# For the attention of all School Teachers



## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-to-victims-of-a-shameful-legacy-6296347.html

The Government has deliberately excluded asbestos from an unprecedented review of the condition of the country's schools because it knows that tackling the risks to schoolchildren and teachers could cost hundreds of millions, critics claim.

Campaigners reacted with fury last night as it emerged a year-long survey of England's 23,000 schools will examine every aspect of buildings - from classroom decoration to whether fire alarms and toilets are in working order - but will specifically exclude asbestos, the most serious threat of all to staff and pupils.
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I really cant believe this as we have campaigned and were winning with Labour who where going to rebuild all Junior Schools and take Asbestos away from young Lungs
There is a film out where they slammed a door and filmed the result as Asbestos swirled in the air.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/01/05/charges-after-asbestos-danger-shuts-primary/

How many more charges will be bought before they will acknowledge the dangers


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## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

As a School caretaker of a 55 year old school I wouldn't know where to look for Asbestos :!: 

But thanks for the imformation Mavis, I will report anything that looks suspicious.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Ceilings and walls cupboards and pipes and the worse are all the Schools that have Asbestos because they have Porta cabins.
http://www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk/

My friend started this site because all his wife did was teach and pin things on a wall she died with Mesothelioma

http://www.juac.org.uk/ their other site so have a good read and pass onto the schools


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

It's a very real problem as asbestos was widely used in "cheap" building projects which schools have invariably been.

The worrying part is that once again the Government has chosen to distort the truth to cover things up - you would think they would have learned their lesson from Iraq and Tony Blair's condemnation........

But no, this is a deliberate policy to cut costs yet again..........

Thanks Mavis for the information, it is saddening for all of us to read....

Dave

37 years teaching science including chemostry where we KNOW we used asbestos paper for the first 5 years of my career........

and we know that the lab next dor to mine had asbestos in the window sills - fortunately it was removed by experts over the summer holidays with full precautions (as far as we were told)


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Morning all,


To say nothing of the decades of trapped asbestos dust on London

underground ! !



morm


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

This is disgusting. I am totally amazed that our wonderful government can't/won't take action other than seeming to advise that doors are not slammed or pins pushed into walls. :twisted: 
I am sure you will be doing your bit Mavis and good luck. I hope every single head teacher is aware of the danger and threatens to close down their school until a proper survey is carried out and all risks eliminated. My sister in law is one such head and a good friend another, I will make sure they are aware.


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

And still it all goes on!! The dangers of asbestos of all sorts are now well known but the authorities decide to bury their heads up their bottoms! :evil: As motormouth said, it's disgusting. :evil: It's obscene that many more folk have to suffer as Mavis is doing and the government doesn't give a shot!! :evil: 


I remember taking a timber/asbestos garage to pieces in 1978. The sections were thrown on a flat-bed wagon, then taken to our house where I reassembled it all. I then made a shed with a roof of corrugated asbestos. To that point, the only advice I had had was to wet the asbestos in the area of any saw cutting. 

I never realised the true dangers associated with the stuff until the mid-80s. I had learnt, quite incidentally, that, if a kiddie smashed a table corner through the classroom wall, I had to report the fact. The school secretary would summon the experts, the children would leave the room whilst the air was tested and the resultant hole simply sealed with a sticker, like the one in the photo. After a few minutes, back to normal. :roll: 

I was one of those teachers who loved to celebrate the children's work by thoughtfully displaying it on walls and ceilings for all to see. But I never, for one minute, realised that, by doing so, I was releasing thousands of asbestos fibres into the air for the children and me to inhale. 8O 

I guess I am also guilty of encouraging children to inhale those fibres because I would willingly allow volunteers to beat the crap out of the chalkboard rubber. :roll: I thought nothing when I saw a child or two standing in a cloud of dust which I now believe contained levels of asbestos fibres.  

I still have sticks of chalk in my old brief case but, thankfully, mass communication in a classroom is achieved nowadays via electronic whiteboards, or laptops, with various forms of Power-Point type computer-aided presentations. So plenty of advancement in education... it's just so sad that the government's attitude, based largely on cost and inconvenience, is so retarded. :evil: :evil: :evil:

I wish our future generations a successful and healthy, asbestos-free future. :wink:


PS It's well worth reading the links that Mavis has provided. Please don't let's have MHF members with heads being put where the sun don't shine!!


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

I studied in the "annex" at King Edward Retford for two years.
It was an asbestos clad temporary classroom that stood for over 60years.
The implications to local residents who live next to the school must be enormouse when the building is eventually demolished.
Dave p


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

goldi said:


> Morning all,
> 
> To say nothing of the decades of trapped asbestos dust on London
> 
> ...


