Michael Murton, a property developer, has got off relatively lightly following a case of unsafe asbestos removal at one of the properties he was renovating.
The building was found to have 10,000 times the accepted limit of asbestos fibres present, yet workers were handling it without the property safety equipment and throwing it down a plastic tube to a waiting skip.
The workers won't know if their health has been damaged for many years, and Mr. Murton told the court he had no idea the asbestos was present, which the judge accepted. He still received a 12 month sentence suspended for 18 months and has been ordered to pay £10,000 in costs.
As for the building, the specialist company brought in to remove the asbestos safely said it was one of the worst jobs they had ever seen. The cost of removal has so far reached £200,000 with a further £70,000 required to finish.
So why did this incident happen and put people's lives in danger? Because an asbestos survey was not carried out. This total lack of awareness has also spurred us on to offer our £30 course on asbestos awareness which we urge everyone to take. That £30 could save your life.
Source: Health and Safety Newsdesk (image courtesy of TopSkips)
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