A fine of £10,500 was imposed upon Stirling Council for breaching Health and Safety Regulations by allowing staff at the Old Viewforth Headquarters to enter potentially dangerous areas of the building where asbestos was known to have been present since 2003.
Despite concerns and repeated warnings for the safety of staff, the Council instructed staff to undertake a ‘deep clean’ in a boiler room area without appropriate safety equipment which involved brushing an area where asbestos insulation was present on pipework. It was conceded that this activity could have caused asbestos fibres to contaminate the area beyond acceptable workplace levels and those concerned are being offered support by the council.
Colin Tunstall of ‘The Scottish Asbestos Helpline’ commented, “This incident highlights the need for employers to ensure they provide a safe working environment for their employees with serious consequences for those who do not provide safe workplaces. The danger of asbestos exposure is a present day problem despite it being completely banned in the UK in 1999 with many buildings built before this date containing asbestos material in one form or another”.
“Inhaled asbestos fibres can potentially lead to later serious health issues and development of asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural thickening and pleural plaques. These dreadful and debilitating diseases can take between 10 years to 50 years to develop with common symptoms including breathlessness, coughing, chest pains, regular chest infections. Those workers and families affected by this incident will naturally be worried over their health for many years to come. ”
The Scottish Asbestos Helpline advise anyone with health concerns following exposure to asbestos fibres to consult with their GP and speak with our HELPLINE on FREEPHONE 0808 164 7740 for further help and reassurance.