Asbestos is commonly regarded as a highly dangerous substance that causes thousands of deaths each year. If dangerous asbestos fibres are inhaled, they can have serious health implications, namely causing respiratory issues. The most common disease that is caused by asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, which often results in a long and painful death. It seems only right therefore that any industry in which employees run the risk of becoming exposed to asbestos should have strict guidelines imposed in order to protect the workers.
A UK law firm by the name of Alkers Solicitors recently reinforced the importance of this and suggested that companies should be prepared to adhere to these tight measures or else face substantial payouts in asbestos compensation. Staggeringly, asbestos exposure claims the lives of around 4,000 people each year, even though asbestos hasn't been used in construction since the mid-1980s.
Recently it was revealed that a building firm that operates under the name of J C Irvine Limited had allowed employees to work in an area that hadn't undergone a compulsory asbestos survey beforehand. An investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and found that J C Irvine limited had been negligent in several instances. Workers were allowed to work in area in which asbestos was present and workers had inadvertently disturbed the substance and allowed it to become airborne. When airborne, the asbestos fibres can be particularly dangerous.
The investigation also found that the company had made little or no effort to reduce the health and safety risks faced by employees and they had made no attempt to protect employees from the harmful effects of asbestos. As such, they were forced to pay out 12,000 in compensation and to pay costs that exceeded 2,000.
Although the firm experienced a financial loss, the true cost of the negligence won't be known for several years to come. Asbestos can often take decades to manifest and result in conditions such as mesothelioma. Only time will tell if the employees who fell victim to this negligence will be affected by the asbestos exposure.
A UK law firm by the name of Alkers Solicitors recently reinforced the importance of this and suggested that companies should be prepared to adhere to these tight measures or else face substantial payouts in asbestos compensation. Staggeringly, asbestos exposure claims the lives of around 4,000 people each year, even though asbestos hasn't been used in construction since the mid-1980s.
Recently it was revealed that a building firm that operates under the name of J C Irvine Limited had allowed employees to work in an area that hadn't undergone a compulsory asbestos survey beforehand. An investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and found that J C Irvine limited had been negligent in several instances. Workers were allowed to work in area in which asbestos was present and workers had inadvertently disturbed the substance and allowed it to become airborne. When airborne, the asbestos fibres can be particularly dangerous.
The investigation also found that the company had made little or no effort to reduce the health and safety risks faced by employees and they had made no attempt to protect employees from the harmful effects of asbestos. As such, they were forced to pay out 12,000 in compensation and to pay costs that exceeded 2,000.
Although the firm experienced a financial loss, the true cost of the negligence won't be known for several years to come. Asbestos can often take decades to manifest and result in conditions such as mesothelioma. Only time will tell if the employees who fell victim to this negligence will be affected by the asbestos exposure.