British Schools Face Asbestos Threat
Asbestos management in British schools has come under scrutiny by the Asbestos Sub-Committee of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, according to TimesOnline. Unsafe levels of asbestos exposure can cause serious lung diseases, including mesothelioma, a terminal cancer that is difficult to diagnose and treat.
Underfunding of school maintenance has allowed asbestos to deteriorate, threatening the health of students, the subcommittee maintains. The irony, they say, is that the Palace of Westminster will be closed during removal of deteriorating asbestos. “When it comes to preventing exposure there seems to be one rule for our legislators and another for our children,” the TimesOnline article stated.
Advocacy groups have asked the government to carry out a national audit of the asbestos content and condition in schools and to do more research on mesothelioma.
