Mr Mohammad Arshad, a building contractor from Oldham, has been fined following the uncontrolled removal of asbestos after being appointed to carry out work on a garage conversion.
Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court heard how Mr Arshad had stripped the garage ceiling and removed the material, leaving debris on site. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was notified by a concerned member of the public of fibrous board outside the property in Chadderton, Oldham which looked like asbestos insulation board. The material was then tested during a site visit and it was confirmed to being licensable asbestos containing material.
The HSE investigation into the incident found that Mr Arshad did not have a licence to carry out the removal of licensable asbestos containing materials. He also did not have suitable control measures for preventing exposure to and spread of asbestos fibres. A prohibition notice was issued and the area was sealed off before being cleaned by a licensed contractor under fully controlled conditions.
Mr Mohammad Arshad of Broadway, of Chadderton, Oldham was fined £1200 and ordered to pay costs of £1000 after pleading guilty to breaches of Regulation 11 (1) (a), Regulation 8 (1) and Regulation 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Health and Safety Executive Inspector Laura Royales stated: “Asbestos is a class 1 carcinogen which is responsible for around 5000 deaths per year. Prior to starting work on the property Mr Arshad should have had an asbestos survey carried out by a competent person. He should have then appointed a licensed contractor to remove the asbestos containing ceiling under controlled conditions. Instead he carelessly removed it himself, potentially putting himself and others at risk of exposure. Individuals and companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.
If you need help with asbestos management, asbestos surveys, testing and sampling, please get in touch by calling 01924 827869. We can also arrange UKATA Approved Asbestos Awareness Training if needed. Our partner who delivers this support holds the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) P402 Certificates of Competence for Building Surveys and Bulk Sampling of Asbestos and all survey procedures comply with BS EN ISO/IEC 17020. Analytical techniques comply with BS EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the systems used are certified to BS ENISO 9001.
Reference:
https://press.hse.gov.uk/2019/04/25/contractor-fined-following-illegal-asbestos-work/
