Birmingham office refurbishment releases asbestos, 2 companies, 1 contractor fined

Evanacre Colmore Row Ltd, Marchment Consulting, and contractor Roland Morewood have all pleaded guilty to breaching regulations of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 act. Their crime was releasing asbestos into an office block on Colmore Row in Birmingham putting the occupants at risk.

The lift in the building contained asbestos insulating board, a fact that should have been known by the companies and contractors involved. But the work carried out left asbestos board in the lift shaft discovered by lift engineers who reported it.

An investigation by the HSE found raised levels of asbestos fibres in the air across several levels of the building and gathered by the vacuum cleaners used to clean the offices. Morewood's van was also found to contain asbestos insulating board and was heavily contaminated.

Due to the work not being carried out following asbestos regulations the lives of workers in the office block have been put at risk. In total, the companies and contractor have had to pay fines and costs of £18,823.

The cost and the risk to health could have been easily avoided with the proper training and by carrying out the proper procedures for dealing with asbestos.

Source: HSE