HSE inspection forces asbestos removal company to stop work

Bloom Environmental Ltd has been fined over £15,000 following an HSE inspection that found five of the company's employees were not taking proper precautions whilst handling asbestos.

The prosecution follows a routine HSE inspection on 23 November 2006 of a business premises that employees were removing asbestos from, as the building was being prepared for demolition.

The HSE immediately issued a prohibition notice to the company, stopping the demolition and removal work.

The company was found to have contravened the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Namely:

• Regulation 7 (1) which requires an employer to prepare a suitable written plan of work detailing how work is to be carried out before it is undertaken;
• Regulation 11(1)(b) which requires that where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent exposure to asbestos, an employer shall take measures necessary to reduce the exposure of his employees to asbestos to the lowest level reasonably practicable by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment;
• Regulation 13(1) requires an employer to ensure that control measures provided meet to the requirements of the Regulations, shall in the case of plant and equipment be adequately maintained;
• Regulation 16 which requires that where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent the spread of asbestos, every employer shall reduce it to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable; and
• Regulation 17 which requires every employer who undertakes work that exposes his employees to asbestos shall ensure that the relevant premises and plant are kept in a clean condition.