07-03-2008
HSE confirms prosecution following asbestos exposure
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Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced the prosecution of Kings College in Cambridge after a number of tradesmen suffered from exposure to asbestos.
Following the incident, involving a number of painters completing work at the college, the HSE has confirmed that a guilty plea was filed by the institution in relation to the violation of regulations 4(8), 6, 7(1), 8, 10, 11, 16 and 18 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
Asbestos has been linked with a number of different diseases, including mesothelioma and diffuse pleural thickening. "Every year 1,000 people who worked in building maintenance and repair trades die from past exposures to asbestos fibres," said David Head, principal inspector for the HSE. "The exposure of employees to asbestos at Kings College could and should have been avoided by straightforward safety precautions."
An employee of the college was also prosecuted, issuing a guilty plea in relation to Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
