ASM guidance · Choosing an asbestos company
How do you check the scope of a company’s UKAS accreditation?
To check a company’s UKAS accreditation, find the organisation on the official UKAS website and read its current Schedule of Accreditation. Match the named company, standard, activity, method and location to the service you are buying.
A UKAS logo or certificate is a useful starting point. The schedule provides the detail needed to establish whether a particular asbestos survey, sampling activity or analytical service falls within the organisation’s accredited scope. UKAS explains the purpose of its accreditation schedules here .
Check ASM’s UKAS accreditation: number 32982
Asbestos Surveying and Monitoring Limited holds separate inspection and testing accreditations under UKAS number 32982. Open the live UKAS schedules below:
You can also search 32982 or Asbestos Surveying and Monitoring Limited in the official UKAS directory .
What does the scope of accreditation mean?
The scope identifies the particular activities for which UKAS has assessed and accredited an organisation. It may specify inspection types, materials, tests, methods, operating locations and conditions.
Accreditation for one activity does not automatically cover every service a company advertises. UKAS has a process for adding or removing activities and locations, so a new service or branch should be checked against the published scope. See UKAS guidance on extending or amending accreditation .
The certificate and schedule should be read together. UKAS describes its certificates as supporting documents to the schedules ; a saved certificate alone does not show all the technical boundaries of accreditation.
What is the difference between ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17025?
| Standard | What it addresses | What to check for asbestos work |
|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 17020 | The competence, impartiality and operation of inspection bodies. | The asbestos inspection activities listed, such as management, refurbishment and demolition surveys or reinspection. |
| ISO/IEC 17025 | The competence and operation of testing and calibration laboratories, including relevant sampling activities. | The specific asbestos sampling, analysis, air-testing or clearance activities, methods and locations listed. |
The standards serve different purposes. Confirm the inspection scope for a survey and the relevant testing scope for the associated analytical work. Further detail is available in UKAS’s guidance on ISO/IEC 17020 inspection and ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory accreditation .
How to check a company’s accreditation in six steps
1. Confirm the organisation supplying the service
Search the UKAS directory using the company’s name or accreditation number. Compare the result with the organisation named on the quotation and proposed report.
If another company will perform the laboratory analysis or air monitoring, identify that provider and check its relevant accreditation separately. A shared brand, group relationship or subcontract arrangement does not, by itself, establish the scope of each organisation.
2. Read the current schedule and status information
Use the schedule available through UKAS, rather than relying solely on a PDF saved previously. Check its issue details and any information about suspension, withdrawal or a reduction in scope. A restriction may affect the particular activity you need.
If the record is unclear, obtain clarification before relying on the accreditation claim. UKAS’s FAQs explain how to check validity and current scope .
3. Match the activity to the work you require
Look for the actual service. Bulk-material identification, air sampling, fibre counting and four-stage asbestos clearance are distinct activities. A listing for one should not be treated as proof that all the others are covered.
For material testing, compare the proposed asbestos sampling service with the bulk-material laboratory analysis that will follow. Check who will carry out each activity and where it appears on the relevant schedule.
For specialist requests, such as analysis of soil samples or quantitative testing, ask the provider to identify the relevant material, test and method on its schedule.
4. Check the method and any conditions
Read across the relevant row, including the procedure, technique or referenced guidance. The service description on a quotation should be consistent with what the provider is accredited to do.
You do not need to interpret every technical abbreviation yourself. Ask the provider to explain which schedule entry covers your instruction and whether any part of the proposed work falls outside its accredited scope.
5. Check where the activity is accredited
Schedules may distinguish laboratory work, work performed at or from an operating base, and activities at client premises. Read any location codes alongside the location list.
A regional contact address is not automatically an accredited laboratory. Equally, a listed operating base does not necessarily restrict the organisation to working only in that town: the wording and conditions of the schedule determine the coverage.
6. Match the accreditation to a clear project instruction
Confirm the survey purpose, property or work area, access arrangements, deliverables and exclusions. Keep the relevant schedule with the quotation and appointment records, and recheck it for later instructions or a change in service.
