Ageing buildings and asbestos risk are now major FM priorities: what organisations should check now
What has happened?
New UK reports are increasing pressure on organisations to improve how ageing buildings and asbestos risks are managed.
Occupational health experts recently warned that asbestos remains present in around 83% of state schools in England, while government-backed inspections continue identifying weaknesses in asbestos-management systems across parts of the education estate.
At the same time, the UK government has announced major new investment into repairing schools and hospitals, including funding linked to asbestos removal, building safety and wider estate resilience.
The issue is not simply about one material.
It is about how ageing buildings are managed operationally over the long term.
Why this matters for FM and workplace operations
Many UK buildings are ageing at the same time.
Schools, healthcare sites, public buildings and older commercial properties often contain legacy infrastructure, hidden maintenance risks and complex compliance requirements that need continuous oversight.
For FM teams, this creates pressure across:
- compliance management
- contractor coordination
- maintenance planning
- permit-to-work controls
- building-condition reporting
- safety assurance
- emergency planning
- operational continuity
The HSE’s latest inspection findings said many schools still need improvements around:
- asbestos-management plans
- contractor controls
- emergency information
- training standards
- asbestos registers
- maintenance procedures
Those findings matter well beyond education.
This is increasingly becoming a wider resilience and governance issue across all ageing estates.
What different organisations should take from this
Small businesses
For smaller organisations, the biggest issue is often visibility.
Many businesses do not fully understand the condition risks sitting inside older buildings. Even where asbestos is safely managed, organisations still need accurate records, contractor controls and clear maintenance procedures.
Medium and large organisations
Larger organisations face broader estate-management challenges across multiple sites.
Inconsistent reporting, fragmented maintenance systems and reactive repairs can create operational risk over time. Buyers and insurers increasingly expect stronger evidence that buildings are being managed proactively rather than reactively.
Multinationals
For multinational organisations, ageing infrastructure increasingly links to ESG, governance and operational resilience discussions.
Workplace safety, lifecycle management and building resilience are becoming more important within procurement and risk-management frameworks. This reflects the wider direction of travel shown in recent government and industry reporting.
Public sector buyers
Public-sector estates face particular pressure because many education and healthcare environments continue operating with ageing infrastructure while supporting high occupancy and critical services.
The latest reports show increasing focus on:
- long-term maintenance planning
- proactive surveys
- contractor competence
- compliance visibility
- estate-management accountability
Contractors and service providers
For contractors, especially FM, compliance and maintenance providers, expectations are increasing.
Buyers increasingly want:
- stronger reporting
- clear permit-to-work systems
- better contractor oversight
- accurate asset records
- safer maintenance delivery
- evidence-led operational control
This is particularly important during refurbishment, maintenance and mobilisation work in older buildings.
What organisations should check now
There are five practical questions organisations should now ask:
- Do we fully understand the condition and compliance risks within our buildings?
- Are asbestos records and maintenance documentation accurate and accessible?
- Are contractors operating under clear permit-to-work and safety systems?
- Could the organisation evidence proactive estate management to buyers, insurers or regulators?
- Are ageing-building risks being managed strategically rather than reactively?
The biggest operational risks often come from poor visibility rather than visible failure.
Where TPMG FM fits
This is where structured FM becomes increasingly valuable.
TPMG FM helps organisations strengthen operational oversight through clearer reporting, better contractor coordination, stronger compliance visibility and more proactive estate-management support.
Good FM is no longer only about responding to problems.
It is about helping organisations understand risk earlier and maintain safer, more resilient operational environments over time.
