Solihull building firm fined
A building firm based in Solihull has been fined £1,000 after asbestos was disturbed at a primary school it had been working in.
Greswolde Construction, of Station Road, Knowle, did not warn employees that the substance was present, despite keeping a survey detailing where the asbestos was.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted bosses at the company, who pleaded guilty to breaching regulations of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. As well as the fine, the company was also ordered to pay £2,268 costs.
Stratford-upon-Avon Magistrates Court heard how on 9 July 2009 the firm was contracted to carry out building work on an extension at Rokeby Primary School in Rugby.
Three employees were carrying out the work when they disturbed an area containing asbestos.
Despite the company being in possession of a Type 3 Asbestos Survey, which detailed the materials that were disturbed and the fact that children were occupying adjacent classrooms, it still gave the go-ahead for the workers to begin to strip out the area.
None of workers had been informed of the presence of asbestos on the site and none had received asbestos awareness training or protection.
HSE inspector Paul Cooper said: “The dangers of asbestos are well known in the building industry so for the managers of Greswolde Construction not to inform their employees of its presence shows a complete disregard for their safety and wellbeing.
“What makes it worse is that this work was being carried out in a primary school where young children were in the next room.”
