Mesothelioma UK has joined members of the National Asbestos Taskforce in calling on the Government to take urgent action to address the ongoing presence of asbestos in schools across England.
The Taskforce, a coalition of organisations and campaigners committed to removing asbestos from the UK built environment, has written to the Education Secretary urging the Government to prioritise asbestos in schools alongside other building safety concerns.
Asbestos remains the UK’s number one occupational killer and is still present in large numbers of schools. Many school buildings constructed using system-built methods contain asbestos, including CLASP and CLASP-type buildings where asbestos was used extensively in their construction.
The Taskforce has highlighted the particular concerns around older school buildings, many of which are now beyond their intended lifespan and may contain asbestos in areas that are difficult to access or identify.
For Mesothelioma UK, this is an issue that cannot be separated from the experiences of the people living with mesothelioma today.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. The disease can take decades to develop following exposure, meaning that decisions made about asbestos in buildings today can have consequences for people many years into the future.
Liz Darlison MBE, Chief Executive of Mesothelioma UK, said:
“Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with mesothelioma and many have no idea when or where they were exposed to asbestos. We know that asbestos remains in buildings across the UK, including our schools, and we cannot continue to accept the risk of future generations being exposed.
“Prevention must be part of the long-term response to mesothelioma. Removing asbestos safely from our built environment will not undo the harm caused by historic exposure, but it can help prevent more people from receiving this devastating diagnosis in the future.
“As a member of the National Asbestos Taskforce, Mesothelioma UK is supporting the call for a clear, coordinated and long-term approach to tackling asbestos in schools. We welcome the opportunity to work with Government and other partners to help make our schools safer for everyone who learns and works in them.”
The Taskforce has also called for a comprehensive national database of asbestos in schools, enabling the Government and duty holders to better understand where asbestos is present and support informed decisions about its management and removal.
Mesothelioma UK believes that better information, greater transparency and a long-term plan for the safe removal of asbestos are essential if we are to reduce the risk of future exposure.
The Taskforce is calling on the Government to give asbestos in schools comparable priority to other major building safety issues and to work with organisations across the sector to develop a safe, future-proof school estate.
Mesothelioma UK will continue to work with the National Asbestos Taskforce and partners across the sector to keep asbestos prevention, awareness and the voices of people affected by mesothelioma at the heart of the national conversation.
Please help us keep the conversation going and push for change by writing to your MP. You can use this letter template to ask your MP to support action on asbestos in schools.
Write to your MP
You can find who your MP is here: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
This will provide you with their email address and their office address.
You can:
Cut and paste the text of the template letter (please find link to letter here) into your email, include a personal story about asbestos if you have one, or say something that will make it more personal and send the email, or:
You can send by post: Download the letter, add the office address, MPs name, the date, your own address, and add a personal story on asbestos if you have one, or say something that will make it more personal. Print the letter, sign and send in the post.
