Asbestos fine

Leading hotel chain Britannia Hotels was fined £160,000 with costs after pleading guilty to two separate breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Britannia failed to ensure a comprehensive asbestos evaluation was carried out prior to construction staff refurbishing a wing of The Grand Burstin Hotel, Folkestone, between February and July 2010.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that an asbestos surveyor called to the Folkestone site found that asbestos was rife in the building’s eaves. He also found asbestos on the second floor which was likely to be associated with the removal of walls and ceilings as part of the refurbishment.

A licensed asbestos contractor had to be called in to remove the material and seal off the contaminated area to stop fibres spreading to other parts of the hotel.