Firm in court for failing to communicate known asbestos risk
A Battersea building firm has been fined for failing to highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) at a Berkshire warehouse – exposing a foreman and others to potential harm when it was ripped out during refurbishment work.
The contractor was in possession of a detailed asbestos survey that clearly identified the location of the asbestos wall panels inside the building at Molly Millars Close in Wokingham.
However, the survey wasn’t shared with the team on the ground. So when a foreman mistook the AIB for asbestos cement – a lower risk material – it was removed without adequate control measures and protective equipment.
The communication breakdown was identified by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which today (8 May 2014) prosecuted the contractor after investigating the contamination of the warehouse with asbestos in December 2011.
Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that AIB should only be removed by a licensed asbestos contractor because of the risk of exposure to the dangerous fibres contained within it.
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Published May 16, 2014