16-year-old worker’s asbestos exposure leads to fine for two companies
Fines have been imposed on two companies in northern England after a teenage worker came into contact with potentially lethal asbestos fibres.
The 16-year-old had been working on a domestic property’s outbuilding in the North Yorkshire town of Richmond for P Turnbull Joinery and Building Services Ltd, which had been hired by Alt Berg Holdings Ltd to refurbish the property.
Cement sheets removed from the roof of the property were broken up and placed into a skip by the teenage worker on 7th June 2021. It was later discovered that asbestos was present in these sheets, which meant the worker had been exposed to the now-banned mineral’s extremely dangerous fibres.
An HSE investigation uncovered significant failings at the site
When the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated, the regulator found that Alt Berg Holdings had not arranged an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey of the property. This is a particularly thorough type of asbestos survey that would have enabled the company to identify the presence of asbestos.
As for P Turnbull Joinery and Building Services, the company had failed to properly assess the work, and it had failed to prevent the worker from being exposed to asbestos.
Having pleaded guilty to violating Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, P Turnbull Joinery and Building Services – of Attwood Terrace, Wolsingham, Durham – was hit with a £2,000 fine at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £500.
Meanwhile, Alt Berg Holdings – of Moor Road in Melsonby, near Richmond – admitted guilt to breaching Regulation 4(4) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. A fine of £6,000 was imposed on the company in relation to this, as well as an order to pay £1,950 in costs, at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided”
Chris Tilley, principal inspector at HSE, stated that the presence of asbestos in the roofing materials would have been identified if the client had carried out a “suitable and sufficient” asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey and provided the results of this to the contractor prior to work beginning.
They continued: “The contractor could have ensured suitable controls were put in place and the asbestos removed safely before further work was undertaken.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by the provision of suitable and sufficient pre-construction information, effective communication between the parties, and the use of correct control measures and safe working practices.”
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