A survey describes a building on a day. A reinspection is what keeps that description true. It revisits each item the survey recorded, checks whether the condition has changed, updates the material and priority assessments, and records anything new. It is short and inexpensive next to a survey, and skipping it is the commonest way a duty holder ends up paying for a full re-survey instead.
What it checks
Each recorded item, in turn: is it still there, is it still in the condition the survey described, has anything been drilled through, damaged, water stained or covered over, and has any new work introduced or exposed material the survey did not see. The register and the risk assessment are updated from that visit rather than rewritten.
How often
There is no statutory interval. The survey recommends one based on the material, its condition and how likely disturbance is, and a duty holder is expected to keep the assessment up to date. Annually is common for ordinary premises; a material in a high traffic area or in poor condition earns a shorter interval and a record of why.
Who does it
Usually the surveying organisation that did the original survey, because they hold the plans and the item numbering. It does not have to be, and where a building has changed hands or the original survey is poor, a fresh organisation reading the register with new eyes is worth the small extra cost.
What happens when it lapses
Nothing visible, which is the problem. The register still exists and stops describing the building, contractors are shown a document that is out of date, and the first time anyone notices is usually when material is damaged or a regulator asks. Diarising the interval when the survey is delivered is the cheapest control in this whole subject.
Questions people ask about asbestos reinspection
Is reinspection a legal requirement?
The duty is to keep the record and the assessment up to date and to review them. Reinspection is how that is normally done rather than a named requirement in itself.
How long does a reinspection take?
Far less than the original survey, because the items are already located and numbered. A small building is often a morning.
What if the building has changed?
Then the reinspection will find work the register does not describe, and part of the visit becomes a small survey of the changed area. That is the point of doing it.