Asbestos claims have over the years become a serious topic and a large part of personal injury claims, particularly for employers. Mark & Spencer are now the latest brand to make the headlines around claims that asbestos was an issue at some of their store locations, Marble Arch and Reading, with evidence suggesting that stores were at risk for a number of years.

It has emerged that contractors working on the buildings were concerned about the exposure as far back as 1998 and reported this to senior managers. It was claimed that during renovations asbestos was left lying around. However, Steve Rowe a Marks & Spencer board member has said that when the company investigated these claims there was nothing serious to raise alarm levels and no staff member or member of the public was at risk. Despite this there are a number of other incidences where contractors were concerned about asbestos levels and its presence around Mark & Spencer staff.

The company was fined £1m in September 2011 for not properly considering the risks and for “turning a blind” eye. It is this new evidence about there being issues in the past that has sparked the interest in the story.

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