A council employee who worked in an asbestos contaminated council basement has said his life was put at risk ‘for the sake of getting a job done’.
Father-of-three, Kenneth Moore, 48, worked in the basement print room of Walthamstow town hall in Forest Road for three years.
On Monday, Waltham Forest council pleaded guilty in court to four counts of breaching health and safety regulations over failing to protect their staff from exposure to asbestos.
At Westminster Magistrates Court it was revealed the council were made aware of asbestos presence in the basement in 2002.
No further checks were carried out.
Some time later, the asbestos had been disturbed and staff exposed to all three types, including cancer-causing dust.
In 2012, Nick Tiratsoo from Leytonstone submitted a Freedom of Information Act request but was refused permission to view the documents as they were contaminated.
He contacted the Health and Safety Executive and an investigation was carried out.
Deadly asbestos dust was found all over the basement, even behind skirting boards in the corridors.
Mr Moore worked in the basement print room between 2009 and 2012.
“It was like a scene out of the X Files. I came into work on the Monday morning and I was told we were not allowed to go into the basement,” he said.
“There was a big plastic sheet covering the entrance, covering everything.
“There were men in protective suits waling back and forth.
“We were told we may as well forget about anything we had left down there- we would not be seeing it again.”
The former reprographics supervisor worked alongside two others in the print room.
At first Mr Moore worked full time but his hours were cut to part time.
In mitigation the council said the rooms were not used at all times but the HSE and the judge disputed this.
Mr Moore, who now lives in Newham, believes the authority showed absolutely no regard for the life of him or his colleagues.
He also said it was played down when it was revealed to staff.
“It was quite some time before they told us the reason. They said it was possible we could have been exposed to traces of asbestos,” he added.
“I went to my GP to be checked and I am still concerned to this day, I always will be.
“I run and exercise more because of it, but if I have got it, it is a silent killer.
“When I read up on it I was shocked. It is like they really did not care about their employees.
“They were putting our lives at risk every day to get the job done. It is criminal.”
The council will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on February 2.
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