asbestos in the news
Asbestos risk
to children in
13,000 schools,
MPs warn
By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor.
Saturday, 15 November 2008
The lives of pupils and teachers are
being put at risk because the
Government is "burying its head in the
sand" over the dangers of asbestos in
as many as 13,000 schools, MPs and
medical experts have warned.
Asbestos dangers
Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, is
facing demands to carry out a
nationwide asbestos audit to gauge the
in Scottish schools revealed
extent of the problem and assess the
health hazards to staff and children.
Campaigners are also pressing for a
Sunday Mail, Oct 19 2008
publicity drive to raise awareness of the
risk from mesothelioma, the aggressive
Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren said: "The number of schools with asbestos
and incurable lung cancer caused by
could be at risk from asbestos in is unacceptable. So too is the number of
exposure to asbestos.
classrooms. A Sunday Mail investigation rundown schools. Recent figures showed
The disease claims more than 2,000
reveals 1261 primary and secondary schools nearly a third of pupils are being taught in
lives a year in Britain. Most victims were
contain the potentially deadly building schools that are not fit for purpose. "The
industrial workers with prolonged
material. SNP aren't even close to matching Labour's
contact with asbestos, but increasing
Millions of pounds are being spent by schools programme. "Education Secretary
numbers of teachers and school
councils to remove or manage asbestos. Fiona Hyslop has had over 18 months to caretakers, cleaners and secretaries are
But campaigners say more is needed to build schools but not one has been also being struck down.
tackle the problem. Asbestos was widely commissioned." Scots councils were asked MPs and peers have written to Mr
used in school building in the second half under the Freedom of Information Act for Balls calling for him to allocate some of
of the 20th century. But it can lead to the the number of schools with asbestos, the the £1.75bn set aside this week for
killer disease mesothelioma - a lung cancer type of asbestos and its location in each. school refurbishments to be used to
- which appears up to 50 years after The 23 councils which replied revealed they
send urgent advice to heads and
exposure. had 1261 schools containing asbestos. Both
governors on dealing with asbestos.
It has been linked to the deaths of 73 Glasgow and Edinburgh city councils
The substance, which becomes highly
schoolteachers in Britain from refused to reveal figures on cost grounds.
dangerous when it begins to deteriorate,
mesothelioma between 1991 and 2000. Fife Council have 149 primary and
was once valued for its qualities of
According to the Scots government and secondary schools with asbestos out of a
insulation and fireproofing. It was widely
councils, asbestos is safe if left undisturbed. total of 175 schools. They spent £429,500 in
used in public buildings for three
But campaigners claim even pinning the past three years on asbestos
decades, including the vast majority of
children's work to walls and ceiling tiles can management but have no planned
13,000 schools built between 1945 and
release asbestos fibres into the air. They programme of removal. Out of 211
1974. Strict controls on asbestos were
fear generations of pupils could be Highland Council schools, 126 have
imposed 30 years ago and it is now
condemned to an early death by breathing asbestos. But they spent only £55,500 in
completely banned as a building
in the deadly fibres. three years removing it. North Lanarkshire
material.
Government policy is for schools to
Campaigner Michael Lee's wife Gina Council have 124 schools with asbestos and
manage asbestos – for instance by
died of lung cancer caused by asbestos in spent 1.5million in the past three years
sealing it with silicone – rather than
schools where she worked for 30 years. removing it.
remove it. But campaigners warn that
Michael, of Devon, said: "A high proportion There are 103 schools in South
banging school doors, bumping into
of schools have asbestos with the potential Lanarkshire with asbestos. They spent
walls or even sticking drawing-pins into
to release deadly fibres. "The government's 2.6million in three years removing asbestos.
walls can release large quantities of
policy is that it is safer to leave asbestos in Ronnie Smith, general secretary of
asbestos fibres into the atmosphere.
place than to remove it. "Even banging Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS,
John Edwards, a consultant surgeon
doors or hitting walls or structural columns said: "The fact so many school buildings do
who is chairman of the British
can inject these fibres into rooms. "Every contain asbestos remains a matter of
Mesothelioma Interest Group, said
drawing-pin stuck in a classroom ceiling can concern." The Scottish Government said:
thousands of schools were "bound to be
release asbestos fibres into the atmosphere. "We understand people's concerns. Issues
riddled" with asbestos. He attacked
"When people are regularly exposed to and responsibilities for asbestos lies with the
ministers' refusal to follow the lead of
these supposedly low-level risks, as my Health and Safety Executive. We have and the United States and conduct a national
Gina was, the cumulative effect can lead to will continue to pass on any concerns to the audit of asbestos in schools, saying:
the formation of tumours." Labour HSE and will actively encourage them to "This is potentially putting our teachers
education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin have discussions with campaigners." and children at risk."
arca & atac news 05
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