Balfour subsidiary and subcontractor fined after deadly substance escapes in occupied flats

Balfour subsidiary Mansell Construction has been fined £50,000 after deadly asbestos was released in occupied flats on a refurbishment job it was managing.

Mansell pleaded guilty to failing to ensure asbestos was removed safely from the Hackney flats by unlicensed subcontractor Woodlands Plant Hire.

The Old Bailey in London heard that Mansell was given a survey which identified the presence of asbestos insulation board in the flats, but failed to act on this or pass the information on to its subcontractors.

Woodlands Plant Hire was also fined £50,000 for unsafely removing the asbestos boards and releasing the potential lethal chemical into the air.

HSE inspector Dominic Ellis said: “Despite recent high profile campaigns on the dangers of working with asbestos, this case sadly illustrates some companies are still failing to manage the risks robustly.

“Mansell had information that asbestos was present, yet neglected to act on it, meaning a licensable asbestos material was removed in an uncontrolled manner, needlessly risking the health of contractors and members of the public.”

Asbestos-related diseases are responsible for around 4,000 deaths a year.

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