Commercial property owners urged to action on asbestos

Aviva is urging property owners to observe safety regulations in the wake of a company being prosecuted for exposing building workers to asbestos.

Commercial property landlord, Frank Bruce and Company, was aware of asbestos in the roof insulation of a building being refurbished in Bristol, but failed to warn the sub-contractors about the asbestos or use a licensed asbestos-removal company to undertake the work.

The company was fined £18,000 for breaching two regulations, including the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Phil Grace, liability risk manager at Aviva, says: "Despite the fact that asbestos is the single biggest cause of work related deaths, and has been the focus of a Health and Safety Executive education campaign, it seems that the message still isn't getting through to some people.

"Property owners, or those with control of the building, must manage the risk of exposure to asbestos and understand what their responsibility is.

"This can be done by checking building records and any previous fire damage, which may have led to refitting parts of the building involving materials containing asbestos. The only positive way to identify asbestos is by using a reputable laboratory to analyse it and, once identified, the location of any asbestos must be clearly marked and steps taken to ensure any risk is managed and that fibres are not released.

"As the recent prosecution has shown, property owners must inform all tradesmen who are likely to work in a building whether asbestos is present. The location should be sealed and the asbestos removed by a competent, licensed contractor."

A ‘Managing Asbestos Risks' course is also available from Aviva Risk Management Solutions which provides information to identify and assess asbestos risks and the skills to develop an ongoing management programme.