Accreditation scope and project scope answer different questions: the former identifies assessed activities; the latter defines what the provider has been instructed to do on your job.
Why is UKAS accreditation important?
Asbestos information can influence maintenance, refurbishment, demolition and occupation decisions. Clients need confidence in how that information is obtained, assessed and reported.
The main benefit of relevant UKAS accreditation is independently assessed evidence of technical competence and organisational controls for a defined activity.
Assessment of the organisation and its people
For accredited inspection, UKAS assesses matters including personnel competence, impartiality, inspection processes, equipment and management arrangements. This provides a recognised basis for evaluating a supplier’s capability. Read UKAS’s explanation of the value of accredited asbestos services .
Confidence in analytical processes
Laboratory accreditation considers factors such as staff training, suitable methods, equipment maintenance, quality assurance, sampling and accurate recording and reporting. These controls support confidence in results and the records behind them. UKAS describes the factors assessed for laboratory competence .
When the results arrive, ASM’s guide to reading an asbestos test report explains sample references, asbestos types and the meaning of “no asbestos detected” (NAD).
Continuing oversight
Accredited organisations are subject to continuing surveillance and reassessment. The current scope remains the point of reference as activities and circumstances change. UKAS explains how accreditation is maintained .
A clearer procurement record
For a dutyholder, facilities manager or principal contractor, verifying the relevant accreditation helps explain the basis on which a supplier was selected. It gives the procurement team a specific organisation, standard and scope to check alongside experience, resources, the proposed method and the quotation.
For the wider property-management context, read ASM’s guide to Regulation 4 and the duty to manage asbestos , alongside our asbestos management plan services .
What are the benefits over a non-accredited surveying firm?
A non-accredited surveying company may employ competent, experienced people. The distinction is that it does not provide the same UKAS assessment of its surveying organisation for the required activity.
| Buying consideration | Provider accredited for the required activity | Provider without that accreditation |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence of technical competence | Assessed by UKAS within the stated scope. | Competence needs to be established through other suitable evidence. |
| Verification of the claim | A published UKAS scope can be matched to the instruction. | Marketing claims alone do not establish equivalent accreditation. |
| Quality and impartiality controls | Relevant controls form part of accreditation assessment. | Ask for evidence of the controls the organisation actually operates. |
| Continuing external oversight | UKAS surveillance and reassessment apply. | Other oversight may exist, but it is not UKAS accreditation for that activity. |
HSE strongly recommends using appropriately accredited asbestos surveying organisations. If an unaccredited survey provider is used, HSE advises making reasonable enquiries into competence, including qualifications, procedures and relevant previous work. See HSE’s guidance on choosing analysts and surveyors .
Accreditation supports a sound appointment decision. Clients still need to agree an appropriate scope and assess the usefulness of the delivered report.
Is UKAS accreditation a legal requirement for asbestos work?
The position differs between surveying and analytical services. There is no general legal requirement for every asbestos survey provider to hold UKAS inspection accreditation, although HSE strongly recommends it.
For commissioned asbestos bulk analysis and measurement of airborne asbestos-fibre concentrations, HSE states that the analytical provider must hold the appropriate UKAS accreditation. These requirements should not be confused with the recommendation for survey providers. Check HSE’s explanation of the distinction .
An HSE licence for licensable asbestos work is a separate approval. It does not replace inspection or testing accreditation, and UKAS inspection/testing accreditation does not replace a required removal licence. Read how HSE’s asbestos licensing system operates .
What is covered by ASM’s UKAS accreditation 32982?
