Asbestos · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

Asbestos Management Survey Report

The Asbestos Management Survey identifies the presence, location, and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in a building during normal occupation. It provides the information needed to manage ACMs in situ and must be carried out by a UKAS-accredited surveyor. The survey informs the asbestos register and management plan for the premises.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. CAR 2012 Reg 4 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), Regulation 4 — Duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. The dutyholder must take reasonable steps to find out whether asbestos is present, and if so, its amount, location, and condition.
Survey type	Type 1 management survey (formerly Type 2 under MDHS 100). Non-intrusive or minimally intrusive. Designed to locate asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, routine maintenance, or minor repair work.
Who conducts	Must be carried out by a surveyor holding the BOHS P402 qualification (or equivalent) and employed by a company accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO 17020 for asbestos surveying.
What it identifies	Location of ACMs, material type, asbestos fibre type (confirmed by laboratory analysis), condition assessment, material risk score, priority risk score, and recommended management actions for each ACM.
UK scale	Asbestos is present in approximately 94% of NHS hospital buildings and 80% of school buildings in the UK. Any non-domestic building constructed or refurbished before the year 2000 is presumed to contain ACMs unless a survey proves otherwise.
Enforcement	HSE issued 54 out of 71 enforcement notices under CAR 2012 for breaches of Regulation 5 (identification of asbestos). Failure to commission a management survey is the most common single cause of enforcement action under the asbestos regulations.

1. What Is an Asbestos Management Survey?

An asbestos management survey is the standard survey used to locate and assess the condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in a building during its normal occupation. The purpose of the survey is to ensure that nobody is harmed by the ACMs that remain in the building, and that the ACMs remain in a condition where they do not pose a risk during day-to-day use, routine maintenance, or foreseeable disturbance.

The management survey is the baseline requirement under Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). The dutyholder — typically the building owner, occupier, or the person with responsibility for maintenance and repair — has a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to determine whether asbestos is present in the premises, and to manage any ACMs that are found. The management survey fulfils the identification requirement of this duty.

The survey is non-intrusive or only slightly intrusive. The surveyor will inspect all reasonably accessible areas and sample suspect materials for laboratory analysis. The surveyor will lift ceiling tiles, open inspection hatches, and access risers and voids where these can be reached without damage to the fabric of the building. However, the surveyor will not break through walls, lift floorboards, or carry out destructive inspection. This means that ACMs concealed within the building fabric — behind wall linings, under floors, within structural voids — may not be identified by a management survey.

For each ACM identified, the report assigns a material assessment score (based on the type, condition, and surface treatment of the material) and a priority assessment score (based on the likelihood of disturbance from normal building use, maintenance activity, or occupant behaviour). Together these scores determine the recommended management action — which may range from monitoring the material in situ through to removal. The management survey provides the information needed to populate the asbestos register and to prepare the asbestos management plan.

A management survey is not adequate for refurbishment or demolition

Because the management survey is non-intrusive, it does not access concealed areas within the building fabric. ACMs hidden behind wall linings, within floor voids, within structural cavities, or under fixed plant will not be identified. Before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out, a Refurbishment and Demolition (R&D) survey must be commissioned in addition to — or instead of — the management survey. Starting refurbishment or demolition on the basis of a management survey alone is one of the most common causes of uncontrolled asbestos fibre release on UK construction sites, and is a serious breach of CAR 2012.

2. Structure of a Management Survey Report

A competent management survey report should contain the following sections. The report must be clear, structured, and written so that it can be understood by the dutyholder, building occupants, and any contractor who may carry out maintenance or repair work in the building. Each section serves a specific function in the overall management system.

