Unlicensed Asbestos Removal Will Be Penalised

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning the building trade that companies and contractors will face prosecution if they remove asbestos without a licence.

It follows HSE's successful prosecution of three contractors who carried out unlicensed asbestos removal at Kelford School in Rotherham in 2006.

Mansell Build Ltd (previously Birse Build Ltd) of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire,was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay £12,500 costs. Andrew Brightmore, a former manager of ARB Agriplant Ltd was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £500 costs and Gary Cusack was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs. Both are of Thurcroft, Rotherham. All were prosecuted for health and safety breaches at Rotherham Magistrates' Court.

Mansell Build Ltd, the principal contractor, was employed to carry out work to remove asbestos insulating board ceilings at the school. The work should have been carried out by a contractor licensed by HSE, but the company contracted to carry out the work, ARB Agriplant Ltd, did not have a licence.

Now in administration, ARB Agriplant Ltd then subcontracted the work to Gary Cusack, another unlicensed contractor.

All contractors failed to implement basic requirements to prevent the spread and exposure to asbestos to both those removing the materials and to others working at the school at the time.

After the removal work had been completed, Mansell Build Ltd allowed other contractors to work in those areas without verifying which areas were free from asbestos. It was then found that these areas were contaminated with asbestos.

Following the incident ARB Agriplant Ltd provided a forged asbestos licence and a falsified clearance certificate to Mansell Build Ltd, claiming that the work had been undertaken by a licensed contractor and that the area was free from asbestos.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector David Bradley said:

"Those responsible for employees have a legal duty to protect their health and safety and in the case of asbestos they should know that any disturbance of such a dangerous material should only be tackled by licensed workers.

"In this case, the contractors responsible put others in a dangerous situation, which could have been avoided had the work been carried out by a licensed contractor.

"Asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, which is why there are strict rules in place to prevent exposure. HSE has published a wealth of advice for employers to help them reduce the risks associated with asbestos."

Around 4,000 people a year die from asbestos-related diseases. For more information here.

Notes

1. Mansell Build Limited and Andrew Brightmore were charged under Section 3(1) Health & Safety at Work Act which states: 'It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.'

2. Gary Cusack was charged under section 3(2) of the Health & Safety at Work Act which states: 'It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, Page 5 that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.'

Source : HSE

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Mesothelioma Cases In Australia Estimated To Rise Between 2014 and 2017

The Safe Work Australia Council posted a new report on mesothelioma at their inaugural June 10th meeting in Sydney. The report, titled "Mesothelioma in Australia: Incidence 1982 to 2005, Deaths 1997 to 2006," suggests that new incidences of mesothelioma are not expected to peak until after 2010. Specifically, the report predicts that the peak will occur sometime between 2014 and 2017.

As we all know that Mesothelioma is a rare type of lung cancer that is associated with the inhalation of asbestos. Asbestos is a natural fiber that is frequently used in construction, automotive and other products. When inhaled, the asbestos fibers become lodged in the lungs. Over time, this results in scarring and the formation of cancerous cells in the lung walls.

Though the safe production, use and control of asbestos has been dramatically improved in Australia over the years, the continued growth of mesothelioma incidence rates can be attributed to the long latency period of the disease. In many cases, symptoms of mesothelioma do not manifest until 20 to 50 years following initial asbestos exposure. This means that many aging Australians are still manifesting the disease from exposure that occurred prior to the initiation of Australian asbestos regulation.

Australia has been tracking the number of new mesothelioma cases in the country since 1982. Between the years of 1982 and 2005, the number of new mesothelioma cases rose from 156 to 597. This number is expected to continue to rise through at least 2014.

Additional statistics cited in the report include:

1. 80 to 90 percent of all new mesothelioma cases in Australia were reported in men
2. Age standardization of mesothelioma cases rose from 1.2 per 100,000 in 1982 to 2.8 per 100,000 in 2005
3. Mesothelioma death rates rose between the years of 1997 and 2006, with a maximum of 545 in 2004
   

Source: OHS Online

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Scientific And Medical Facts About Chrysotile Asbestos Will Be Presented To US Congress

The Environmental Information Association (EIA) and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) today announced the development of the Chrysotile Asbestos Fact Sheet (CAFS). The EIA and ADAO concluded, along with the majority of scientific agencies, that there is sufficient evidence to support that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are carcinogenic and are responsible for asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma, laryngeal and ovarian cancers.

The CAFS provides clear, easily digested information on the dangers of chrysotile, compiled by asbestos medical experts and scientists with a collective 300 plus years of experience and hundreds of peer review scientific publications on asbestos among themselves.

The Chrysotile Asbestos Fact Sheet will be presented to the United States Congress as a scientifically developed paper in support of the continued efforts to ban asbestos. The Environmental Information Association and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization continues to educate the public and government representatives to the dangers of asbestos.

"The Environmental Information Association is proud to collaborate with the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization to produce the EIA/ADAO Chrysotile Asbestos Fact Sheet, in an effort to clarify the misinformation released on the very real dangers of asbestos exposure," said J. Brent Kynoch, Managing Director, Environmental Information Association. "We will continue our endeavor for full acknowledgement by the asbestos industry, and widespread education of the public, of the risks associated with asbestos."

"Somberly, we honor and remember victims today on Worker's Memorial Day who have died from asbestos exposure," said Linda Reinstein, Executive Director, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. "Asbestos exposure is the world's leading cause of cancer in the workplace and the United States Congress must act now and ban asbestos. Prevention is our only cure for asbestos-caused diseases."

The contributors of the document include: Michael Breu CIH, Dana Brown, Dr. Ronald Dodson, William Ewin, Joy Finch, Sean Fitzgerald, Dr. Arthur Frank, Steve Hays PE CIH, Dave Hogue, Brent Kynoch, Tom Laubenthal, Dr. Richard Lemen, Dr. James Millette, Linda Reinstein, Andreas Saldivar, and Dr. James Webber.

Source: Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

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