A school in Essex has been fined after asbestos was disturbed during a refurbishment project in the building.

The Boswells Academy Trust, of Burnham Road, Chelmsford, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Sections 2(1) & 3(1). It was fined £26,000 with £20,000 in costs.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that senior staff at The Boswells School decided to redevelop an old boiler room into a cleaning store. During the project, asbestos residue on the walls was disturbed and caretakers swept contaminated debris from the floors. Their exposure to risk only came to light after a later asbestos survey was completed in the area.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered further asbestos containing materials (ACM's) in other areas of the building. Caretaking staff and contractors had disturbed the school buildings fabric over many years without knowledge to the presence of ACM's.

HSE Inspector Glyn Davies said: "The Boswells Academy Trust should have controlled this potentially lethal risk by identifying the type, location and condition of any asbestos-containing-materials within the fabric of the school, and by implementing suitable precautions to prevent its disturbance. It should then have ensured that such information was shared with anyone liable to disturb this fabric. It may also have arranged for a licensed asbestos contractor to remove any dangerous asbestos safely before commencement of any work."

(LM/MH)