Company fined after inaccurate asbestos survey leads to exposure

Date:

23 March 2009

Release No:

COI/SE/0503

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding companies of the importance of the accuracy of asbestos surveys after two workers were unwittingly exposed to asbestos, whilst carrying out refurbishment work.

The call comes after the prosecution of Bestoff Services Ltd today, 23 March, at Didcot Magistrates' Court following a breach of health and safety legislation at a construction site in Abingdon, Oxford between 1 and 5 February 2008.

Bestoff Services Ltd of Chorleywood, Hertfordshire pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £3,000, ordered to pay costs of £2091.70 and a victim surcharge of £15.

The company carried out an asbestos survey on a site at Unit 27, Nuffield Way, Abingdon in February 2008 and reported that the site contained no asbestos. Two members of staff began work on the site the following month and part of their job involved removing panels of fibrous board.

Several days later the site manager became suspicious about the pieces of fibrous panels that had been removed and they were analysed. The results showed they did in fact contain asbestos.

On 27 March an additional survey was carried out which identified asbestos-containing materials in several areas throughout the building, including the areas where the two men had been working.

HSE Inspector, Karen Morris, said:
"This incident shows the importance of carrying out asbestos surveys before refurbishment work starts. In this case, the main contractor did the right thing by engaging a specialist asbestos surveying company, but was let down by them. It is vital that asbestos surveys are accurate and can be relied upon, in order to prevent this kind of inadvertent exposure. Had it not been for the vigilance of the site manager, many more people on site would have been put at risk of exposure."

Notes to editors

1. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
2. More information about working safely with asbestos can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR (London & South East).