• The company had received previous enforcement notices on several occasions over an 11-year period 

• Employees had no access to running water or soap after sorting waste materials that could be contaminated with asbestos by hand 

• HSE guidance states employers must provide employees who are liable to interact with asbestos containing materials with suitable training

A waste and recycling company has been fined £36,000 for repeatedly failing to provide appropriate welfare facilities and asbestos awareness training for employees at a site in North Wales.  

Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard how workers at World Care (Wales) Limited, were tasked with sorting waste and recyclable materials by hand without having facilities to wash dry themselves afterwards.  

At the World Care site, it was identified through a routine inspection that the company had failed to make warm running water and soap available to employees as well as a means to dry themselves. There had been at least one occasion where asbestos had been brought onto the site, yet they continued to not provide asbestos awareness training to employees.  

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that World Care (Wales) had received previous enforcement on several occasions over an 11–year period. On each occasion, inspectors found that the company failed to maintain the minimum health and safety standards required. These enforcement notices were in relation to welfare provisions and training. 

HSE Inspector James Benton said: “The health risks from exposure to material containing asbestos is well known yet this company wasn’t providing the appropriate facilities for workers to protect themselves.  

“Basic welfare provision is essential to ensure that employees can clean themselves at work, to help prevent exposure to harmful microorganisms. After being told of the risks, this company  repeatedly failed to provide adequate welfare facilities such as soap and running water, and failed to provide asbestos awareness training to employees.”   

World Care (Wales) Limited of Tre Marl Industrial Estate, North Wales, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £36,000 and £8,867 in costs at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on 6 July 2026. The company opted to make the payments over a 16-month period. 

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas. 

More information

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.  
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available. 
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.  
4. Relevant guidance can be found here  The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 
5. Workers in skilled trades are at particular risk of discovering and disturbing asbestos during their work. Make sure you know what to look for, and what to do to protect yourself when you come across asbestos with our Asbestos & You quick guide for trades. 
6. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

Dirwywyd cwmni gwastraff ac ailgylchu yng Ngogledd Cymru oherwydd diffyg cyfleusterau lles a methiannau parhaus ar y safle

• Roedd y cwmni wedi derbyn hysbysiadau gorfodi ar sawl achlysur dros gyfnod o 11 mlynedd
• Nid oedd gan weithwyr fynediad at ddŵr rhedegog na sebon ar ôl didoli deunyddiau gwastraff â llaw – deunyddiau a allai fod wedi’u halogi ag asbestos
• Mae canllawiau’r HSE yn nodi bod yn rhaid i gyflogwyr ddarparu hyfforddiant addas i weithwyr sy’n debygol o ddod i gysylltiad â deunyddiau sy’n cynnwys asbestos

Mae cwmni gwastraff ac ailgylchu wedi cael dirwy o £36,000 am fethu dro ar ôl tro â darparu cyfleusterau lles priodol ac hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth asbestos i weithwyr ar safle yng Ngogledd Cymru.

Clywodd Llys Ynadon Llandudno sut yr oedd gweithwyr yn World Care (Wales) Limited yn cael y dasg o ddidoli gwastraff a deunyddiau y gellir eu hailgylchu â llaw heb fod ganddynt gyfleusterau i ymolchi a sychu eu hunain wedyn.

Ar safle World Care, canfuwyd drwy archwiliad arferol fod y cwmni wedi methu â darparu dŵr rhedegog cynnes a sebon i weithwyr, yn ogystal â dull o sychu eu hunain. Bu o leiaf un achlysur lle daethpwyd ag asbestos i’r safle, ac eto parhaodd y cwmni i beidio â darparu hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth asbestos i weithwyr.

Canfu ymchwiliad gan yr Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch (HSE) fod World Care (Wales) wedi derbyn camau gorfodi ar sawl achlysur dros gyfnod o 11 mlynedd. Ar bob achlysur, canfu’r arolygwyr fod y cwmni wedi methu â chynnal y safonau iechyd a diogelwch lleiaf gofynnol. Roedd y rhybuddion gorfodi hyn yn ymwneud â darpariaethau lles a hyfforddiant.

