Envex Company Limited - Hospital fined for asbestos risk to staff

A hospital trust has been fined more than £7,000 after admitting three charges of exposing staff to asbestos. Two workers were put at risk during the incident at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, in 2004. Northallerton magistrates heard that the workers were told to turn off the water supply to fire hoses after fears that water in the pipes could cause Legionnaires' disease. Michael Elliker, for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said the workers were exposed to asbestos cladding around the pipes as they turned off the water. They also cut off the water to the women's health unit by accident and they were again exposed as they tried to re-connect the pipes, he said. Unable to solve the problem they returned a third time the next day. The trust was fined a total of £7,530.75 and handed a two-year conditional discharge after pleading guilty to the offences. Chair of the bench, Caroline Gardiner, said: 'It is hoped nothing untoward happens to these two men.' Neil Permain, the trust's director of operational services, said: 'We would certainly never intentionally place any employees at risk to asbestos, and once we knew staff had been potentially exposed, we promptly arranged health and screening checks and co-operated openly and fully with the HSE.' He added: 'We did rely on an expert report without making further checks and have since carried out a further asbestos survey across the entire site and a complete review of the trust's asbestos policy and procedures.'

Envex are:-

* an established health and safety consultancy that provides a comprehensive range of health, safety, environmental and risk management consultancy and training services throughout the UK.
* specialists in the design and implementation of bespoke and nationally recognised certificated training courses.

Please visit our main site: http://www.envexconsultants.co.uk

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