Ship breaking firm fined £3,400 for risking asbestos exposure

Scunthorpe Magistrates Court has fined a ship breaking company for putting its employees at risk of contracting asbestos-related illnesses.

Acetech Construction Limited - which is based in Barrow-on-Humber in Lincolnshire - has consequently been fined £3,400 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations Act 2006 three times.

An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the marine reclamation company did not implement the correct procedure on determining the presence of asbestos after it purchased a 1970s ship which had been unused for around three years for dismantling.

Employees of the firm were consequently put at risk of getting a work-related disease for nearly three months - between December 1st 2007 and February 29th 2008 - as they stripped the vessel down.

Kirsty Welsh, inspector for the HSE, commented that "any potential harm would have been avoided" if Acetech had assessed the danger and put in place systems to protect its workers.

Posted by Patrick White
 

23/08/2010 14:09