Respiratory protection required if schools removal proposal goes ahead

An all-party group has called for asbestos to be removed from the 75 per cent of schools in Britain that contain the deadly substance.

In a recently published report, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health said the presence of asbestos in schools was "endangering lives" and it wants to create better awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos.  

The report said: "If [phased removal] is not adopted as policy then asbestos will remain a problem in schools indefinitely.

"There will be the ever present potential for the asbestos to be disturbed and fibres released."

According to Safety and Health Practitioner magazine, twice as many people die from asbestos exposure in Britain as are killed on the roads.

Any worker dealing with the removal of asbestos must wear respiratory protection to prevent the inhalation of asbestos fibres, which can cause a number of diseases including cancer of the lung lining.

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