Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) has been fined £6,500 plus costs of £1,500 at Laganside Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to two breaches of health and safety regulations.

The case arose following an investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) into an incident which occurred at the Royal Victoria Hospital during February 2011.

Several construction workers and a BHSCT employee were potentially exposed to asbestos during the replacement of switchboards and cabling in the basement area of the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children and Out Patients Department.

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The BHSCT had previously carried out asbestos surveys of the basement area which was known to contain asbestos in the form of thermal insulation debris on the floor and pipes but this information was not passed on to those involved in the construction project.

After the hearing, Dale Shirlow, an Inspector with HSENI’s Major Investigation Team said: "The dangers posed by the presence of asbestos are clear. There is no known ‘safe limit’ and it is often many years after exposure before asbestos-related diseases appear – so it is important that exposure to asbestos fibres is kept to an absolute minimum.

"Belfast Health and Social Care Trust failed in its duty to properly manage the risks of asbestos in its premises and as a result at least one employee and several external contractors have potentially been exposed to harmful fibres."

(CD/MH)