The council-funded refurbishment of a number of units in Stevenage Borough in Hertfordshire, north of London, is under fire after footage was found of workmen completing asbestos remediation work in a manner deemed to be a breach of national health and safety laws.
The footage shows a workman using a chisel and hammer to remove a doorframe attached to an external landing cupboard, which is marked as containing asbestos.
The work is part of the local council’s major refurbishment project, which covers 550 units and is likely to leave leaseholders with an estimated average bill of £14,000 per flat.
An investigation by England’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has concluded the council and the contractor completing the work broke the legislation around safe removal of asbestos-containing material.
Under British safety legislation, asbestos must be removed by specialists and under controlled conditions due to the risk to the health and safety of workers and the public.
The HSE explained that the council should have instructed the contractor to undertake a full refurbishment and demolition survey, and following that, asbestos could be removed under tightly controlled safety conditions.
Both parties have been sent a Notification of Contravention letter, which explains the nature of the breaches of legislation and means they may be required to pay the HSE’s investigative and remediation costs.
The executive member for housing, Councillor Jeannette Thomas, said: “We are reviewing the Notification of Contravention letter and will respond to the HSE.
“We will continue to ensure residents, operatives, and staff are able to safely live and work in our flat blocks.”