Many Professional Indemnity insurance policies either restrict or exclude Asbestos Surveyors Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Why is Asbestos a problem?
When Asbestos materials are damaged or disturbed they can release dangerous fibres which, if breathed in, can cause serious diseases. Around 4500 people in Great Britain die every year from asbestos related diseases, making asbestos the single greatest cause of work related deaths.
In order to help to minimise the risks posed by Asbestos, the Government introduced The Control of Asbestos Regulations as part of current legislation. This puts the onus on to the duty holder who in many cases, is the person or organisation that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises, to find out whether the premises contains asbestos, and, if so, where it is and what condition it is in. If in doubt, materials must be presumed to contain asbestos.
In order to do this, in many cases, an asbestos survey by a suitably qualified person will be required. As the surveyor, your client will rely on YOU to establish the following points to reduce the risk to them of criminal prosecution for breach of Health & Safety Law.