Site Supervisor Fined £6.5K for Exposing Bristol School to Asbestos

The Ministry of Education is implementing a new accredited supplier list by September 2025 to improve asbestos exposure assessment and clean-up in schools, aiming to eliminate poor practices and ensure qualified workers handle asbestos work safely. This follows past issues where inadequate asbestos management led to unnecessary exposure and costly remediation. In a related case in Bristol, Adrian Barraclough, a construction site supervisor, was fined £6,520 after exposing primary school pupils and staff to asbestos during kitchen renovations by cutting through asbestos insulation, ignoring his asbestos awareness training. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlighted the dangers of asbestos, which causes around 5,000 deaths annually, and emphasized the importance of following safety protocols to prevent such exposures. The HSE runs campaigns and provides guidance to tradespeople and building maintenance personnel on asbestos safety. These developments underscore ongoing efforts to prevent asbestos-related health risks in school environments through stricter regulation, enforcement, and education.