ASBESTOS

There were two reported deaths asbestos-related deaths in Derbyshire between 1981and 1985 but 19 between 1996 and 2000. The Health and Safety Executive expects numbers to climb even further and reach their peak within 10 years as deaths from diseases, such as mesothelioma, as a result of past exposure to the substance can take anything from 15 to 60 years to take effect.

Kim Atherton, the coordinator of the Asbestos Disease Association, said, "We stopped using blue asbestos in 1972 and brown asbestos in 1984 but asbestos is still being found in housing, which means the numbers of sufferers is just going to go up and up." For help with any concerns regarding asbestos-related illnesses, contact the Asbestos Disease Association 24-hour helpline on 0115 927 5108. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun/06)

Derbyshire police were fined for failing to warn contractors they could be exposed to deadly asbestos dust. The county's police authority faced the first prosecution in its history when it was taken to Derby Magistrates' Court by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Inspector Cliff Seymour told the court that the authority had employed contractors to install a fire alarm system at the disused Full Street police station in February 2002. As a former police building, it was considered to be at risk from arson attacks. But contractors from O Heap and Son, in Chandos Pole Street, Derby, were not told of the results of a building survey, which revealed the presence of white and brown asbestos.

Brown asbestos is particularly potent and exposure can lead to diseases like asbestosis and lung cancer, often up to 50 years after exposure. Two workers were exposed to dust from spray asbestos for two days while they were drilling holes in the garage and kennel areas. They were prevented from doing any further work when a police surveyor, performing a routine building inspection, noticed the risk they were taking. The authority admitted breaching the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay costs of £2,352. Tahir Khan, mitigating for the police authority, said, "This is the first time the authority has been prosecuted for any offence and it is an unpleasant experience for the authority to be in the dock."

O Heap and Son was also brought to court by the HSE for breaching the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987. It was blamed for not identifying asbestos before starting work, for not giving its employees proper training and instruction, for disturbing asbestos without a licence and for not having correct safety procedures in place. The company was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay £2,027.40 costs. A spokesman said the firm regretted what had happened saying, "This is the first Health and Safety prosecution in our 50-year history. We intend to make sure that it is the last."

Police authority chairman Jo Thornton said, "This incident was brought to the HSE's attention by the police authority itself and we accept it was caused by human error due to lack of relevant training and should never have happened. Although an asbestos survey was carried out on Full Street police station three years ago and the information was freely available, it was not passed on to the contractor as it should have been."

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