Council ‘failing in duty of care’ to staff over hazardous asbestos
Nov 13 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post
ALMOST 800 staff are being fast-tracked on an asbestos training programme at Liverpool City Council, it emerged last night.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued the authority an improvement notice because the council was providing “inadequate” information and training regarding the management of asbestos to staff.
The council has been forced to enlist the help of experts Zurich Municipal to create a course on how to manage the dangerous substance and implement-ing it has cost £100,000.
It is the second enforce-ment notice from the HSE that the council is dealing with. Last month the council had been told to improve its occupational health service or face legal action.
Last night Labour opposi-tion leader Cllr Joe Ander-son said he was worried the authority was failing in its duty of care to employees. He said it was “simply not acceptable”.
The HSE issued the asbestos warning in May and since then the council identified 778 employees who needed the asbestos training. The staff manage around 500 buildings across the city including leisure centres, libraries and schools.
They have been sent on a one-day training course on asbestos management, which also covered Legion-ella, fire risk assessment and the control of contractors.
The council has been forced to apply for an extension notice, until December 14, because there are still about 70 people waiting to take the course.
The council also has until December 14 to conduct an assessment relating to the other enforcement notice.
HSE inspectors found the authority was not carrying out regular checks or screening to protect the health of its staff.
The council is required to produce an action plan detailing how it will deal with deficiencies to the HSE by January 25. It will have to explain how it will deal with people at risk of hazards.
Cllr Anderson said: “It’s important people are prop-erly trained to deal with dangerous substances like asbestos. This is simply not acceptable. Reassurances need to be given to the workforce that they have not been left in danger.
“All employers have a duty of care and it seems that Liverpool City Council is failing in that duty and responsibility to adequately protect its staff.
“That is a very worrying concern.”
A council spokesman said: “Because we take the safety of our staff seriously, we also used it as an opportunity to provide further training around issues such as fire awareness and legionella.
“This is now almost complete.”
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