In recent years, there has been an increasing alarm over the safety of having materials containing asbestos around people's homes. There has been confusion on how asbestos materials should be managed to prevent them from causing health risk to people living in home with asbestos materials. These public concerns have reached relevant authorities and they have come up with measures addressing this issue.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral element. It consist microscopic fibers and is used in the manufacture of building materials. Its microscopic fiber content makes it suitable for use in making insulating and fire retardant materials. Asbestos becomes dangerous when disturbed. It is only when interfered with that asbestos microscopic fibers become airborne. This way, they can be inhaled into the lungs where they can cause health problems. When managed well asbestos do not pose a health hazard.

As such, several regulatory authorities such as the 2006 Control of Asbestos regulation (CAR 2006) have been set up. These seek to sensitize people on proper management of asbestos materials. The regulations make it a duty for people to manage asbestos suitably. The duty is imposed to people to manage asbestos properly within non-domestic and communal areas and properties. Dealing with materials which have asbestos requires appropriate survey to be carried out. This involves carrying out survey even when carrying out refurbishing and repair activities. In many cases, demolition survey has also been carried out.

However, it is important to note that not all properties need asbestos survey. Therefore, any asbestos survey should have the support of an initial review necessitating asbestos survey. The review should establish why there is a need for asbestos survey and to what extent asbestos survey should be carried out. After carrying out asbestos survey, it is important that one have management plans, remedial works and training