COMPANY FINED FOR ASBESTOS BREACHES

On the 29th January Piperhill Construction Limited was fined £8,000 at Laganside Crown Court after pleading guilty to two breaches of health and safety legislation. Three other charges were left on the books.

On 25 August 2011, while carrying out refurbishment work, Piperhill Construction removed Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) from the stairwells of Kilbroney House, a 14 storey apartment block in east Belfast managed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.  During an investigation, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) found that Piperhill Construction had been provided with a survey indicating the presence of AIB in the premises.  Piperhill Construction Limited then proceeded to remove the AIB despite not having the appropriate licence to carry out such work.  AIB is a material which was commonly used in construction of many buildings before its use was prohibited in 1999.    

After the hearing, Anne Cassidy, an inspector with HSENI’s Major Investigation Team said: “The dangers of asbestos are well known. Past exposure to asbestos fibres is the greatest cause of work related death in the UK.

“There is no safe level of asbestos and the correct procedures for working with it are long established. It is a legal requirement that contractors keep to the correct procedures to prevent the spread of and exposure to asbestos.”  

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

For more information on Health and Safety in the workplace visit www.hseni.gov.uk or contact HSENI on 0800 0321 121.