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About Us

Exposure to asbestos fibre kills between 3000-5000 people a year based on current Health and Safety Executive figures, this is estimated to rise to 10,000-12,000 thousand dead a year in 2020, because of the latency period associated, with asbestos related illness.

Although the health effects associated with asbestos have been recorded since early roman times, full record of the correlation between asbestos and its related diseases was not published until the 1890’s. However asbestos imports into this country were not prohibited until the 24th November 1999. It is estimated that over six million tonnes of raw asbestos fibre have been imported into the UK and used in over 3000 different building products.

Following extensive research and wide ranging consultation, new legislation has been brought into effect. “The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2004” now contains specific duties for those in charge of the maintenance of premises to Locate, Assess and Manage any Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s). In the introduction of technical guidance for surveyor’ of premises’ for ACM’s, three survey types are listed which should be utilised to locate and assess ACM’s as necessary: -

• Type One: Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey)
• Type Two: Standard sampling, identification and assessment survey (sampling survey).
• Type Three: Full access sampling and identification survey (pre demolition/major refurbishment survey).

The deadline for compliance was June 2004, and the HSE estimates that there is a need for 10,000 surveyors to properly identify and manage ACM’s ensuring that “duty holders” comply with their new legislative duties. The HSE actively state that a bad survey can actually be worse than no survey at all. At the current time, there are less than 700 accredited surveyors nationwide. It is estimated that to date 85% of public buildings have not been surveyed or management plans implemented.

The “duty holder” is every person who has, by virtue of a contract or tenancy, an obligation of any extent in relation to the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises or any means of access thereto or egress there from or In relation to any part of non-domestic premises where there is no such contract or tenancy, every person who has, to any extent, control of that part of those non-domestic premises or any means to access thereto or egress there from.

G.M.A.S. Consultants, represents an opportunity to “duty holders” to become legislatively compliant.

G.M.A.S. Consultants offer these “duty holders” with the unique opportunity to employ a professional company, which employs a team of staff with vast experience in all aspects of the asbestos industry.