Dywedodd yr Arolygydd HSE James Benton: “Mae’r risgiau iechyd sy’n deillio o ddod i gysylltiad â deunydd sy’n cynnwys asbestos yn hysbys iawn, ac eto nid oedd y cwmni hwn yn darparu’r cyfleusterau priodol i weithwyr amddiffyn eu hunain.

“Mae darpariaeth lles sylfaenol yn hanfodol i sicrhau bod gweithwyr yn gallu glanhau eu hunain yn y gwaith, er mwyn helpu i atal dod i gysylltiad â micro-organebau niweidiol. Ar ôl cael gwybod am y risgiau, methodd y cwmni hwn dro ar ôl tro â darparu cyfleusterau lles digonol, fel sebon a dŵr rhedegog, a methodd â darparu hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth o asbestos i weithwyr.”

Plediodd World Care (Wales) Limited, o Ystad Ddiwydiannol Tre Marl yng Ngogledd Cymru, yn euog i dorri Adran 2(1) o Ddeddf Iechyd a Diogelwch yn y Gwaith ac ati 1974. Cafodd y cwmni ddirwy o £36,000 a gorchymyn i dalu costau o £8,867 yn Llys Ynadon Llandudno ar 6 Gorffennaf 2026. Dewisodd y cwmni wneud y taliadau dros gyfnod o 16 mis.

Cafodd yr achos erlyn hwn gan yr HSE ei gyflwyno gan y cyfreithiwr gorfodi Alan Hughes a’r swyddog paragyfreithiol Lynne Thomas.

Nodiadau i Olygyddion

1. Yr Awdurdod gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch (HSE) yw rheoleiddiwr cenedlaethol Prydain ar gyfer iechyd a diogelwch yn y gweithle. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i ddiogelu pobl a lleoedd, ac i helpu pawb i fyw bywydau mwy diogel ac iachach.
2. Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y ddeddfwriaeth y cyfeirir ati yn yr achos hwn ar gael.
3. Mae manylion pellach am ddatganiadau newyddion diweddaraf yr HSE ar gael.
4. Gellir dod o hyd i ganllawiau perthnasol yma: Rheoliadau Rheoli Asbestos 2012 a Rheoliadau’r Gweithle (Iechyd, Diogelwch a Lles) 1992.
5. Mae gweithwyr mewn crefftau medrus mewn perygl arbennig o ddod ar draws ac aflonyddu ar asbestos yn ystod eu gwaith. Sicrhewch eich bod yn gwybod beth i edrych amdano, a beth i’w wneud i amddiffyn eich hun pan fyddwch yn dod ar draws asbestos, drwy ddefnyddio ein canllaw cyflym ‘Asbestos a Chi’ ar gyfer crefftau.
6. Nid yw’r HSE yn pasio dedfrydau, yn gosod canllawiau nac yn casglu unrhyw ddirwyon a roddir. Rhaid dilyn y canllawiau dedfrydu perthnasol oni bai bod y llys yn fodlon y byddai gwneud hynny yn groes i fuddiannau cyfiawnder. Gellir dod o hyd i’r canllawiau dedfrydu ar gyfer troseddau iechyd a diogelwch

ANNEX 1

HSE’S POLICY POSITION ON GREAT BRITAIN’S ASBESTOS CONTROL LIMIT DECEMBER 2025

1. HSE has reviewed the latest international scientific, technical and workplace evidence on Great Britain’s (GB) asbestos control limit (CL), following HSE’s published GB workplace exposure setting process.
2. The review concluded that, currently, there is no clear evidence that lowering the GB CL in law would reduce current or future exposures and improve health outcomes.

Background

3. The review was undertaken in response to a recommendation in the 2022 Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) report into the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management and action taken by the European Union (EU) to lower their equivalent occupational exposure limit (OEL) on 21 Dec 2025.

