World Care (Wales) pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £8,867 in costs at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on 6 July 2026.
The company will pay the fine and costs over a 16-month period.
The prosecution followed a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into conditions at the company’s waste and recycling site in North Wales.
HSE inspector James Benton said: “The health risks from exposure to material containing asbestos is well known yet this company wasn’t providing the appropriate facilities for workers to protect themselves.”
‘Repeatedly failed to provide adequate welfare facilities’
Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard that employees at the site were required to sort waste and recyclable materials by hand but were not provided with adequate welfare facilities to clean themselves afterwards.
A routine HSE inspection found the company had failed to provide warm running water, soap and suitable hand-drying facilities for employees.
Inspectors also established that, despite at least one occasion where asbestos had been brought onto the site, employees had not received asbestos awareness training.
The HSE said asbestos should not be placed directly into standard bin bags or skips, adding that recent inspections across the industry have identified widespread non-compliance, particularly at asbestos landfill sites and facilities processing asbestos-contaminated soil.
Its investigation found World Care (Wales) had previously been subject to enforcement action on several occasions over an 11-year period.
On each occasion, inspectors identified failures to maintain minimum health and safety standards, with enforcement notices relating to welfare provision and employee training.
Benton added: “Basic welfare provision is essential to ensure that employees can clean themselves at work, to help prevent exposure to harmful microorganisms.
“After being told of the risks, this company repeatedly failed to provide adequate welfare facilities such as soap and running water, and failed to provide asbestos awareness training to employees.”
The HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.
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