Brighton company director fined in asbestos case

A company director from Kemp Town has been fined over the demolition of a building containing asbestos.

Brian Marshall, of Rock Grove, Brighton, told a worker to dismantle the building with an excavator even though no checks for asbestos had been carried out.

Marshall, 44, managing director of Supply on Demand Ltd, admitted breaking the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 when he appeared before Brighton magistrates.

The court was told that materials containing asbestos were disturbed during the demolition.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that he had been told about his duty to manage asbestos by Lewes District Council in September 2008.

He even obtained a quote in February last year for an asbestos refurbishment survey on another project near by.

After the case, HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: “Asbestos can be difficult to identify unless you are trained and competent to do so.

“Before any demolition or dismantling work starts, an assessment must be carried out to establish whether asbestos is present.

“A survey will tell you whether asbestos is present and what to do about it.

“Mr Marshall was well aware of the need to carry out an asbestos survey but decided to carry on without one.

“This is a shocking case of a director who did know better simply ignoring the law.“Up to 4,000 people a year die from asbestos-related diseases.

“The HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those like Mr Marshall who flout the law.”

The dangerous demolition was carried out between Saturday 7 May and Friday 20 May last year.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday (11 June) Marshall was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.