TES: Urgent Need to Address Asbestos Related Cancer Risk for School Staff

“We understand parents, teachers and others who work in schools may be concerned about the presence of asbestos in school buildings,” said an HSE spokesperson.

 
The aim of the “inspection campaign”, they explained, is to ensure schools have “effective arrangements in place and are complying with the law”. 
A likely drive for this was its own report from 2022 that acknowledged the risk to teachers was higher than for those in many other professions.

 
“Proportional mortality ratios are somewhat higher for teachers and administrative occupations than those for nurses, sales occupations and process operatives,” it said. 

Overall, though, the advice was not to worry: “The risk of exposure is low as long as schools follow the regulations and have the right measures in place”. 

Yet, the tragic cases of the two teachers mentioned in the article, and the fact the HSE is putting a new focus on asbestos in schools, suggest this is an area of concern. So, what do schools and those working in them need to know? Read the full article