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Stephensons Solicitors LLP Publish Asbestos Guidelines

UK law firm, Stephensons Solicitors LLP, publish article on Asbestos, and companies’ duties and responsibilities; along with the legal risks and penalties associated with misuse.


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UK law firm, Stephensons Solicitors LLP, publish article on Asbestos, and companies’ duties and responsibilities; along with the legal risks and penalties associated with misuse.

Leading UK law firm Stephensons Solicitors LLP has published an article via the company’s official blog about Asbestos duties, responsibilities, legal risks and penalties.

Asbestos was commonly used in building materials in the UK right up until the mid 1980s and was banned completely in 1999. Any building built before 2000 could contain asbestos, in cement products, coatings, tiles, insulation board or lagging. These materials are generally considered safe as long as they are in good condition, but when damaged asbestos fibres can become airborne, and  can cause serious diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and diffuse pleural thickening. As a result, asbestos is linked to some 4,500 deaths a year.

The risk of asbestos damage occurs when building work, maintenance, repairs, redevelopment or demolition are carried out on affected buildings. A large number of workers could be affected.

According to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, if asbestos containing materials are in good condition and are unlikely to be damaged, they can be left in situ. But these materials must be monitored and left undisturbed.

Anybody responsible for the maintenance of premises has a duty to manage the asbestos located within them. The duty holder must be aware of the existence of any asbestos within the property and keep records of its condition, assessing any possible risks.

If a duty holder does not have a plan for dealing with asbestos they could be fined as much as £20,000 or face six months in prison. A serious breach of asbestos regulations could result in an unlimited fine and/or two years imprisonment.

Before any maintenance work can be carried out, the location of any asbestos has to be identified, along with the type and condition of the product. Often, work with asbestos, particularly removal, must be carried out by a licensed contractor. Training is mandatory for anybody who is likely to be exposed to asbestos fibres at work.

The HSE Asbestos Licensing Unit issues licenses to firms in order to allow them to undertake asbestos removal. These business must demonstrate competence, skills, experience, and knowledge to work with asbestos. They must also have excellent health and safety records.

Businesses need to be fully aware of their duties with regard to asbestos. Even the risk of exposure, rather than actual exposure, carries a serious penalty. Interested parties can contact Julie Goulbourne by telephone 0333 344 4772 or email jgo@stephensons.co.uk?subject=Web%20enquiry%20for%20Stephensons today for more information.

For more information on Environmental Law visit Stephensons Solicitors LLP



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 Asbestos Guidelines
 UK law
 Control of Asbestos
 Asbestos Licensing Unit
 Stephensons Solicitors


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