The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning that firms exposing workers to asbestos would be penalised.

It added that electrical contracting companies and other building and refurbishment trades must provide suitable asbestos awareness training to employees or face prosecution.

This move follows the HSE prosecution of Scriven Electrical Contractors Ltd of Cornwallis Road, West Bromwich for failing to ensure that adequate information, instruction and training was given to its employees.

The court heard that an electrician employed by Scriven installed three heat detectors and associated cabling in a commercial sized kitchen and boiler room of premises in Barclay Road, Smethwick. Although the ceiling tiles contained 5-50% brown asbestos no asbestos awareness training was given by his employer prior to commencement of the work, despite a legal requirement.

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Scriven Electrical Contractors Ltd was, on 19 January, 2009, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,757 in costs, by West Bromwich Magistrates for breaching Regulation 10(1)(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector John Healy said: "Scrivens should have known of the dangers and the legal requirement to give sufficient training to protect employees from exposure to asbestos because 98% of their work involves the risk of encountering asbestos.

"Those responsible for employees ordinarily have a legal duty to protect their health and safety but, in the case of asbestos those involved in building or refurbishment must know that any disturbance of such a dangerous material should only be completed by trained workers."

Electricians, plasterers, plumbers and carpenters are all at risk of exposure to asbestos in buildings erected or refurbished before the year 2000 and across the whole of the West Midlands Region one person dies a painful death every three days from mesothelioma and these deaths are almost exclusively people who have previously been exposed to asbestos.

(CD/JM)