What is HSG264? A UK surveyor's reference
HSG264 — 'Asbestos: The survey guide' — is the Health and Safety Executive's reference document for asbestos surveying in the UK. Every competent surveyor is expected to work to it, but the document itself is long and dense. This article pulls out the parts that actually shape day-to-day surveying work.
Where HSG264 sits in the legal framework
HSG264 is guidance, not regulation. The legal duty comes from the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), particularly Regulation 4 — the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises.
HSG264 is the HSE's practical interpretation of how to discharge that duty competently. If a survey ends up being scrutinised — by a client, an enforcement officer, or an insurer — HSG264 is the benchmark it will be measured against.
The two survey types
HSG264 defines two survey types. Almost every asbestos survey carried out in the UK is one of these, and choosing the wrong one is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes in the industry.
- Management survey — non-intrusive. Carried out while the building is in normal use. Locates and records the presumed condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) so the duty-holder can manage them in place.
- Refurbishment & demolition (R&D) survey — fully intrusive. Required before any refurbishment or demolition. Locates, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area to be worked on.
What HSG264 expects in a report
HSG264 does not prescribe a specific template, but it sets clear expectations about what a report has to contain. A report that omits these elements is hard to defend.
- Survey scope, methodology and stated limitations
- Surveyor name, evidence of competence and inspection date
- ACM register with material type, location, extent and condition
- Photographic evidence of each finding
- Material assessment scoring using the HSG264 algorithm
- Recommended action for each ACM
- Sample references and analytical results (R&D surveys)
- Clear floor plans or location drawings
Competence: the part software cannot replace
HSG264 is explicit that surveys must be carried out by a competent surveyor — demonstrated through training (typically BOHS P402 or equivalent), experience, qualifications and ongoing CPD.
A digital reporting platform such as AsbestosSurveyPro structures the workflow and the report. The competent person on-site is still the one making the call.
Why structured capture matters
HSG264's expectations are easy to meet when the data is captured in a structured form on-site. They become painful when surveys are written up after the fact from photographs and notes.
A digital workflow that records material type, condition, location, photos and scores against each ACM — at the point of inspection — produces a report that maps cleanly onto HSG264 without re-keying.
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 is the workflow AsbestosSurveyPro is built around.