A leading asbestos expert is urging schools and local authorities to be diligent about the presence and condition of asbestos containing materials in school buildings after mesothelioma, an illness usually caused by exposure to asbestos, claimed the life of a young Lancashire teacher.

Leigh Carlisle, 28, contracted mesothelioma two years ago and is one of the youngest ever victims of the disease. She worked as a primary teacher in Oldham but it is thought she must have developed the illness while she was a school pupil herself.

The tragic loss has raised concerns about the thousands of UK schools that are thought to contain the potentially deadly substance. However, safety chiefs are reassuring the public that the vast majority of staff and students are not put at risk by the buildings in which they work and study.

According to John Evans, consultancy director in the Inspection and Testing Division at Connaught Compliance, the UK's leading provider of health and safety risk management and compliance services, the key to ensuring the safety of school personnel and students is diligence and effective risk management.

Mr Evans said:

“Prior to 1985 the use of asbestos in buildings was fairly widespread but since then usage has fallen significantly. However in all buildings built pre-2000 there is a chance that asbestos could be present in some construction materials.

“Most local authorities have now carried out surveys on schools, and it is important to highlight that provided the material is in good condition and not at risk of getting damaged, there is no risk of it causing illness.”

Asbestos is known to cause lung, kidney and intestinal cancer, mesothelioma and the lung disease asbestosis. An estimated 13,000 of the UK’s 24,000 schools are thought to contain asbestos. It is thought that 21 teachers died of mesothelioma between 1980 and 1985, whereas 69 died between 1996 and 2000.

Although teaching unions have called for the Government to remove asbestos from all schools, Mr Evans points out that it plays an important role in any built structure and says the emphasis should be on the effective management of risk.

“I don’t think that the complete removal of asbestos from buildings is realistic or sensible,” he said. “It provides a number of very important functions, including protection against the spread of fire.

“Ongoing diligence by schools and authorities is the key to monitoring risk. Also, good strong lines of communication between local authorities, schools and any external contractors carrying out work on the school should ensure that no danger surfaces.

“School management teams must also ensure that maintenance staff in schools have ready access to the findings of the asbestos report.”

Mr Evans said that there are a number of steps teachers and heads can take if they are concerned about a possible asbestos risk in their schools.

He said:

“If schools have any concerns that the information in their asbestos report is not accurate or reliable, then it is important that they ask for a new survey at the earliest opportunity. Also, schools that are known to contain asbestos should make sure they are checked out every six to 12 months to monitor its condition.

“The Health and Safety Executive offers a number of publications that offer guidance on the management of asbestos and many local authorities also offer asbestos awareness training courses for heads, deputy heads and teachers.”

Email: sara.robinson@workingwordpr.com