Renovation jobs in older structures come with all sorts of risks that aren’t visible on the plans. Hazardous substances like asbestos, lead-based paint, or contaminated insulation lie in place behind walls and under floors, undisturbed for years on end. Disturb them without taking precautions, and you’re not just posing a danger to people’s health. You’re exposing your backside to the law, in a way that can bring your project to a screeching halt and cause you legal problems for years after the workmen have packed up and left.
The duty holder for the property is the person with legal responsibility when it comes to risk management in non domestic premises. This means they’re unable to feign ignorance when it comes to a renovation and must take all the proper steps to sign off on the project.
Step 1: Commission the right type of survey
There are varying levels of survey that can be performed on a structure. A standard management survey can identify materials that contain asbestos in accessible areas. These are used to track the condition of said materials and ensure that they are not deteriorating in an accessible area, thus exposing people to harmful particulates in the air. When it comes to transformative work, whether this be renovation or demolition work, there are higher tier level 2 or 3 surveys that may be required.
This one goes deeper. Ceiling voids get opened up, floor sections get lifted, and wall finishes get pulled back to find asbestos-containing materials that a standard walkthrough would sail straight past. It’s the kind of stuff that hides in plain sight – floor tiles, textured ceiling coatings, pipe lagging, insulation boards, all materials nobody thinks twice about until they’re being ripped out. A refurbishment and demolition survey pins all of that down before a single tool comes off the van, so there are no nasty surprises once the real work starts.
Step 2: Determine whether removal or encapsulation is the right call
Once you’ve located the material that you suspect contains asbestos, it’ll need to be taken care of properly. Thorough removal performed by professionals is obviously the option that gives you more peace of mind, but it may be preferable to encapsulate it where it is. The action taken depends entirely on the condition of the materials and whether or not they’re in a location that might be disturbed during renovations.
For undamaged or undisturbed materials, encapsulation can be a cost-effective management option. For higher-risk materials that will be in or near the work zone, which could become damaged during renovation or demolition work, such as sprayed coatings or pipe lagging, removal may be the only real solution. This is the point where commercial asbestos removal becomes a licensed contractor requirement rather than a preference – attempting this work without proper authorisation puts everyone on site at legal and physical risk.
Step 3: Establish containment before work begins
Containment measures have to be implemented from the very start of the project planning phase. They can’t be brought in retroactively to clear up the job site whilst or once the work has bene done. The zone within which the material may be disturbed has to be isolated using specialised polyethylene sheeting. Negative pressure units should be running in order to remove any rogue particulates from the air which could pose a health risk.
These pressure units pull the air through special hepa filters, which are them exhausted into an open air space outside the containment zone. If these units weren’t running, fibres could escape into the air and remain dormant until disturbed by a passer by. Air monitoring is crucial during the renovation period also, this ensures that the units are working as intended as that the air is safe to breathe. This is key for having documented evidence that all the right safety steps were taken during the renovation project.
Step 4: Use wet stripping techniques during removal
Dry removal of hazardous materials creates dust, and dust is where the exposure risk lives. Wet stripping is where the materials are saturated with a liquid to minimize the dust. This can be water for lead paint, but for asbestos is more likely to involve a specialist surfactant designed to encapsulate and bind fibres. This should be applied directly to the substrate before and during removal.
This substantially reduces the quantity of particulates that become airborne and is very effective at controlling the risk, but still requires workers to use full personal protective equipment (PPE). Workers on wet stripping projects will already be in full head-to-toe hazardous materials removal kit: disposable coveralls, FFP3 respiratory protective equipment, gloves, etc. A three-stage decontamination unit should be set up at the boundary of the work zone. Workers move through it when leaving – cleaning equipment in the first stage, showering in the second, and changing into clean clothes in the third.
Step 5: Maintain a full chain of custody for disposal
Hazardous waste doesn’t stop being hazardous when it leaves the building. All ACMs removed from site must be double-bagged in clearly labelled, UN-approved waste bags, transported by a licensed carrier, and delivered to a designated hazardous waste facility. At every stage, a waste consignment note must be completed and retained.
This paper trail is a legal requirement, not an administrative formality. If materials are disposed of incorrectly and traced back to your site – even years later – the liability sits with the duty holder. Keeping a complete audit trail is one of the few things that can demonstrate due diligence if a disposal issue is ever investigated.
The upfront cost of doing this properly is real. Surveys, licensed contractors, containment equipment, and compliant disposal all add to a renovation budget. But these costs are fixed and known. The alternative – a project shutdown, a regulatory investigation, or long-term health litigation from fiber exposure – isn’t. Asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma, can take decades to develop, which means a poor decision made during a renovation in year one can surface as a legal and financial crisis in year twenty. That’s a risk no property manager or business owner should take voluntarily.
