Inconsistent monitoring of asbestos in Welsh schools could put pupils and staff at risk, unions have warned

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by BBC Wales shows more than 900 schools are known to contain asbestos.

Most are regularly inspected, but some surveys are 10years old and often asbestos is suspected but known. Unions want urgent action to be taken.

The Welsh Local Government Association said councils worked to “eliminate any risks as quickly as possible”.

• The cost of asbestos removal from a hospital
• Students should be told if asbestos is in their dorms
• Tracking cancer caused by asbestos

Earlier this year there were concerns that some asbestos surveys were out of date after a pupil kicked a hole in a school wall, exposing previously undetected asbestos.

If managed carefully, the presence of asbestos is less dangerous, as fibres must be inhaled to cause harm.

According to Welsh government guidance, each school must have an up to date survey to identify the presence of asbestos.

A BBC Wales FoI request shows that while some councils regularly re-inspected buildings, some checks had not been carried out for years, with some dating back to 2011.

Asbestos is often monitored and not removed

While some asbestos has been removed from schools, most cases are monitored because of the high cost of removal.

Most of the highest risk asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are in areas not used by teaching staff or pupils, such as boiler rooms, lofts and basements.

More info here >> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58500638