Report section	Purpose and content
Scope of survey	Defines which areas of the building were surveyed, the type of survey conducted (management), and the date of the survey. Must clearly state any areas that were not accessed and the reasons why. This section is critical because it defines the limits of the survey findings.
Site description	Describes the building including its age, construction type, number of floors, current use, and any previous asbestos survey or removal history. This provides context for interpreting the findings and helps identify where ACMs are most likely to be present.
Surveyor details	Records the name and qualifications of the surveyor (P402 or equivalent), the accreditation of the surveying organisation (UKAS to ISO 17020), and the unique report reference number. This section establishes the competence and traceability of the survey.
ACM schedule	The core of the report. Lists every ACM identified, its precise location within the building (room, element, description), the material type (e.g. insulation board, textured coating, floor tile), and the asbestos fibre type confirmed by laboratory analysis (chrysotile, amosite, or crocidolite).
Condition scoring	Each ACM is assigned a material assessment score based on the HSE algorithm. The score reflects the product type, extent of damage or deterioration, surface treatment, and asbestos type. Scores range from 2 (low risk) to 12 (high risk). The score determines the urgency of the management action.
Priority score	Each ACM is assigned a priority assessment score that takes into account the normal occupant activity, the likelihood of disturbance from maintenance work, the frequency of use of the area, and the number of occupants. This score determines the order in which management actions should be implemented.
Sample results	Records the laboratory analysis results for each sample taken. Each sample is cross-referenced to the ACM schedule by sample number and location. Results confirm the presence and type of asbestos fibres, or confirm that the material is asbestos-free. Analysis must be carried out by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
Photographs	Photographs of each ACM showing its location, condition, and any damage. Photographs should be annotated with sample numbers and cross-referenced to the ACM schedule. Photographic evidence is essential for monitoring changes in condition over time.
Floor plans	Marked-up floor plans showing the location of each ACM. Each ACM should be labelled with its reference number from the ACM schedule. Floor plans are the primary tool for communicating ACM locations to maintenance staff, contractors, and building occupants.
Recommendations	The surveyor provides recommendations for each ACM based on the material and priority scores. Recommendations typically include: leave in situ and monitor, encapsulate or seal, repair, remove, or restrict access. The recommendations form the basis of the management plan actions.
Limitations	Must clearly state any areas that could not be accessed, any materials that could not be sampled, and any presumptions made. Where an area was not accessed, the report must state whether asbestos should be presumed present until a further survey is carried out. Limitations are critical for understanding what the survey has and has not confirmed.

3. Common Mistakes

Using a management survey to justify refurbishment or demolition work

A management survey is non-intrusive and identifies only those ACMs that are accessible during normal occupancy. It does not access concealed areas within walls, floors, ceilings, or structural voids. An R&D survey is mandatory before any refurbishment or demolition work under CAR 2012 Regulation 7. Proceeding on the basis of a management survey alone leaves concealed ACMs unidentified and creates a high risk of uncontrolled fibre release when intrusive work begins. This is the single most common cause of asbestos incidents on UK construction sites.

Assuming no asbestos is present because none was found in accessible areas

A management survey can only report on what the surveyor was able to access. If the report states that no ACMs were found, this means no ACMs were found in the areas inspected. It does not mean the building is asbestos-free. ACMs may exist behind wall linings, under floor coverings, within risers, in roof voids, or in any other area that was not accessed. The limitations section of the report will identify inaccessible areas. Where areas were not accessed, asbestos must be presumed present until a further survey confirms otherwise.

Not updating the survey after building alterations or changes

A management survey is a snapshot in time. If the building is altered, extended, partially demolished, or if maintenance work disturbs building fabric, the survey findings may no longer be accurate. ACMs previously undisturbed may have been damaged. ACMs in good condition may have deteriorated. New areas may have been opened up. The survey must be reviewed and updated whenever building work is carried out, whenever the condition of known ACMs changes, and at a minimum annually as part of the management plan review.

Commissioning an unqualified or unaccredited surveyor

CAR 2012 requires the survey to be carried out by a competent person. HSE guidance (HSG264) states that the surveyor should hold the BOHS P402 qualification (Surveying and Sampling Strategies for Asbestos in Buildings) or an equivalent qualification, and that the surveying organisation should be accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020. Using an unqualified surveyor compromises the reliability of the findings, may invalidate the report for regulatory purposes, and exposes the dutyholder to enforcement action for failing to take reasonable steps under Regulation 4.

