In May, a building surveyor who did not carry out an asbestos survey during a refurbishment in Birmingham was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,016 at Birmingham Magistrates Court.
HSE inspector Karl Raw said, "As a building surveyor with many years experience, the man is this case should have been aware of his duty to manage the asbestos risk. This is a reminder that even with simple refurbishments, there are legal requirements to protect workers and others from the threat of asbestos."
Any asbestos materials on site should be safely identified before any work, such as repairs, refurbishment or demolition is carried out. This should be done by a company qualified to do so. Roy Tindall Managing Director of Reddish Vale Asbestos Removals explains, “If we identify asbestos and people are likely to come into contact with it, we put a plan and the right procedures in place to protect them. Anyone who doesn’t do this is in breach of the HSE regulations and breaking the law.”
The removal of high-risk asbestos products from non-domestic properties is tightly controlled by the HSE, and high-risk products such as thermal insulation must be removed under controlled conditions by licensed contractors.
Reddish Vale are qualified and fully insured to carry out detailed surveys to investigate whether there are any materials containing asbestos on site, and assess the level of risk it poses.
Roy Tindall highlights that, “Asbestos is extremely dangerous, and contact can be life threatening. So not only by using professional asbestos removal services are you adhering to the law, it can also be potentially lifesaving.”
For more information call 0161 688 6444 or check out www.reddishvale.co.uk.
