It has been some time since we have provided an update on asbestos in schools. You can read our last update here.
There are 33,600 schools in Britain and at least 21,500 of these contain asbestos. Asbestos is dangerous when it is damaged, and the fibres can be released into the air and inhaled or ingested. Unfortunately, much of the asbestos in schools is badly maintained and in a poor state of repair. This means that potentially children and staff at schools are being exposed to asbestos and put at risk of developing the incurable asbestos cancer, mesothelioma.
Low exposure threshold
Asbestos-related conditions such as pleural thickening or asbestosis require heavy, prolonged exposure to airborne asbestos. However, mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer which is always terminal, only requires a very small amount of exposure to asbestos to put someone at risk of developing the disease.
Asbestos is rife
Asbestos in schools is not confined to lagging on pipework and in boiler rooms, it was also used extensively in the construction of the buildings and can be found in the walls, ceilings and in the surrounds of doors and windows.
It is often reported that teachers who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos when putting up wall displays, stapling into walls that they did not know contained asbestos.
Consequences are ongoing
It has recently been reported by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee that an estimated 10,000 pupils and teachers have died due to exposure to asbestos in schools.
The only way to stop the numbers from rising is to ensure a safe, phased removal of asbestos from schools and all buildings.
Britain’s mesothelioma incidence is highest
Britain, sadly, has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world. It is more than twice that of France, Germany or the USA. It is thought that this is due to the quantity and types of asbestos that were used heavily in Britain before the substance was banned in the year 2000.
Shockingly, twice as many people die from asbestos exposure in Britain than are killed on our roads.
Take action, sign the petition
The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos and so the only known way to stop the incidence of mesothelioma from rising, is to prevent exposure to asbestos. We believe the best way to do this is to have a central register of all asbestos in buildings in the UK and for the phased, safe removal of all asbestos in the UK.
There is a petition for this and if you agree with us, please take two minutes to sign here.
How can we help?
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related condition, whether you were exposed to asbestos in a school or any other building, we can help. Contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.