Computerised Asbestos
Register
Asbestos regulations now include a duty to manage Regulation 4. The HSE state that under this duty, the duty holder is required to:
"Make, and keep up-to-date, a record of the location and condition of the asbestos containing materials – or materials which are presumed to contain asbestos;
Provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them;" In the HSE/264 'Asbestos the surveyors guide.
For all but the simplest survey, a computer database of suitable form is useful, as it enables the records to be kept up-to-date and to be readily accessible by various means (e.g. intranets, the Internet and other data transfer technologies). A database can be used to record all the remedial work carried out and to prompt the building manager to carry out and record any further inspections which are required. In
1997 we started developing MasTec, a computerised asbestos register database designed for duty holders. Over the years we believe it has been refined to become one of the easiest and most comprehensive asbestos management applications on the market. The key features of Mas Tec are:
•Easy to Use: MasTec has been designed to be very easy to use.
•Automatic Risk Assessment Calculation: MasTec automatically calculates a risk assessment score for each piece of asbestos (as described in the HSE approved code of practise document "L127: The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises"). This allows you to update your asbestos register without intervention (and therefore cost) from our selves.
•Notification System: MasTec can notify managers when actions are due, for example when a piece of asbestos needs ins pecting. MasTec will warn 30 days before an action is due and then every day until the action is completed. The 30 day look ahead can be changed to any number of days.
•Scalable: MasTec can handle hundreds of thousands of properties.
•Customisable: most parts of MasTec can be customised without intervention (and therefore cost) from ourselves . By customising MasTec you can adjust the system so that it fits in with your way of doing things.
•Read Licenses: by utilising read licenses you can ensure that only authorised people are able to change the register.
•Hot Spots: it is possible to ‘mark up’ plans in MasTec with hot spots to show the position of any asbestos found. This makes it extremely easy to see, at-a-glance, if there is any asbestos in a particular location It is also possible, by click ing on a hot spot, to jump straight to the associated asbestos record in the register. Many of our clients have found this an easier way to navigate the register compared to moretraditional methods (e.g. searching for room codes or scrolling though longs lists of locations).
•Comprehensive Search: most fields in MasTec can be searched. This helps ensure that you can quickly find the information required.
•Archive Facility: it is possible to archive parts of the register as remedial works and inspections are carried out. This can prove useful if you need to show that you were carrying out your duty to manage some time in the past.
