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What are the legal responsibilities of businesses when it comes to asbestos?

February 5, 2022 davidcrossan@googlemail.com Comments Off

Asbestos is a naturally occurring material that poses a health risk to humans. It was widely used in construction until 1999, when it was explicitly banned in the United Kingdom. Businesses have legal responsibility to protect employees and anybody else who uses the
company’s facilities against asbestos exposure because there is still a lot of asbestos in properties.

Here, we look at the legal responsibilities of businesses when it comes to asbestos on their property.

Legal responsibilities of businesses when it comes to asbestos

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 governs enterprises’ legal obligations in relation to asbestos. This effectively asserts that
anyone in charge of the maintenance or administration of a commercial building has a ‘duty of care’ to handle asbestos in order to protect
everyone working in or using the structure.

Finally, the duty holder ” usually the building owner or the person who has been assigned responsibility ” must determine whether
asbestos is present in the structure and assess its condition. From there, you may devise a strategy for efficiently managing asbestos,
lowering the risk of asbestos exposure for everyone entering the property.

What your company should do

The first step for every building owner or management should be to conduct an asbestos survey. Professionals conduct asbestos surveys
to determine whether or not the material is present. This usually entails obtaining samples of asbestos or asbestos-containing products in
a safe manner.

This testing gives asbestos information, which you will receive in the form of a report at the conclusion of the study. You can build an
asbestos management strategy using the facts and recommendations in the survey report. This might be as simple as making a note of
where the asbestos is located and having it checked on a regular basis to verify its condition hasn’t worsened, or as complex as having
the asbestos completely removed.

Is it possible for an employee to file a personal injury claim for asbestos-related injuries?

Simply put, if your company owes employees a duty of care to protect them from asbestos exposure and fails to do so, those employees
may be able to file a lawsuit against you. Of course, it’s worth noting that asbestos takes a long time to harm the body, and the effects of
asbestos exposure might take up to 20 years to manifest.

This does not, however, imply that the company is no longer liable. Even businesses that have ceased operations can be held liable – and
the individual who had the duty of care will be held responsible.

As a result, you must do all possible to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure. Failure to do so could have serious health consequences for
anyone who come into touch with the material, as well as significant financial consequences for you.

Keeping your employees safe from harm

To reduce risk, it’s critical to take all available precautions. The first step is to conduct an asbestos survey, but it is critical to follow up by
creating an asbestos management plan and then implementing the recommendations and guidance of asbestos professionals.

There are a lot of rules to follow when it comes to reducing asbestos danger, so make sure you’re following them all.

If you’d like an asbestos survey or an asbestos management plan for your business, please contact the professionals at Asbestos Removal 247 now. Our asbestos experts can offer you with information and help, as well as schedule an asbestos survey for you.