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Arcoservices > Health and Safety News > Work commenced despite asbestos knowledge

Work commenced despite asbestos knowledge

A residential property management company and a specialist installation contractor have been fined after a resident raised concerns about soffit replacement work carried out on the guttering of three blocks of flats in London.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told that in July 2016, Squaredeal UPVC & Renewables Limited of Rustington, West Sussex (‘Squaredeal) had been contracted by Wildheart Residential Management Limited of Ewell, Epsom, Surrey (‘Wildheart’) to replace the soffits on the blocks in a housing estate at Sutton Grove, in Sutton, London.

The HSE’s investigation found that Wildheart instructed Squaredeal to carry out the work, but failed to check whether the soffits contained asbestos. Squaredeal had the soffits analysed and became aware they contained asbestos but started to remove the soffits without adequate precautions to ensure workers and residents were protected.

Squaredeal UPVC & Renewables Limited was fined £18,500, with costs of £5,607.90 after pleading guilty to offences under Regulations 5, 8(1) and 11(1) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Wildheart Residential Management Limited was fined £8,000, and ordered to pay £3,000 in costs after pleading guilty to an offence under Regulation 4(3) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

HSE Inspector Fu Lee commented after the hearing:

“The work risked not only the workers, but also the residents of the flats being exposed to disturbed asbestos. Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of diseases, including asbestosis or fibrosis (scarring) of the lungs; lung cancer and mesothelioma. These diseases are irreversible, disabling and in most cases eventually fatal.

“The latest statistics show that asbestos related disease cause approximately 3,000 deaths a year. All asbestos-related diseases typically take many years to develop after exposure.

“This incident could have been avoided if the companies had taken appropriate action to identify the type of asbestos and engage an appropriately qualified contractor to carry out the work safely.”

 

Asbestos Awareness online
  • Venue: Online
  • Course code: OLAA
  • Course duration: 1 – 2 hours
  • Course Audience: All levels of employees who may undertake or plan work that may be carried out in buildings and premises. This will also be beneficial for personnel responsible for the management of buildings and premises.
  • Instructor student ratio: N/A

Course Aim

This course is specifically designed to help organisations and individuals meet their legal obligation to train employees whose work could lead to exposure to asbestos containing materials (ACMs). The regulations require that employers must ensure employees have undergone suitable asbestos awareness training so that they are aware of the potential dangers they may face and the procedures they must follow regarding ACMs.