Asbestos Register
What is an Asbestos Register? (UK)
A practical, audit-friendly explanation of what an asbestos register is, who needs it, what it must contain, and how to keep it accurate under the UK “duty to manage”.
An asbestos register is a structured record of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in non-domestic premises and common areas of residential buildings. It supports safe maintenance, contractor information, review cycles and inspection readiness. This guide focuses on keeping your register consistent, evidence-backed and audit-ready.
Guide sections
Jump to the key parts. Written for clarity and audit readiness.
Definition: what an asbestos register is
An asbestos register is an organised list of known or presumed ACMs, including where they are, what they are, their condition, and the controls in place. It’s a working compliance document — not a one-off survey PDF that gets forgotten.
- Supports safe maintenance and contractor briefings
- Proves oversight: reviews, actions, and accountability
- Audit-friendly when evidence is linked to records
What a good register must contain
A usable register needs consistent location naming, material details, condition, risk context, and evidence references. If fields are missing or inconsistent, audits become slow and decisions become unsafe.
Location
Building / area / room reference that can be found on site without guessing.
Material details
ACM type, product form, accessibility, extent/quantity and notes.
Condition + controls
Condition, surface treatment, actions, control measures and status.
Evidence
Survey references, photos, lab results, certificates and inspection history.
Best practice structure: Buildings → Areas → Items
A consistent hierarchy avoids duplicate naming and makes portfolios manageable. It also keeps evidence attached at the right level (site-wide documents on Building, floor/zone docs on Area, and specific photos/results on Items).
- Buildings for sites, blocks, assets and addresses
- Areas for floors, zones, rooms, plant rooms, corridors
- Items for each ACM record with risk, actions and evidence
Keeping your register up to date
The register should be reviewed on a schedule and updated whenever changes happen. The key is to log what changed, why, and attach evidence.
Review cadence
Set review dates, track overdue items, and document outcomes.
Change triggers
Refurbishment, damage, new access, removal works, updated survey results.
Evidence-first
Attach updated documents/photos and keep an audit trail of who changed what.
FAQ
Quick answers about asbestos register purpose, minimum content, and maintaining audit readiness.
No. A survey is a source document. A register is the structured, maintained record used day-to-day, linking locations, condition, controls, review dates and evidence.
At minimum: precise location, ACM type/form, condition, accessibility, extent, actions/controls, and evidence references (survey pages, photos, lab results, certificates).
Keep a consistent structure (Buildings → Areas → Items), store review dates and outcomes, attach evidence at the correct level, and maintain an audit trail of changes.
Ready to standardise your asbestos register?
Move away from spreadsheets. Track asbestos items, reviews and evidence in one UK-ready system.
Start with a guide
Choose a topic — each page is written to be inspection-ready and easy to action.
