Aberdeen council bosses will have to shell out more than £20,000 on training staff after breaching health and safety law in their handling of an asbestos discovery at a city school.
A new report has revealed that as well as paying the £838.50 for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation – and with further costs potentially pending – they also plan on implementing “bespoke asbestos training” at the cost of £23,000 after the incident at Bridge of Don Academy.
The body launched a probe after it emerged 25 members of staff were allowed into the school after potentially deadly asbestos was found during works last July.
An apprentice joiner working at the school discovered the substance behind an insulation board and informed his supervisor, who had it wrapped in plastic and left beside a skip.
A further piece of board – still above the door and intact – was covered using a ceiling tile and cardboard.
But no action was taken to seal off the area and it was five days before a sample was taken.
Members of the council’s staff governance committee, which includes members of trade unions, will meet next week to discuss the findings.
The report reads: “There have been two invoices received to date, totalling £838.50, which is equivalent to 6.5 hours of HSE time spent on the investigation.
“The HSE inspector has advised that further invoices will be raised in respect of this incident investigation, but the exact amounts were not available to them at this time.
“The bespoke asbestos training provided to frontline services will cost £23,000 which will be met from existing training budgets.”
