Health and Safety Failings – Two Firms Fined Over Asbestos

Two Firms Fined Over Asbestos

Two firms were fined in April 2016 for breaching health and safety laws relating to safe work with asbestos. Read on to find more about the case

The Case

An HSE investigation was launched into the safety practices of two companies after asbestos was found to have been disturbed during refurbishment work.

The court heard how two employees of a maintenance survey had disturbed an asbestos insulating board whilst carrying out works to convert former commercial premises in Romford into flats.

The subsequent HSE investigation found that the client had not alerted the contractor to the presence of asbestos despite having prior knowledge of its presence. It was also found that no refurbishment and demolition survey had been conducted to determine if asbestos was present. As a result, the two workers had carried out the work on the asbestos insulating board without implementing effective precautions and were therefore significantly exposed to the risks caused by asbestos fibres.

The case was heard at Westminster Magistrates’ Court where the premises management firm pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10(1)(b) of the  Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. They were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1020.64 and a victim surcharge of £1000.