Cornish firm fined for shoddy demoliton
A Cornish development firm has been fined £4,500 after failing to ensure all the careful procedures for asbestos removal were in place when they demolished an old Perranporth hotel four years ago.
Norwegian Homes Ltd had been demolishing the old Cellar Cover Hotel in July 2006 when asbestos was discovered by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) officers. The officers found the dangerous material in several locations, including underneath a caravan, in polythene sacks and in the ashes of a bonfire.
At Truro Magistrates Court this month, the company, based at Cligga Head Industrial Estate, Perranporth pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. The court heard there were no measures to properly remove the contaminated material, nor were there any protections in place for staff working on the site. On top of the fine, the company was given £11,942.85 to pay in costs.
Asbestos is the most serious occupational health issue in the country, with more than 4,000 people dying every year from asbestos-related diseases.
HSE inspector, Martin Lee, said: "Norwegian Homes should have carried out a survey for the presence and quantity of asbestos in the building, prior to demolition. This incident was entirely preventable and the clean-up costs far outstripped the costs of a survey and safe removal of the asbestos material."
