Marks and Spencer plc fined £1 million over asbestos-containing material breaches

A leading retailer and a number of contractors have been prosecuted for putting their staff and members of the public at risk of exposure to asbestos-containing materials.

Marks and Spencer plc, PA Realisations Ltd, Styles & Wood Limited received fines relating to breaches that took place during the refurbishment of a store on Broad Street, Reading.

Workers at the store removed ceiling tiles containing the substance in enclosures on the shop floor overnight, with the shop opening during the daytime.

Richard Boland, southern head of operations for construction at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), highlighted the fact that refurbishment programmes involving asbestos-containing materials must be given the time and space required to minimise the risk to employees and the public at large.

He said: "Where this is not done, and construction workers and the public are put at risk, HSE will not hesitate in taking robust enforcement action."

The HSE has estimated that 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases each week and has recently run a Hidden Killer campaign highlighting the risks that the substance still presents workers.

Published by Tessa Jones