Asbestos negligence during refurb earns building owner six months in prison

​A Manchester-based businessman has been given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after failing to survey a property for asbestos before starting major refurbishment work.
The HSE carried out a routine inspection which found the property owner didn’t check whether asbestos was present before carrying out the required work. 

​The HSE undertook a survey following the inspection and found asbestos, some of which was in poor condition.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court was told on 9 October 2018 that the businessman had failed to identify the risks and did not use measures to prevent asbestos exposure. In addition to the prison sentence, the property owner was sentenced to 250 community service hours and was ordered to pay £5,742 costs.