The asbestos control limit in Great Britain

4. The current GB CL is 0.1 fibres per millilitre (f/ml), measured as a 4-hour time-weighted average (TWA) as outlined in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012).
5. The EU’s occupational exposure limit OEL is currently 0.1f/ml as an 8-hour TWA. From 21 December 2025, a reduced OEL of 0.01f/ml will be introduced. In 2029 it will be reduced again, with EU Member States choosing between a limit of 0.002f/ml, when counting only wider fibres, or 0.01f/ml, when counting narrower fibres too.
6. GB’s CL expressed as a 4-hour TWA is historic and has been in place since 1970. The 4-hour limit can be viewed as more conservative than an 8-hour limit, as exposure is averaged over a shorter timeframe. Calculating exposure over 4 hours better reflects real life working practises and results in a higher reported fibre concentration than if the same exposure were averaged over 8 hours.

Purpose of the asbestos CL in Great Britain

7. Under CAR 2012, the CL is part of the legal definition and framework of higher-risk work with asbestos, known as licensed work. Licensed asbestos work can only be carried out by contractors who hold a licence from HSE and must follow strict requirements. These include notifying HSE before work begins, putting appropriate control measures in place such as protective equipment, completing an independent four-stage clearance process, and carrying out personal exposure monitoring and medical checks for workers. These requirements form part of a regulatory framework that ensures asbestos exposure is prevented where possible, and where it cannot be prevented, kept as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). The CL is not a threshold below which exposures and consequent long-term cancer risks are regarded as acceptable.
8. All work with asbestos in GB, whether licensed or non-licensed, is governed by a framework that applies the hierarchy of controls. Dutyholders are expected to avoid disturbing asbestos where possible and, where work is necessary, to use methods such as wetting, removing materials intact, and shadow vacuuming, with respiratory protective equipment (RPE) as a final safeguard. Lower-risk activities categorised as non-licensed work are managed through proportionate controls that reflect the lower exposure risk.
9. The EU OELs work differently and are designed for the purpose of protecting workers if they are exposed to a harmful substance over a working lifetime. Unlike GB exposure limits, which use the ALARP principle to reduce exposures, the EU approach to asbestos control places greater emphasis on RPE, rather than on controlling the release of asbestos fibres at source.

Review of GB’s asbestos CL

10. The review considered whether there was sufficient evidence to inform a decision, and then whether the limit should be lowered after considering this evidence.
11. This drew on evidence from the 2022 WPC report, HSE’s 2017 and 2022 post implementation review (PIR), HSE and industry expertise, international scientific, technical and workplace evidence.
12. The review also considered the available evidence used by the EU when reviewing their OEL. The EU have estimated cancer risks expected to result from different levels of exposure to asbestos assuming these applied constantly over a working lifetime. These estimates are based on their assessment of exposure-response relationships derived from historical epidemiological evidence. While these estimates could be seen as useful benchmarks for the cancer risks resulting from different levels of constant working life exposure, they do not represent the risk among current GB asbestos workers. The GB CL operates within a regulatory framework that applies proportionate controls to different parts of the asbestos management system and requires exposures to be reduced to ALARP, rather than serving as fixed threshold above which exposures are accepted.
13. Additionally, lowering the GB CL would in practice bring most asbestos-related work, including for lower-risk activities that can already be effectively managed using existing control measures, into the scope of licensable activity, imposing significant costs on businesses without a corresponding reduction in exposure risk.
14. The review found:

• that there is sufficient evidence and information available to estimate the potential scale of current and future exposures that might be influenced by any change to the CL.
• the health outcome benefits of implementing a substantially reduced CL are not clear in the GB context given current requirements to already reduce exposures to ALARP.
• lowering the CL in isolation is unlikely to deliver significant health improvements and that training, competence, site discipline, and regulatory enforcement have a greater influence on reducing the risk of asbestos exposure.

15. The evidence review has been assured by HSE’s Chief Scientific Adviser and the Workplace Health Expert Committee.
16. HSE also held an industry and technical expert engagement workshop in May 2025. This involved contractors, trade bodies, occupational hygienists, academics, and fibre monitoring specialists, who confirmed that most asbestos work is already designed to minimise exposure to well below the CL. They agreed that the current framework under CAR 2012, which requires exposures to be reduced ALARP, remains effective. Participants agreed that exposures can be kept below the CL with effective controls, but this is more challenging during high-risk tasks such as asbestos insulating board (AIB) removal due to gaps in compliance, training, and supervision. Stakeholders suggested that lowering the CL further would be unlikely to drive meaningful behavioural change.

