Employers warned they must manage asbestos properly

The HSE has warned employers to ensure they take proper precautions over the management of asbestos in their buildings following the prosecution of a South London NHS Trust.

St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, Tooting, Wandsworth was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,432 at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, after it pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

An HSE investigation found that the Trust did not have an effective system to manage asbestos materials at The Groves residential block nor did it control the risk of exposure to asbestos fibre in the building, despite being repeatedly made aware of its presence over a number of years.

Asbestos containing materials were present in the building and were regularly damaged by workmen and cleaned up or repaired by Trust employees. Hazel McCallum, HSE Inspector, said:

"It is disappointing when large organisations such as the Trust put people at risk by not taking a responsible approach. The risks associated with exposure to airborne asbestos fibres are well known and the measures required to control it are easily achievable".

The magistrate commented

"this was a serious offence. There was a lack of communication and a lack of action by the defendant. However, credit was given for the early guilty plea and this was the reason for not committing the case to the Crown Court."

Asbestos is the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibres can lead to serious and deadly diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lung) and asbestosis (an irreversible scarring of the lungs that causes a decrease in lung function).