Supervisor fined over asbestos exposure at school
HSEA building site supervisor has been fined after primary school pupils and staff were exposed to asbestos during renovations.
Adrian Barraclough, 54, of Green Lane, Frome, oversaw the refurbishment of kitchen facilities at Holy Family Catholic Primary School, in Patchway, Bristol, in 2023.
On 13 May, he cut through asbestos insulation with a saw, causing harmful fibres to spread through the school hall for two days while in use by pupils and staff, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.
Barraclough pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Bristol Magistrates' Court. On Thursday, he was ordered to pay a total of £6,520.
He was fined £1,800 and ordered to pay a £720 victim surcharge and £4,000 in costs.
An investigation by the HSE found the supervisor had failed to follow his training and had ignored instructions not to disturb the wall.
HSE inspector Ian Whittles said: "Every year around 5,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases, often taking decades to develop symptoms.
"In this case, wholly unacceptable exposure to asbestos fibres occurred as a result of an individual employee not following instructions and procedures designed to prevent such occurrences."
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