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1. Enforcement action shows schools are failing to safely
manage asbestos
HSE enforcement action shows that
a significant number of schools outside local authority control are
not managing their asbestos safely. 158 schools were visited with
enforcement action being taken in 30 for failures in asbestos
management. A further two local authority schools had
enforcement action taken when asbestos debris was found in one and
there was a potential disturbance to asbestos in the other. There
were 70 breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act for a failure
to ensure the health and safety of staff and children. There were a
further 74 breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations for
failing to identify asbestos, failing to implement a management plan
and failing to train staff. This is in addition to earlier
inspections of local authorities that resulted in 38 Improvement
notices being issued for similar failures to safely manage asbestos
in their schools.
This is a disgraceful and dangerous disregard of health and
safety laws. It is more proof that the Government’s policy of
leaving asbestos in schools and managing it for the remaining life
of the buildings is failing and putting teachers, support staff and
pupils’ lives at risk.
2. HSE guidance uses an unsafe workplace level for
children.
HSE guidance applies an asbestos control level
to children that is unsafe as it is meant for asbestos contractors
wearing breathing apparatus and protective clothing.
The level is called the Action Level. HSE
policy position was that parents would not be told of their
children’s exposure to asbestos unless the Action level had been
exceeded. When in Opposition the present Schools Minister, Nick
Gibb, was informed that the
Action Level was no longer current and there was no scientific
basis for applying it to children. Despite that he has now confirmed
to Parliament that schools are directed to the guidance following
the release of asbestos fibres in schools. The Minister with
responsibility for the HSE states that they have no
plans to revise the guidance.
A formal request has been submitted to the Department for
Education Asbestos Steering Group that the guidance is removed and
that parents are told of all exposures of their children to
asbestos. The
case for withdrawing the guidance is at this link.
3. Recent articles in the
teachers’ journal SecEd about asbestos in schools
- The teachers’ union Voice is critical of the relaxation of
health and safety regulations including stopping
proactive health and inspections in local authority
schools. This is directly relevant because pro-active
HSE enforcement action has, and is, uncovering unsafe practice in
schools that has been concealed for years.
- It was known twenty five years ago that just slamming a door
can release cumulatively dangerous levels of asbestos into
classrooms but nothing was done to warn the thousands of other
schools with potentially the same problem. This Sec Ed article
examines why the recommendations of the James Review into schools
capital spending should include an audit of the extent, type and
condition of asbestos in schools. The article includes the
Department for Education response
- A letter identifies
the dangerous flaws in the DfE response.
(bottom half page 6)
4. Committee on Carcinogenicity to assess the relative
vulnerability of children to asbestos
For many years
there have been calls for an assessment to be made of the risks to
children from exposure to asbestos. Last February the DfE Asbestos
Steering Group accepted that such an assessment should be carried
out. On November 17th the Department for Health’s Committee on
Carcinogenicity will assess the relative vulnerability of children
to asbestos. Their findings will be included in a future
newsletter.
The remit
of the committee
Paper: The increased vulnerability
of children to asbestos
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