Building firm fined for unlicensed asbestos removal

05/08/2010

A Pontypool-based building firm could, potentially, be at the centre of an injury compensation claim after its employees were told to carry out unlicensed asbestos removal.

Ron Couch Building Contractors Ltd was fined GBP 2,500 and ordered to pay GBP 1,250 in costs.

The company was replacing a central heating boiler at a private property in High Street, Pontypool, when its workers came across the potentially dangerous substance.

They were warned about the presence of asbestos insulation board (AIB) in the home they were working at by a supervisor from a licensed contractor working on a nearby property.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Steve Richardson explained that AIB does not pose as much of a health risk if it is not damaged.

"But this work exposed the edges of the board increasing the risk of releasing asbestos fibres, which could be inhaled by the workers and anyone else using the premises," he went on to say.

Back in April, the Sentinel reported that Michelin Tyre Plc employee Roy Ibbs had been awarded GBP 23,300 in a compensation claim for exposure to asbestos dust at work.

Posted by Trevor Baker

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