Firm Fined After Exposing School to Asbestos | Health & Safety

Firm fined after exposing school to asbestos

Key Facts

• A company has been fined after it was found that they exposed workers, pupils and teachers to asbestos at a school in Suffolk.
• Asbestos was disturbed when subcontractors were removing a wall.
• The firm was fined £22,400 and ordered to pay costs of £11,741.

The Case

An HSE investigation was launched into a laboratory design and installation specialist firm after it was found that they were exposing workers, pupils and teachers to asbestos-containing materials at a school they worked on in Suffolk.

The HSE investigation found that while working on the school, sub-contractors disturbed asbestos as they were removing a wall in 2012. The company had not arranged for a detailed Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Survey to be carried out after the work, as required.

The case was heard at Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tue 12 May 2015 where the firm pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. They were fined £22,400 and ordered to pay costs of £11,741.

Asbestos

Every year, around 4,500 people die as a result of inhaling asbestos fibres. This makes it the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Symptoms may not appear for several decades after contact with asbestos. Find more asbestos articles from our blog here >> 

What the HSE inspector had to say

After the hearing, HSE Inspector David King said:

Exposure to asbestos fibres is a serious and well known health risk, so it is essential that duty-holders take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent the disturbance, spread and exposure to asbestos.

Failing to take action to identify asbestos while planning work, and to ensure that any contractors who may disturb asbestos are aware of the location and type of asbestos present, and not taking appropriate measures to protect the health of others, is totally inexcusable.

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