Sponsored by
£130,000 payout
over asbestos link
A COUNCIL has paid £130,00 to employees who have come into contact with potentially deadly asbestos.
And there are still two cases pending for Hartlepool Borough Council.
The claims relate to asbestos found in the town’s schools, council buildings and offices.
Details of the claimants and the exact amounts paid out in each claim have not been disclosed due to rules of confidentiality.
The facts were obtained by the Mail under the Freedom of Information Act.
Councillor John Marshall, who represents the St Hilda ward, told the Mail: “As an authority, we should be making a very big effort to eradicate asbestos from every building that we are in control of, so we don’t put people at risk.
“That would make sure people’s health is not put in jeopardy.”
Coun Marshall said 130,000 is a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money, but he stressed it is not the council who govern the amount paid in claims.
He said asbestos problems need to be eradicated and then there won’t be any claims made.
A council spokesman said: “We have paid compensation on five occasions, totalling 130,000, where it was claimed that asbestos contributed to people’s ill health. These claims date back several years. We also have a further two cases that are pending.”
The spokesman said there are now extremely robust measures in place to protect employees and other people from the risk of asbestos and every authority building has been assessed to meet safety procedures.
“We have an inventory of where asbestos is located and no work is allowed to proceed where asbestos is located without the full knowledge and permission from our trained officers whose role it is to monitor asbestos,” the spokesman added.
All the claims were submitted between 1948 and 2001.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hartlepool
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
