Asbestos in schools

[GudiBrallan]

How well informed are you, if a parent of a school aged child, of the potential presence of asbestos in their learning environment?

At a time when schools are struggling like never before to maintain buildings due to lack of funding, many are literally crumbling and falling into dangerous levels of disrepair.

In my school, and many across the country from what I gather on different discussion forums for teachers, this has resulted in exposed asbestos in floors, walls and insulation in classrooms where children learn and play every day. Flagged exposures are 'made safe' temporarily and repairs scheduled for school holidays, with teachers and children still using the spaces in the interim.

I have raised this with site management and governors of my own school, and I know friends and colleagues in other schools have done the same, only to be told that there is no risk to health and safety 'as long as nobody breaches the incident tape in the corner / moves the drawer unit from above the exposed floor patch / puts their fingers under the window sill' etc. I have also been told I must not mention it to pupils or parents.

As parents, have you ever been informed of exposed or disturbed asbestos in your child's learning environment?

We have asbestos causing concern. We've not told the staff explicitly, let alone the parents.

MrsHamlet, this is the thing though, isn't it? I feel terrible for knowing something about a potential risk to my pupils' health that their parents aren't privy to, and would likely have strong feelings about if they knew (despite it not being a hazard, according to the LA). I'm also worried for myself and the other adults working in my room.

My resource cupboard was found to have asbestos in it after the ancient boiler which was also housed in it was replaced following a breakdown a couple of years ago. I was advised to either carefully clean everything which had been stored in there at the time of the discovery, or to let our site manager know and they would arrange to have my resources bagged and disposed of. I plumped for the latter.

This time, I have been charged with the rather daunting responsibility of ensuring my pupils do not inadvertently disturb our newfound asbestos, which is in an area that is used throughout the day, without actually telling them to avoid it or suggesting there is anything to worry about in that spot, so as not to cause alarm.

In my DC's school, parts of the ceiling in the central corridor has been masked off with squares of taped-on plastic pending repairs and sanitation after panels were inadvertently perforated trying to fix water damage from a leaky flat roof.

At my friend's school, the PE cupboard and all its contents has been out of bounds for a term while its fate is decided; some insulation collapsed and was found to contain asbestos.

The school where I had my first job has mothballed a whole building, following a discovery of problematic asbestos during a long overdue renovation.

It's so ubiquitous yet so hidden.

How could you find out about a particular school’s risk?

This says to simply ask the Head!

www.asbestosinschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/parents-check-asbestos-in-schools.pdf

They found asbestos in my classroom unexpectedly while doing some repairs so I'm not entirely convinced that the head would know.

If your school has a decent site management team, then trust me it won't be an issue for you and your children. I worked in schools overseeing the facilities departments for a number of years and there should be a tight (legal) maintenance regime for checking the asbestos on an annual basis at the very least.

The HSE have guidance on this which may be useful to read. Schools, like any other employer should have a register of any ACMs (asbestos containing materials) in their premises and need to have steps in place to prevent it being disturbed, if present. https://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/asbestos-faqs.htm#:~:text=Should%20parents%20be%20told%20about,management%20arrangements%20are%20in%20place.

If you want something else to worry about, find out if your school has completed a radon risk assessment. HSE inspectors are currently very hot on this and issuing improvement notices left, right and centre for non compliance. Not surprising as they admit they estimate there are currently tens of thousands of schoolchildren (plus teachers and other school staff) being exposed to unacceptably high levels of radiation whilst at school day in, day out.

Like Noble says, it is the unexpected discoveries or the deterioration of structures that previously secured harmful asbestos that are worrying.

My school has a comprehensive asbestos map where all known asbestos is carefully plotted and, as you say, rigorously inspected on an annual basis, which is great. But what we've found is that when things break or are discovered during repairs or renovation, irrespective of how well the guidelines on asbestos are adhered to, the process of making the site safe while awaiting proper repairs still feels unsafe and a bit precarious.

The radon issue is another worry, you're quite right, Chatter. We're in a low radon area, but schools should not be complacent about these things.

I've never been informed of any as a parent and have no idea whether it is an issue or not. If it's not an issue, why is it not readily shared?

The government refused to release to parents and teachers a list of schools which are at, by their own assessment, imminent risk of collapse.

Pause, I think it is safe to assume that potentially harmful asbestos is present in most public buildings of a certain age. As a PP said, it is carefully mapped and frequently inspected to ensure it remains undisturbed. But when schools are falling into disrepair and there is little money for upkeep and maintenance, previously 'safe' asbestos can become exposed or disturbed. In my case, in my classroom, and following an initial tidy-up and temporary cover-up, it is now down to me to ensure that none of my pupils get too close to the exposed place or inadvertently disturb it further. It feels like a huge responsibility until a proper repair can be achieved sometime in the summer. And as I said, parents have definitely not been informed as the LA have said it's 'safe for now' and a repair is scheduled in due course.

Many many schools have significant asbestos problems. They should be doing surveys and risk assessments.

Many schools also have RAAC which is far less known.

Hospitals are similarly affected.

It'll keep the lawyers busy.

Ffs