Council forced to pay fine after exposing workers to asbestos
14:17 - 27/11/2009
Council forced to pay fine after expo...
Failure to maintain accurate records of the location and condition of asbestos at Castlebrae Community High School has cost Edinburgh Council £14,000 after they admitted breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006) at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 11th November this year.
The council employed a number of workers, including joiners, to carry out refurbishments on the school back in 2007. Their work involved cutting through doors and this unsettled the asbestos core inside of them. During court proceedings it came to light that the council had carried out a survey of the building which identified the presence of asbestos in the doors, but that they had not sufficiently communicated their findings to either the school or the workers. As a result 14 employees were potentially exposed to the harmful substance.
It can take up to 30 years for the effects of exposure to asbestos to become apparent and every year in Britain around 4,000 people die as a result of contact with the substance. In May 2004 legislation was established which requires the organisation in control of any non domestic premises to identify and assess asbestos in those premises.
The HSE recently re-launched its 'Asbestos: the hidden killer' campaign in order to raise awareness of the risks of asbestos. Commenting on this case, HSE inspector Mike Orr said: "As this case demonstrates, those most likely to be at risk from asbestos are tradesmen. Every week, 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma - an incurable cancer. […] This case should serve as a warning to property owners or those who manage buildings to ensure they have robust arrangements in place to manage the risks from asbestos."
Agreeing with the HSE, Pete Stock, E-Learning Account Manager at First Response Training, says: “Breathing asbestos fibres can lead to potentially fatal asbestos-related diseases. It is essential that all companies who come into contact with asbestos make their employees aware of the risks of working with asbestos. We offer an E-Learning course which covers exactly this, and can be completed by anybody with internet access. Training staff to be aware of the dangers of working with as dangerous a substance as asbestos can help them work safely which will save companies valuable time and money.”
First Response now offer up to 20 E-Learning titles, including Asbestos Awareness training, which is essential for organisations working within premises containing asbestos. For further information, contact First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.
The council employed a number of workers, including joiners, to carry out refurbishments on the school back in 2007. Their work involved cutting through doors and this unsettled the asbestos core inside of them. During court proceedings it came to light that the council had carried out a survey of the building which identified the presence of asbestos in the doors, but that they had not sufficiently communicated their findings to either the school or the workers. As a result 14 employees were potentially exposed to the harmful substance.
It can take up to 30 years for the effects of exposure to asbestos to become apparent and every year in Britain around 4,000 people die as a result of contact with the substance. In May 2004 legislation was established which requires the organisation in control of any non domestic premises to identify and assess asbestos in those premises.
The HSE recently re-launched its 'Asbestos: the hidden killer' campaign in order to raise awareness of the risks of asbestos. Commenting on this case, HSE inspector Mike Orr said: "As this case demonstrates, those most likely to be at risk from asbestos are tradesmen. Every week, 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma - an incurable cancer. […] This case should serve as a warning to property owners or those who manage buildings to ensure they have robust arrangements in place to manage the risks from asbestos."
Agreeing with the HSE, Pete Stock, E-Learning Account Manager at First Response Training, says: “Breathing asbestos fibres can lead to potentially fatal asbestos-related diseases. It is essential that all companies who come into contact with asbestos make their employees aware of the risks of working with asbestos. We offer an E-Learning course which covers exactly this, and can be completed by anybody with internet access. Training staff to be aware of the dangers of working with as dangerous a substance as asbestos can help them work safely which will save companies valuable time and money.”
First Response now offer up to 20 E-Learning titles, including Asbestos Awareness training, which is essential for organisations working within premises containing asbestos. For further information, contact First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.
Make your selections below and enter your postcode (if applicable). This will provide you with information about a course in a location convenient to you