Future work

17. HSE will continue to fulfil its role as an independent, evidence-based regulator to monitor emerging evidence and international developments, including the EU’s planned review in 2029, related to asbestos exposure risks. HSE will continue work to ensure standards are met in practice, recognising that worker behaviour and competence are key factors in minimising the risk of exposure to asbestos.

References

1. a) GB WEL setting process
2. b) Work and Pensions Committee (WPC), The Health and Safety Executive’s Approach to Asbestos Management, 2022
3. c) The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
4. d) Directive (EU) 2023/2668 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work
5. e) Post Implementation Review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, 2017
6. f) Second Post Implementation Review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, 2022

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reviewed the latest international scientific, technical and workplace evidence on Great Britain’s asbestos control limit.

The review followed HSE’s published workplace exposure level setting process and concluded that the Great Britain (GB) asbestos control limit (CL), will remain at 0.1 fibres per millilitre (f/ml), measured as a 4-hour time-weighted average (TWA).

Undertaken in response to the European Union’s (EU) decision to reduce its occupational exposure limit (OEL) for asbestos, and the 2022 Work and Pensions Committee report on ‘HSE’s approach to asbestos management’, the review concluded that, currently, there is no clear evidence that lowering the GB CL in law would reduce current or future exposures and improve health outcomes.

HSE’s Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Andrew Curran said: “Our decision is based on rigorous scientific evidence and reflects our commitment to protecting workers through the most effective means possible. The current regulatory framework, which requires exposures to be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, already provides robust protection for workers handling asbestos.

“We have thoroughly examined the available science and consulted extensively with experts across the sector, and our conclusion is that the current framework provides the most effective protection for workers.

“In addition, we found that lowering the Great Britain control limit would in practice bring most asbestos-related work into the scope of licensable activity, imposing significant costs on businesses without a corresponding reduction in exposure risk.”

The review noted that there are practical difficulties of measurement at lower levels of exposure, which would provide a barrier to accurately implementing a lower limit, and could introduce risk.

The review found that most asbestos work is already designed to minimise exposure to well below the control limit through effective control measures, when requirements are followed. The review’s findings stated training, competence, site discipline, and regulatory enforcement have greater influence on reducing asbestos exposure risks than changing numerical limits.

HSE will continue to monitor emerging evidence and international developments, including the EU’s planned review in 2029. HSE remains committed to ensuring standards are met in practice, recognising that worker behaviour and competence are key factors in minimising asbestos exposure risks.

Ends

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) marks Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1–7 April), highlighting free guidance and training resources available to help dutyholders and trades comply with the law.
• HSE inspectors visiting premises and construction sites check that asbestos is being managed in compliance with the law and workers are kept safe.
• Regulator outlines three main areas businesses should look to improve.

To mark Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1–7 April), HSE is advising dutyholders to check they are compliant in areas that inspectors find need improving when visiting premises.

Building owners, landlords and tradespeople who fail to manage asbestos risks may face prosecution. The most common pitfalls found by inspectors are:

• asbestos management plans not in place to ensure the condition of asbestos-containing materials is routinely monitored
• information, instruction, and training provided for managing asbestos is inadequate
• procedures and arrangements to manage work liable to disturb known or presumed asbestos-containing materials need improving.

Nicholas James from HSE’s engagement and policy division, said: “The law requires that asbestos in buildings is proactively managed and monitored. This means active monitoring – not a one-off check. The priorities are clear – accurate identification and assessment of asbestos-containing materials, robust procedures and arrangements for managing risk, ongoing active management and condition monitoring, effective communication and relevant training. Don’t let poor management arrangements be the reason an inspector finds you failing.”

HSE provides a host of free guidance and advice for dutyholders at www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos.

HSE inspectors can visit premises without warning. Where management is found to be lacking, enforcement action is taken to require that appropriate asbestos risk management measures are put in place. Non-compliance can result in prosecution, fines and criminal records.

The legal duty to manage asbestos applies to a wide range of non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises – from offices, factories and shops to schools, hospitals and places of worship. It applies to building owners, landlords and those responsible for maintenance and repair.

