Five workers were potentially exposed to deadly asbestos fibres while removing old shop fittings at the Arndale Centre in Manchester.
The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd after the company ignored a report stating that asbestos was present in the shop.
Two of the company's workers were potentially exposed to the deadly fibres in October 2009 after spending five days ripping out shop fittings before they discovered asbestos had been used in some of the ceiling panels. As well as the workers, three management staff from the Arndale Centre were also potentially exposed after they carried out routine checks on the work at the shop.
Eastern Regional Shopfitters was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,215 after admitting three breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and one of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Mark Green, 45 from Cambridge, was one of the two shop fitters to be exposed to asbestos fibres. He said: "It plays on my mind. I am more aware of the possibility I may become ill and that my life has unwittingly been put on the line. I hope that companies in the construction industry, no matter what their size, now begin to take asbestos more seriously. They should put everyone who works for them on asbestos awareness courses because workers need to be more aware."
Mr Green concluded: "When I go on a job now, the first question I ask is 'Have you done an asbestos report?' and then, if it is present, 'What will your actions be?'."
Tom Merry, the investigating inspector at HSE, said: "Eastern Regional Shopfitters knew asbestos was present in the shop but it didnÃt inform its workers and it didnÃt ensure it was dealt with safely. Abestos only becomes a risk if it is disturbed so the shop fitters could have worked safely if they knew where the asbestos was. It should either have been sealed or removed by a licensed contractor before the work started."
Inspector Merry concluded: "Five people now have to live with the knowledge that they may become ill with a life-threatening lung disease. Shop fitting and property maintenance companies must treat the risks from asbestos seriously so more lives arenÃt put in danger in the future."
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