Two workers were unwittingly exposed to asbestos while carrying out refurbishment work.

Bestoff Services Ltd of Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty at Didcot Magistrates’ Court to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

On Monday the company was fined £3,000, ordered to pay costs of £2,091.70 and a victim surcharge of £15.

It followed a breach of health and safety legislation at a construction site in Abingdon between February 1 and 5 2008.

The company carried out an asbestos survey on a site at Unit 27, Nuffield Way, Abingdon, in February 2008 and reported the site contained no asbestos.

Two members of staff began work on the site the following month and part of their job involved removing panels of fibrous board.

Several days later the site manager became suspicious about the pieces of fibrous panels that had been removed and they were analysed.

Results showed they contained asbestos.

An additional survey was carried out on March 27, which identified asbestos-containing materials in several areas throughout the building, including the areas where the two men had been working.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Karen Morris said: "This incident shows the importance of carrying out asbestos surveys before refurbishment work starts.

“In this case, the main contractor did the right thing by engaging a specialist asbestos surveying company, but was let down by them.

“It is vital that asbestos surveys are accurate and can be relied upon, in order to prevent this kind of inadvertent exposure.

“Had it not been for the vigilance of the site manager, many more people on site would have been put at risk of exposure."