Asbestos News

Many schools in North Wales still contain asbestos, a carcinogenic material, but municipal authorities are keeping their eyes on the situations, according to Daily Post North Wales.

Asbestos was commonly used in the construction industry because of its resistance to fire and insulating properties. However, by the mid-1960s it became known that exposure to the naturally occurring material could cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. These dangers lurk in every building that contains the substance.

Gwynedd Council is reportedly monitoring 102 schools in North Wales for asbestos. A spokesman for the council said that in some cases the hazardous substance has been removed and in other cases it has been allowed to remain.

"Asbestos materials exist in many of our schools and we have arrangements in place to manage these materials – inspections are carried out on a regular basis," he told the news source. "Over the years we have removed significant amounts of asbestos from our buildings. However, removal is only required where the asbestos is in a dangerous condition and it cannot be repaired, or where its removal is required to allow other building work to take place."