It was revealed this year that some schools are still failing to meet their legal duty to protect pupils from potentially deadly asbestos. The findings were the result of a snapshot survey of 16 British schools by the Asbestos Training and Consultancy Association.
Mesothelioma and asbestosis are deadly conditions caused by the inhalation of dangerous asbestos fibres. This means that asbestos only becomes dangerous when it is disturbed or damaged and its cotton like fibres become dislodged. Experts have said that over half of the schools they visited contained damaged asbestos which poses a substantial health risk to all those exposed.
The government advise that asbestos in schools should be left alone and have introduced management plans rather than removal plans. But worrying statistics have arisen that show the death toll from their decision could be substantial. Approximately 178 teachers and support staff have died over the last 25 years due to asbestos-related illnesses. And with children thought to be far more susceptible to these diseases it can only be predicted what will happen in the future if this asbestos is not safely removed.
One teacher with the disease, Carole Hagerdon, is dying from the aggressive lung cancer mesothelioma, aged just 58. She contracted the disease after working in schools for 34 years and warned of the threat to pupils and staff. Male teachers are 10 times more likely than the average man to develop an asbestos-related disease, and female teachers are 2.5 times more likely than the average woman.
The government will now have to revise its policy on asbestos management or risk a significant public backlash. Parents and teaching unions are pushing for the complete eradication of all asbestos materials from UK schools over the next few years. Perhaps this will finally put an end to the rise of asbestos-related conditions.
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Article: Asbestos Danger In Many Schools Author: Katie Clayton Publication Date: 2010-11-07 Total Views: 159 Word Count: 313 Category:Home /
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