Business owners who have rentals in commercial property are being warned to consider asbestos, as it still remains an issue in many office blocks.
Ellen Tranter, a trainee solicitor in Shropshire, has argued that asbestos is still a danger after a report recently revealed that a high-street store had put its staff at risk of being contaminated by asbestos for over ten years.
Talking to Shropshire Live, Ms Tranter said: “This report outlines just another example of a large firm with a social and moral responsibility that has breached asbestos removal guidelines and not only put customers at risk, but staff and contractors too. Many people now know the effects of asbestos exposure but some are still not aware if they have been, or are at risk, which is why the ‘duty to manage’ regulation is so important.”
The Control of Asbestos Regulations was changed in 2012, meaning that anyone who owned commercial property had a responsibility, or ‘duty to manage’, to seek if any asbestos is present on their site. If the asbestos has any risk to staff, owners should consider how to manage the risk carefully. If owners are caught not adhering to such guidelines, it will be deemed a criminal offence.
Asbestos is still a major problem, even though it is illegal to use it during construction, especially in old buildings which are renovated. If asbestos fibres are disturbed, they can enter the air and into the lungs of people, leading to various illnesses, such as lung disease, which are responsible for over 3,500 deaths in the UK every year.
The general advice by experts is that owners should invest in a surveyor to fully assess the property before any staff come in. Owners should be aware of the consequences that asbestos can have, from both a health and legal view.