Action call on asbestos in schools

An ITV news report revealed unsafe asbestos in some London schools which has prompted calls from teaching unions for urgent action.

The report focussed on Hay Lane School in Brent but pointed out the problem was a national one relating to a specific type of system built school. These schools were built around a steel girder frame which was encased in asbestos and then clad with a steel casing in exposed areas. This casing was demonstrated in the report as being inadequate in containing the asbestos, especially when it was struck in a disturbance air test.

Previous investigations in 2006 found asbestos fibres could be released in schools built under the Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme. This lead to the Health and Safety Executive writing to Local Education Authorities in October 2006 advising dutyholders to seal gaps in column casings using silicone sealant and tape. Schools were then told to make checks for asbestos within “weeks, not months” but some checks had not been carried out a year later. Rosalind Roberts of the HSE said the schools were told to seal columns and ceilings “four, five, six times !”

The TV report hired specialists to investigate at Hay Lane School and following disturbance air tests mimicking likely real circumstances with children in the school they found airborne fibre levels four times higher than control levels and seven times higher during reassurance tests.

Asbestos consultant Robin Howie said in his opinion the school was unsafe and the children were at an elevated level of risk of disease in future. Brent Council denied this saying their schools were safe. HSE are inspecting schools in Brent following this report.

The report said there were serious doubts as to the level of action on this issue following the HSE advice in 2006. Of the 95 schools checked out of a total of many hundreds of similar system built schools, one in five still needed to complete the asbestos work.

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said there had been 222 teachers who had died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. He said: “Local Authorities are not doing enough. They should not be exposing pupils, teachers or visitors.”

The report showed London teacher Elizabeth Bradford who has developed mesothelioma who said she felt her exposure to asbestos was 25 years ago in temporary classrooms at a south London school.

Teachers union The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has called for all asbestos to be removed from all schools by 2010. ATL General Secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “There is still too little information about asbestos. We don’t know how many schools still contain asbestos, so most teachers have little idea of whether they or their pupils are being exposed to it. Schools should keep and maintain asbestos registers to record the locations and condition of any asbestos, and let staff know.”

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: ‘There is now an urgent need for a strategic health and safety forum including employers, the DCSF and teacher and school staff organisations in order to address the issue of effective and adequate management of asbestos in all schools. We ask, therefore, that the All Party Parliamentary Sub- Committee on Asbestos make strong representations to the DCSF, DWP and the Health & Safety Executive to ensure the speedy establishment of an effective and representative health and safety forum for the education sector.’”

Useful site on asbestos in schools:
www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk

For information on other health and safety issues visit the London Hazards Centre web site at: www.lhc.org.uk

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