Collecting data on site is one of the most problematic aspects of asbestos surveying. Even if you have the most experienced surveying team mistakes can be made. Workers can be exposed to asbestos not because a surveyor missed a hazard but because the hazard was not recorded correctly.
Any management system requires;
One method is to use fixed format data collection sheets which utilise check lists as far as possible. Modus developed site collection sheets and these were very successful for collecting data on site.
The principal drawback is the need to transfer the data from the sheet to the management software. This is usually carried out by technical clerks or admin assistants who input the data manually. This was by far the most inefficient part of the process. However, where the number of surveys required is small then the data collection sheets are the most cost effective solution.
Where the number of surveys required is large the manpower required to transfer the data and carry out the quality control checks becomes excessive. For this reason Modus developed a data collection application which operates on any Windows CE personal digital assistant.
We have found that by removing the need to transfer the data from the survey sheets to the management software the time taken to complete a survey has reduced by at least 50%. The data collectors are also more convenient and accuracy is improved by ensuring that a survey of a room is completed before allowing the next one to begin.