The Caretaker - 07/07/2009

Commenting on the British Safety Councils call for the management of and removal of asbestos in schools Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: "The National Union of Teachers wholeheartedly supports the British Safety Council’s call for a national comprehensive register of asbestos in schools; and an assessment to be made of the risk to the users of school buildings. “The NUT has been continually campaigning to ensure that all schools are free from asbestos. Teachers, school staff and children need to be in a safe learning environment, with no risk to their health or safety. “In a meeting with the Prime Minister in May, the NUT, and other teachers’ organisations, called for a risk assessment to be undertaken and a national register of asbestos in schools to be compiled.

“In particular the risk assessment needs to focus on children, who are particularly vulnerable. Unless this work is undertaken, the Government and employers are effectively ‘in the dark’ and will continue to deny the need to tackle a problem which caused the deaths of 92 teachers and lecturers between 2001 and 2005.

“In addition, we called for an ‘Asbestos in Schools Campaign’ to be initiated and for all asbestos to be removed from schools being refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future and Primary Capital programmes.

“While I am pleased that Gordon Brown has said that more needs to be done to solve this very serious problem, the present asbestos management policies are woefully inadequate. The Government has already dragged its heels enough in dealing with this problem.

“The NUT looks forward to working together with the Government and other teachers’ organisations to address this serious issue”.