Lewisham Council has been informed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that an asbestos improvement notice has been fully complied with, marking the closure of a minor notice that also resulted in a fine for the council.
The notice was issued following an inspection in March 2024, where an HSE inspector visited random sites across the borough focusing on asbestos and legionella. While the council possessed the necessary information regarding asbestos management, the inspector requested it be consolidated into a single Asbestos Management Plan. Additionally, the inspector highlighted the need for site responsible persons to be adequately aware, trained, and informed of their duties.
This confirmation of compliance was shared during a recent Health and Safety Committee meeting, where Richard Benjamin, Head of Assurance, presented an update on health and safety matters. The committee was informed that the HSE inspector had requested evidence of remedial actions, which the council subsequently provided.
To address the HSE's concerns, Lewisham Council completed the Asbestos Management Plan as recommended. The Corporate Health and Safety Manager also collaborated with HR to ensure that records and understanding of the HSE responsible persons' training were in place. Furthermore, meetings were held with every responsible person across the borough to discuss their training.
The HSE inspector recorded the improvement notice as complied with on the public register. Further details regarding this specific notice can be found on the HSE's public register at https://resources.hse.gov.uk/notices/notices/notice_details.asp?SF=CN&SV=315144014. The specific information contained within the public register beyond the compliance status is not detailed.
The update on health and safety matters was presented as part of the Health and Safety Committee's agenda, which can be viewed in the Public reports pack.
