Construction union UCATT has called for the sacking of the managing director of Carlisle Housing Association, after a BBC Programme revealed that its workers and tenants had been needlessly exposed to asbestos.

On Wednesday October 7 the BBC Inside Out North East programme revealed that workers and tenants of Carlisle Housing Association had potentially been exposed to harmful asbestos.

Problems included: workers drilling into asbestos being refused masks, a failure to supply the appropriate protective clothing, a failure to train the workforce and that the housing association was not safely disposing of hazardous materials.

When asked by the BBC interviewer why workers had been exposed to asbestos Patrick Leonard the Managing Director of Carlisle Housing Association, blamed them for the risks they faced. He said: "The employee has shared responsibility with the manager for health and safety... The responsibility is on both sides, it is shared responsibility."

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Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: "Patrick Leonard's comments are absolutely disgraceful. Workers and tenants are left fearing for their health and he has the audacity to try to absolve himself from blame. His position is entirely untenable and he must be replaced immediately."

Mr Ritchie added: "We are increasingly becoming aware that senior managers in housing associations, ALMO's and other privatised social housing organisations are prepared to risks workers lives during asbestos removal work. These problems would not occur under traditional local authority control."

Last month several senior managers at St Ledger Homes in Doncaster (the council's outsourced housing arm) were either sacked or suspended after it was found they had allowed unprotected contractors to remove asbestos from properties, potentially placing workers and council tenants at risk.

UCATT is also deeply concerned about the revelations that after complaints about Carlisle Housing Association were made to the Health and Safety Executive the body failed to properly investigate the serious concerns of workers and tenants.

Breathing in asbestos causes a number of serious medical conditions. Last year over 2,000 people died from mesothelioma, an incurable form of lung cancer caused by asbestos.

(GK/JM)