Subscribe Here

Sponsored Ads



Subscribe via email

Enter your email address:

Tags

Alternative content

Get Adobe Flash player

Asbestos Video

RSSTwitterfeed

#asbestos on Twitter

Become a Fan on Facebook

Posts Tagged ‘recruitment’

< Older Entries

UNISON warning over asbestos in schools

At a meeting with Lord Hill, schools minister, today (14 Oct) UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, reiterated its call for urgent action on dangerous asbestos in schools.

Estimates vary, but more than 14,000 schools in the UK are thought to contain asbestos*. Over time, and without proper management, the safety of asbestos declines, and dangerous levels have been recorded during daily events, such as when children slam classroom doors.

The withdrawal of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funds has condemned many teachers, children and support staff to learn and work in buildings riddled with asbestos for even longer.

October 15, 2010 8:38 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Waste – Hazardous waste tips for businesses

SMALL firms are being urged to stay safe with hazardous waste – and avoid a costly day in court. Somerset Waste Partnership is offering free advice in the wake of high profile prosecutions by the Environment Agency.

Business waste adviser Helen Ridler will give consultations to sole traders, partnerships and small companies about the right ways to dispose of potentially deadly materials.

She will discuss minimising waste, maximising recycling, controlling costs, legal requirements, hazardous materials – from asbestos to solvents – and disposal contractors.

Ms Ridler said: “We can answer most questions, help keep a firm legal and probably save them money and their good name.

“Hazardous waste can put lives at risk and businesses in court.”

For asbestos alone, Environment Agency prosecutions of Somerset businesses have included: *Three Wellington men ordered to pay more than £3,600 in fines and costs for dumping waste asbestos roofing tiles in the countryside; *A Somerset company fined £6,000 with £2,000 costs for dumping and storing asbestos among other waste at a derelict property it owned.

*A landowner who buried asbestos and other waste at a farm near Taunton ordered to pay £2,334.68 in fines and costs.

*A business owner who smashed up and crushed waste asbestos was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £8,445 costs.

Ms Ridler added: “Misunderstanding the rules or taking chances with asbestos and other waste can cost small firms thousands and generate plenty of negative publicity. Our advice is free.”

Source: Thisisthewestcountry.co.uk

Asbestos Industry News is the online voice for UK Asbestos News. The site covers information about asbestos surveying, asbestos removal, recruitment, claims, asbestos waste, asbestos legislation, asbestos inspection, asbestos training and much more. Visit www.asbestosindustrynews.co.uk, and subscribe to the RSS feed. or Subscribe to Asbestos Industry News by Email

Follow us on Twitter @UK_AsbestosNews


8:04 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Related Disease – Legionnaires outbreak ‘officially over’

THE Legionnaires disease outbreak in the Heads of the Valleys area in which two people died and 22 cases were recorded, is officially over.

But no single site has been identified as the cause, Public Health Wales declaring “a number of potential sources” were identified during a five-week investigation.

The last person to contract the disease linked to the outbreak area, a 12-kilometre corridor either side of the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road between Abergavenny and Llandarcy, fell ill on September 10.

October 13, 2010 12:06 pm - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Electrician’s wife dies of asbestos-related lung cancer from washing husband’s clothes

A loving wife died of asbestos-related lung cancer caused by washing her electrician husband’s clothes when he came home from work, it emerged today.

Yvonne Moaby spent years cleaning husband John’s work overalls after his shifts at Southern Electricity Board during the 1960′s. She shook and brushed the clothes before washing them but was unaware she was inhaling the lethal fibres.

Yvonne, of Quenington, near Cirencester, Glos., died aged 66 of mesothelioma – a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Husband John, 68, says he plans to seek compensation over the death after an inquest into her death heard the fibres caused her death.

He said his wife had been fit and healthy throughout her life and had never come into direct contact with asbestos.

John said: ”But I worked as an electrician for Southern Electricity Board where I had responsibility for taking out storage heaters which contained asbestos.

”I worked in a dusty environment which would cover my clothes. I would go home and my wife would wash them.

”She would shake them out and the dust would fly off.”

John worked as an electrician during the 1960s when he worked with storage heaters which relied on the lethal substance as insulation. Wife Yvonne washed her husband’s clothes every day after work for four years.

12:00 pm - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Claims – TUC Concern at Court of Appeal Asbestos Ruling

The TUC expressed grave concern at the continued uncertainty now faced by hundreds of people dying from asbestos exposure following a decision in the Court of Appeal Friday over compensation payments.

Mesothelioma sufferers will now have to wait while the case over their compensation entitlement is referred to the Supreme Court.

