Egg Carton Manufacturer Sued Over Asbestos Violation -- MesoLink.org -- 02-21-06

A UK company has been fined 50,000 GBP over asbestos violations. The egg carton manufacturing company was fined by a UK court after pleading guilty to violating of several sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Omni-Pac UK was investigated by officials from the Health and Safety Executive, and it was revealed that there were high levels of asbestos in the air at one of the company’s sites. It was confirmed that poorly maintained asbestos insulation was the main cause of the contamination.

One investigating officer stated: "Omni-Pac failed to maintain the asbestos-containing materials throughout the site, particularly in those areas at high level that were not readily visible. The company failed to adhere to its own procedures and, consequently, people could have been exposed asbestos over a long period of time."

He added: "Breathing in asbestos fibers can lead to serious diseases, including cancer. This case demonstrates that HSE takes the failure to properly manage the risks from asbestos extremely seriously. Businesses need to ensure that they are complying with the law."