Shop fitting company fined over safety failings

Categories: General Health and Safety |


Shop fitting company fined over safety failings A shop fitting company has been given a substantial fine after five workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres at a property in Manchester.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it ignored a report which stated asbestos was present in a shop it was working on.

Two workers, who spent five days ripping out old shop fittings, discovered that asbestos had been used in some of the ceiling panels.

Added to this, Trafford Magistrates' Court heard that three management staff were potentially exposed to the fibres during routine checks on the work.

The company admitted three breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and one of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

It was fined £4,000 by the court.

Tom Merry, the investigating inspector at HSE, commented: "Abestos only becomes a risk if it is disturbed so the shop fitters could have worked safely if they knew where the asbestos was.

"It should either have been sealed or removed by a licensed contractor before the work started."

To remove asbestos safely, it is imperative that the correct workwear is used.ADNFCR-1200-ID-800034404-ADNFCR

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