The term “asbestos audit” is used loosely across the property and construction sectors, often without a shared understanding of what it actually involves. For some, it refers to a brief walkthrough inspection; for others, it implies laboratory sampling, a full written report, and an ongoing management plan. This lack of a common definition contributes to confusion among commercial property owners, PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking), and directors about what they are actually purchasing when they commission an asbestos audit, and what their residual obligations are once it is complete. This article clarifies the term and the process that typically sits behind it.
What an Asbestos Audit Actually Refers To
In practice, the term asbestos audit is generally used to describe one or more of several related but distinct processes: an asbestos identification survey, which locates and documents ACM (Asbestos Containing Material) within a building; an asbestos management survey, which supports the ongoing management of ACM that will remain in place; and a refurbishment or demolition survey, which is a more intrusive assessment conducted before works that will disturb the fabric of a building. Each serves a different purpose, and a competent assessor should clarify, before commencing work, which type of audit suits the client’s circumstances.
The Legal Framework Behind the Requirement For Asbestos Audits
Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation, a person with management or control of a workplace built before 31 December 2003 is required to ensure that a competent, licensed person identifies asbestos, so far as is reasonably practicable, or otherwise assumes that asbestos is present if there is a reasonable likelihood of it being so. The outcome of this process must be recorded in an asbestos register, which is to be kept accessible and reviewed at appropriate intervals. Where ACM is identified and managed in place rather than removed, an asbestos management plan is also required. The audit is therefore not an end in itself but the mechanism by which these underlying legal obligations are satisfied.
The Asbestos Audit Process
A properly conducted asbestos audit generally proceeds through several stages. The asbestos assessor first reviews any existing documentation, including building plans, prior reports, and construction records, to establish the likely era of construction and any known history of asbestos use. A physical inspection follows, during which the assessor examines accessible areas of the building and notes materials known or suspected to contain asbestos based on appearance, location, and consistency with the building’s construction period. Where the assessor cannot confirm identification visually or through documentation, they collect samples and submit them for laboratory analysis. The assessor then compiles the findings into a written asbestos report and, where required, incorporates them into or uses them to update the asbestos register.
Who Should Be Conducting the Asbestos Audit?
The regulation requires a competent person to carry out asbestos identification, a term with a specific meaning: an individual must have the training, qualifications, and experience to identify asbestos reliably and safely. Engaging a licensed asbestos assessor with years of industry knowledge and high-end reporting capabilities provides a stronger evidentiary basis for the resulting documentation and a more defensible position in the event of a subsequent incident or regulatory inquiry.
Common Misconceptions
Two misconceptions recur frequently. The first is the belief that an asbestos audit is a single, one-off exercise that never needs revisiting. In reality, the asbestos register and asbestos management plan arising from an audit are intended to be live documents, reviewed periodically and updated whenever building conditions change. The second is the assumption that an audit necessarily leads to, or implies the need for, removal of identified ACM. In many cases, particularly where material is bonded and in stable condition, the appropriate outcome is ongoing management rather than immediate removal, with asbestos removal reserved for situations where the material is damaged, deteriorating, or will be disturbed by planned works.
An asbestos audit is best understood not as a single inspection but as a structured process, grounded in specific legal obligations, that produces documentation intended to inform decisions for as long as the building remains in use. Commercial property owners and PCBUs who approach the process with a clear understanding of what is being assessed, by whom, and for what purpose, are far better placed to maintain a genuinely compliant position than those who treat the audit as a box to be ticked once and set aside.
Global Asbestos Audits has the experience, expertise and knowledge to guide you through the entire asbestos audit process.
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