Police Scotland has been told they need to take action in relation to asbestos found in some of their properties.
Earlier this year the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served an improvement notice on Police Scotland after inspections at four divisional offices had been carried out in Glasgow.
The HSE told the force it needed to improve its management of asbestos and a response is required by 11th April. With the deadline imminent, the issue was discussed at a Scottish Police Authority meeting this week.
A statement issued by director of People and Development with Police Scotland stated: “We are committed to providing a safe working environment for our officers, staff and members of the public and are fully co-operating with the HSE to ensure the appropriate action is taken to achieve this.”
It is extremely disappointing that once again we are hearing of negligence in relation to asbestos. Whilst it is not clear from current reports the extent of the issue, with the dangers of asbestos now known, all employees should have adequate procedures in place to manage asbestos.
Far too often we hear that asbestos is no longer an issue and the risks have gone. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. There are thousands of buildings in the UK that still contain asbestos and without proper procedures and plans in place for the management of asbestos, there is a risk that people may suffer exposure to asbestos to this day.
Whilst it takes heavy asbestos exposure to cause debilitating conditions such as asbestosis or asbestos related lung cancer, it only takes light and sometimes one-time exposure to asbestos to put someone at risk of developing the deadly, incurable asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma.
If you require assistance in pursuing an asbestos claim please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.