Why we don’t do asbestos removal
Last Updated on 4 July 2023
Why we don’t do asbestos removal
One of the most common questions we are asked about asbestos removal is:-
“Why don’t your company remove asbestos if you regularly find it during surveys?”
Well, there are a number of reasons why we don’t remove asbestos.
Firstly, ‘conflict of interest’. We firmly believe the two processes of surveying for asbestos and removing asbestos, should be kept completely separate.
For some individuals and organisations there may be a temptation to inflate or abuse one’s professional position, to make any problem with asbestos more onerous. Asbestos can be an expensive material to remove, often running into six figures for larger projects.
As a client you need to be sure you are receiving fair, impartial and professional advice in respect of asbestos removal or remediation costs. If a company provides both services there may be an element of risk or uncertainty in the overall process in relation to costs.
The survey company should be effectively riding shotgun for the client during the removal process, to ensure the procurement process is fair and equitable. Unfortunately, in contracting of all types, there still exists the situation where contractors will ‘talk’ to each other and decide who will win the contract and at what cost.
It’s illegal, in fact it’s theft, but unfortunately it still happens, as was recently uncovered in the demolition industry.
Some Asbestos Surveyors will inflate costs
Even the process of a surveyor assisting the client and ‘overseeing’ the project can garner unexpected costs. For instance, some survey companies will charge the client a project fee to oversee the work on their behalf, which is fine.
They may then also seek a similar percentage fee from the removal contractor for assisting them in gaining work. This is not acceptable unless the client is fully aware.
When this happens, the asbestos removal contractor is likely to ‘pre-load’ his costs to cover the extra percentage fee he will need to provide the survey company. So the client picks up the extra cost in real terms.
The cost of asbestos removal varies
When it comes to removal, the cost to remove asbestos can vary for a number of reasons such as job size, school holidays, how busy the contractor is etc. As a result, we always recommend to clients a minimum of three and ideally five contractors to price the work.
Contractors often see different ways of completing work and this also has a bearing on the cost.
In all cases, however, for surveying organisations, it is down to leadership and moral compass. Here at RB Asbestos Consultants we have turned down offers of money in relation to pre and post contractual situations.
Our view is there is enough work out there for everyone to earn a living and make a profit, without fleecing clients. And when things go wrong, as they invariably can, you can avoid any appearance of interest conflicts.
We like to build long-term relationships with clients
It should be a cornerstone of the business that allows you to build long term ongoing relationships with clients. To illustrate, some of our corporate relationships are over twenty years old, which is proof of approach.
As a company, we try to surround ourselves with suppliers and advisers who have the same moral compass. We have a small list of asbestos removal companies we recommend, on the basis that they provide a fair and a quality service for our clients. That’s enough and it always should be.
If we cannot meet a client timescale on a job we will often steer them to our network of asbestos consultancies around the UK who think like we do.
We are always busy here and over the past 20 years have passed on work well into six figures for no return, other than the knowledge the client came first.
Contact us for advice on removing asbestos
If you need any advice or consultancy in relation to removing asbestos in any properties you own, maintain or control in the UK, then please contact us on 0800 141 2676, email us at info@rbasbestos.co.uk or fill in the form below. You can also visit the HSE website for further reading and advice on removing asbestos.
