A trust that provides housing care for the elderly along with two firms that they hired has been fined after staff and residents were put at risk of exposure to asbestos.

Express Elevators was hired by Anchor trust to replace a lift at a shelter after PC lifts were hired to the remove the existing lift before the new one could be installed. It was found that the lift shaft contained asbestos boards which were removed without necessary precautions to stop the spreading of the asbestos fibres.

The health and safety executive were forced to intervene and told the court that the Anchor Trust had a duty to ensure that the removal of the lift was safe and to make sure that there was no threat to the workers or members of the community.

The HSE investigation found that Express Elevators failed to plan and manage the work and it did not make enough inquiries about the underlying asbestos problem. They solely relied on verbal information from Anchor Trust and they paid little attention to a survey that was carried out on the lift.

PC Lifts was also found not to have made adequate inquiries and they also worked in the lift shaft without adequate lighting. These factors may have contributed to the company’s failure in identifying the asbestos. Asbestos boards were broken from the top of the lift shaft, but no measures were put in place to prevent the spread of asbestos fibres through the building.

Anchor Trust, of Bedford Street, London, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £346.40 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulations of the Construction Regulations 2007.

PC Lifts Ltd, of St John Street, London, was fined £4,000 with £346.40 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Speaking after the case HSE Inspector Natalie Wright said: “Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK and those involved in the construction and refurbishment industry have a clear duty to ensure that work is managed so as to prevent the spread of asbestos.”

 “This incident was entirely preventable, had the companies carried out their respective safety duties. This prosecution should act as a reminder to all involved in such work, that whenever work is carried out which is liable to expose employees to asbestos a suitable survey must be done to establish whether asbestos is present before any work begins.”