Police Scotland Urged to Take Action Over Asbestos

The Health and Safety Executive have urged Police Scotland to take immediate action following the discovery of asbestos in some buildings.

The organisation was served with an improvement notice after traces of asbestos were found in four building used by the force in Glasgow at the start of the year. This was later confirmed by Police Scotland. As reported by the BBC the issue of asbestos was discussed at a Scottish Police Authority and that the organisation was taking the appropriate action to resolve the issue and was working closely with the HSE, staff agencies, and unions.

In a statement regarding tackling asbestos in the some police buildings, a spokeswoman said: "Immediate action has been taken to address any site-specific issues, and the service is also working closely with staff associations and trade unions to take forward the necessary action."

John Gillies, director of People and Development with Police Scotland, added: "We take the health and safety of our staff very seriously, and are working with unions, staff associations, and the HSE to develop and deploy the appropriate action plans in relation to the management of asbestos.

"We are committed to providing a safe working environment for our officers, staff and members of the public and are fully co-operating with the HSE to ensure the appropriate action is taken to achieve this."

A spokeswoman for the HSE confirmed that its officers had found asbestos at four police buildings in February 2016. She said: "During inspections of Police Scotland premises, HSE found inadequate arrangements in relation to the management of asbestos and an Improvement Notice was served requiring remedial action to be taken.

Following the initial discovery, further inspection work by HSE officers and Police Scotland was carried out in an attempt to limit the potential damage.

Asbestos-Related Illnesses: Making a Compensation Claim

Sadly, due to the common use of asbestos in buildings and the construction industry, many people suffer serious and long-term illnesses as a result of exposure, often with no knowledge that they had been exposed to the substance. Asbestos Cancer and diseases such as mesothelioma are all exceptionally common as a result of exposure to asbestos. Unlike other personal injury claims, asbestos-related illnesses can take years to develop. Due to this, the same time limits that apply to other personal injury claims do not apply to asbestos claims. Rather than three years after the incident, claimants can take legal action three years after diagnosis.

If your employers failed to protect you from exposure to asbestos, then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. 80% of all cases of mesothelioma are due to exposure to asbestos, therefore, if you are diagnosed with such an illness then you should seek clarification from a doctor and seek legal advice.

As well as claiming for your illness, you can also claim for compensation for loss of income.Evidence such as a medical report, proof of employment at a place of work that may have resulted in asbestos exposure and statements or proof of any other coworker who has suffered from a similar illness should be provided to make a successful claim.

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If you have suffered from an industrial illness as a result of exposure to asbestos or any other dangerous substance, or if you have suffered an accident in the workplace, contact our team of expert personal injury lawyers today to find out whether or not you could be entitled to compensation. Get in touch today using our online contact form today.