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A letting agent based in Cardiff has been fined after a handyman was exposed to asbestos while working on a client's property.
The self-employed handyman had been regularly carrying out work on properties managed by the letting firm including a property in Sully which needed repairs on a leaky porch roof.
As the man was removing a sheet of material from the damaged roof, he realised it was asbestos-containing insulation board.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the handyman had not been given any indication that asbestos was present in the property and no risk assessment had been carried out.
Barry Magistrates' Court heard that the removal of the panel and the clearing up of the debris would have resulted in a substantial release of asbestos fibres into the air.
The handyman had been wearing two dust masks while removing the board, but fibres could still have contaminated his hair, skin and clothing and could easily have been inhaled during the process.
When asbestos fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma which is known to be fatal.
As a result of the asbestos exposure, the letting agency was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £2,500 in court costs.
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