Redditch Industrial Unit an Asbestos Risk to Workers

A freight firm from Redditch, its managing director and a contractor from Birmingham have all been prosecuted for putting over 20 of their workers at an asbestos risk that could cause potential future health problems.

Avon Freight Group Ltd (AFG), Simon Poole, their managing director, and builder Ronald McPhee have been prosecuted by the HSE due to the asbestos exposure risk workers were placed in as they attempted to convert a unit on Hemming Road, Redditch, into a headquarters and storage centre for AFG.

Estimates were received from three licensed contractors for the removal of asbestos insulation boards that had been found within a number of partition walls within the industrial unit. In the end however, Mr Poole awarded the job to Ronald McPhee; to carry out minor refurbishment even though he was not in possession of the correct licence.

A team of three workers removed 1.5 tonnes of asbestos from the site, disposing it as asbestos cement between 24 April and 16 May 2008. The Health and Safety Executive became aware of the problem around five months later when a different company discovered an asbestos risk on the premises, in the form of insulation boards that had been left on the floor and still attached to the walls.

The area was found to be a high asbestos risk, requiring specialist decontamination before any further work could continue.

Unqualified Workers Put at Asbestos Risk

The subsequent investigation found that at least 20 people were put in direct asbestos risk including the employees of AFG, a tenant who had been using the site for storage and the contractors who undertook the work to refurbish the industrial unit.

The HSE inspector Tariq Khan said after the hearing:

“As a result of the appalling failings of the company and two individuals concerned, at least 20 people now have to live with the knowledge they have been exposed to asbestos. This type of exposure could cause life-threatening illnesses in years to come but because it takes so long to develop, these people will be left with years of uncertainty.

“AFG and Simon Poole knew that asbestos insulation board was present in the walls and presumably knew they should get an appropriately qualified person to dispose of it, having received estimates from three properly licensed contractors. Regardless of safety, they instructed Ronald MacPhee to remove it.

“Only licensed contractors are allowed to remove asbestos insulating board. If we find evidence of anyone who does not have a licence working with asbestos, we will not hesitate to bring enforcement action.”

Asbestos Risk – Work Illness Solicitors

There are an estimated 4,000 deaths per year in the UK that can be directly attributed to asbestos exposure. Asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer can take years to come to light with symptoms slowly appearing over time.

Even though asbestos has been banned within the construction industry for over a decade, there are still traces of it left in many buildings and any refurbishment work that shows an asbestos risk should be dealt with accordingly-in a safe and secure manner.

If you feel that you have been put in the way of asbestos risk and have suffered illness as a result, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Here at Duncan Gibbins we have a team of solicitors with vast experience in dealing with asbestos victims and their families and we know how to get results.

To find out more about how we can assist you through this difficult time, call us today on 0800 0193 515 or alternatively click here to request a call back at your convenience.