Checking asbestos management Information on Asbestos in schools Asbestos Policy Suggested Improvements Asbestos Guidance for 'System Built' schools Contact

Asbestos in Schools

The aim of this site is to inform parents, teachers and ancillary staff about asbestos in schools. It gives guidance on how to improve the management of asbestos in schools. It aims to encourages openness in the UK Government's policy towards asbestos in schools.

*Latest News*

Letter in the Times

On 14 Nov 08 a letter from a Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, the Chair of All Parliamentary Group on Occupational Health and Safety and asbestos specialists requests action on asbestos in schools. Click here to read it.

Click on the link below to see BBC Today report on asbestos in schools and other public buildings 30 Oct 2008 and then the chest consultant John Edwards

news.bbc.co.uk/today

news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi

Attached are the statistics of deaths in the Education Sector from mesothelioma.

In a profession where one should expect little or no asbestos exposure, the statistics show that over the years there has been a significant asbestos exposure of school teachers, assistants and college lecturers. As a direct result some have developed mesothelioma and have died.

______

The paper on the release of asbestos fibres in System Build schools has been extended and updated. There are two parts. They can be seen and downloaded here.

Part 1 ; Part 2

A web site gives parents the ability to check their own school's asbestos management and gives them the facts to assess the effectiveness of the plan. It is also a campaigning site with a list of common sense measures the government, the HSE, LEAs and schools should adopt to make management effective.

On Friday 15 February ITN News reported on the discovery of asbestos in a school and raised the possibility of the same problem affecting many other schools. The risks, the procedural problems and the solutions are described in detail in this paper.

A technical analysis of various asbestos tests in schools is here.

Download. Your school may be a System built school (as many are). This paper follows on the ITN report and has guidance on asbestos precautions in these schools based on best practice. It has been written in consultation with experienced asbestos consultants.

 

If you want to be kept up to date we can email information to you. Please click here

A professional development seminar was run in July by the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association.

It was attended by asbestos surveyors, consultants, analysts and contractors, Chairman of the UK Asbestos Training Association, the Manager of the UK Accreditation Service, specialist scientists, local authority safety officers, solicitors, Teachers Unions and HSE Head of Asbestos Policy.

Lecturers identified failings in school asbestos management survey, procedures, training and standards.

Attached are the notes on which Michael Lees based his presentation. Other speakers notes will be covered on this web site when available.

The notes of a presentation to the NUT on 12 October 2007 that was also given to MPs in Portcullis House are superceded by the lecture above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE ISSUES

On 14th November 2008 ITN’s Teachers TV broadcast a news report on asbestos in schools. The report focuses on the widespread calls for the reinstatement of a campaign to improve the asbestos management in schools, the need for a national audit of asbestos in schools and the need for an assessment to be made of the risk to staff and children.

The calls are from the teaching unions, MPs, asbestos consultants, surveyors, doctors, occupational hygienists, solicitors, mesothelioma research organisations, mesothelioma support groups, teachers, parents and individuals.

In three separate reports there are interviews with:

  • Michael Clapham MP the Chairman of the Parliamentary Asbestos sub-Committee
  • John Edwards a Consultant Thoracic Surgeon and Chair of the British Mesothelioma Interest Group
  • Adrian Budgen Trustee of the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund
  • John Richards a leading asbestos consultant and former Chairman of ATAC the Asbestos Surveyors and Consultants Association
  • Steve Coldrick, HSE Head of Disease Reduction
  • Michael Lees.

http://www.teachers.tv/news/28979
http://www.teachers.tv/news/30321
http://www.teachers.tv/news/30326

Follow this link to an analysis of statements made by the HSE in their interview.

Follow this link to a transcript of the ITN Teachers TV report on asbestos in schools.

A SUMMARY

If asbestos is damaged or deteriorating then the fibres can be released and breathed in. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. A large exposure can cause mesothelioma and so can small exposures, particularly as each exposure is cumulative. There is no known threshold below which there is no risk. Lung cancer can also be caused by exposure to asbestos but it is considered that the exposures will normally have to be greater than the very low levels in the case of mesothelioma.

The majority of schools contain asbestos. The teaching unions consider that total removal is the safest option, whereas the Government consider that "managing" asbestos is the best system.  If asbestos is in a good condition and undamaged then an effective system of management can be effective. However there is increasing evidence that a significant number of schools are not managing their asbestos effectively, and that in many cases the asbestos is not in good condition. Much of it is hidden and a normal asbestos survey will not identify the fact that fibres are being given off, only comprehensive air-testing can determine that. 

The effective management of asbestos in schools is essential because children are particularly vulnerable to developing disease after an exposure to asbestos.
 
How to check your school's asbestos management

 

Many schools have good asbestos management procedures and this site gives simple guidance on how parents and teachers can check that this is the case and outlines their right to do so.

Other State and private schools, including infant and nursery schools may have inadequate management procedures. This site gives simple guidance that enables parents and teachers to check whether their school is managing asbestos in the safest way and if it is not doing so gives guidance on what to do next.
Information on Asbestos in Schools
This section describes where asbestos can be found in school buildings. It identifies the risks and outlines the history of how teachers and children have been exposed in the past.
You can also download the paper this is based on if you have free Acrobat Reader software.
Asbestos Policy Suggested Improvements

This section describes how policies have allowed these exposures to happen, and how the management of asbestos can be improved so that exposures do not happen.
You can also download the paper this is based on if you have free Acrobat Reader software.

 

Guidance for System built schools
  • Identifying whether there is a problem.
  • Methods for sealing cracks and gaps. 
  • Training and cautions.
  • Control measures.
  • Who should carry out the inspection and subsequent work. 
  • Tests to confirm the effectiveness of the work. 
More Information

If you would like to be kept up to date on developments and papers as they are released please click here.

 

 A further paper will be added to the web-site that discusses Government, HSE and DfES policy and the reasons why those policies have resulted in frequent asbestos incidents in schools with staff and pupils being exposed to asbestos.

The paper is in the final stages of completion.
Download Papers

 

You can download the following papers. They will appear as originally published, save them to your computer where they can be opened with free Acrobat Reader software.

Information on Asbestos in Schools

Asbestos Policy Suggested Improvements

Guidance for System built schools

Release of Asbestos Fibres in System built schools Part 1

Release of Asbestos Fibres in System built schools Part 2
Download Lecture notes

Lecture at Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association seminar. Attended by asbestos surveyors, consultants, analysts and contractors, Chairman of the UK Asbestos Training Association, the Manager of the UK Accreditation Service, specialist scientists, local authority safety officers, solicitors, Teachers Unions and HSE Head of Asbestos Policy.(Further lecture notes to follow)

 

Michael Lees 4 Jan 2006
ml@asbestosexposureschools.co.uk

View ITN News Bulletin for a summary of the problem

Download papers

New

The paper on the release of asbestos fibres in System Build schools has been extended and updated. There are two parts. The second part is completely new. They can be seen and downloaded here.

Part 1 ; Part 2

___________

Guidance for System built schools

Standard Papers

Information on Asbestos in Schools

Asbestos Policy Suggested Improvements