Here at Asbestos Justice we are constantly dismayed when we hear of companies that have failed in their duty to protect employees from inhaling, deadly asbestos dust.
In April this year the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took two companies to Court after finding that asbestos had been disturbed during refurbishment work.
Between July and August 2014, Firestone Estates Limited employed contractors, 24-Hour Maintenance Services Limited to carry out refurbishment work. An investigation into the circumstances found that although Firestone Estates had been aware of the presence of asbestos in the premises, they had not passed this information onto the contractor.
Further, no refurbishment or demolition survey was carried out by the contractor prior to the work being done, to determine the presence of asbestos.
Two workers employed by 24-Hour Maintenance Services carried out refurbishment work, converting a former commercial property into flats. As they did this, they disturbed asbestos insulation board. The asbestos boards were stripped out of the building, with no asbestos precautions having been put into place.
Completing this kind of work without suitable protective equipment is extremely dangerous. Stripping out asbestos boards causes asbestos dust and debris to be released into the air which can then be inhaled by those within the vicinity. This puts them at risk of developing asbestos related conditions, particularly mesothelioma, a devastating asbestos related cancer which can develop in sufferers following minimal exposure to asbestos dust.
The workers exposed to asbestos now face a future of uncertainty. Asbestos conditions take between 10 and 50 years to develop and not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will be hit with a condition.
The HSE investigated the alleged asbestos exposure and the case was heard in Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Firestone Estates Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10(1)b of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. They were fined £10,000 and had to pay a £1,000 victim surcharge, along with costs. 24-Hour Maintenance Services Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This company was ordered to pay a fine of £5,000 and also paid a victim surcharge and costs.
With the dangers of asbestos now well known, it is appalling that people are still being exposed to asbestos to this day. Whether it is due to cutting costs or poor management and training, more needs to be done to prevent innocent workers from being put at risk of developing these insipid asbestos conditions.
Due to the latency period of asbestos conditions such as mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening, there is little that can be done in terms of compensating those encountering asbestos, immediately after they have been exposed to asbestos.
We would advise anyone exposed to asbestos recently to contact the HSE so the incident can be investigated and to gather insurance details of the company responsible for the exposure, along with details of any witnesses to the exposure, in case these are needed in the future to make a claim for asbestos compensation.
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.