An NHS Trust which put staff at risk to exposure from asbestos for 11 years has been order to pay nearly £90,000 by a court.
The West Herts Hospital NHs trust has referred itself to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2011.
It pleaded guilty to health and safety failings. The judge criticised it for "very serious and persistent" failures and fined the trust £55,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £34,078.
Chief executive Samantha Jones, who joined the trust in 2013, said, "We have made significant changes in recent years on the way we manage and control asbestos across our hospitals, ensuring the risk of exposure is at the lowest possible level."
However, the HSE found prior to 2011, surveys into the presence of asbestos were deficient, the manager responsible was inadequately qualified, and training and record keeping were lacking.
The court heard no risk assessments were carried out either before or after their 2007 asbestos policy was introduced.
Prosecutor Adam Payter said none had developed an asbestos-related illness, but added there was "a real risk they may contract a disease in the future."
Passing sentence, the judge said, "Clearly, management and supervision was grossly inadequate in ensuring that the asbestos risk assessment policy was implemented.
"The failures admitted by the trust were very serious and were persistent [and meant] that wholly inadequate regard was had to the safety of their employees in the estates department, in particular."
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