NUT pushes asbestos action in schools

NUT pushes asbestos action in schools

Teaching union NUT is calling for action to remove asbestos from schools. The call, in a circular issued last week, came on the heels of a prosecution brought after teachers and pupils were exposed to asbestos during botched maintenance work on a Derby school (Risks 306). The NUT circular says: 'The purpose of this guidance is to support the work of divisions and associations in terms of seeking to bring about the removal of asbestos from all schools which contain it.' NUT says the government's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) wholesale programme of rebuilding and refurbishment 'represents an opportunity to remove asbestos which must not be wasted. Many local authorities will not, however, be benefiting from the BSF programme for many years and it is important that progress is made in these schools too.' It adds 'the NUT would urge its health and safety advisers to include making progress on asbestos removal a priority for their 2007 work.' The guidance spells out in detail the case for removal, and says alternatives like labelling, enclosing and encapsulating asbestos 'are much less effective.' It says: 'Even the best management plans are subject to human fallibility. They may not be consulted, acted upon or updated. They may remain on a shelf in a head teacher's office. There may not be anyone within the local authority who actually monitors that the system is working. For all these reasons, therefore, removal is the best option.' The guide includes a questionnaire for NUT reps to submit to chief officers for children's services, to establish where asbestos is located in each authority's schools and what is being done about it. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has also issued updated guidance on asbestos in schools.

• NUT briefing: Asbestos - focus on removal [word]. NUT health and safety factsheets. HSE guide: Asbestos in schools.