Asbestos Management Failure Leads to Health and Safety Fine
A firm located in Tyneside is being fined for their lack of proper asbestos management. The laboratory exposed their workers to asbestos. The HSE conducted health and safety audits of the premises to discover any potential issues at Exova. There was a complaint made to the health and safety regulator that asbestos was present in the building. It was also stated in the findings that the company had been warned on two previous occasions to remove the asbestos because it was known to exist at the lab.
A survey was conducted in 2008 of the lab where it was found some of the asbestos had peeled. It needed to be removed, sealed off, or repaired. In 2010, it was found that none of this had been conducted. This left workers exposed to a potentially dangerous substance. The company will need to pay £36,000 in fines and more than £8,000 in other costs. The large fine is for each instance where they ignored the surveys and recommendations for the asbestos to be fixed.
The facts in the court case show that the company did not take into account their workers’ safety. Rather, they left them exposed to potentially hazardous material. Those involved felt it was only right that the company be fined for the risks they caused their company workers. It would have taken less for the issue to be fixed than what they are now paying in fines and for the repairs.
