The Department for Education's (DfE) confidence in the ability
of schools to manage asbestos is "misplaced", a teaching union has
claimed.
DfE officials welcomed a Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
survey last week which claimed that "the majority" of schools have
adequate procedures in place to manage asbestos within their system
buildings - a structural frame that is fire-proofed with asbestos
materials.
A total of 110 out of 152 councils in England satisfied the HSE
that they had met their duties under the Control of Asbestos
Regulations 2006. Of the other 42, 32 local authorities were given
advice after inspections while ten received enforcement
notices.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) criticised the survey,
saying it was "overdue" after missing its original deadline of
April last year.
General Secretary Christine Blower added: "The HSE and DfE
conclude that the majority of local authorities have demonstrated
that they have systems in place to manage asbestos safety. Whilst
welcoming the survey as a step in the right direction, the NUT
views this confidence as misplaced."