The trust was up in Laganside Crown Court after pleading guilty to three breaches of health and safety regulations.
The case arose following an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) into an incident at Belfast City Hospital on 14 January 2011. Two construction workers had to remove a section of ceiling to access the floor above. The ceiling was constructed of asbestos insulation board (AIB).
The BHSCT had carried out asbestos surveys of its buildings and the estates building was known to contain asbestos but this information was not passed on to the maintenance contractors. A number of staff in key roles within BHSCT were not trained in the management of asbestos and did not have a sufficient grasp of how the risks should be managed.
Investigating inspector Hugh Moss said: "This case highlights the importance of not only having accurate and up-to-date asbestos surveys carried out, but also ensuring that this information is given to anyone who carries out work on premises which are known to contain asbestos. There is no such thing as a safe level of asbestos and cases like this should serve to remind tradesmen and those involved in maintenance activities that asbestos remains a significant danger to their health".
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