An unlicensed asbestos remover has been ordered to pay reparations and sentenced to community work after pocketing more than $20,000 by misrepresenting his employer.
Barrie John Crockett was working in a project management role at Demasol Limited at the time of his offending.
Between December 2021 and June 2022, Crockett used Demasol’s name and letterhead to invoice three customers for work. The money, totalling $21,938, was sent to Crockett’s personal bank account.
After a dissatisfied customer contacted Demasol, an investigation was launched, which revealed the illegal activity following Crockett’s redundancy in May 2022.
Since Demasol was not involved with the work, it could give no assurance it had been carried out in line with regulatory requirements. It was also unclear where the asbestos had been disposed of.
Crockett was sentenced at the Auckland District Court on Friday, March 21, and was ordered to pay $15,000 in reparations. He was also sentenced to 140 hours of community work.
WorkSafe Head of authorisations and advisory Kate Morrison said that Crockett, who’d spent more than 25 years in the industry, “should have known far better”.
“This type of criminal behaviour is not worth the risk because offenders will be held responsible.”
WorkSafe said that most asbestos removals needed to be carried out by a licensed remover. The removal must be notified to WorkSafe.
“Licensing exists for a reason, and removal work is tightly regulated to ensure safety. Circumventing the rules is both reckless and deceitful when the harm done by asbestos exposure is well known,” Morrison said.
“An estimated 220 people die each year from preventable asbestos-related diseases in New Zealand. A system with trained and qualified people to remove this dangerous material is critical to better safety for workers and all New Zealanders.”
WorkSafe said there were “no excuses” for not managing asbestos safely.
“Asbestos fibres can be blown a long way from a poorly managed removal site.
“The airborne fibres are so small they’re invisible to the naked eye, and can cause harm when breathed in. There are no safe levels of exposure.”
