Asbestos News

The UK's Health and Safety Executive recently found the a large majority of schools outside the purview of local governments are complying with asbestos practices.

Britain's workplace safety agency found that 17 percent of independent, voluntary funded and foundation schools had asbestos management procedures that fell below accepted standards, according to a release.

However, many schools had proper procedures in place, which is essential in preventing children from enduring asbestos exposure. Contact with the naturally occurring substance has been known for nearly 50 years to cause a range of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

"Most schools were able to demonstrate good levels of awareness and compliance with the asbestos regulations and that's encouraging, but this inspection initiative did highlight that there is still confusion in some schools over roles and responsibilities," Head of HSE's public services sector Geoff Cox stated. "We took action where schools had fallen below acceptable standards and we are working across the education sector to raise awareness and find ways to make it clearer for schools to understand their legal responsibilities."

Notice was given to 28 schools to improve their asbestos management practices.