Date of article: 31/05/2007
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The HSE has warned companies to take extra xare when demolishing buildings containing asbestos cement sheets.
The warning comes after Wye Valley Demolition Ltd of Hereford, was fined £6,000 and asked to pay costs of £13,621 at Hereford Magistrates Court, following the release of asbestos during the demolition of a building.
This prosecution followed an incident between 25 and 29 June 2004 during the demolition of a former grain store building. The building contained asbestos cement sheets which should have been removed under controlled conditions but which instead were smashed to the ground by a machine then spread over the demolition site.
Joy Jones, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction, comments:
"People working in the construction industry need to exercise caution when working in areas that may contain asbestos. Asbestos should not be treated lightly as it causes 3,500 deaths in Britain each year, with annual numbers predicted to go on rising into the next decade. All people working in areas that may contain asbestos need to be aware of the dangers to others and the financial penalties imposed if asbestos is mishandled. The risks from asbestos cement are lower than from other asbestos materials but contractors still need to take proper precautions."
Wye Valley Demolition Ltd pleaded to breaches of Regulation 10(1) and Regulation 15 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
Regulation 10(1) of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations states:
"Every employer shall:
(a) prevent the exposure of his employees to asbestos so far as is reasonably practicable;
(b) where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent such exposure:
(i) reduce the exposure of his employees to asbestos to the lowest level reasonably practicable by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment, and
(ii) ensure that the number of his employees who are exposed to asbestos is as low as is reasonably practicable
Regulation 15 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations states: "Every employer shall prevent, or where this is not reasonably practicable, reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable, the spread of asbestos from any place where work under his control is carried on".
Work with asbestos insulation, asbestos coatings and asbestos insulating board is subject to the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983. Organisations that carry out this type of work must hold a current licence granted by the HSE.
Though the work involved in this case only related to asbestos cement, for which a licence is not required, the Control of Asbestos At Work Regulations still require proper controls to be exercised to keep exposure to asbestos fibres to an absolute minimum.
In addition, dismantling and demolishing buildings, roofed or clad with asbestos cement sheet, presents special problems, especially if they are old and crumbling. Many asbestos cement products, such as roof sheets, cladding, drainpipes and gutters, are located at height and therefore present a risk of falls. Asbestos cement sheet is a fragile material, and people must not walk on it. You cannot rely on it to support the weight of a person, even with new sheets. It is important to emphasise that falls from, and through, fragile roofs are a major source of deaths in construction work, and precautions to prevent such accidents should be given priority.
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