A building firm has been fined after failing to warn its employees that asbestos was present, despite having a detailed report about the location of the asbestos.
Stratford-upon-Avon Magistrates Court heard how Greswolde Construction Ltd was carrying out building work on an extension at Rokeby Primary School in Rugby. Three employees were carrying out the work when they disturbed an area containing asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted the company after finding that although the company had a detailed Type 3 Asbestos survey detailing the location of the asbestos they failed to communicate this to their employees. The survey also detailed the fact that children were occupying adjacent classrooms, however the company continued to give the go ahead to their workers.
The investigation also found that the workers had not been informed of the presence of asbestos and had not received any asbestos awareness training or protection.
The company was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,268 after pleading guilty to a breach of regulation 10(1) and one of 11(1)(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
HSE inspector Paul Cooper said: “The dangers of asbestos are well known in the building industry so for the managers of Greswolde Construction not to inform their employees of its presence shows a complete disregard for their safety and wellbeing. What makes it worse is that this work was being carried out in a primary school where young children were in the next room.”
Inspector Cooper concluded: “We can’t stress enough how important it is for anyone carrying out building work to obtain the proper asbestos surveys and then act upon them.”