Back in 2008 the High Court ruled that employers’ insurers at the time of exposure to asbestos were liable to pay out on claims for mesothelioma. The insurance companies’ appeal was decided on at the Court of Appeal today.

October 11, 2010 7:36 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Waste – Men fined for dumping asbestos

A Wellington roofer and two accomplices have been ordered to pay over £3,600 in fines and costs for illegally dumping a trailer of waste asbestos roofing tiles in the Somerset countryside. The case, heard by Bridgwater Magistrates, was brought by the Environment Agency.

Andrew Disney, who trades as Disney Roofing, was caught after packaging containing his home address was found among old asbestos tiles, drainpipes, wood and plastic dumped in a stubble field at Boomer Farm, North Pet-herton, in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The farmer reported it to Sedge-moor District Council and handed over a box with Disney’s home address on it. Samples taken from the field were found to contain white and brown asbestos – a hazardous substance that must be disposed of at a licensed site.

7:30 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Insurance – Insurers block asbestos cash

ASBESTOS victims face a new legal lottery when it comes to getting justice. Compensation for people suffering from mesothelioma was yesterday thrown into chaos by the Court of Appeal.

A loophole means people diagnosed with the killer cancer could be denied the money they deserve. Thousands of former workers in the North East are affected by asbestos, which was used in the region’s heavy industry such as shipbuilding.

But because mesothelioma and other conditions only develop decades after exposure to the lethal fibres, people diagnosed with industrial illnesses have to trace the insurer of their former employer to launch a claim. Insurers argue that the wording of some of these insurance policies mean they are not responsible, because no symptoms were shown at the time of the asbestos exposure. Yesterday, three Court of Appeal judges were unable to agree on who should be liable for the claim.

They found that in some cases the responsibility lay with the employer’s insurer at the onset of symptoms, which can be 50 or 60 years later. Many employers will have gone out of business in that time – meaning there could be no one to foot the bill. Roger Maddocks, a partner at Irwin Mitchell solicitors in Newcastle, said it is a matter of pot luck which victims will be compensated.

7:27 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Claims – Leading Lawyer Joins National Asbestos Helpline

ONE of the UK’s leading services for asbestos-related disease civil claims has strengthened its expertise with the appointment of a leading expert in the field.

Craig Howell has become head of the asbestos litigation department with Birchall Blackburn LLP at the request of the National Asbestos Helpline – its independently run service for asbestos-related disease civil claims and state entitlement benefits.

Craig has secured millions of pounds in compensation for clients with asbestos-related conditions and was involved in one of the highest mesothelioma settlements in the UK at £850,000.

Mesothelioma is a terminal chest cancer caused in the vast majority of cases by exposure to asbestos in earlier life.

Craig says: “I’m delighted to be part of the team at the National Asbestos Helpline. I was attracted to the post by the NAH’s ethical and holistic approach to people with asbestos related diseases and carers.

“They’re a professional team with a very personal take on what they do and every client receives 100 per cent of their successful compensation claim.”

As well as providing a service for asbestos-related disease civil claims and state entitlement benefits, the NAH offers access to advice and support to thousands of carers and sufferers affected by asbestos.

Richard Clarke, general manager of the NAH, said: “We’ve had our eye on Craig for quite some time. He’s a leading expert in asbestos work and highly regarded. His appointment really strengthens our service and reinforces our legal expertise.”

Birchall Blackburn LLP offers full support and legal expertise to the NAH frontline service to enable the development of services and remain at the cutting edge of customer support.

Craig has worked for both defendants and claimants during his career, which gives him a unique and vital insight in to both sides of a case. He has taken cases to the Court of Appeal and was involved in Horton v Sadler, the landmark decision of the House of Lords. Craig is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and accredited Senior Litigator.

For more information about the National Asbestos Helpline call 0800 043 6635 or visit www.nationalasbestos.co.uk.

National Asbestos Helpline (NAH) is a leading, national service for asbestos-related disease claims, advice and support. NAH assists thousands of people every year with their claim enquiries and provides access to support services for sufferers and their families.

Its service extends throughout the country working in conjunction with HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, general practitioners, specialist consultants, hospitals, Citizens Advice Bureaux, and regional support groups in conjunction with charities such as the British Lung Foundation.

October 8, 2010 2:45 pm - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Event – ‘Asbestos: The Survey Guide- an Industry Perspective’

The British Measurement and Testing Association (BMTA) has almost 100 member companies representing about 300 UKAS accredited laboratories.  Because of the interest in asbestos removal and analysis which is common to a number of members, BMTA organised an event entitled ‘Asbestos: The Survey Guide- an Industry Perspective.’  This event was held at East Midlands Airport on 30 March 2010 and attracted a good audience of member and non-member companies.

