guide. Schools present a particular risk profile because previous refurbishment work is often poorly documented, and areas above suspended ceilings, behind partition walls, and beneath floor coverings can contain materials that were never recorded in the original register.

What the Refurbishment Survey Found

Our surveyor carried out the asbestos refurbishment survey outside term time to avoid any disruption to pupils and staff at the Morley school. The survey identified:

• Asbestos insulating board (AIB) within the WC skylights and the reception ceiling void, requiring licensed removal before the refurbishment commenced.
• Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesive containing chrysotile beneath the carpets, in a stable, low-risk condition

Because we do not carry out removal work ourselves, the school received a completely independent assessment with no incentive to overstate or understate the findings.

The Outcome

The written report was delivered within five working days of the site visit, giving the school’s facilities manager clear direction to bring in a licensed contractor for the AIB removal before any other work began.  The floor tile was removed, and the bitumen adhesive was added to the school’s existing asbestos register and management plan, with guidance on safe management pending eventual removal during a future phase of works.

Why Schools and Public Buildings Need Extra Care

Schools built or extended before 2000 make up a large proportion of the North of England’s education estate, including many across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Common ACM locations in this building type include:

• Boiler rooms and plant rooms, often lined with insulating board
• Floor tiles beneath later carpet tiles or vinyl overlays
• Partition walls and ceiling voids from earlier refurbishment phases
• Textured coatings on classroom ceilings
• Pipe lagging in older heating systems

A management survey identifies these risks for day to day occupation, while an asbestos refurbishment survey is required specifically for the areas being disturbed by planned works, even where a management survey already exists.

Asbestos Refurbishment Survey FAQs

Do we need a new survey if the school already has an asbestos register?

Yes, if the planned work will disturb the fabric of the building. A management survey is designed for occupied, undisturbed use. A refurbishment and demolition survey is a separate, more intrusive survey required specifically before work begins in the affected areas.

Can surveys be carried out outside term time?

Yes. We regularly schedule school and college surveys around holidays, weekends or after hours to avoid any disruption to pupils, staff and timetabled activities, including for schools in Morley and across Leeds.

How quickly can a report be produced for a summer holiday project?

Our standard turnaround is five working days from the site visit, which is around 50% quicker than the industry norm, though we will always try to fit around a tight project timeline where we can.