This page provides general practical guidance and does not replace project-specific legal, engineering, planning, ecological, asbestos or waste advice.
The short answer
Materials cannot be identified safely from photographs alone. If asbestos could be present in the area being disturbed, a refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey carried out by a competent asbestos professional is required before work begins. The survey identifies and assesses asbestos-containing materials so that the contractor and client can plan the work safely and decide whether specialist removal is needed first.
Why it matters
Demolition and refurbishment can disturb hidden materials — in floor screeds, ceiling tiles, pipe lagging, roof sheets, partition boards and elsewhere. The right survey information allows the contractor to plan the method, sequence and any specialist removal before mobilisation rather than discovering a problem once work has started.
Information that may be needed
Existing asbestos registers, management surveys, refurbishment and demolition survey reports, and records of previous removal work may all be relevant. Where a management survey exists, it does not replace an R&D survey for areas being disturbed.
What can affect the scope
The age, construction and condition of the building, the areas being disturbed and the proposed method of work affect what survey is required. Buildings constructed or refurbished before 2000 are more likely to contain asbestos-containing materials.
When specialist input may be needed
A competent asbestos professional is required to carry out an R&D survey and to advise on findings. Asbestos work is divided into three categories: licensed work, notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) and other non-licensed work. The category depends on the proposed work, the material and its condition — it must be assessed before work starts, not assumed from the material type alone. Licensed work must be carried out by an HSE-licensed contractor. Notifiable non-licensed work does not require a licensed contractor but must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority, and workers must have appropriate training and health surveillance. Non-licensed work still requires appropriate controls. Where removal is required, the category of work determines who can carry it out.