Company fined for sale of boilers containing asbestos

A demolition and licensed asbestos removal company has been fined after it sold a boiler found to contain asbestos, the HSE has reported.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard that in May or June 2012, Anglian Demolition & Asbestos Limited was the contractor for the demolition and asbestos removal work at the boiler house at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The Health and Safety Executive, prosecuting, told the court the firm had removed two boilers from the boiler house and sold them to Kings Boiler Hire Limited. One of the boilers was found to contain asbestos.

Anglian Demolition & Asbestos Limited, of Anglian Business Centre, West Carr Rd, Attleborough, Norfolk was fined a total of £2,750 and ordered to pay £1,716 in costs after pleading guilty to an offence under Regulation 11(2) of the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Edward Crick said:

“The dangers of asbestos fibres to health are well known. Asbestos fibres, and items that have asbestos intentionally added to them, are items that cannot legally be placed on the market, as detailed by requirements of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation EC No 1907/2006.

Placing on the market has a wide definition and includes supplying or making available, whether in return for payment or free of charge, to a third party and applies at every stage in the supply chain”

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