Asbestos Management

Builder Stuart Pearson, of Doset, has been prosecuted for demolishing a building without first carrying out an asbestos survey between 20 April and 1 May 2011.

Magistrates heard (30 April) he was engaged to demolish a house in Woking, Surrey and was provided with a recent Asbestos Management Survey of one area of the house which highlighted 12 metres of asbestos in poor condition.

Two areas were classified as ‘high risk’ which the report said required ”a full environmental clean and removal of all asbestos-containing materials” by a licensed asbestos contractor. The report added that removal must be undertaken in controlled conditions with the use of ‘enclosures, airlocks, negative pressure units and decontamination units.’

However, Mr Pearson went ahead and demolished the property without having a pre-demolition survey carried out on the entire property to ensure that all asbestos was identified and removed. The HSE investigation started after the local council visited and raised concerns.

Mr Pearson, of Verwood, Dorset, pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 5 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,500.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Russell Beckett, said:

“Before any demolition work is undertaken a survey must be carried out to identify any asbestos present and prevent exposure to anyone working on site and to those who subsequently process the waste. Any asbestos must be removed in the correct manner.