Pub Chain fined over asbestos

The large UK pub operator Mitchells & Butlers has been fined £14,000 under the Health and Safety at Work Act for exposing workers to asbestos during the refurbishment of a pub in Darlington.
The Health & Safety Executive investigation discovered that the company had originally commissioned a survey to check for asbestos, but the survey was restricted to the areas where the proposed refurbishment was to take place. However, the refurbishment plans were changed at a later date to include a kitchen area that had not been part of the original survey.
The ceiling tiles in the kitchen contained asbestos so that when the workers drilled into them to prepare for new electrics and plumbing, they were covered with dust and debris which could have exposed them to asbestos fibres.
Asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK, with an estimated 4,000 people dying every year. If you have been exposed to asbestos at work, please contact Vicky Jones on 0116 212 1000.