Four steps every dutyholder must take:

• Arrange an asbestos survey, or review any existing ones
• Create a register and assess the risk
• Write an asbestos management plan
• Put the plan into action and keep it under review

When managed properly and in good condition, the risk from asbestos is low. Ensuring those that need to take actions understand how to keep asbestos-containing materials in buildings safe is critical for complying with the law.

When removal, refurbishment, maintenance or repair work is required, it needs to be carried out safely and in accordance with regulations. Workers in construction and building trades are at particular risk of disturbing asbestos. These workers should receive asbestos awareness training to help ensure they do not carry out tasks that could disturb asbestos, and any materials that may contain asbestos must be properly identified before work begins through a suitably intrusive refurbishment or demolition survey. All work on asbestos-containing materials requires specific training. Carrying out work without the correct training and controls is illegal.

A recent prosecution shows the consequences of getting it wrong. A site manager received a suspended prison sentence, a five-year director disqualification and an electronically monitored curfew after failing to use a licensed contractor to clear asbestos from a demolition site. The two companies involved were fined a combined £88,300 and ordered to pay over £9,000 in costs and surcharges.

HSE Inspector, Rob Gidman, said: “Asbestos is a Class 1 carcinogen which is known to kill around 20 tradespeople each week due to past exposure. By failing to ensure the demolition was properly planned and managed, considering the presence of asbestos on site, these companies and the site manager put workers and members of the public at risk of being exposed to a substance known to cause fatal lung disease.

“This case should serve as a reminder to those engaged in demolition and refurbishment work that they have responsibilities when it comes to managing the risks associated with asbestos.”

Support is available

• Asbestos & You — free practical guide for tradespeople
• Asbestos: Your Duty — guidance for building owners and landlords
• Download the poster as a quick reminder of what you need to do
• Find out what level of training your role requires at hse.gov.uk

Further Information

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available at press.hse.gov.uk.
3. Relevant guidance can be found at hse.gov.uk: Asbestos – HSE
4. HSE’s has two campaigns “Asbestos and You” and “Asbestos Your Duty” reminding tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it, also to reach those responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings.
5. Global Asbestos Awareness Week runs from 1 to 7 April 2026.
6. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The relevant sentencing councils provides guidelines for health and safety offences for England and Scotland on their websites.

• 19-year-old worker died after falling through garage roof
• HSE investigation found there were no measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall.
• Jason Hill jailed for 12 months as teen’s family warn ignoring health and safety ‘has irreversible consequences’

A self‑employed contractor has been jailed after a teenager fell to his death during demolition works on a property in Surrey.

Jason Hill had hired 19-year-old Thomas Neate, known as Tom, to help demolish a garage at a domestic property in preparation for an extension, at an address on Glebe Road in Staines-upon-Thames.

On 16 August 2023, Tom, who was local to the area, was on the garage roof removing tiles and other materials when he fell through an opening and suffered severe head injuries. He was taken to hospital but he died several weeks later on 23 September.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Hill, 59, of Ashford in Middlesex, had put no measures in place to prevent a fall from height, despite the clear risk. Work was being carried out directly from the roof with no scaffolding, decking, or other protective systems to prevent a person falling through or from the structure.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. HSE has detailed guidance available on working safely at height and managing construction activities employers should follow to prevent incidents.

In a statement provided to HSE, Tom’s family spoke of their devastation at his untimely death.

“Tom was a kind hearted and hard working young man who was such a huge part of so many people’s lives,” they said.

“His loss has devastated us and knowing it could have been avoided makes that loss even harder to bear. His death should never have happened and while we acknowledge the court’s decision, no sentence can reflect what we have lost.

“We can only hope that this case serves as a warning to others that ignoring health and safety has irreversible consequences.”

During the course of the HSE investigation, other concerns were identified, including unsafe mini-digger use and a failure to stop members of the public entering the site, indicating broader failings in Hill’s approach to managing health and safety.

The investigation also found no assessment to determine whether asbestos was present. Corrugated concrete sheets being snapped and removed by hand were later found to be made from asbestos cement – a material commonly found in buildings constructed before 2000. There were three other workers on site who were at risk of exposure to fibres as the sheets were handed down to them, as well as the family whose garage was being worked on.

