An unlicensed asbestos removal company from Stockport has been fined £80k after its director was jailed last month for causing dangerous asbestos exposure
Asbestos Boss Limited was found to have removed an asbestos-insulating board ceiling from a domestic garage with little to no control measures in place to prevent asbestos exposure. The company’s employees then dumped the asbestos waste at the resident’s property, covering the road and pavement with dangerous asbestos material.
Why is asbestos exposure dangerous?
Asbestos can cause various dangerous diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural thickening and asbestos-related lung cancer. These conditions do not affect exposed individuals immediately and often take a long time to develop. However, it is often too late to do anything once they are diagnosed. Around 5,000 workers die due to Asbestos exposure each year, and the substance can be found in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000.
In September 2021, Asbestos Boss Limited removed an asbestos-insulating board ceiling from a domestic integral garage with little to no control measures in place at an address in Stockport. The asbestos waste was then dumped at the resident’s property, littering the road and pavement with asbestos material.
Daniel Luke Cockcroft, the director/manager of Asbestos Boss Limited, advertised as a licensed asbestos removal company before removing licensable material from domestic properties.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Stockport Trading Standards found that several unlicensed works were being done nationwide. Few precautions were taken on these jobs, meaning the company’s workers and anybody on the premises were at serious risk of exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Boss Limited faked important asbestos training certificates
The investigation also revealed that Asbestos Boss Limited used fake air test certificates and waste transfer notes and had falsified asbestos training certificates and insurance documents. The company also breached a prohibition notice on several occasions.
Stockport Trading Standards proved that Asbestos Boss had breached the Prohibition Notice and caused additional spread and exposure. In one case, the company charged £3,000 for removing the asbestos insulating board from 20 service cupboards. The quality of the work was so poor that the property owners received remedial quotes from licensed contractors in the region of £50-£64,000 to make the property safe again.
Cockcroft was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 10 March after pleading guilty to all charges. Cockfroft was jailed for ten months and ordered to pay victim compensation.
At the same hearing, Asbestos Boss Limited of Old Gloucester Street, London, was found guilty of breaching regulations 8(1) and 11(1)(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company was also found guilty of failing to comply with a prohibition notice at two separate addresses, preventing them from working with licensed asbestos materials.
The company failed to attend or offer any mitigation and was ordered to pay a fine of £80,000 and to compensate the victims for the full costs of the work paid for at the time.
“Asbestos is a killer. Companies and their directors need to recognise the dangers of removing asbestos by themselves, both for their employees and others. Asbestos removal should only be carried out by trained personnel who understand the risks and how to control them,” commented HSE Inspector Matt Greenly.
“Asbestos Boss Limited have deliberately removed a highly dangerous material resulting in a significant risk of exposure to cancer-causing asbestos. They not only have put their customers at risk but have also undoubtedly put themselves, their workers, and their families at serious risk,” he added.
“We are delighted that these criminals have been held to account. The message is very clear – we will not tolerate this in Stockport and will take robust action wherever possible,” concluded a spokesperson from Stockport Council.
