The Asbestos Industry’s Quiet Crisis: A Ticking Time Bomb?

The asbestos surveying industry is currently facing a "perfect storm." While demand for surveys remains high—driven by regulation and the refurbishment of aging infrastructure—the supply of qualified talent is dangerously thinning.

We are looking at a demographic cliff edge that, combined with potential regulatory changes, could leave the UK unable to meet its asbestos management obligations.

The Recruitment Void

The most immediate concern is the lack of new blood. Let’s be honest: asbestos surveying isn’t often presented as the "glamorous" side of the construction industry to school leavers. As a result, we are seeing a significant drop in new starters entering the field.

Without a steady stream of trainees willing to undergo the P402 and gain the requisite site experience, we are failing to replace the talent we are losing.

An Aging Workforce

The statistics are concerning. While exact figures fluctuate, industry data suggests the average age of a surveyor is now pushing into the mid-to-late 40s.

A vast amount of our industry's competency is locked inside the heads of surveyors who are within 10 years of retirement. These are professionals with decades of site experience—the kind of "gut instinct" for hidden voids and non-standard construction that you simply cannot teach in a classroom. When they retire, that knowledge leaves the door with them.

The UKAS "tipping Point"

This recruitment and retention crisis faces a potential accelerant: the debate over Mandatory UKAS Accreditation for individual surveyors and small firms.

While the push for higher standards is always positive in principle, making UKAS accreditation mandatory across the board could be catastrophic for capacity.

• The Exodus: Many experienced, independent surveyors (who are excellent at their jobs but operate without the resources of a large consultancy) may simply choose to retire early rather than face the administrative and financial burden of accreditation.

• The Barrier: For new starters and smaller firms, the high barrier to entry could strangle recruitment even further.

  
  

The Bottom Line

If we enforce mandatory accreditation without first solving the recruitment crisis, the industry will struggle to cope. We risk a future where compliant surveys become rarer, more expensive, and harder to book—precisely when the UK needs to be managing its asbestos legacy more proactively than ever.

It is time to have a serious conversation about how we attract the next generation before the current one hangs up their masks for good.