A plumber has been fined after putting his son and a young family at risk of exposure to possibly deadly asbestos.
The plumber was employed to replace an old galvanized water tank in a loft in a house in Nottinghamshire, but had failed to carry out an assessment to see if asbestos was present and in what form or condition. The water tank was housed in an asbestos box which the plumber’s son (also a plumber) removed, breaking some of the panels and releasing potentially deadly fibres. The son had not had any asbestos awareness training.
The loft became contaminated with asbestos fibres and licensed asbestos removal contractors contractors had to be brought in to clear the house of all traces of asbestos fibres which had become airborne at a cost of £2870.
The plumber was fined by a court a total of £5000 with £4000 costs and also compensation to cover the cost of the decontamination at £2870.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Kevin Wilson said:
“This family home would not have been contaminated if the asbestos had been identified by [the plumber] before the work was started. Work could then have been undertaken without disturbing the asbestos or have been carried out by a suitably trained person.”
So, if you are a plumber, builder, electrician or any other tradesman and you are not asbestos awareness trained, don’t take a chance with either your life or your customers’ and call in Crucial Environmental to carry out an asbestos survey before any work commences. In the long run, it could save you more than just money!
If any asbestos is identified, we can also arrange licensed asbestos removal and disposal, ensuring you can go about your job safely.
Call us now on 01903 297818 to book your asbestos survey.