British local council, Ipswich Borough, has fined retailer Poundland £565,000 for a string of asbestos management failures at its store between 2011 and 2018.
The company admitted to the health and safety offences and will also be required to pay £75,000 in costs to the council. During a hearing at the Ipswich Council Court, it apologised for not having appropriate asbestos management plans in place.
Before taking over the site, Poundland had surveys conducted, revealing several types of asbestos throughout the building. Consultants were brought back annually to conduct monitoring assessments, but the company did not have a “proper asbestos management plan for staff and visitors”, the council said.
This meant there was no plan in place to ensure the asbestos was restricted to secure locations, which is a requirement under British Health and Safety Legislation. Asbestos and its use in all forms have been banned in the UK since 1999.
Alasdair Ross, the council’s portfolio holder for community protection and health, said: “This case shows how important it is for even the largest businesses to take seriously their legal requirement to manage asbestos in premises they use.
“Asbestos still kills around 5,000 workers each year… more than the number of people killed on roads.
“In cases of serious and long-standing failure, where identified shortcomings are not corrected in a timely manner, Ipswich Borough Council will take enforcement action, even if that means bringing a criminal prosecution.”
A spokesman for Poundland said in a statement that, “While the breaches in Ipswich largely occurred when Poundland was under different ownership, it goes without saying we’re sorry for what happened.”
“In terms of asbestos management, Poundland now has significantly different protocols and monitoring today with robust plans for any location that requires them.”