Canberra Builder Under Investigation for Serious Breach of Health and Safety Laws
Guest Post
Followed by an incident of toxic substance handling in May, 2013, Canberra Builder is held under investigation by WorkSafe ACT, accused of serious breach of health and safety laws. According to Mike McCabe, Commissioner of WorkSafe ACT, the company is currently probed by their Serious Incidents Investigations team. If it is proven that Canberra Builder has committed a serious breach of Work Health and Safety Act, the case will end up into prosecution at court, followed by severe consequences. The director of the company might also turn up to jail.
The incident happened on May 2013, when the Thompson family, comprised of Justin and Erin Thompson, and their children, Sara and Dan, hired the Canberra Builder for renovating their bathroom. As reported by Canberra Times, the builder used angle grinders to cut through the bathroom asbestos, which caused the toxic fiber to spread across the house. The company wasn’t taking any safety measures before conducting the renovation, and the entire family was present during the time of asbestos handling.
Unknowingly, this caused the Thompson family to expose to toxic asbestos substance, which is considered extremely harmful for health. Prolonged inhalation of this toxic substance can cause serious health hazards such as lung cancer. Hence, it is mandatory for companies to take appropriate precautionary and safety measures at work to protect the health of the workers and anyone around. In fact, the European Union has banned the use of asbestos, and any builder who is being found guilty of a serious breach, will have their license cancelled and withdrawn.
The Canberra Builder is under investigation at WorkSafe Act, and if it is found that the company has been involved in working illegally with toxic substances such as asbestos, its business license will be immediately cancelled and withdrawn. The accusation is impending for Canberra Builders, and further worsens with the situation that a certain segment of the public has also been affected by exposure to asbestos during the incident. Hence, they too have the right to demand prosecution against the builder, particularly if it is proved that the company is guilty of breach of safety and health laws.
As alleged by a spokesperson for ACT Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate, any sort of work related to asbestos has to be conducted only under a licensed personnel. Moreover, the company must also have an asbestos control plan and an active building approval before starting with the process. On the contrary, Canberra Builder failed to have the necessary work safety measures during the time of renovating the bathroom of the Thompson family. This has caused them significant damage, both in terms of health and economics.
The Thompson had to abandon their home for about three weeks, with almost 120 of their personal items being damaged and contaminated due to exposure to asbestos. Moreover, they are prone to significant health hazards as well. The builder has refused to refund their $6000 as a deposit or to compensate the family for any loss. However, the investigation is ongoing and can lead to prosecution, severe fine, and even imprisonment on breach of health and safety laws.
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