Not making the survey report accessible to those who need it

Regulation 4(9)(c)(ii) of CAR 2012 requires the dutyholder to make information about the location and condition of ACMs available to every person who is liable to disturb them. This includes building maintenance staff, contractors, sub-contractors, and anyone carrying out work in the building. Simply filing the survey report is not sufficient. The report — or a summary of it including the ACM schedule and floor plans — must be actively provided to anyone who may come into contact with ACMs. Failure to do so is a breach of Regulation 4 and places workers at risk of uncontrolled exposure.

4. Related Documents

Document	Relationship
D2 — Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Survey	The R&D survey is the intrusive counterpart to the management survey. Where refurbishment or demolition is planned, the R&D survey must be carried out in addition to the management survey. The R&D survey accesses concealed areas that the management survey does not, identifying all ACMs that will be disturbed by the proposed works.
D3 — Asbestos Register	The asbestos register is populated directly from the findings of the management survey. Every ACM identified in the survey report must be recorded in the register with its location, condition, risk score, and management action. The register is the day-to-day reference document derived from the survey.
D4 — Asbestos Management Plan	The management plan describes how the dutyholder will manage the ACMs identified in the survey. It sets out the responsible person, re-inspection schedule, contractor information procedure, training requirements, and emergency procedures. The management survey provides the evidence base for the plan.
D6 — Asbestos Removal Plan	Where the management survey identifies ACMs that require removal, the removal plan sets out the method, sequence, controls, containment, and decontamination procedures. The removal plan must be produced by a licensed asbestos removal contractor and must be consistent with the survey findings.
C10 — COSHH Assessment: Asbestos	The COSHH assessment for asbestos work relies on the management survey findings to identify the ACMs present, their type, condition, and location. The COSHH assessment cannot be completed without accurate survey data because the control measures depend on the specific ACMs that will be encountered.
B15 — RAMS: Demolition	The demolition RAMS must confirm that a management survey and R&D survey have been completed, that all ACMs have been removed or managed, and that clearance certificates have been obtained before mechanical demolition begins. The survey reports are essential pre-construction information for demolition work.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a management survey be reviewed?▾

There is no fixed statutory interval for repeating the management survey itself, but the findings must be reviewed at least annually as part of the management plan review. A re-survey or update should be carried out whenever building work is completed, whenever the condition of known ACMs changes, whenever areas previously inaccessible become accessible, or whenever a significant period of time has elapsed since the original survey (HSE guidance suggests a full re-survey every 12 to 24 months for higher-risk buildings). The asbestos register must be updated following every review, re-inspection, or change.

Is a management survey required for domestic premises?▾

The duty to manage asbestos under Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 applies only to non-domestic premises. This includes commercial, industrial, and public buildings, as well as the common parts of residential buildings (such as hallways, stairwells, risers, and plant rooms in blocks of flats). A management survey is not legally required for a private dwelling unless it forms part of a larger non-domestic building. However, if refurbishment or demolition work is planned on a domestic property built before 2000, an R&D survey is required under Regulation 7, regardless of the domestic status of the building.

What qualifications should a management surveyor hold?▾

The surveyor should hold the BOHS P402 qualification (Surveying and Sampling Strategies for Asbestos in Buildings) or a qualification that HSE considers equivalent. The surveying organisation should be accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020 for asbestos surveying. The laboratory that analyses the bulk samples must be accredited by UKAS to ISO 17025 for asbestos fibre identification. Using a surveyor or laboratory that is not UKAS-accredited does not automatically invalidate the survey, but it significantly increases the risk of inaccurate findings and may be considered evidence that the dutyholder did not take reasonable steps under Regulation 4.

Can a dutyholder carry out the management survey themselves?▾

In theory, CAR 2012 does not prohibit the dutyholder from carrying out the survey themselves, provided they are competent to do so. In practice, competence requires the P402 qualification, knowledge of asbestos materials and sampling techniques, access to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for analysis, and the ability to produce a report that meets the requirements of HSG264. Self-survey by an unqualified dutyholder would almost certainly fail to meet the competence standard and would not be accepted as compliance with Regulation 4. HSE strongly recommends using a UKAS-accredited surveying organisation.

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