Archive for the ‘Asbestos Management’ Category
Two workers exposed to asbestos at Aston University
A Birmingham-based university has been fined, along with a security systems firm, after two workers were exposed to dangerous asbestos fibres while fitting CCTV cameras.
The worker and a 17-year-old trainee were installing the cameras in the reception area at Aston University’s Recreation Centre on 21 July 2009 when they drilled into material containing asbestos fibres.
Both the university and Warwickshire-based Access Fire and Security Ltd – the contractor carrying out the work – were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident.
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard the university failed to follow its own procedures on managing, planning and preparing for the installation and the arrangements were unclear and not widely known within the university.
Small business owners – does my property need an asbestos survey?
Asbestos was extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of purposes and was ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Any building built before 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc) can contain asbestos. Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless asbestos fibres become airborne, which happens when materials are damaged.
A large number of premises still contain some form of asbestos. Workers most likely to come into contact with asbestos-containing products are those in the construction, maintenance, refurbishment and related trades.
HSE Manage Asbestos Leaflet
When asbestos materials are damaged or disturbed they can release dangerous fibres which, if breathed in, can cause serious diseases. Around 4000 people in Great Britain die every year from asbestos related diseases making asbestos the single greatest cause of work related deaths.
The duty to manage asbestos is directed at those who manage non-domestic premises: the people with responsibility for protecting others who work in such premises, or use them in other ways, from the risks to ill health that exposure to asbestos causes.
Specialist Asbestos Management Services
Thames Laboratories are a leading consultancy providing asbestos solutions for industrial, commercial and residential properties throughout the UK. We offer a complete asbestos solution, from asbestos risk assessments and asbestos surveys through to management plans, testing, asbestos analysis and monitoring, asbestos remediation and abatement, and staff training.
We offer a complete asbestos project management service and ongoing asbestos systems management. Thames Laboratories specialises in helping property owners/managers comply with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2006 and are accredited by UKAS to carry out asbestos surveys, testing and monitoring under ISO 17020 and ISO 17025.
The Management of Asbestos
For decades now the issues associated with asbestos have been acknowledged. Yet even today asbestos is still the largest cause of occupational cancers with more people dying as a result of asbestos exposure than in road accidents. Many exposures occurring as a result of failures to manage asbestos adequately.
At Thames Laboratories we offer a range of services that includes asbestos project management, asbestos databases, asbestos management , management plans and asbestos remediation, all of which are designed to help reduced the legacy of asbestos. For more information Click Here.
For more information from Thames Laboratories about asbestos surveys, asbestos management and asbestos training, visit www.environmental-asbestos-surveys.co.uk and subscribe to our RSS feed.
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