Before any demolition or refurbishment work begins, dutyholders must assess whether asbestos is present and plan how work will be carried out safely. See Asbestos Essentials Task sheets for step-by-step instructions.

Jason Hill, of Ashford, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Staines Magistrates Court on 30 January 2026. He was immediately jailed for a period of 12 months. No costs were awarded.

HSE Inspector Jennifer Lester said: “Jason Hill’s failure to put in place basic safety measures has cost a young man his life.

“The fact he has been sent to prison demonstrates just how seriously this has been taken.

“Working at height remains one of the most well‑known and significant causes of death and injury in construction, and simple, recognised precautions would have protected Thomas Neate from harm.

“Even small contractors and individuals working on domestic projects have a legal duty to ensure the safety of workers and members of the public.

“Failing to take these precautions can have devasting consequences, as this tragic incident starkly demonstrates. Our thoughts are with Tom’s family and friends as they mourn their loss”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.
5. The HSE campaign “Asbestos and You” reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it.

• Employees exposed to asbestos risk during dismantling of wall panelling.
• Asbestos had not been identified in previous surveys of the studio buildings.
• HSE investigation found failures in assessment, training and emergency arrangements.

A film studio in Hertfordshire has been fined £6,000 after poor management of minor building works led to the disturbance of asbestos – putting employees at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Maintenance staff at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood had been asked to remove acoustic wall panelling from one of the studio buildings in preparation for the replacement of the studio doors by an external contractor.

Employees were told that no asbestos was present and began dismantling the panels using claw hammers and crowbars on 22 July 2022.

Shortly after starting work, one employee identified a layer of insulation that he believed to be asbestos and immediately stopped. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of asbestos – Amosite/Chrysotile and Crocidolite – which required licensed removal.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that neither the studio’s asbestos management surveys nor the specific refurbishment surveys had considered the wall surfaces within stages 7, 8, and 9.

As a result, the acoustic wall panelling dismantled by employees fell outside the scope of any assessment. The investigation also identified failings in training and inadequate emergency arrangements to deal with asbestos disturbance.

HSE guidance states that employers must not undertake work liable to expose people to asbestos unless a suitable assessment has been carried out and a proper plan is in place. This often includes the use of licensed contractors with appropriate controls to manage the risks.

Elstree Film Studios Limited, of Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5, 10 and 15 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,790 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025. All sums are to be paid within seven days.

HSE Inspector Stephen Manley said:

“Poor management of asbestos can lead to workers being exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos. Those in control of buildings must ensure they have a suitable assessment in place, and those undertaking intrusive work should be provided with appropriate information – which, for this type of work, will often require a specific localised survey by a competent person.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and Paralegal Officer Helen Hugo.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found at Asbestos – HSE
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today launched a consultation on proposals to improve the application of the Control of Asbestos Regulations and guidance around asbestos management to help protect workers and building users.

Great Britain already has one of the best workplace health and safety performances globally, with some of the lowest rates of occupational injury and fatality in Europe. These proposals build on this strong foundation to enhance protections in areas where asbestos remains a significant health risk.

The consultation aims to seek stakeholders’ views on three proposals:

1. To ensure the independence and impartiality of roles in the four-stage clearance process to further minimise the risk of exposure from asbestos to workers and building users after the removal of asbestos
2. To drive up the standard of asbestos surveys to ensure dutyholders have the information they need to safely manage asbestos risks
3. To clarify the type of work that constitutes work with asbestos known as Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW)

The consultation is particularly relevant to dutyholders, asbestos analysts, asbestos removal contractors, asbestos surveyors, and associated professions including facilities management and construction.

Rick Brunt, Director of Engagement and Policy at HSE, said:

“Asbestos continues to be a significant risk to workers in Great Britain. While we have made significant progress in managing asbestos risks, these proposals represent an important step towards further strengthening protections for workers and the public.

“We want to hear from all stakeholders involved in the asbestos regulatory system to ensure our approach is both effective and proportionate, supporting HSE’s commitment to protecting people and places whilst enabling innovation and economic growth.”

Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said:

“The dangers of exposure to asbestos are well known. Its legacy is that it remains the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK — responsible for 5,000-plus deaths per year, with many more people living with the impact of asbestos-related disease.

