British authorities don’t take kindly to businesses that do not enforce asbestos regulations.
A Hove-based firm has been fined after it flouted asbestos regulations and removed some of the dangerous material just three weeks after being refused a license to carry out such work.
Asbestos Damage Limitations Ltd, trading as ADL, was prosecuted at Brighton Magistrates’ Court in August for safety breaches following the work undertaken at premises in Dyke Road, Hove, Oct. 22-25, 2013.
The case was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after investigating a complaint that an unlicensed contractor was carrying out asbestos removal work.
License Expired September of 2013
The court was told that ADL had possessed a license to remove asbestos – a known carcinogen – but that this had expired in September 2013. The firm had applied for a renewal of the license and had been in for a renewal interview with HSE on Oct 1. However this had resulted in an outright refusal based on inadequate performance.
Asbestos Damage Limitations Ltd, Coleridge Street, Hove, East Sussex, was fined nearly $25,000 and ordered to pay more than $6,600 in costs after admitting breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Denis Bodger noted, “Work with asbestos requires a high degree of regulatory control. It involves working with a category one carcinogen, with asbestos-related diseases causing some 4,500 deaths each year in the UK, as well as many serious illnesses. When this type of work is undertaken by an unlicensed company, HSE has no ability to ensure it is done safely.”
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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