$16K asbestos fines

Excavator pushed hazard material across Toowoomba worksite

TOOWOOMBA c ompany ABC Demolition & Asbestos Removal and its directors, Benedict Somersett and Dail Cameron, were fined $16,000 for the unsafe demolition of house containing asbestos

The company and its directors faced the Toowoomba Magistrates Court recently where they were found guilty of six charges under the Work

Health and Safety Regulation.

The court heard the company was contracted to knock down a Toowoomba house which contained asbestos material that should have been removed prior the demolition work but that did not occur.

Instead, an excavator was used to demolish the dwelling and asbestos was simply pushed into piles across the site.

The court heard limited effort was made to remove the asbestos or put in control measures against inadvertent dispersal of asbestos.

The Queensland Office of Industrial Relation prosecutor said the excavator should not have been used to demolish the structure while it contained the asbestos.

Other violations related to signage and a failure to inform neighbours about the hazardous work taking place.

In sentencing, Magistrate Kay Ryan noted ABC Demolition & Asbestos Removal was a licensed asbestos removalist and its directors aware of the workplace safety requirements and the devastating illness linked to inhaling the fibres.

Ms Ryan noted the defendants’ early guilty plea, that they had no previous convictions for work health and safety breaches and had engaged a contractor to remediate the contaminated work site.

She also noted the company was no longer engaged in demolition or asbestos removal works and was moving towards deregistration.

ABC Demolition & Asbestos Removal was fined $8,000, plus courts costs of $1,100.

Somersett and Cameron carried out demolition work and were each fined $4,000.

Both told the court their health had been affected by the proceedings and are no longer involved in this type of work.

No convictions were recorded against the directors and company.