UK Says Asbestos Criminal Prosecutions Tripled in a Year
September 7th, 2007
The United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that they launched 37 criminal prosecutions under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations during the year 2005-2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Officials with the HSE point out in a press release that similar cases cited in 2003-2004 numbered only seven. The following year, that number rose to 12. Government representatives say they weren’t surprised when the most recent statistics showed that such cases tripled in just one year, given a new law that went into effect in 2002.
According to an article in Legal and Medical Online, “the 2002 rules extended the responsibility for managing asbestos to all workplaces, not just those in “high-risk” industries. In November 2006, the rules were strengthened by reducing exposure limits and introducing mandatory training for work with asbestos,” most likely the reason for the increase.
Solicitor Nick McMahon of Reynolds Porter and Chamberlain says: “This is a serious issue for businesses and their individual directors.
“The rapidly increasing number of criminal prosecutions under the 2002 rules is a clear indication that all businesses, not just those in the highest risk industries, need to sit up and take notice of the asbestos issue.
“The HSE appear to be making full use of the enforcement tools at their disposal to clamp down,” he added.
