Asbestos worry

[HappydaysArehere]

just posted under general health and been directed here. Has anyone heard about asbestos related cancer due to the pinning up of children's work and removal of pins etc. must have done this a million times when working as a primary school teacher. Never gave it a thought until my neighbour went with her husband to a hospital support group and there was a teacher claiming that was what had happened to her. I also used to push up tiles in the ceiling as it was usual for us to suspend all sorts of exciting things. Thinking of the children as well as teachers. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

"asbestos related cancer due to the pinning up of children's work and removal of pins"

I have not previously heard anything so ridiculous.

Outside an old factory or shipyard or boiler-room, you are only likely to come across asbestos in the form of asbestos-cement board, formerly used for prefab garages. It is not very dangerous, and too hard to stick a pin in.

Pigletjohn, Thank you so much. I found a couple of references to this on this on the web and frightened myself as my neighbour's husband is suffering in a terrible way. I was always stapling and pulling out and as I said pushing up what I thought were some kind of big white squares from the crisis cross of the ceiling to tie things like paper Giants etc. that was from '1975 to 91 but am told it takes twenty or thirty years to materialise. There was a solicitor at this meeting so am wondering...... my neighbour's husband was a plumber years ago. Thank you again.

Asbestos-related teacher deaths isn't ridiculous, unfortunately.

Union advice here:

www.nasuwt.org.uk/TrainingEventsandPublications/NASUWTPublications/Publications/Asbestos/index.htm

I don't mean to alarm you but your concern is not 'ridiculous'. NUT have been quite vocal about teachers being exposed to asbestos.

www.teachers.org.uk/files/asbestos-in-schools.doc

I attended a parliamentary meeting a few years ago about asbestos exposure and teaching unions were present explaining their concerns.

However, the risk to you (& pupils) is very very small so please don't worry yourself. Most meso cases are men who undertook manual work.

"Asbestos-related teacher deaths isn't ridiculous,"

No, but getting it from sticking pins in a wall is.

You couldn't stick pins into Asbestolux, it is too hard.

Yes, me. In the 80s I worked in a school that not only had asbestos but also had hot air blowers as the heating sysyem. I had to fill in a pink form because we'd all pushed up ceiling tiles, drilled into walls and the rest.
If I get a related condition, I can claim compensation.
The school shut to have it all removed by professionals, and all was well.
That was 30 years ago, no problems so far.

Hello Solitary. We must have been in similar type schools. We also had that blowing out heating. However, nothing was ever said to us about asbestos although I remember peering into the boiler cupboard behind my desk and enquiring of the caretaker if that lining inside was asbestos. He dismissed this enquiry with some kind of reassurance. Nothing was done while I was at the school between 1975 and 1990 and no pink form. The school was built in 1970 and was semi open plan. It was in Thorton Heath, Croydon. Was that anywhere near your school?

Thank you Lunar and Noble for you posts and links. They are helpful.

Harrow.
I haven't thought about it for decades, but I've had various mammograms and a chest Xray for something different in the last 5 years and no problems.