15/09/2010 - MoD staff were exposed to asbestos
Workers at a Ministry of Defence base were exposed to deadly asbestos fibres by a subsidiary of a giant construction company, a court has learned.
The firm, Interserve (Defence) Ltd, allowed staff to work in a boiler room despite knowing it was contaminated with the cancer-causing mineral. The room at the MoD base in Arncott, Bicester, was surveyed in early 2005 and was found to covered in the material.
The survey said the room should be restricted for access until the asbestos was taken away. But safety inspectors found that Interserve had ignored the advice and allowed people to work in the boiler room for 16 months, exposing them to the deadly material.
Appearing at Oxford Crown Court on September 8, the London-based firm was handed a £30,000 fine and was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £17,936. At an earlier hearing in front of magistrates in Banbury, Interserve admitted breaking regulations 4(8)(c), 6(1)(a) and 10(1)(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2002. The offences occurred at the Oxfordshire MOD site from May 2005 to September 2006.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Matthew Lee said: "Facilities managers are key to ensuring that effective management systems are in place to protect workers and to ensure that duty holders meet their legal responsibilities."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Related links
|