The schedules checked for this article identify Asbestos Surveying and Monitoring Limited and the following defined activities:
| ASM accreditation | Activities listed on the schedule | Location details |
|---|---|---|
|
ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Type C Inspection Body UKAS 32982 |
Management surveys ; refurbishment surveys and demolition surveys of domestic, commercial and industrial premises; reinspection of identified or suspected asbestos-containing materials . | Inspection performed at/from the Sunderland operating address specified in the schedule. |
|
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Testing Laboratory UKAS 32982 |
Air sampling and fibre counting; four-stage clearance; bulk-material sampling; identification of asbestos in bulk materials. | The schedule distinguishes Sunderland headquarters/laboratory from client premises. Bulk identification is listed at Sunderland; sampling and clearance have their specified site-location entries. |
ASM’s accredited bulk-analysis laboratory is at 9 Defender Court, Sunderland Enterprise Park, Sunderland, SR5 3PE . Read the full method and location entries in the official schedules before relying on this summary:
- View ASM’s current UKAS ISO/IEC 17020 inspection schedule — 32982
- View ASM’s current UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 testing schedule — 32982
Inspection-body types describe different independence arrangements; they are not a grading of quality. ASM’s published inspection scope identifies it as Type C. UKAS explains inspection-body types here .
Check the standard edition shown on the live schedule. UKAS has published transition arrangements for ISO/IEC 17020:2026; a 2012 accreditation can remain valid during the formal transition. Read the UKAS transition guidance .
Accreditation applies to the activities, methods and locations within the schedules. ASM’s inspection and testing accreditation does not mean that asbestos removal, demolition or contaminated-land remediation is itself UKAS accredited.
A practical example: appointing a company before an office refurbishment
If a contractor will open ceiling voids, alter partitions and disturb floors, start by describing those works and their boundaries. Check that the provider’s inspection accreditation includes the relevant survey activity, then agree an investigation suited to the proposed disturbance.
ASM’s guide to asbestos surveys before renovation or refurbishment work explains how the planned work affects the survey you need.
Confirm who will analyse samples and check that laboratory’s testing scope. On receipt of the report, review its coverage and unresolved access restrictions before the works proceed. HSE explains why restrictions can undermine a survey’s usefulness in its guidance on arranging an asbestos survey .
A recognised accreditation and a properly defined instruction work together. Both deserve attention when comparing quotations.
Frequently asked questions
Is ISO 9001 certification equivalent to UKAS testing accreditation?
No. ISO 9001 concerns a quality-management system. It does not establish the same technical competence assessment for a particular laboratory test. UKAS explains why ISO 9001 is not a substitute for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation .
Does using a UKAS-accredited laboratory make a survey company accredited?
No. The laboratory’s accreditation applies to its own stated activities. Check the surveying organisation’s inspection accreditation separately.
Are all branches of an accredited company accredited laboratories?
No. The schedule identifies the relevant locations and activities. An office supporting local enquiries or survey attendance is not automatically an accredited laboratory.
Can an accredited company provide services outside its accredited scope?
Yes, where the applicable requirements permit it, but those services must not be represented as covered by that accreditation. Where accreditation is legally required, use a provider accredited for that activity; describing the work as outside scope is not sufficient. Ask for a clear distinction in the quotation and reporting arrangements.
Do UKAS accreditation certificates have expiry dates?
UKAS states that its e-certificates do not carry expiry dates. Check the live certificate validation and current schedule, including status information. See UKAS’s e-certificate guidance .
Does accreditation guarantee that a building is asbestos-free?
No. Accreditation concerns competence for specified activities. The conclusions of a survey or test depend on its scope, inspected areas, samples and limitations. Read the findings in that context.
Related ASM guides: planning your next steps
Once you have checked the provider’s accreditation, these guides can help you plan the work and use the information you receive:
- Asbestos found in your survey: what happens next? Understand the findings and the questions to resolve before deciding on management or further work.
- How often must asbestos surveys be updated? Read about reviewing existing information, reinspections and when a further survey may be needed.
- What is a four-stage asbestos clearance test? Understand the clearance process and the Certificate for Reoccupation.
- How to read an asbestos test report Make sense of the sample results and the limits of what a laboratory report tells you.
Browse more practical guidance in the ASM asbestos advice and blog hub .
Discuss your asbestos project with ASM
Send us the site postcode, proposed works and any existing asbestos information. We can help define the survey or analytical requirement and explain which accredited activities apply.
- Asbestos surveys
- Sunderland laboratory and bulk sample analysis
- Asbestos air monitoring and four-stage clearance
Call 0330 433 9680, email info@asbestosSM.co.uk or contact ASM for a written quotation .
