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Fadil Adil, of Coniston Road, Bromley, was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for the way work was carried out on a construction site in his charge, on Bromley High Street between 21 and 29 June 2010.
The project involved the demolition of a building that had a restaurant on the ground floor and flats above. Asbestos insulating boards in the restaurant's ceiling were broken up during the demolition that Mr Adil was overseeing. Three workmen demolished the building using sledgehammers and hand-operated breakers, meaning they could have been exposed to asbestos fibres.
The HSE investigation found that the defendant did not have a licence to work with asbestos, nor was he trained in construction management. He did no asbestos survey, nor did he provide any guidance to the crew about the presence of asbestos.
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At the City of London Magistrates' Court yesterday Fadil Adil pleaded guilty to breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, and the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007. He was fined £19,300 and ordered to pay costs of £7,654.
HSE inspector Ian Seabrook said: "Sadly, this kind of incident is all too familiar because the defendant's actions meant that his colleagues were more than likely exposed to asbestos fibres.
"The dangers of asbestos are well known; it is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK with around 1,000 tradesmen dying each year from asbestos-related diseases. Anyone working with these sorts of materials has to commission an asbestos survey to ascertain the level of work needed and then have asbestos removed in a controlled manner by a licensed contractor."
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