subject: Asbestos Removal Is A Messy Job [print this page] The problem of asbestos in the workplace remains despite well publicised health risks and indepth legislation covering the management, removal and disposal of asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Arcadia Group Ltd along with contractor Vincents (Shopfitters) Ltd. They were both fined for allowing refurbishment work at the Liverpool outlet to go ahead, despite the fact that a survey ordered before the project started had identified the presence of asbestos.
Neither company took adequate action to prevent workers being exposed, despite a survey alerting them that asbestos was present in the building." said Warren Pennington, the investigating inspector at HSE. "The refurbishment work was likely to disturb the asbestos, so a licensed specialist contractor should have carried it out.
Air conditioning, sprinklers and other equipment next to ceiling beams, which had been coated with sprayed asbestos to protect from fire before the dangers of the material became widely known were removed by workers, exposing them to asbestos fibres.
Arcadia was fined 5,000 with legal costs of 10,769 by Liverpool Magistrates' Court, the maximum fine the court could issue. Vincents was fined 10,000 and ordered to pay 10,769 costs, also the maximum penalty available.
Pennington added: Up to 45 individuals who were working in the building now have to live with the knowledge that they may become ill with a life-threatening lung disease.
There are many incidents such as this where big or small companies have been fined for exposing their workers to asbestos. It is simple to avoid serious incidents such as this. If employers surveyed the property for the presence of asbestos prior to the start of construction work, any asbestos would be identified and arrangements could be made for its controlled removal by an HSE-licensed contractor.
There are specific rules and laws around the disposal of any waste, but specifically hazardous substances like asbestos. Any hazardous material has to be treated and disposed of correctly.
Prices will vary depending how involved the asbestos removal and asbestos disposal is. The chief concern is the health of all those who are being exposed to asbestos and lots of people do not view cost to be the most important factor.
Once you have selected an asbestos removal company, the process of having these materials removed and disposed of can begin. The amount of time that this will take will change depending on where the materials are located, and just how much needs to be removed. Special precautions must be taken during the removal process to guarantee the health of everyone involved.
What you save by removing asbestos yourself may not be worth the cost of your health. Think carefully if your company ask you to remove or dispose of asbestos. When it comes to asbestos removal and asbestos disposal it really is worth calling in a specialist company. The HSE estimates that 4,000 people die from exposure to asbestos every year and report that asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
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