Building consultants fined for exposing tradesmen to asbestos

Watts Group PLC has been fined £30,000, plus costs of £564, at Antrim Crown Court (27/1) for three health and safety breaches that resulted in two construction workers being exposed to asbestos.

The sentencing comes after a Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) investigation into how, in early 2013, Seamus Kelly, a joiner, and his colleague Alan Tweed, were exposed to asbestos while replacing doors in the service ducts beneath Holywell Hospital, Antrim.

In addition to being the appointed project managers for the removal of asbestos-containing materials from the underground service ducts, Watts Group PLC also organised and conducted an asbestos survey for these ducts. 

The information contained in the survey was then used to develop illustrative site plans showing areas where asbestos was present and areas where it had been identified as having been removed.

Watts Group PLC provided these plans to a construction sub-contractor whose role was to remove and replace doors and to carry out other building work in the ducts.

HSENI’s investigation found that the survey conducted by Watts Group PLC fell far below the required standards. In addition, asbestos was discovered in poor condition in numerous areas throughout the ducts, in areas where the Watts plans illustrated there was no asbestos.

Speaking after today’s sentencing Jonathan Knox, an inspector with HSENI’s Major Investigation Team, said: 

“Safety advisors, project administrators and asbestos surveyors perform a vital role in the construction industry.  The information they provide is relied upon by many others to keep workers safe throughout a construction project.

“Organisations, such as the Health Trust in this case, expect to be able to rely on the opinions of their experts to assist in the prevention of exposure to asbestos fibres.

“This case should act as a reminder to advisors and surveyors involved in construction projects that measures must be taken, prior to the start of any works, to ensure that the correct type of asbestos survey is completed and carried out with patience, in a thorough and systematic manner.”

HSENI’s Duty to Manage campaign outlines the legal duties required for those who are responsible for the repair and maintenance of properties to manage the risk of asbestos: www.hseni.gov.uk/dutytomanage