Published: February 23, 2012
by TOM FOOT

AN unmarked bag filled with asbestos was dumped in a depot and left “open to the environment” for a fortnight.

The New Journal has obtained details of an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) watchdog relating to the incident.

It reveals how Camden Council’s Building Maintenance managers ordered unqualified staff to test and later remove a shop sign containing cement asbestos in a building they were renovating in 11-13 Camden High Street.

They smashed it up and put it into a tarpaulin bag on January 4, 2010. Managers knew the bag had been left on a pallet in a depot in Holmes Road outside its offices, but did not arrange for its removal until January 17.

Asbestos is the “single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK”, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials, or breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, increases the chance of getting a fatal disease, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

The HSE sent a “notification of concern” to Camden Council on August 9 2011, following a meeting in the Town Hall a few days earlier.

The letter criticises the council for failing to report the “dangerous occurrence” to the HSE despite clear regulations. A letter dated August 5, 2011, lists nine “concerns” from the HSE, including:

• Employees were not “competent” to sample Asbestos Containing Material (ACM).
• Senior managers concluded “it was safe to go ahead”, despite conflicting advice from health and safety and the council’s asbestos expert.
• The senior manager and health and safety adviser “seemed to have little knowledge or competence” about the Control of Asbestos: Regulations 2006 or how to remove asbestos in a controlled way.
• The asbestos was removed “not under controlled conditions” and without wearing personal protective equipment.

The staff who came into contact with the asbestos have not shown any health problems so far, union reps said. Unison has asked they attend health screenings and that this incident be placed on their personnel files in case they have problems in the future.

The HSE has written to Camden to set-up an action plan, make an urgent review of its asbestos strategy, and properly train its staff and senior managers and enforce disciplinary procedures.

But it has decided not to prosecute Camden Council.

Sarah Friday, Camden Unison branch health and safety officer, said: “Camden Council were let off the hook by the HSE when they decided not to prosecute.

“The CBM managers who over-rode the risk assessment and method statement and acted in contradiction to the asbestos regulations have avoided disciplinary action. Camden claim most of those involved have now left the council. The managers should have known better and refused to act under this instruction if it contradicted the asbestos regulations.”

A Camden Council spokeswoman said: “The council arranged for the disposal of the material which was suspected to be asbestos and it was appropriately sealed by the staff concerned but subsequently tampered with by unknown person(s). The council has been working closely with the HSE to progress the action plan.”