Asbestos Litigation

A UK retailer and two of the contractors it hired to carry out a renovation project were recently accused of exposing workers and customers to asbestos.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain's federal work safety authority, alleges that Marks & Spencer and its contractors committed asbestos violations during a re-vamping project that took place from 2004 to 2006, according to the BBC.

During a trial, it was alleged that three Marks & Spencer stores have asbestos-containing ceilings. The HSE accused the retailer of not closing enough floor space at one of these locations while work was being completed.

This allegedly led to asbestos fibers being released into the air in an area where customers could have conceivably inhaled them. The inhalation of these fibers has been connected to a number of serious diseases such as malignant mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

Prosecutor Richard Matthews said that the retailer could have taken steps to ensure that this potential exposure didn't occur.

"Marks & Spencer had a duty to make sure asbestos did not take those working in the store by surprise," he said. "If that meant making the store unsightly to customers or interfering with their shopping experience then so be it - better an unattractive store in the short term than the risk of anything else in the long term."