A report released last month by the government finds that more than 4,600 of 5,500 schools surveyed still contain asbestos and that too many of them are not following regulations to make sure that no one is exposed to it. Surviving Mesothelioma has just published an article on the new report which you can read here.
Asbestos was a common insulation material and building product additive in the years after World War II. Tens of thousands of homes, schools, and public buildings were constructed using the material which was later linked to pleural mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
According to the new data collection report from the Education Funding Agency, the rules put in place to minimize mesothelioma risk as school buildings age are not helping as much as they could. The report states:
“Around 20 percent [of schools] were not fully compliant in that they did not have fully documented plans, processes, and procedures in place at the time of the data collection or did not know if asbestos was present.”
Airborne asbestos fibers in the form of dust are the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma around the world. Says Surviving Mesothelioma Managing Editor Alex Strauss;
“This UK report should be a red flag to any country with aging school buildings, including the US. The best way to prevent mesothelioma among teachers and students is to ensure that deteriorating asbestos is not ignored.”
To read more about the UK report and the comparative status of asbestos in American school buildings, see Mesothelioma Risk in Older School Buildings, now available on the Surviving Mesothelioma website.
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