Asbestos exposure leads to £90,000 fine for construction company

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published by the UK HSE.

A construction company from the UK has been fined £90,000 for breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, after exposing an asbestos exposure during a renovation project in England. The company did not attend court but was found guilty in absentia on 24 August 2023.

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received a concern about asbestos exposure and disturbance at a site where the company was carrying out a refurbishment project. HSE inspectors found a significant amount of asbestos-containing debris on the site and along the public highway. They served two Prohibition Notices and appointed a licensed asbestos removal contractor to clean up the site.

The company also failed to appoint a competent person to carry out an asbestos survey of the premises before starting the work. They did not know where the asbestos-containing materials were and disturbed them, potentially exposing workers and members of the public to harmful asbestos fibres.

HSE inspector Will Gretton said that any building constructed before 2000 must be assessed for asbestos before any work takes place, and any asbestos-containing materials must be left undisturbed or removed safely.

Additionally, HSE is running an awareness campaign, Asbestos and You, targeting tradespeople with information about the personal risks from asbestos that still exist across the country today

Sources

Construction firm fined £90,000 after exposing public to asbestos during renovation work by HSE, 24th August, 2023.