14,210 school built between Many others refurbished > 86% of 28,950 schools contain asbestos

Teacher Deaths Britain has the highest mesothelioma death rate in the world 291 teachers have died since school teachers died on average each year in the 1980s. They are now dying at a rate of 19 a year Teaching Assistants, Premises Managers, Catering Staff, School Secretaries, Bursars

Future Deaths - Tip of the Iceberg? Pupils? – no statistics USA Study – for every teacher 9 pupils will die Evidence to Education Select Committee Professor Julian Peto Education “It is reasonable to assume in the order of female mesothelioma deaths a year will occur from asbestos exposure as a child at school during the 60s and 70s.” Male and Female deaths a year could equate to 200 to 300

A child will inhale ~ 3,000,000 asbestos fibres during 12.5 years at a school in which asbestos in good condition f/ml (500 f/m 3 ) Risk from asbestos exposure WATCH Minutes There is no safe threshold below which it is safe to be exposed to airborne asbestos fibres MRC Institute for Environment and Health - Fibrous Materials in Environment

Committee on Carcinogenicity Children are relatively more vulnerable to asbestos Child of 5 years is ~ 5 times more likely to develop mesothelioma than adult exposed at 30 years There is insufficient evidence about the intrinsic vulnerability of children Science is incomplete and precautionary principle advocated

Government Policy Parliamentary Written Answer Minister for Schools Asbestos which is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed or damaged is better left in place and managed until the end of the life of the building as this presents less risk of exposure to the occupants than the process of removing it.

IS GOVERNMENT POLICY WORKING IN PRACTICE?

Sealing in Asbestos? 0.72f/ml 720,000 fibres per cubic metre of air

DRILLING AIB. Cloud of Fibres. Many Amosite 2f/ml - 10f/ml (2million - 10 million f/m 3 ) HSE “School caretakers have been identified as a particular group at risk due to the nature of their work (e.g. drilling and fixing.)”

Classroom Cupboards AIB back Cleaning f/ml (70,000 f/ f/m 3 – 840,000 f/ f/m 3 ) Removing Stationary f/ml Amosite (20,000 f/ f/m 3 – 50,000 f/ f/m 3 )

Everyday Activities 1987 Test Slamming a door five times 0.33 f/ml 330,000 fibres per cubic metre of air

Warm Air Heating Cabinets

1981 HSE tests - CLASP schools Emitting amosite fibres 5000 fibres per cubic metre of air HSE issued warning 2012 HSL tests - Welsh school emitting amosite fibres 1700 to 4300 fibres per cubic metre of air HSE refuse to issue warning

Are schools managing their asbestos?

“Schools are not managing their asbestos either effectively or safely.” “These are not minor problems that have crept in over recent years; rather they are fundamental problems that are endemic in schools in the UK.” “Over the years the school stock has not been well maintained so that as the fabric of the buildings has deteriorated then so has the asbestos.” Asbestos Consultants Association Assessment of asbestos management in schools 24 Jan 2010

2009/10 HSE Survey Local Authority Schools 42 Local Authorities in England inspected 10 HSE Enforcement Notices 32 HSE ADVICE

2011 HSE Survey Non Local Authority Schools 164 Non LA schools in England inspected 28 HSE Enforcement Action 110 HSE ADVICE to improve

2014 Asbestos Management Non Local Authority Schools 153 Non Local Authority Schools inspected 29% Written advice or Improvement Notices failure to undertake a survey no written asbestos management plan inadequate training of maintenance personnel surveys and records not kept up to date failure to inform people of the presence of asbestos

Policies in other countries USA introduced AHERA Regulations mesothelioma rate stabilised since 1999 Australia and Europe working towards progressive removal Netherlands are introducing an environmental level

JUAC CAMPAIGN ACHIEVEMENTS

Campaign Achievements Continuation Department for Education Steering Group 2010 Department for Education Online Asbestos Guidance for School 2013 Risk Assessment of children to asbestos – Committee on Carcinogenicity 2013 Education Select Committee Hearing – Asbestos on Schools – March 2013 DfE Review 2014/15

DfE Review Asbestos Management in Schools 2014/15 Asbestos in Schools acknowledged as a serious issue Risk Protection Arrangement – DfE - PL Insurance Asbestos Claims Training & Guidance Acknowledgement that asbestos training is mandatory Improved Online Guidance Data Collection – Accountability Ongoing work: Air Sampling, Lower Limits for Schools, School Specific Risk Assessment

JUAC CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

Increased vulnerability of children (CoC) Should underlie all future asbestos policies for school Openness Policy of openness – unacceptable that a few should know the facts and for those facts to be kept from others Audit & Assessment of risk There should be a risk/benefit assessment to include: Audit of condition and extent of asbestos in schools Assessment of how many staff and pupils are likely to have died and will die Cost per fatality Cost of management in situ v long term strategy of asbestos removal

Proactive inspections Reinstatement of HSE pro-active inspections HSE to develop a School specific risk assessment Training Mandatory training tailored to role for school governors, head teachers and all support staff Environmental Level A lower fibre limit should be adopted for schools containing asbestos

Long Term Progressive Removal So long as asbestos remains in schools it will be disturbed and damaged exposures will continue Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) accessible to children should never be classified low risk - should be enclosed and prioritised for removal Long term strategy for the removal of all asbestos - prioritise schools containing most dangerous asbestos APPG Occupational Health and Safety – The Asbestos Crisis – Why Britain needs an eradication law asbestos-removal-report.pdf

ELIZABETH BRADFORD

JUAC Further Information Julie Winn, Chair