A government watchdog has served ten councils with notices to
improve asbestos safety in schools.
The Health and Safety Executive took action after assessing
asbestos maintenance in 152 local authorities England. Experts
focused their efforts on system-built schools which were
constructed between 1945 and 1980, and were likely to have been
fire proofed with asbestos.
Mesothelioma
is a rare form of cancer associated with the inhalation of asbestos
particles. It affects the protective lining on many of the body's
internal organs.
Thurrock Council was the only local authority in the study that
was handed a prohibition notice, which immediately shut down a
boiler room and made it off-limits until the issue is resolved.
Elsewhere, 110 councils met the HSE's expectations, while 42
required visits and ten were given improvement notices to be
completed in set time frame.
The HSE has revealed that it will work closely with the ten
local authorities in question to bring asbestos monitoring and
management up to the necessary standard, as well as five other
councils which were not given notices.
The local authorities being monitored are: Bedford - 1
improvement notice; Doncaster - 2 improvement notices; Harrow -
failed to respond to survey and served 3 improvement notices; Kent
- 2 improvement notices; Lambeth - 2 improvement notices; Medway -
2 improvement notices; South Gloucestershire - 1 improvement
notice; Thurrock - 2 improvement notices and 1 prohibition notice
on boiler room; Waltham Forest - 2 improvement notices;
Worcestershire - 1 improvement notice.