Deadly asbestos still a threat in schools

TEACHERS are still being exposed to asbestos with deaths from the deadly substance set to rise if more is not done, the country’s biggest teachers’ union has warned.

The NASUWT annual conference in Bournemouth, heard yesterday that 145 teachers died from asbestos-related diseases between 1991 and 2000.

The union said that the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to rebuild or renew nearly every secondary school in England would not be a remedy as only secondary schools which have a complete rebuild are likely to have all asbestos removed.
An Oldham Council survey in 2002 found that 95 out of Oldham’s 112 schools contained asbestos — but the risk of exposure was deemed very small.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “Asbestos is the biggest workplace killer in the UK.

“In ageing schools it can be a hidden but deadly threat.”

A NASUWT survey of over 5,000 teachers and school leaders revealed that almost one in five knew of asbestos in their schools and of these, almost half reported that the asbestos was not clearly marked.

Mr Keates said: “Some schools and colleges are not taking health and safety issues like this seriously and many local authorities are failing to comply with their statutory responsibilities.

“There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and a long-term strategy for the complete removal of asbestos from all buildings used for educational purposes must be the goal.”