Asbestos is a deadly threat and should be removed from schools, hospitals and all public sites as soon as possible.
The main types of cancers caused by asbestos are lung cancer and cancer of the lining of the lung (mesothelioma). These diseases can take from 15 to 60 years to develop, and there is no cure for mesothelioma. Asbestos in buildings can be disturbed by everyday activities, as well as by maintenance and renovation activities.
Deaths of school staff have been increasing steeply since records began in 1980. Between 1980 and 2021, 431 teachers aged under 75 died in Britain from mesothelioma. All individuals working and learning in schools are at risk, and children particularly so, given the long latency period.
We urgently need a Government led strategy for making our public buildings safer from the dangers of asbestos. We want to see the implementation of the recommendations set out in the Select Committee on Work and Pensions report. We know that 8 out of 10 schools contain asbestos materials, and note the rising number of education workers among those being diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers. The current Health and Safety Executive (HSE) policy of ‘safe in situ’ asbestos management, is not sustainable: we want it removed; safely, professionally, as soon as practicable.
We are calling for the following:
- To collect and share data centrally on the extent, type, and condition of all asbestos in public buildings: for Government to work with HSE to develop a central digital register of asbestos in all non-domestic buildings.
- The highest risk buildings must be the top priority and a register of every incidence of the fatal fibre made public.
- To develop a programme for the phased removal of all asbestos in public service establishments, starting with the most dangerous first, with adequate capital funding made available. This plan should integrate with proposals for the upgrading of the built environment.
- To support duty holders by funding mandatory training on asbestos risk and management, and information to stakeholders, including staff and parents.
- To commit to a sustained increase in asbestos inspection and enforcement activity, and to back this with appropriate and adequate funding over the medium term for regulation and enforcement.
In 2022 UNISON welcomed the publication of the Select Committee on Work and Pensions report on The HSE’s Approach to Asbestos Management in which it recommended; “a deadline now be set for the removal of asbestos from non-domestic buildings within 40 years, focusing on removing the highest risk asbestos first, and the early removal from the highest risk settings including schools.” https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2022/04/unison-welcomes-asbestos-report/
In 2023, UNISON supported the Mesothelioma UK cost-benefit analysis report ‘Clearing the Air’, provided compelling evidence of the benefits of asbestos removal in schools and hospitals for both public health and the public purse. www.mesothelioma.uk.com/downloads/clearing-the-air-the-costs-and-benefits-of-removing-asbestos-from-uk-schools-and-hospitals/?wpdmdl=20853
In October 2024 UNISON attended a roundtable discussion on Asbestos with the Minister for Social Security and Disability, Rt Hon. Sir Stephen Timms MP, leaders from the Health and Safety Executive and other stakeholders. The previous government did nowhere near enough. What’s needed now is a comprehensive programme of works to ensure everyone employed in or using public buildings is kept safe.
Read our UNISON Asbestos Q&A guidance designed for UNISON health and safety reps and branches.