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Leading retailer fined £1Million for contravening Asbestos Regulations

Retail giant Marks & Spencer was fined £1 million today for failing to
protect customers, staff and workers from potential exposure to asbestos during
refurbishment at one of its stores.

The work at Reading was part of a £1.3 billion refurbishment
of M&S stores UK wide, the court heard.

M&S employed contractors who removed asbestos present in
ceiling tiles and elsewhere during the work at the store in Reading and also at
Bournemouth, Dorset, between 2006 and 2007.

The three-month trial at Winchester Crown Court was told
M&S guidance on asbestos removal was not fully followed by the contractors
during the major refurbishments but M&S had a “duty of care” to ensure the
work was carried out safely.

The store was found guilty in July of two charges under the
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 of failing to ensure the health and safety of
its staff and others at the Reading store. it was fined £500,000 for each
offence.

Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd, of Hertfordshire, was found
guilty of contravening the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at the
Bournemouth store.

Manchester-based company PA Realisations Ltd (formerly
Pectel Ltd), was found guilty of contravening Control of Asbestos at Work
Regulations 2002 at the Reading store.

Article extracted from The Independant Business News

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