Latest asbestos industry news
Pressure on government to change asbestos in schools policy
The new government is coming under pressure to change its policy on asbestos in schools.
Most schools in the UK contain asbestos, according to an article in the British Asbestos Newsletter by Michael Lees, member of the new Asbestos in Schools Group.
14,000 schools were built between 1945 and 1975, when asbestos was at the height of its usage and still considered to be a wonder material.
Since the dangers associated with the material have been discovered, government policy has been to manage the material rather than remove it.
The approach has been roundly criticised by teachers, support staff, unions, asbestos consultants, doctors, solicitors, MPs, victims and the families of those who have died.
These people have now banded together to form the Asbestos in Schools Group, which will put pressure on the government to make schools safer through the removal, and improved management, of asbestos material.
Michael Lees said: “The ultimate aim is the removal of all asbestos from schools; that cannot happen overnight, but the Asbestos in Schools Group will ensure that there will be a phased programme of removal, starting with the most dangerous materials.
“There is a dreadful legacy of asbestos in schools that only now is finally being addressed. We will keep the pressure on and we will ensure that in the future the occupants of our schools are safe from the dangers of asbestos.”
Kershaw Contracting Services has decades of experience in asbestos removal, including in sensitive areas such as schools.
