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Refurb foreman kept in dark over asbestos threat
A Battersea contractor has been fined for failing to
highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) at
a Berkshire warehouse.
The move exposed a foreman and others to potential harm when it
was ripped out during refurbishment work.
Redwood Contractors Ltd was in possession of a detailed asbestos
survey that clearly identified the location of the asbestos wall
panels inside the building in Wokingham.
But the survey wasn't shared with the team on the ground.
So when a foreman mistook the AIB for asbestos cement - a lower
risk material - it was removed without adequate control measures
and protective equipment.
This was despite an asbestos survey being completed just two
months prior to the work starting.
Because the foreman was unaware that the panels were made from
AIB, the wrong kind of control measures were in place when he
removed them.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Karen Morris commented: "It is
disappointing that the foreman and others were needlessly put at
risk simply because the asbestos survey for the warehouse wasn't
supplied to the team on the ground, or the location of the AIB
relayed.
"What is the point of having a suitable survey in hand if you
aren't going to act on it and share vital information with those
who need to know?
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