“In Britain we have a mature and well-established approach to the management of asbestos in buildings: the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and other regulators.

“This consultation aims to improve these regulations and enhance worker and public protection from asbestos exposure.”

The consultation runs until 9 January 2026. The full consultation document, including detailed proposals, background information and how to respond, is available on the HSE website at:

https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/hse/proposals-control-of-asbestos-regs-2012.

A team of inspectors from Britain’s workplace regulator are heading to Manchester city centre as part of its priority to tackle ill-health on construction sites.

The 12 inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will head to the city next Tuesday (21 October). They will turn up without warning at various businesses and sites to look at their management of health and safety risks, with particular emphasis on the following:

• Asbestos
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Noise
• Health surveillance
• Dust

These inspections in Manchester are part of 14,000 HSE is completing nationwide during the current financial year, with around 8,000 of those focusing on health.

HSE principal inspector Kevin Jones, one of those leading the team, said: “We’ll be checking that businesses have the right measures in place to ensure health risks are being managed and that workers are being kept safe.

“Manchester is home to some of the biggest construction projects in the country, however all sizes of sites will be inspected.

“By its nature, construction is a high hazard industry. It can be noisy and dusty, with people often working at height and around heavy machinery and vehicles.”

The construction industry has higher-than-average rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injury rates. Previous HSE inspections around Great Britain have also found that three-quarters of noisy workplaces lacked essential knowledge on maintaining hearing protection equipment. Workers in skilled trades are also at particular risk of discovering and disturbing asbestos when working on properties built before 2000.

“These inspections are really important in HSE’s mission to protect people at work,” Kevin Jones added.

“As well as checking on companies, we want to work with them, explaining what they should be doing to get everything right.

“We hope that our presence in the city next week will reassure both the public and those working in the industry, that we will do all we can to ensure people go home safely at the end of the day.

“We need to see that there are good control measures in place and that the health and safety of workers is at the top of the agenda for everyone.

“We look forward to working with site managers and employers to ensure they are doing what’s required.”

More information on what employers should be doing can be found at www.hse.gov.uk.

HSE’s campaign site also has simple, practical advice available for:

• Tradespeople: Asbestos & You
• Those with the duty to manage asbestos in buildings: Asbestos – Your Duty

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

A Manchester-based construction company has been fined after workers were put at risk of exposure to asbestos.

A1 Property Maintenance Management Limited was acting as the principal contractor during work at the former Unicorn Public House on Liverpool Road, Eccles, Greater Manchester.

During a routine inspection to the site on 16 May 2022, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector discovered that 12 square metres of asbestos insulating board (AIB) had been present in a dumb waiter lift shaft – but had already been illegally removed by unknown individuals.  This led to the inspector issuing a prohibition notice stopping all work on site until an asbestos survey had been completed.

Previously, after noticing the pub door had been broken into, a site worker had entered the building, where they discovered what appeared to be asbestos debris in the area around the lift shaft. The debris was later wrapped and removed by a licensed asbestos removal contractor.

However, A1 Property Maintenance Management Limited failed to carry out a full asbestos survey to confirm that all asbestos-containing materials had been removed before allowing further construction work to take place.

HSE’s has two campaigns “Asbestos and You” and “Asbestos Your Duty” reminding tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it, also to reach those responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings.

The regulator also provides comprehensive guidance for workers and employers about working safely with asbestos on its website. This includes information on how to identify asbestos, what to do if you find it, and the appropriate safety measures needed when working with or around asbestos-containing materials. Workers in trades such as construction, maintenance, demolition and installation are particularly at risk and should ensure they have appropriate training before starting work that might disturb asbestos.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(6) of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. It was fined £5,360 and ordered to pay £5,117 in costs at a hearing at Tameside Magistrates’ Court on 30 July 2025.

Speaking after the hearing, a HSE spokesperson said:
“This was a serious incident and put those working in the building at risk of being exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos.
“Duty holders are reminded of the need to review without delay an asbestos assessment if there has been a significant change in the premises to which the assessment relates.”

The prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Sam Crockett and paralegal Hannah Snelling.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.
5. HSE Asbestos guidance can be found here.