Blog » Ireland becomes UKAS compliant

Ireland becomes UKAS compliant

A first for an Irish company, Healthy Buildings International (UKAS:4659) is the first company to be awarded the prestigious ISO/IEC 17020:1998 UKAS accreditation for surveying and managing Asbestos.

Adrian Byrne, managing director of Healthy Buildings International in Ireland commented “We are delighted to have been awarded this coveted accreditation; however I am surprised we are the first Irish company to be awarded this as it is a specified requirement under the HSE Asbestos: The Survey Guide HS(G) 264 that all asbestos works should be carried out by an UKAS accredited company.”

Asbestos has caused thousands of deaths over the years when the fibres are either disturbed or damaged. It is therefore essential that all properties constructed before the year 2000, which may contain asbestos containing materials, have an asbestos register that contractors and workers can refer to before work starts. A number of companies, including large retailers and Housing Associations have been prosecuted by the HSE for not providing sufficient information about the whereabouts of asbestos during construction work and therefore putting their workers and contractors at risk. A UKAS certified company adheres to strict levels of monitoring and sampling procedures and all samples are tested by an accredited UKAS laboratory.

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that if your place of work was constructed before the year 2000, that firstly there is an asbestos register which must be updated and the identified asbestos must be inspected by a UKAS accredited surveyor. It is also your responsibility that all contractors are given access to the relevant information regarding the location and condition of asbestos containing materials when working in your premises.

Barry O’Neill, Consultancy Manager at Healthy Buildings International explains “The main issue is that building managers and owners of buildings must identify the presence of asbestos on their premises, if asbestos is present assess its condition, carry out any remedial actions if required & continue with an asbestos management plan to demonstrate legislative compliance”. Some organisations attempt to use a paper audit trail, however this solution is deeply flawed. An increasing number of organisations are now insisting on using secure-online risk management solutions that date and timestampthe details of who logged in and looked at the relevant records, whether it is the asbestos register, the legionella risk assessment, the indoor Air Quality survey recommendations to name a few of the services. Transparency and integrity of the contractors and the work they undertake are high on the agenda for many public sector organisations .Certainly with our risk management system, MBR, our clients have been able to provide the necessary evidence of legislative compliance under any HSE inspection.”