Asbestos identified in majority of schools in Northern Ireland

According to the Department of Education (DE), the vast majority of schools in Northern Ireland contain asbestos.

Of approximately 1,100 schools, 975 were identified by the department as containing asbestos.

The number and names of the schools were released following an assembly question from SDLP Assembly Member Colin McGrath.

The Education Authority (EA) said there were “strict procedures for asbestos management”.

Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 because the fibers were linked to diseases such as cancer.

However, it can be found in many public buildings, including schools and hospitals, built or renovated in the second half of the 20th century.

It was widely used as it had significant heat and fire retardant properties.

However, the presence of asbestos in a building can be controlled because fibers must be disturbed and inhaled to cause damage.

The Health and Safety Executive NI (HSENI) guidance on asbestos in buildings stated that its presence “should not be a cause for concern”.

“Asbestos only becomes a health risk when it is released into the air and inhaled,” the guidelines say.

But some teachers’ unions in other parts of the UK have already raised concerns about asbestos in school buildings.

A bereaved family in Northern Ireland recently told BBC News NI that awareness of the risks of asbestos exposure should be raised.

According to the EA’s separate guidance for schools, there are three main types of asbestos.

They are crocidolite – often referred to as blue asbestos; amosite – often referred to as brown asbestos; and chrysotile – white asbestos.

“All three main types are dangerous, but blue (crocidolite) and brown (amosite) are more dangerous than white (chrysotile),” the EA guidelines state.

Of the 975 schools classified by DE as containing asbestos, almost all contain chrysotile.

But hundreds contain amosite, and more than 70 contain all three species.

Mr McGrath is a member of Stormont’s bipartisan group on lung health and said it sparked his questioning about asbestos in schools.

He said that while asbestos is safe if not disturbed, the fact that so many schools have asbestos is a problem.

“Often schools are given maintenance or minor work – it can take a significant amount of time schools are basically construction sites,” he told BBC News NI.

“Given the number of schools, distance has to be a priority.

“This prioritization must go hand in hand with the maintenance plan.

“When you have people installing new fixtures, that’s the kind of job where you’re likely to disrupt a school’s existing structures and there could be some potential for asbestos disruption here.

“Sometimes this work can happen alongside students who are actually at the school.

“If you know you’ll be working for the next two to three years, these should be the schools where a thorough assessment of where the asbestos is and whether it can be safely removed before the work is done is a priority. “

In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesperson for EA said: “We appreciate the emotional nature of this issue but want to reassure both students and parents that the health and well-being of our children and young people, staff and the school as a whole Community remains our top priority.

“We invest over £1m a year in the identification, management, remediation or removal of asbestos.

“There are very strict processes for asbestos management and we work in partnership with a dedicated team of environmental specialists to ensure that all identified asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are managed in accordance with laws and regulations.

“In the vast majority of cases, ACMs can be safely handled by enclosing, sealing, encapsulating or repairing them.

“Where these remedial actions are not practical or appropriate, ACMs will be removed under controlled conditions.”