A Health and Safety Executive Inspector has warned construction firms to ensure paper work is "fully implement", after a Ligoniel demolition business received a hefty court fine.

Appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Gabriel Kane, trading as Northside Demolition was fined £4,000 plus £74 costs after pleading guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation following the investigation of a complaint from a member of the public concerned about the demolition of the former Windowglaze Factory at Mill Avenue, Ligoniel, Belfast on 26 April 2005.

During the demolition activity the removal of asbestos cement sheeting had not been dealt with in accordance with best practice.

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A Prohibition Notice was served stopping the work. The method statement prepared by Northside Demolition was not implemented nor was the Prohibition Notice complied with.

The Principal Contractor for this project, BR Construction Limited, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 24 June 2008 to breaches of health and safety legislation and was fined £1,000.

Following the hearing, Ken Logan, Principal Construction Inspector (HSENI) said: "This incident highlighted the lack of effective supervision and planning.

"The Sub-contractor failed to implement his own method statement. The Principal Contractor failed to ensure that a Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan was in place.

"The Construction Industry must not only ensure that the paperwork, which is evidence of effective planning, is in place but that it is fully implemented."

"This is the second prosecution of Gabriel Kane, trading as Northside Demolition in the past nine months for failing to deal with asbestos cement products properly which is not acceptable," added Mr Logan.

(PR)