A HAMPSHIRE firm has been fined £14,000 for exposing workers to lead during a building project.

Four Tees Engineering Ltd, based in Fareham, along with a Surrey-based civil engineering firm have been prosecuted for breaches of health and safety during refurbishment work on the Nab Tower in the Solent.

Russell Leggett, from Bassett, and Robert Peach, from Hamble-le-Rice, required hospital treatment after inhaling dust and fumes when steel coated in lead paint was cut into and removed from the structure in July 2013.

Blood tests showed traces of lead was far above safe levels - and was almost double the acceptable standard in Mr Leggett's case.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified failings with control measures surrounding this work.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard today that Surrey-based Bam Nuttall was responsible for the project to remove weathered steel from the Nab Tower, a former military control installation.

It involved removing sections of steel using industrial torches, a job that was sub-contracted to fabrication firm Four Tees, with workers from both companies involved.

Despite knowing the steel was coated in lead paint, Bam Nuttall failed to assess the need for control measures against lead exposure.

HSE established that Four Tees was equally culpable because it too overlooked suitable control measures, and also failed to ensure its employees had suitable medical surveillance whilst working with a potentially harmful substance, which can permanently damage vital nerves and organs.

Inspectors concluded there was little in place to stop the spread of lead dust and contamination.

Russell and Robert, whose blood tested positive, were both employed by Four Tees.

Robert had a reading of 97 and Russell 110 against a safe level of 60.

Three Bam Nuttall workers were also exposed and put at risk, although their tests proved inconclusive.

After the incident, strict rules were implemented to create 'clean' and 'dirty' areas where decontamination was required before transferring from one to the other.

Workers were also given better face masks and regular medical surveillance.

Four Tees Engineering Ltd, of Dewer Close, Segensworth West, was fined £14,000 with £2,081 costs for single breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Control of Lead at Work Regulations.

Bam Nuttall, of Camberley, Surrey, was fined a total of £56,000 and ordered to pay £6,165 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and two breaches of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

Both had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

After the hearing HSE inspector Andrew Moore said: “The Nab Tower exposure was serious, and demonstrates the need to properly assess and guard against potential inhalation of lead fumes and dust.

“The paint coating the steel was known to contain lead and it should have been handled with care from day one. Instead both companies allowed a number of unsafe practices, including eating, drinking and smoking, to continue unchallenged at the site that fuelled potential contamination.

“Not that the workers would have known because there was no surveillance in place to monitor levels of lead in their blood and flag when the exposure had occurred.

“Duty holders should always err on the side of caution when cutting, stripping or grinding painted material and assume it contains lead unless there is good evidence to prove otherwise. That means having adequate decontamination, surveillance and other control measures in place.”

Phil Cullen, Director of Health and Safety for BAM Nuttall, said: “BAM Nuttall Ltd regrets the incident at Nab Tower where two subcontractors were found to have blood levels above the legal limit.

“Once the situation was recognised work was immediately stopped and swift and effective action taken and both men received prompt medical attention.

“This was completed before the HSE attended the site. Lessons have been learnt and communicated across the company."

Four Tees Engineering declined to comment.