Lawford Kidd's Blog

Two Lincoln companies have been fined after workers were exposed to asbestos during the refurbishment of a Northamptonshire hospital ward.

One of the companies was hired by the other to carry out an asbestos survey before work began on the hospital. The survey identified an asbestos coating on the underside of the ceilings, but missed over 200 sq metres of asbestos insulation board above.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court was told that when two workers were told to knock holes in the ceilings in December 2009, they were not told it contained asbestos and they disturbed both layers.

The High Court has awarded a former miner around £70,000 in compensation after he developed mesotheliomia caused by exposure to asbestos at work, reports the BBC.

The 92-year-old had worked as a miner in Nottinghamshire for over 20 years, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change has admitted that he was exposed to asbestos during his time there.

As a result of his illness, Dennis Ball had to move out of his home last year, and now lives in a nursing home.

According to the BBC, Mr Ball's lawyer said that the court decision "paves the way for further elderly sufferers to receive settlements which reflect the pain and distress the disease causes, regardless of their age."

A building contractor has been sentenced after its workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres during refurbishment work at premises in Wales.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament acted within the scope of its powers when it passed the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009.

A poignant target of 4000 hours of free asbestos awareness training has been set in a new initiative to help tradesmen across Britain protect themselves from the deadly dust.