Company fined $100,000 for unsafe asbestos removal during house demolition

Company ignored safety regulations and previous warnings

A demolition company in Queensland has been fined $100,000 and convicted for tearing down two houses in suburban Brisbane without safely removing asbestos sheeting. The company had previously breached the asbestos laws and was not licensed to do demolition work involving asbestos.

Excavator released dangerous asbestos dust into the air

The company used an excavator to demolish the houses, breaking the asbestos sheeting and releasing asbestos dust into the air. The dust poses a serious health risk if inhaled, and the company left asbestos debris around both yards. The property owners had to engage alternate demolishers and licensed asbestos removalists to undertake remediation work at a cost of $16,500 and $22,770 respectively.

Court outcomes

Magistrate Joseph Pinder in the Brisbane Magistrate Court said the company had shown no mitigating circumstances and a fine of $100,000 was modest for the offences. He said the company had demonstrated a complete disregard for the law and public health. He also recorded a conviction against the company, which could affect its future business prospects.

Asbestos materials must be handled by licensed professionals

It is vital that safe work procedures are in place for any work involving asbestos materials and companies must manage all health risks to their workers and to the public. Companies demolishing or removing asbestos materials as part of their business must be licensed.

Find out more about this ruling by reading the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor’s court report.

Learn more about working with asbestos safely at asbestos.qld.gov.au.

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Sources

Company fined $100,000 over unsafe house demolition by AIHS, 7th February, 2024.

Hefty fine for house demolition with complete disregard for asbestos laws by WorkSafe QLD, 10th January, 2024

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