On 17 November, BMTA Is holding a one day conference and exhibition on Construction Product Regulations.  This event is being held at BRE, Watford, and is being organised in conjunction with BRE, Markes International  and the Institute of Environment & Health at Cranfield University.  In its 2011 events programme, BMTA is likely to return to the topic of asbestos management.

Details of BMTA membership and forthcoming events can be found at www.bmta.co.uk or by contacting Peter Russell or Carol Smith at the BMTA Secretariat on 08456 444 603 or e-mail: enquiries@bmta.co.uk.

Asbestos Industry News is the online voice for UK Asbestos News. The site covers information about asbestos surveying, asbestos removal, recruitment, claims, asbestos waste, asbestos legislation, asbestos inspection, asbestos training and much more. Visit www.asbestosindustrynews.co.uk, and subscribe to the RSS feed. or Subscribe to Asbestos Industry News by Email

Follow us on Twitter @UK_AsbestosNews

Legionella enquiries

9:59 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Waste – Somerset’s Quantock Hills blighted by asbestos waste dumped by roofing contractor

A Wellington roofer and two accomplices were ordered to pay more than £3,600 in fines and costs in late September 2010 for illegally dumping a trailer load of waste asbestos roofing tiles in the Somerset countryside.

Andrew Disney, who trades as Disney Roofing, was caught after packaging containing his home address was found among waste dumped in a stubble field at Boomer Farm, North Petherton. The farm lies within The Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The farmer was alerted by a friend who told him one of his fields had been targeted by fly-tippers. The waste included old asbestos tiles, drainpipes, wood and plastic. The farmer reported the incident to Sedgemoor District Council and handed over a box with Disney’s home address on it.

On October 2, 2009 two police officers went to Springfield Road iin Wellington and arrested Disney on suspicion of depositing controlled waste without a licence. They were accompanied by officers from the Environment Agency’s environmental crime team.

Information obtained from Disney during questioning implicated two other men, Gareth Bright and Andrew Bryant, in the crime. When interviewed Disney and Bright said they borrowed Bryant’s van to transport the waste to Boomer Farm using a trailer belonging to Disney.

Samples of waste taken from the field were analysed and found to contain white and brown asbestos – a hazardous substance that must be disposed of at a licensed site. The waste had come from a site in the Blagdon Hill area of Taunton.

7:39 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Surveys – Viability of accreditation schemes rocked by closure of asbestos register

The failure of an accreditation scheme for asbestos surveyors could fuel concerns over the proposed similar scheme for health and safety professionals.

The closure of the Asbestos Building Inspectors Certification Scheme (ABICS) was announced yesterday (6 October) by the British Occupational Hygiene Society, which ran the scheme. The Society’s chief executive, Steve Perkins, said after eight years of “unsustainable investment” it had come to the conclusion that “a voluntary certification scheme is not viable in the extremely competitive environment of asbestos surveying”.

7:18 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

RoSPA Introduces New One Day Conference Series For Industry

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is gearing up for a new series of conferences designed to promote the sharing of good practice within industry.

Two “From Industry, For Industry” conferences have been scheduled so far, both taking place in London at CCT Venues – Canary Wharf later this year:

  • Construction Health and Safety Conference, Tuesday, November 23
  • Asbestos Health and Safety Conference, Thursday, December 2

The idea is to promote peer-to-peer learning, showcase industry best practice, through case studies, research and theory, and provide networking opportunities. As tough economic conditions continue, the hope is that delegates will benefit from full-day events that are focused solely on their areas of interest.

7:14 am - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More

Asbestos Survey News – BOHS announces the closure of ABICS

It is with deep regret that the British Occupational Hygiene Society [BOHS] announces the closure of the Asbestos Building Inspectors Certification Scheme [ABICS].

Steve Perkins, Chief Executive of BOHS, states, “Despite the support of the Health and Safety Executive [HSE], the cooperation with UKAS, and the high level of initial interest from individual surveyors that ABICS has always generated, we have come to the conclusion – after eight years of significant and unsustainable investment – that a voluntary certification scheme is not viable in the extremely competitive environment of asbestos surveying.”

October 7, 2010 3:09 pm - Posted by Asbestos News  | Comments ( 0 )
Read More
< Older entries
Asbestos Industry News - The online voice for the UK Asbestos Industry - Contact SMPR (Asbestos PR)