Major high street retailer guilty of health and safety breaches
17:00 - 28/07/2011
Major high street retailer guilty of ...
High street favourite Marks and Spencer have been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for placing construction workers, staff and members of the public at risk of exposure to dangerous asbestos-containing materials.
The retailer and two of its contractors, Willmott-Dixon Construction Ltd and PA Realisations Ltd, are due to be sentenced on 26th September 2011. The charges relate to health and safety failings at sites in Reading and Bournemouth during 2006 and 2007.
An estimated 4,000 people die as a result of asbestos-related diseases every year. It is the biggest cause of work-related fatalities in the UK, yet Winchester Crown Court heard that Marks and Spencer failed to ensure that the removal of asbestos from its stores was carried out safely and in line with approved codes of practice.
Contractors were forced to work overnight in enclosures on the shop floor to remove small areas of asbestos before the shop opened for business each day. The client, Marks and Spencer, had not allowed sufficient time and space for the safe removal of the harmful substance.
Willmott-Dixon Construction Ltd, the principal contractor, had neglected to plan, manage and monitor the removal of asbestos-containing materials. It failed to prevent the disturbance of asbestos in areas that had not yet been properly surveyed. Both Willmott-Dixon and Marks and Spencer were found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
PA Realisations Ltd failed to effectively manage the spread of asbestos to the Reading shop floor. It was reported that areas cleaned by the company were re-contaminated through air moving between ceiling tiles and the floor above and as a result of poor standards of work. The Manchester-based company was found guilty of contravening the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
Commenting on the case, HSE Principal Inspector Charles Gilby said: “This prosecution exposed serious failures by Marks and Spencer and its contractors that we hope others will learn from. This verdict is a wake-up call for the retail industry. Client accountability and responsibility is at the heart of this case, because asbestos can and does kill.”
First Response Training offer a 3-hour Asbestos Awareness training course to provide delegates with background knowledge on the hazards related to asbestos, the diseases which can result from exposure to it, and how the law has addressed these risks.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, says: “Breathing asbestos fibres can lead to many potentially fatal diseases. Anyone working with asbestos-containing materials needs to be made aware of the risks involved and how to manage them.
"Our course covers the relevant legislation and teaches about risk assessments and the duty to manage asbestos. It is a vital course for anyone who comes into contact with asbestos as part of their work, such as construction workers, demolition workers, plumbers, engineers, roofing contractors and gas fitters.”
For more information, please call First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300.
The retailer and two of its contractors, Willmott-Dixon Construction Ltd and PA Realisations Ltd, are due to be sentenced on 26th September 2011. The charges relate to health and safety failings at sites in Reading and Bournemouth during 2006 and 2007.
An estimated 4,000 people die as a result of asbestos-related diseases every year. It is the biggest cause of work-related fatalities in the UK, yet Winchester Crown Court heard that Marks and Spencer failed to ensure that the removal of asbestos from its stores was carried out safely and in line with approved codes of practice.
Contractors were forced to work overnight in enclosures on the shop floor to remove small areas of asbestos before the shop opened for business each day. The client, Marks and Spencer, had not allowed sufficient time and space for the safe removal of the harmful substance.
Willmott-Dixon Construction Ltd, the principal contractor, had neglected to plan, manage and monitor the removal of asbestos-containing materials. It failed to prevent the disturbance of asbestos in areas that had not yet been properly surveyed. Both Willmott-Dixon and Marks and Spencer were found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
PA Realisations Ltd failed to effectively manage the spread of asbestos to the Reading shop floor. It was reported that areas cleaned by the company were re-contaminated through air moving between ceiling tiles and the floor above and as a result of poor standards of work. The Manchester-based company was found guilty of contravening the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
Commenting on the case, HSE Principal Inspector Charles Gilby said: “This prosecution exposed serious failures by Marks and Spencer and its contractors that we hope others will learn from. This verdict is a wake-up call for the retail industry. Client accountability and responsibility is at the heart of this case, because asbestos can and does kill.”
First Response Training offer a 3-hour Asbestos Awareness training course to provide delegates with background knowledge on the hazards related to asbestos, the diseases which can result from exposure to it, and how the law has addressed these risks.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, says: “Breathing asbestos fibres can lead to many potentially fatal diseases. Anyone working with asbestos-containing materials needs to be made aware of the risks involved and how to manage them.
"Our course covers the relevant legislation and teaches about risk assessments and the duty to manage asbestos. It is a vital course for anyone who comes into contact with asbestos as part of their work, such as construction workers, demolition workers, plumbers, engineers, roofing contractors and gas fitters.”
For more information, please call First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300.
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