Workers at Belfast hospital exposed to asbestos after dust monitoring failings

Post By: Shona Innes

 

Dust monitoring and management failings at a Belfast hospital may have put the lives of two contractors at risk.

 

A Northern Irish health trust has been fined after it put the lives of two contractors in danger after failing to properly manage the communication of its asbestos dust monitoring survey.

 

The incident occurred at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust's (BHSCT) Belfast City Hospital where two workmen were asked to remove a section of ceiling in an office block in January 2011.

 

Safety & Health Practitioner reported that an asbestos dust monitoring survey had been carried out previously, but the construction contractors were not informed of the danger.

 

This failing meant that when the men sawed through the ceiling, they disturbed asbestos insulation board - potentially exposing themselves to the deadly fibres contained within.

 

Fortunately, the men quickly realised the danger and reported it to their supervisor. This allowed BHSCT to engage a licensed contractor to remove the debris and de-contaminate the room, the news provider revealed.

 

However, the trust was fined £10,000 and told to pay £1,750 in costs after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Order at Laganside Crown Court.

Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland inspector Hugh Moss said: "This case highlights the importance of not only having accurate and up-to-date asbestos surveys carried out, but also ensuring that this information is given to anyone who carries out work on premises that are known to contain asbestos.

"There is no such thing as a safe level of asbestos and cases like this should serve to remind tradesmen and those involved in maintenance activities that asbestos remains a significant danger to their health."

The Apex Asbestos Sampling Kit from Casella is an example of a product which could be used to tackle the issue of asbestos removal. This can be found on the Frontline Safety website, along with a range of dust monitoring equipment and breathing apparatus, such as a facemasks and filters.

Meanwhile, the Health and Safety Executive is holding a number of training courses in Yorkshire to educate young construction workers about the dangers of asbestos and how important dust monitoring equipment and practices can be.

Posted by Dawn Mitchell