HSG264 explained for UK surveyors
HSG264 is the Health and Safety Executive's guidance document for asbestos surveyors. It's the reference every competent UK asbestos surveyor is expected to work to — but it's also a long, dense document. This guide pulls out the parts that matter day-to-day.
What is HSG264?
HSG264 — Asbestos: The survey guide — is published by the HSE. It sets out how asbestos surveys should be planned, carried out, recorded and reported in the UK.
It's not a regulation in itself. The legal duty comes from the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). HSG264 is the practical document that tells you how to discharge that duty competently.
The two survey types
HSG264 defines two survey types. Almost every asbestos survey carried out in the UK is one of these.
- Management survey — non-intrusive. Locates and records the presumed condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) during normal use of a building, supporting the asbestos register and management plan.
- Refurbishment & demolition (R&D) survey — fully intrusive. Required before any refurbishment or demolition work. The aim is to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the work will take place.
What HSG264 expects in a report
HSG264 doesn't dictate a fixed report template, but it sets clear expectations. Reports should be structured, defensible, and traceable back to the surveyor and the inspection.
- Survey scope and limitations clearly stated
- Surveyor name, competence and inspection date
- ACM register with material type, location, extent and condition
- Photographic evidence of findings
- Risk assessment / material assessment scoring
- Recommended actions for each ACM
- Sample references (R&D surveys) and analytical results where applicable
Surveyor competence
HSG264 is explicit that surveys must be carried out by a competent surveyor. Competence is demonstrated through training, qualifications (typically the BOHS P402 or equivalent), experience and ongoing CPD.
Software does not — and cannot — replace surveyor competence. A reporting tool helps you produce a structured, professional report; the survey itself is your professional judgement.
Takeaway
HSG264 is the practical bible for UK asbestos surveys. Know the two survey types, capture the right structured fields on-site, and produce a defensible report — that's the workflow AsbestosSurveyPro is built around.