Council is fined £10,000 for exposing families to asbestos

Published on Thursday 9 July 2009 22:00

A COUNCIL was fined £10,000 yesterday after the authority pled guilty to exposing residents of a block of flats to asbestos.

The charges relate to an incident in November 2007 when residents of six flats in Inverkeithing were forced out of their homes and told their belongings had to be destroyed in case they were contaminated by brown asbestos fibres.

Fife Council contractors from Blantyre-based plumbing firm ECG were removing cold water tanks from a shared attic when they unleashed the lethal dust. Exposure can cause cancer of the lungs or chest lining.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court was told the risk to those exposed was low.

However, sheriff Ian Dunbar said yesterday the council had failed to properly check records that identified which council properties were at risk of asbestos contamination.

He added: "The council simply did not alert ECG to the fact that there may have been asbestos in any of these blocks of flats. The dangers of exposure to asbestos may not manifest themselves until years after exposure."

As a result of the council's communications breakdown, ECG did not train or supervise its staff working on the job, and did not take measures to prevent the spread of asbestos throughout the building.

Fife Council pled guilty to failing to provide a safe system of work, and exposing the occupants of the building and ECG workers to asbestos.

ECG also pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act, and was fined a total of 3,700.

"As a result of the failures here, the occupiers of six houses lost everything they had," said Mr Dunbar.

"While they have been compensated by Fife Council, the money alone will not make up for what they have lost."

Fife Council last night apologised for the incident.