You need to employ an asbestos assessor to provide an asbestos  assessment service in the form of an asbestos assessment report or to identify asbestos and provide advice about managing it.

Asbestos assessment services

Depending on the class of licence, an asbestos assessor provides the doing or the supervising of an asbestos assessment for the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004, the Building Act 2004, the Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003, the Dangerous Substances Act 2004 or the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 that may include all or any of the following work:

• air monitoring for asbestos;
• identifying the location, type and condition of asbestos in a building, including by taking samples;
• assessing the risk resulting from the identified asbestos;
• advising on how the asbestos should bemanaged; and
• reporting about the work mentioned in this list. 

Checking the asbestos assessment report

If an asbestos assessor (class A) is employed to provide an asbestos assessment report, check that the report outlines:

• the location, type and condition of asbestos in relation to the premises;
• an assessment of the risk resulting from the identified asbestos;
• advice on how the asbestos should be managed; and
• reporting about the work mentioned above including everything required by regulation to be included in the report.

Check licensing

Asbestos assessors must be licensed. There are two different classes of licensees:

• Class A licensees, who can provide an asbestos assessment service by undertaking and supervising air monitoring, identifying the location, type and condition of asbestos in buildings, assessing the risk the identified asbestos presents and advise on how the asbestos should be managed and reporting about the work as well as undertaking field surveys to identify the location, type and condition of asbestos in buildings; and
• Class B licensees, who can only undertake field surveys to identify the location, type and condition of asbestos in buildings. They cannot provide advice on how to handle the asbestos or a report.

You can find a licensed asbestos assessor and can check their class of licence from our list of licensed asbestos assessors.