After employees were exposed to potentially fatal asbestos at an industrial site in Devon, a Manchester welding company and a national dairy company have been fined.

Asbestos dust and fibres were released in May 2010 during work to remove industrial boilers, associated fixed pipework and a boiler house at a redundant Dairy Crest site near Totnes railway station.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) established that Rochdale Electric Welding Company (REWCO) began the work on 24 May without carrying out sufficient enquiries to determine whether asbestos was present. In addition, Dairy Crest had carried out a suitable survey for asbestos material some years previously, but failed to pass on this report.

The dangerous material remained exposed until a clean-up operation commenced two days later.

Both companies were prosecuted on Friday 13 September after HSE identified failings with the planning of the job and a lack of training for workers involved.

Dairy Crest was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay a further £22,214 in costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 in its capacity as the main duty holder for the site.

REWCO of Middleton, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the same legislation for its role in undertaking the work. The company was fined a total of £8,000 with £13,786 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Lee said: "This was a very serious incident that could severely impact on the future health of the employees who worked with and near the asbestos. Both Dairy Crest and Rochdale Electric Welding Company committed safety failings that led to them being needlessly exposed to dangerous dust and fibres.

"There were clear failings by both companies to identify and properly manage and control the asbestos containing material before work started, and to provide appropriate protection for workers when it did.

"Regulations on dealing safely with asbestos have been in place for many years and are widely known in the industry. This totally needless incident would not have happened if Dairy Crest had provided Rochdale Electric Welding Company with the results of its asbestos survey and if Rochdale Electric Welding Company had carried out proper enquiries before commencing work at the site."

Further information on how to reduce the risk of asbestos can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos.