‘Deadly legacy’ warning as asbestos victims get £250,000 payout

Nov 14 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

MORE than £250,000 has been paid out in asbestos compensation claims by Liverpool City Council in the past 18 months, the Daily Post can reveal.

The pay-outs relate to four claims dating back as far as the 1960s, but it has raised concerns that the council may have left itself vulnerable to a raft of future claims because it was providing “inadequate” infor-mation and training regarding asbestos management.

Yesterday, the Daily Post reported the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had issued an enforcement notice to the council demanding it gives proper training on asbestos to staff that manage buildings.

It has led to almost 800 staff being fast-tracked on a training course on how to properly manage asbestos.

Last night a city solicitor who specialises in asbestos claims said local authorities needed to have in place adequate safeguards or there could be “a deadly legacy for the future”.

Labour leader Joe Anderson warned that the £250,000 could be the “tip-of-the-iceberg” in relation to claims that could come in future.

The council said four claims related to a period of time when the understanding of the dangers of asbestos were not understood as well as today.

“Clearly it is difficult to speculate about the number or impact of future claims that the city council may have to respond to,” added a spokesman.

The council disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act that between April 2006 and March 2007 the council paid out a total of £70,000 for two claims.

One from a joiner and the other a boilerman, they related to exposure pre 1960 and from 1963 to 1969, respectively.

Since April the council has paid out £184,700 in respect of two claims, from joiners. These claims related to expo-sure from 1963 to 1969 and 1972 to 1974.

Kevin Johnson, of John Pickering solicitors, who is dealing with a number of claims relating to the council, said: “If they have not been adequately implementing regulations, and as a result people are being exposed, it does raise concerns.

“Large organisations like local authorities, who have faced claims in the past, certain-ly know about the dangers.

“It’s a concern if it’s the case that they have not been taking reasonable steps to protect the work force. I think the message is that if adequate safeguards have not been taken it could be a deadly legacy for the future.”

He has a number of cases ongoing with the council and said some result in six-figure pay-outs.

The council spokesman said: “We take great care to protect our workforce and the public and had taken steps to minimise the impact of asbestos long before the improvement notice was issued by the HSE. We responded promptly to their concerns and have almost com-pleted that training programme.

davidbartlett@dailypost.co.uk