My son, who know's all about Mesothelioma as I have it and have just had another session of chemo today, Has a dad with asbestos damage in his lungs (thickenings) has now, as a fire alarm engineer in London realizes he too works with Asbestos in lift shafts, ceiling voids etc etc, as there are now signs as Unclenorm has posted all over the place in big buildings where he works.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Shocking dismissal of a nations responsibilities, you would think that in this day and age with all the health and safety implications identifying and dealing with the problem would be a priority.

Mavis, as you are much more knowledgeable than me. Can't someone force them to deal with it through a Legislative Act or similar?

I am astounded.

Paul.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

According to the report detailed in Mavis' link, it would cost in the order of £153 million to deal with this problem.
Simple solution, cut the foreign aid budget by same amount, or ask children in need for a donation, or ask lottery fund for contribution. Anyone any idea where exactly this money goes to??????
Aren't these kids "children in need???"

In the overall scheme of things, £153 million is chicken feed compared with the money we send abroad every time there is a bit of a flood, or a strong wind or someone is a bit hungry. Sorry, I don't want to trivialise the plight of those poor beings who suffer as above, but this problem wants sorting now.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

motormouth said:


> According to the report detailed in Mavis' link, it would cost in the order of £153 million to deal with this problem.
> Simple solution, cut the foreign aid budget by same amount, or ask children in need for a donation, or ask lottery fund for contribution. Anyone any idea where exactly this money goes to??????
> Aren't these kids "children in need???"
> 
> In the overall scheme of things, £153 million is chicken feed compared with the money we send abroad every time there is a bit of a flood, or a strong wind or someone is a bit hungry. Sorry, I don't want to trivialise the plight of those poor beings who suffer as above, but this problem wants sorting now.


Yes agree totally, its pin money in the grand scheme of things, especially considering the health implications.

Paul.


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## Devonboy (Nov 19, 2009)

All.

Surely the answer is contained in the text of the report, "cost implications and the fact that asbestos management should already be carried out under existing legal requirements". The governments own HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/managing/intro.htm states the following: "If you are responsible for premises such as a shop or small industrial unit, following this scheme helps you to carry out your legal duty to manage asbestos".

Under the scheme, the person who is responsible for the maintenance & repair of the premises becomes the duty holder & as such has this legal duty to manage asbestos. This management includes producing an asbestos register & subsequent management of asbestos within the building.

What premises are affected? 
The duty to manage covers all non-domestic premises. Such premises include all industrial, commercial or public buildings such as factories, warehouses, offices, shops, hospitals and schools.

The HSE state that any non-domestic building be covered by these rules, hence surely all schools should have a very comprehensive asbestos management system in place.

As a starter I would ask to see the asbestos register for any building suspected of containing asbestos.


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## zappy61 (May 1, 2005)

My dear neighbour was a teacher at the local comprehensive for many years and contracted mesothelioma when some of the asbestos was removed apparently little safeguards were taken and the stuff could be seen floating in the air. Apparently there is a high incidence of the disease in teachers, it is very disappointing that a positive plan for its removal from schools is not forthcoming.

Graham


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## rowley (May 14, 2005)

As an ex RAF Airframe Fitter, I was interested in this information about how the Australians dealt with the asbestos in their F111 aircraft.--------
Because of the asbestos content in the aircraft, the Australian Defence Department had elected to bury the aircraft as a more economical method of disposal. This was seen as much more cost-effective than the much more expensive process of removing all of the asbestos that would be required if the aircraft were to be scrapped in the normal way. 

It is sobering to think back to the exposure we all must have had to this menace at some time or another.


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

I have thanked rowleys posting but would it it be better to have like ikon ?

norm


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

coppo said:


> Shocking dismissal of a nations responsibilities, you would think that in this day and age with all the health and safety implications identifying and dealing with the problem would be a priority.
> 
> Mavis, as you are much more knowledgeable than me. Can't someone force them to deal with it through a Legislative Act or similar?
> 
> ...


http://www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk/ these are really working so hard to reach the Government to make them change their mind.

As for cost it is going to cost far more in compensation as Mesothelioma peaks in 2020.

We are fighting around the world I have just done an Interview for the Orlando News and also I have been invited to talk at a IASP AGM with HSA and Unions present, I think I will bring this into my speech and DIY as thats is another bad place with all these renovating programs on TV making it look easy and no masks to protect themselves.
http://www.inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Asbestos_Products.htm


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