Director jailed

Cavendish Winchester Ltd director Stephen Davies was jailed for eight months after failing to protect workers from exposure to asbestos at a student development project in Winchester. The HSE reported that he had set up the company with the sole purpose of refurbishing a commercial unit into student rental accommodation. His co-director Neil Bolton was given a four-month suspended sentence at Southampton Crown Court and the company was fined £30,000.

An HSE investigation found the company removed an estimated 10 tonnes of asbestos insulating board during the refurbishment. Workers who were unqualified to do the job and unaware of the risks to their health stripped out the dangerous material.

Two current HSE campaigns focus on improving knowledge of the dangers of asbestos and what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves.