North Warwickshire Borough Council and Intal Decorators Limited, a Birmingham decorating firm, have been fined after workers were exposed to potentially-deadly asbestos fibres. The Council was refurbishing its community centre in Eastland Road, Fillongley when it sent Intal Decorators Limited to remove asbestos insulation board.
 
The asbestos insulation board should have been removed under controlled conditions by a licensed contractor but it was spread around the site by the decorating firm’s staff. Other tradesmen realised what was happening and reported the situation to the managers.
 
A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed the Council had undertaken a survey detailing the presence of asbestos but had failed to pass the information to Intal Decorators Limited. Intal Decorators Limited also failed to carry out its own assessment of the insulation boards to check whether asbestos was present.
 
North Warwickshire Borough Council, of South Street, Atherstone, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to provide sufficient information and instruction to its contractors regarding the presence, nature and scope of work involving asbestos. It was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,200.
 
Intal Decorators Limited, of Rough Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 for removing asbestos-containing materials without carrying out an assessment. It was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a further £500 in costs.
 
For further information please click on the following link: http://press.hse.gov.uk/2013/council-and-decorating-firm-prosecuted-for-asbestos-failings/