Archive for the ‘Asbestos in schools’ Category
School asbestos compensation puts councils under pressure
In landmark ruling, Dianne Willmore wins £240,000 posthumously after exposure as a child
The government faces pressure to assess the risk of asbestos in schools following a landmark legal victory for the family of a woman who died after “low-level” exposure as a secondary school pupil.
The supreme court has upheld a £240,000 compensation claim by Dianne Willmore, 49, in the first case of a former pupil successfully suing a local authority for negligent exposure to the risk of deadly asbestos dust.
Campaigners said the case had “profound” financial implications for local authorities and insurers as it paved the way for similar “low-level exposure” claims.
The judgment comes as the Department for Education’s asbestos steering group called on the education secretary, Michael Gove, to begin a full assessment of asbestos risks to children.
Asbestos raises its ugly head in schools
As many as 75% of schools still contain asbestos – but does it remain dangerous if ‘properly managed’?
Headteacher Estelle O’Hara knows only too well how school life can be turned upside down when asbestos has to be removed. Maintenance work on the roof at Poppleton Ousebank primary school, York, became a protracted saga as workmen took away all the asbestos ceiling tiles. It meant closure of the lower school for half the autumn term, with children decamping to temporary classrooms.
Removing the asbestos to comply with health and safety regulations cost York City Council almost £34,000. Moreover, furnishings, soft toys and topic books representing years of hard work all had to be destroyed – “thousands of pounds’ worth of stuff,” according to O’Hara.
Staff knew the building contained asbestos, and its removal was properly managed. “But it has been an upheaval,” says O’Hara. “We were lucky we had understanding parents, and kept them informed at all times.” No children were exposed to the dust, which was discovered soon after roof repair work began during last year’s summer holiday.
Asbestos Surveys- Asbestos in Schools
The issue of asbestos in schools is a highly emotive subject with concerns ranging from evidence to suggest that asbestos in schools is not being effectively managed to the concern that raising the issues of asbestos in schools will cause panic amongst parents.
Research by ATAC has indicated that at a school level the compliance with the requirements of Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulation is overall poor and ineffective. The Health and Safety Executives assessment of education authorities has resulting in a number being subject to visits and of these action has been taken against several authorities. Read more
Concerns raised over HSE’s Asbestos in Schools Report
Concerns are rising over the latest Report issued by the HSE regarding the subject of asbestos in Schools. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an assessment of asbestos maintenance in 152 local authorities with responsibility for schools. The survey centred specifically on system-built schools in England, constructed between 1945 and 1980.
Of the 152 councils in England that have responsibility for providing education, 110 satisfied the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), via an online survey, that they have systems in place to meet their duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
The majority of local authorities in England with ‘system-build’ schools have procedures and precautions in place to manage asbestos safely, according to a survey and follow-up inspection programme.