New windows in school

[Tigress2014]

My 4 year old son is starting infant school in just over a week. When driving past last week I saw men up ladders crow-barring the windows out and replacing them with new ones - all of them, including big bays. The school is an old Victorian building and I am concerned that there may be many layers of old lead paint on the windows and that lead dust may spread throughout the school. Lead is very dangerous in particular to young children potentially leading to reduced IQ and behavioural problems. Lead dust is also very hard to remove - you need HEPA filters and wet wiping with detergent and I doubt any clean up will involve that. Also, what if there is asbestos or PCBs in the caulking around the windows?

Basically, would you be worried if you were sending your little boy there next week or am I over-reacting? What - if anything - would you do? I do get very anxious about things so just wanted to see what the common feeling was among other mums/dads out there.

Thanks DoItTooJulia - you're right my child's safety is more important than putting someone's nose slightly out of joint. And to be honest they should have no problem with me asking questions if the proper procedures have been followed. And if I'm known as the neurotic mum who cares as long as it doesn't impact my son - which it wouldn't if they are professional. I think I will speak to Council first. Thanks for all your contributions.

I suspect that the school staff won't be able to put your mind at rest ... things like replacing windows is often carried out by LEA approved specialist contractors who don't communicate with the mere mortals on the school staff include the wonderful person in the office.

Tigress, I totally understand that you sometimes have to do what you have to do.

The reality is, its probably been done very professionally. Including the clean up afterwards. If you need to check, go ahead and check.

You won't be the first parent that goes into school and asks something that they think is a bit daft ( if they do think it's daft) and mark my words, you won't be the last.

The silverhill school incident was due to Asbestos insulation board being cut - the stuff that can look like fibre board and is common in schools built in a certain era. The panels shed fibres if cut / drilled etc that is a very different issue

The problem you also would have is even if there was actually a problem they are not likely to tell you so, as they wouldn't know - otherwise they wouldn't be doing it?!? (Unless they fancied being prosecuted??)

You sound ridiculous, OP. Sorry. You'll be forever remembered as the loony parent who worried about her PFB getting lead poisoning.

If anything dangerous was discovered during the work you would have received a letter from the LEA telling you the school is closed until it's removed and thoroughly cleaned

Saw one of the workers on his break so asked him about lead paint on the wood and he said yes all paint before a certain date had lead in it and I asked if he was doing anything to prevent lead dust and he said putting in new windows with water based paint! I also asked if they would clean using hepa filters and he asked what hepa filters were! He also thought asbestos was only used around pipes. So really not convinced that the premises are 100% safe for children to be in for 6 hours a day 5 days a week. But from all the posts it seems the only way is to simply shut up and just lump it. No doubt I am more anxious than other parents about lead as my children had elevated lead levels in their blood after just a couple of weeks work and I spent months bringing them down. And I'm not talking lead poisoning - even slightly elevated levels can lead to reduction in iq and behavioural problems and you wouldn't recognise the symptoms.

To be fair the worker is showing a scary lack of knowledge there

I'm intrigued how you knew they had elevated levels of lead? Did you put them through blood tests simply to check their lead levels? I wouldn't know what DD's levels are... And, to be honest, the amount of dust in the room will drop very quickly once work has stopped - the tables will all be wiped over a number of times each day and the floor will either be hoovered or mopped (depending on flooring) daily too.

Yes I did "put them through" a blood test as we had a basically been told by a lead expert that we might have brain damaged our children. Thankfully he was wrong and although elevated they were not dangerously high. Sorry if you feel a small scratch was over the top but thankfully not all parents would agree. As for them wiping the table and hoovering the floor it doesn't really seem adequate in my opinion when you have 30 4 yo children in a room. Also lead dust (and asbestos for that matter) doesn't get hoovered up like normal dust you just circulate it all through the room again.

"So really not convinced that the premises are 100% safe for children to be in for 6 hours a day 5 days a week.!"

Does your infant school not have a playground, as well as an outdoor area for Reception?

If you subtract breaks (probably 1.5 hours in total, maybe a bit more), and children spending probably 1/4, probably more, of their 'in class' time outdoors, it certanly isn't 30 children sitting in a sealed room all day...

Andf knowing the hygiene habits of small children, I should think there will be a LOT worse than a tiny amount of lead floating around in the classroom atmosphere / being smeared on the tables / carpet!

You say that wiping with detergent is sufficient to remove lead dust? IME classroom surfaces are wiped with detergent at least once a day - and that is in upper KS2, in Reception it is constant!
Of course you could ring and ask the school. Just think carefully about the phrasing:
'pfb is starting school next week, and after a scare with lead paint duist some years ago I'm a bit worried about any being left after the current renovations - could you give me any information?' is very different from 'Lethal lead dust and the most dangerous type of asbestos must be being released while your windows are being replaced - I think it is far too dangerous to bring my pfb in...'