Schools Operations Hampered When Asbestos is Discovered
As the new school year begins, the issue of discovering asbestos in buildings constructed before 1980 continues to hamper normal operations here in the United States as well as worldwide.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was widely used in many building materials because of its exceptional heat, fire and erosion resistant properties and easy, low cost accessibility. Therefore, almost any school constructed before asbestos was banned from most commercial uses, contains products that have the toxic substance in them.
When asbestos containing materials are maintained, intact and in good condition they do not pose a hazard to health. It is when they are “friable”, able to be reduced to dust under pressure by hand, that asbestos becomes airborne and can be inhaled.
Once inhaled or ingested, asbestos lodges in the body and causes serious illnesses, such as mesothelioma, an incurable from of cancer directly linked to exposure. A latency period of decades between time of exposure and development of symptoms of mesothelioma make it difficult to diagnose and treat.
The dangers of exposure to asbestos are now well known and accepted. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), as well as local agencies, have regulations regarding ongoing inspections, maintenance, removal and disposal of asbestos to ensure public safety. Schools have their own set of regulations and procedures to follow.
Therefore, during renovations or damage to a school building, often administrators will have to close portions or completely close the school in order to safely remove or safely contain asbestos containing materials.
A perfect example is the current delayed return of students to St Mary’s and St Peter’s Primary School in Teddington in the UK where asbestos was discovered in its boiler room. Classes were suspended for a day while the school was closed for repairs and safe removal. Asbestos specialists were called in to seal off affected areas and perform the clean up.
