Rochefort Shugar Ltd. has been sentenced after a handyman was exposed to asbestos-containing material while carrying out work on a client's property.
A self-employed handyman from Cardiff, regularly carried out work on properties managed by Rochefort Shugar Ltd. and on 15 October 2010 was sent to a domestic property in Sully to fix a leaking porch roof.
As he was removing a sheet of material from the underside panel of the damaged roof, he realised it was asbestos-containing insulation board. The sheet was broken during removal and the surrounding area was contaminated with asbestos debris.
The HSE investigation found the handyman had not been given any indication asbestos was present in the property, no risk assessment was carried out or method statement compiled, and Rochefort Shugar made no attempt to ensure he was competent to identify or work with asbestos.
A licensed asbestos contractor was later called in to decontaminate the area, to ensure no further people were put at risk of exposure to the substance.
The company, of Tudor House, 16 Cathedral Road, Cardiff was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £1,500 and with £2,500 costs.