Boiler rooms, plant rooms and service areas in older London buildings often contain materials that can be disturbed during maintenance, upgrades or refurbishment. Where a building was constructed or refurbished before asbestos was fully prohibited, asbestos-containing materials may still be present around pipework, ducts, panels, gaskets, insulation and other building services.
Why plant rooms deserve particular attention
Plant rooms are frequently altered over the life of a building. Engineers may replace boilers, pumps, valves, electrical equipment or pipework, and each job can involve drilling, cutting, removing panels or opening service risers. If asbestos-containing materials are present and have not been identified, routine work can create avoidable exposure risks.
Where asbestos may be found
Depending on the age and construction of the property, potential asbestos-containing materials may include:
- pipe and boiler insulation;
- asbestos insulating board used for fire protection or boxing;
- cement products;
- gaskets and seals;
- textured coatings and older floor materials; and
- debris from previous installations.
The presence of these materials cannot normally be confirmed by appearance alone. Laboratory analysis of a representative sample may be required where the material is suspected to contain asbestos.
Before maintenance or refurbishment starts
Property managers and dutyholders should make sure that relevant asbestos information is available before work begins. For normal occupation and routine management, an asbestos management survey may form part of the duty-to-manage arrangements in non-domestic premises. Where intrusive refurbishment work is planned, a refurbishment asbestos survey may be required for the area affected by the work. Our guide to refurbishment asbestos surveys before building work explains the distinction in more detail.
The scope of any survey should reflect the actual work planned. A survey that does not include inaccessible service voids, boxing or plant areas may not provide enough information for an intrusive project.
What contractors should receive
Before starting work, contractors should be given relevant information from the asbestos register, survey report and any applicable management plan. They should understand which areas were inspected, which areas were not accessed, and whether further investigation is required before disturbing the building fabric. See our guide on what asbestos information contractors should receive before work starts.
What if suspicious material is discovered?
If a material that could contain asbestos is discovered during work, activity in the immediate area should stop until the material has been assessed. It should not be drilled, broken, swept or otherwise disturbed simply to determine what it is. Where necessary, a competent person can arrange inspection and sampling so that the next action is based on evidence rather than assumption.
Practical checklist before work starts
- Review the asbestos register and the most relevant survey report.
- Confirm whether the planned work will disturb walls, ceilings, boxing, pipe insulation, ducts or service voids.
- Check whether any plant-room or service areas were recorded as not accessed.
- Arrange further investigation where the existing information does not cover the work area.
- Give contractors the relevant asbestos information before they begin.
- Stop work and obtain competent advice if previously unidentified suspect material is uncovered.
Planning work in a London property
Older commercial buildings, blocks of flats and mixed-use properties in London often have complex service histories. Boiler replacements, heating upgrades and plant-room refurbishments should therefore include an asbestos-information check at the planning stage, not after work has started.
Asbestos London Survey provides asbestos surveying, sampling and testing services across London. If planned work may disturb older building materials, the survey scope should be agreed around the areas and activities involved before the project begins.