In plans being brought to the Cabinet for approval on 17 March, Staffordshire County Council proposes to remove asbestos from more than two dozen schools. This will make those schools safer for both children and staff.
Why this is a good thing
While some asbestos related diseases only affect people who have prolonged exposure to it, mesothelioma – a form of lung cancer – can affect people even after a very minimal exposure to asbestos fibres. Examples would be pinning something on a wall insulated with asbestos, or being exposed to microscopic fibres from a broken ceiling tile. Removing asbestos from schools takes away this hazard.
The scale of the problem
In the last few years as many as 2,500 patients have been diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The number of new diagnoses is expected to fall gradually over the next decade because of the action already taken to stop using asbestos and to remove some of it from buildings where it was installed.
You can find out which schools will benefit from these proposals here.
Photo by Atikah Akhtar on Unsplash