You do not need to be a surveyor to benefit from asbestos survey awareness - but every worker should understand what a survey is, what the main types tell you, and why checking it before starting work can genuinely save their life. A survey is the building's map of where asbestos is; ignoring it is like digging blind.
This guide explains the main survey types and how they inform safe work. Knowing the survey exists, asking for it, and reading it is a key habit that awareness training builds.
Key takeaways
- An asbestos survey identifies and records ACMs in a building by a competent person.
- A management survey covers ACMs that could be disturbed during normal use.
- A refurbishment or demolition survey is more intrusive and precedes construction work.
- Workers should always check the survey or register before disturbing materials.
- Awareness training does not qualify you to carry out surveys.
What an asbestos survey is
An asbestos survey is carried out by a competent person to identify and record the asbestos-containing materials in a building - their location, type, extent and condition. The findings feed directly into the asbestos register and management plan that the duty holder maintains. A survey is the evidence base for every decision about managing, working around, or removing asbestos in that building.
Management surveys
A management survey is the standard survey for a building in normal use. It locates ACMs that could be disturbed during everyday occupation, maintenance and minor works, and assesses their condition so they can be managed safely in place. The results populate the register that workers should check before any task - see the asbestos register.
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Refurbishment and demolition surveys
Before refurbishment or demolition, a more intrusive survey is required. This refurbishment and demolition survey actively looks for all ACMs within the work area - including those hidden in the structure - so they can be removed by specialists before the destructive work begins. Starting demolition or major refurbishment without this survey is one of the most dangerous things a project can do, as covered in asbestos awareness for demolition workers.
Awareness is not surveying
It is important to be clear: awareness training does not make you a surveyor. Identifying, sampling and formally recording ACMs are specialist activities requiring separate qualifications. Awareness teaches you to read and respect a survey and to recognise likely ACMs - not to carry a survey out. The distinction is explained in awareness versus surveying.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read the survey before working?
Yes - always check the asbestos register or survey for the building before disturbing any materials.
What is the difference between survey types?
Management surveys cover normal occupation; refurbishment and demolition surveys are more intrusive and precede construction work.
Does awareness training qualify me to survey?
No - surveying is a separate, specialist qualification.
What if there is no survey for the building?
Treat suspect materials as asbestos and arrange a survey by a competent person before work proceeds.
Who carries out an asbestos survey?
A competent person with the relevant surveying qualifications and, where appropriate, accreditation.
Related Asbestos Awareness guides
- The Asbestos Register Explained
- Difference Between Asbestos Awareness and Asbestos Surveying
- Asbestos in Older Buildings in Ireland: What to Expect
- Asbestos Risk Assessment in Ireland: A Practical Guide
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