What is asbestos?
Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1950s until being banned in the UK in 1999. Serious, often fatal, diseases can be caused when asbestos fibres are released from materials, become airborne, and are inhaled.
Where is asbestos found in schools?
There are several types of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). These range from relatively low risk items such as in the hard plastics used in toilet cisterns and floor tiles, to higher risk applications - such as door and window surrounds, walls, and ceilings made of Asbestos Insulating Board. Asbestos cloth was used as fire barriers above ceilings, and asbestos lagging on pipework. Most schools still contain some ACMs. These materials need careful management.
If your school contains asbestos you must put in place a management plan to ensure that the material is not disturbed.
- Know the location of asbestos, the type of material and the condition it is in. If you are not sure, presume that ACMs are present.
- You should have assessed the risk it poses to school staff, pupils and visitors.
- You must regularly inspect the asbestos materials to determine if they have been damaged.
- Inform anyone who may disturb the asbestos that it's there.
- Make sure staff know who has responsibility for asbestos management at the school.
If you have not fulfilled any of these actions you may not be meeting your legal duties in relation to asbestos and you will need to take action to ensure compliance with the law.
Asbestos management - checklist for schools
The Health and Safety Executive has developed a checklist to help schools review their asbestos management arrangements. It asks key questions for schools to check whether suitable precautions are in place, and to record any further action needed.
To help school duty holders make effective use of the checklist, the HSE has produced a list of FAQs, which you can download from the associated resources section of this page.
