HSE | A waste and recycling company has been fined £36,000 for repeatedly failing to provide appropriate welfare facilities and asbestos awareness training for employees at a site in North Wales.
Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard how workers at World Care (Wales) Limited, were tasked with sorting waste and recyclable materials by hand without having facilities to wash dry themselves afterwards.
It is illegal to put asbestos straight into standard bin bags/skips and, according to the HSE, recent inspections within the industry have shown widespread non-compliance, specifically at asbestos landfill sites and asbestos contaminated soil processing.
At the World Care site, it was identified through a routine inspection that the company had failed to make warm running water and soap available to employees as well as a means to dry themselves. There had been at least one occasion where asbestos had been brought onto the site, yet they continued to not provide asbestos awareness training to employees.
The HSE’s investigation found that World Care (Wales) had received previous enforcement on several occasions over an 11–year period. On each occasion, inspectors found that the company failed to maintain the minimum health and safety standards required. These enforcement notices were in relation to welfare provisions and training.
World Care (Wales) Limited of Tre Marl Industrial Estate, North Wales, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £36,000 and £8,867 in costs. The company opted to make the payments over a 16-month period.
HSE Inspector James Benton said: “The health risks from exposure to material containing asbestos is well known yet this company wasn’t providing the appropriate facilities for workers to protect themselves.
“Basic welfare provision is essential to ensure that employees can clean themselves at work, to help prevent exposure to harmful microorganisms. After being told of the risks, this company repeatedly failed to provide adequate welfare facilities such as soap and running water, and failed to provide asbestos awareness training to employees.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.
