An asbestos removal company and one of its Directors have been prosecuted after asbestos materials were removed in an unsafe manor during a demolition project.

Sarum Asbestos Limited (SAL) of Pound Lane, Charlton All Saints, Wiltshire pleaded guilty to the six charges:

• Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for the work conducted at Forresters Respite Centre. These charges concern risks to their own operatives and members of the public

• The company also pleaded guilty to the same charges for work conducted at Corsham Police Station.

• SAL also pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 11 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 for work conducted at Moonfleet Manor, Weymouth, regarding a failure to control personal exposures to asbestos

• It also admitted the same charge for work conducted at Camberwell Reform Church in London.

Overall, the company was fined a total of £100,000 with £31,000 in costs.

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In addition, company Director Jeremy Uphill of Boyds Road, Pimperne, Dorset also pleaded guilty to the same six charges. He was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Winchester Crown Court heard how on 08 March 2013, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was alerted by a concerned employee who was working for a constuction company hired to demolish the Forresters Respite Centre in Hyth.

SAL had been appointed to carry out an asbestos survey at the site and arrange for any identified asbestos material to be removed before demolition work could state.

However, a HSE investigation found that despite SAL undertaking similar work in other locations, it had failed to ensure that this work with asbestos was undertaken in a safe manner by competent personnel. The company also failed to undertake further testing on these sites to ensure that the asbestos had been removed safely. As a result, workers and members of the public were placed at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

HSE also found Mr Uphill had ignored legal requirements for the licensed removal of asbestos containing material.

HSE inspector Adam Wycherley said: "Both the company and Director have failed to protect their workers and members of the public on a number of occasions and as a result placed them at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

"Work with the material the company identified should have been subcontracted to a qualified Licensed asbestos removal company.

"Around 3000 people a year die from asbestos related disease and it is a well-known risk within the construction industry, there is no excuse for putting people at risk when the hazards can be controlled with careful management during work with asbestos containing materials."

(LM/MH)