A shop fitting company has been fined after five workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres at the Arndale Centre in Manchester.

Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it ignored a report which stated asbestos was present in a shop it was working on.

Two workers spent five days ripping out old shop fittings in October 2009 before they discovered that asbestos had been used in some of the ceiling panels. Another three management staff at the Arndale Centre were also potentially exposed to the fibres during routine checks on the work.

Eastern Regional Shopfitters admitted three breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and one of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £4,000 at Trafford Magistrates' Court.

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Tom Merry, the investigating inspector at HSE, said: "Eastern Regional Shopfitters knew asbestos was present in the shop but it didn't inform its workers and it didn't ensure it was dealt with safely.

"Abestos only becomes a risk if it is disturbed so the shop fitters could have worked safely if they knew where the asbestos was. It should either have been sealed or removed by a licensed contractor before the work started.

"Five people now have to live with the knowledge that they may become ill with a life-threatening lung disease. Shop fitting and property maintenance companies must treat the risks from asbestos seriously so more lives aren't put in danger in the future."

Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd was charged with breaching Regulations 5, 8 and 11 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 by failing to carry out a suitable assessment of the asbestos, carrying out asbestos removal without a license, and exposing workers to asbestos.

The company, of Norman Way Industrial Estate in Over near Cambridge, also pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by putting workers at risk.

Eastern Regional Shopfitters was ordered to pay £3,215 towards the cost of the prosecution, in addition to the fine.

(CD/BMcC)