Two employees of Pilkington Plumbing & Heating were exposed to asbestos during extensive boiler renovations on houses in Ilfracombe.
They began work to carry out removal of a back boiler and to drill a wall panel at a house despite having not received an asbestos survey from the client, North Devon Homes.
The incident, on 27th September 2012, was investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), which yesterday prosecuted North Devon Homes for safety failings at Barnstaple Magistrates Court.
The court heard that Pilkington had requested asbestos survey information on the properties but decided to go ahead without having carried out a sufficient assessment of work liable to disturb asbestos. Instead, it relied on general information on North Devon Homes’ website for contractors, but this was not specific to each property being worked on and was incomplete or misleading, HSE said.
As a result, asbestos insulation board (AIB) was disturbed; the workers were exposed when fillets of a fire surround were moved, an AIB panel above a door was drilled and another AIB panel moved.
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Residents in the affected properties, which were all being refurbished, had been vacated during remedial works to remove asbestos containing materials.
Pilkington Plumbing & Heating Ltd, of Pilton Street, Pilton, Barnstaple pleaded guilty to two breaches of Control of Asbestos Regulations at an earlier hearing before the same court (on 8 October) and was fined £1,500 with £642 costs.
North Devon Homes Ltd, of Westacott Road, Barnstaple, pleaded guilty to a breach of Construction (Design Management) Regulations and was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £650.
HSE inspector Barry Trudgian said after the hearing: “As a result of North Devon Homes’ failure to provide the required information and Pilkington not waiting for the asbestos details before starting work, two workers have been needlessly exposed to asbestos.
“The risks associated with asbestos in housing stock are well-known and the regulations governing its removal are long-standing. This incident could have been avoided if Pilkington had carried out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the work liable to disturb asbestos.”
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