Industry news
£44k fine for ignoring asbestos
Posted Tue, 17 Apr 2012
A laboratory testing firm which ignored warnings to deal with asbestos on its premises has been made to pay £44,000.
Exova (UK) Limited ignored two surveys, carried out by its own accredited asbestos testing branch, that concluded damaged asbestos was present at its site at The Grubb Parsons Building on Shields Road, Newcastle.
The first survey, carried out on 3 October 2008, identified damaged asbestos in two areas of the site and said it should be removed, repaired or sealed off. The second, completed in February 2010, noted the identified asbestos was still there, and repeated its earlier recommendation.
Despite this the firm, of Lochend Industrial Estate, Queen Anne Drive in Newbridge, Midlothian, neglected to implement the recommendations. This meant employees were continuing to work in areas where damaged asbestos was present. The site was visited by HSE inspector Andrew Woodhall on 15 July 2010, who found action had not been taken.
The firm pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. At Newcastle Magistrates' Court it was fined a total of £36,000 (£12,000 for each offence) and ordered to pay £8,000 costs.
Copyright Press Association 2012