Liverpool City Council is sending almost 800 staff on an asestos awareness awareness training course after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report declared the Council's current training 'inadequate', reports the Liverpool Daily Post.
Over £250,000 has been paid out for asbestos-related claims over the past 18 months and there are fears that more claims could be filed as a result of the poor information and training supplied by the council.
Opposition leader Cllr Anderson said:
"It's important people are properly trained to deal with dangerous substances like asbestos. This is simply not acceptable. Reassurances need to be given to the workforce that they have not been left in danger.
"All employers have a duty of care and it seems that Liverpool City Council is failing in that duty and responsibility to adequately protect its staff.
"That is a very worrying concern."
A council spokesman said:
"Because we take the safety of our staff seriously, we also used it as an opportunity to provide further training around issues such as fire awareness and legionella.
"This is now almost complete."