Inquests
For all deaths occurring in England and Wales the cause of the death has to be reported to the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths for the district where the death occurred and be registered by the Registrar.
Asbestos removal closes school
In 2003, a school discovered asbestos whilst carrying out rewiring work. The school had to be closed whilst the asbestos was urgently removed by professionals, which took several months. There is a risk of inhaling asbestos fibres during removal so it is important that it is only completed by someone who is trained and has sufficient protection.
Success of HSE Asbestos Campaign
In 2008, the HSE launched its ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign, aiming to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and reduce the death rate from asbestos-related diseases. Since the launch of the campaign, the HSE has seen a 100% increase in calls to its telephone Infoline and the number of visitors to the ‘Hidden Killer’ website has increased by six times.
Firm fined for breaching asbestos regulations
Earlier this year, the BBC reported that a firm had been charged £18,000 for failing to protect seven of its workers from exposure to asbestos. In a statement after the case was heard, the HSE stated that licensed workers should have been called in to remove the asbestos.
Company fined for asbestos exposure
A London-based company has been fined £33,000 plus £18,000 costs for exposing workers to asbestos at a storage property. The firm pleaded guilty to three different offences in June this year.
Care needed when working with asbestos cement
Asbestos cement is made from ordinary cement mixed with asbestos. Asbestos can make up around a third of the cement in some cases. Asbestos cement looks just like ordinary cement but it also has some of the properties that made asbestos so popular as a building material, before the harmful effects of exposure were realised.
Asbestos disposal truck overturns
In 2005, the BBC reported an accident in which a lorry overturned and spilled 30 tonnes of asbestos on to the street in Walsall. The area was closed off as police attended the incident and a specialist waste disposal team cleared the material.