Thank you for Subscribing to Construction Business Review Weekly Brief
Lucy Armstrong, Commercial DirectorImpelled by these medical revelations, all variants of asbestos are now completely banned from use in construction. Nevertheless, the deadly mineral still persists in numerous older buildings all around the world. In order to control the exposure of asbestos and accurately track its presence in buildings, several compliance regulations are constantly being imposed by the UK government. However, navigating through this strict regulatory landscape with paper-based processes can be quite a challenge for the property stakeholders. In this background, a company that is upturning the compliance obstacles for building owners and construction organisations with digitalised solutions is UK-based Lucion Services—a provider of market-leading inspection, testing, and consulting for the construction industry.
“Usually, a major compliance hurdle for owners of old and historic properties is the non-availability of the asbestos compliance-related records and paperwork,” says Lucy Armstrong, commercial director at Lucion Services. Without proper records, clients cannot take precise precautionary measures to curb asbestos exposure during renovations or maintenance, which, in turn, can lead to non-compliance with industry regulations, worker risks, and even lawsuits. With Lucion, building owners no longer have to worry about their compliance and hazardous material management problems. The company enables clients to seamlessly track asbestos in properties to not only ensure compliance with regulations but also facilitate worker safety during renovation projects.
As UK’s leading and independent ISO 17205 UKAS accredited asbestos testing, inspection, and consultancy company, Lucion deploys its BOHS certified surveyors and analysts to conduct an in-depth and accurate analysis of client assets (buildings).
The specialists at Lucion adhere to the highest industry standards and work diligently to deliver positive outcomes on time
The specialists at Lucion adhere to the highest industry standards and work diligently to deliver positive outcomes on time. Lucion’s in-house asbestos laboratory (Europe’s largest) operates seven days a week, processing up to 6,000 bulk samples (in line with UKAS restrictions). At an annual scale, the laboratory analyses up to 161,292 samples. Such capabilities, combined with its extensive expertise in risk management, has enabled the company to position itself at the crux of safety and compliance in the asbestos regulation sector.
Employing a Digital Route to Compliance Management
Lucion’s journey to the helm of seamless compliance management is made possible through simplicity and innovation—as exemplified by the company’s crown-jewel ‘NexGen.’ Being a robust and unique cloud-based compliance management software, NexGen digitally stores all the client information, including results and reports, in one place. With access to this software, clients can easily track their risks from ‘cradle to grave’ and manage their data, reports, photographs, and digital mapping in real-time. “Most importantly, since NexGen is hosted online, the software allows our clients and us to go completely paperless and maintain our carbon neutral standards,” adds Lucy.
Blazing the Trail to a Safer, Sustainable Future
A testament to the robust capabilities of Lucion can be found in the various success stories the company has facilitated over the years, whether it is in the public or private sectors. A case in point is a London-based university that was struggling with its outdated records on hazardous materials during the maintenance and refurbishment of its structures. The process was even more challenging as the university buildings had historical significance, and all refurbishment work had to be done with extreme delicacy to avoid asbestos exposure. Hence, the client needed expert guidance and consulting to manage the hazardous material, and their search led them to Lucion Services.
“We started collecting all the information and records on the building through management surveys and did a gap analysis to determine the missing data,” says Lucy. By working together with the university’s asbestos team, Lucion helped them reduce asbestos risk during their maintenance and refurbishment projects. The company conducted in-depth The specialists at Lucion adhere to the highest industry standards and work diligently to deliver positive outcomes on time surveys, remediation work, and air testing as per HSE guidelines. The surveyed properties were then labelled with QR codes, which allowed the university staff to scan and access key information regarding the hazardous material present in the rooms. The flow of data was controlled by Lucion and could only be accessed by approved individuals through NexGen. As a result, a challenging compliance situation was seamlessly brought under control by Lucion without any hassle.
Underpinned by such accomplishments, Lucion stands on the precipice of unprecedented growth in the upcoming years. The next step for the company is expansion, both in terms of its service portfolio and operational capacity. With a digital-first approach and renewable energy-powered offices, the company aims to become UK’s leading carbon-neutral organisation. “On our mission to make this world a safer place to live, we endeavour to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly partner that our clients can always depend on,” concludes Lucy
