Tag: asbestos

Miles Briggs raises safety concerns over asbestos in Lothian schools

110 schools across Edinburgh contain asbestos

During Education and Skills portfolio questions yesterday at the Scottish Parliament, Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs asked the Cabinet Secretary for Education  and Skills Jenny Gilruth, about the safety of schools in Scotland.

Mr Briggs said how it is critical that this government and councils acts as quickly as possible to remove asbestos from the Scottish schools estate to ensure that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.

Across the Lothians 241 schools contain asbestos – 110 in Edinburgh (details below), 31 in East Lothian, 18 in Midlothian and 82 in West Lothian. In the last year, 58 schools had asbestos removed – 20 in Edinburgh, 0 in Midlothian, 38 in West Lothian and East Lothian declined to provide the information.

The Scottish Conservatives have previously criticised the SNP for continuing to pass on “savage” cuts to local authorities, meaning schools don’t have the resources to remove asbestos from school buildings.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of Scotland, herself a former teacher, was asked “what progress has the Scottish Government made in removing asbestos from schools, what impact assessment has been undertaken to look at where currently asbestos is in the school estate and where this will be removed and what timescale will government develop to make sure this happens”.

In response, Ms. Gilruth acknowledged the importance of the issue and said: “Obviously a number of the schools that we are talking about are historically old buildings, I confess that the last building that I worked in, over in Fife, had asbestos in it.

“It is soon to be replaced by a brand new building thanks to this government. I think that’s hugely important as we move forward in improving the school estate, but we will need to recognise some of the challenge here”.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The danger of asbestos is common knowledge.

“Despite this we still have over 240 schools in across Lothian which still contain this hazardous material.

“It is vital that pupils, teachers and staff across Scotland are learning and working in a safe environment.

“Continued underfunding of local authorities by SNP Ministers makes it extremely difficult for council to carry out the necessary work in our school estates to remove asbestos.”

The TUC has highlighted the dangers of asbestos today, International Workers Memorial Day. Asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain.

TUC’s Sally Asquith said: “Schools are some of the most likely buildings to contain asbestos, but also the most obvious site for safe removal.

“Many schools desperately need repair or replacing anyway: the Department for Education has admitted a serious risk of collapse in many school buildings. We know more than 90 per cent of schools contain asbestos, and that the rate of mesothelioma diagnoses among former teachers is rising rapidly, so the need for removal is urgent. In the past six months alone, four schools in England had to close after asbestos was disturbed.

“As well as providing adequate support, and research, for those affected, the only real way to prevent asbestos-related illness in the long term is to remove the substance once and for all.

“Only by removing asbestos from all public buildings can we avoid future risk of exposure and stop the thousands of early – and entirely preventable – deaths from this dreadful, fatal illness.”

#IWMD

Edinburgh

A total of 110 schools contain asbestos:

Nursery/EYC – 21

Primary – 73

High School – 12

Special – 4

We have removed asbestos from 20 schools since 1st April 2022.

Mesothelioma Awareness Day: 29% of Edinburgh tradespeople encounter asbestos every year

New research has found that 29% of tradespeople in Edinburgh are exposed to asbestos every single year.

Ahead of Mesothelioma Awareness Day tomorrow (26th September), an event aiming to bring more attention to the dangers of asbestos, ElectricalDirectsurveyed trade workers from across the nation to see how often they encounter it, and the impact this has on their health.

The study found that 57% of tradespeople in Edinburgh have come across asbestos – the fibre-like material once used for insulation – in their working lives.

This has serious consequences, with 14% having had symptoms of an asbestos-related disease, or knowing a colleague who has. 

Tradespeople are amongst the most at-risk workers of asbestos-related diseases, and across all industries, the majority are exposed to the potentially lethal material on a regular basis. Three in five (60%) find it every year, over a third (35%) say every month, and one in 12 (8%) come face to face with asbestos every day. 

Tragically, one in 20 (5%) know someone who has died of such a condition, and every week, 20 tradespeople deaths are attributed to asbestos. 

Some trades are more likely to be exposed than others, and so should be particularly cautious. Almost every carpenter (95%) questioned had some history with asbestos, and bricklayers (88%) are a close second. 

The trades that are most likely to encounter asbestos are: 

With such severe consequences, it’s important that tradespeople know the warning signs of the diseases, and consult a doctor straight away if any appear. Dr Rhianna McClymont, Lead GP at Livi, the digital healthcare provider, says that asbestosis causes a range of symptoms, including: 

  • Persistent cough 
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Wheezing 
  • Pain in the chest or shoulder 
  • Tiredness Swollen or ‘clubbed’ fingertips 

However, ElectricalDirect’s research found that the majority of UK tradespeople are unaware of these symptoms. When asked to identify the signs of asbestosis, almost two-thirds (64%) failed to select a persistent cough, and over half (55%) didn’t pick out shortness of breath. 

Dr Rhianna explains more about the condition: 

What is abestosis? 

“Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease caused by breathing in large amounts of asbestos dust for a long time. The asbestos gets lodged in the lungs causing scarring around the air sacs (alveoli), which means oxygen can’t reach the bloodstream easily. The scarring leads to the lungs hardening, making it more difficult to breathe because the lungs cannot hold as much air as they used to.” 

What causes it? 

“The condition is caused by long-term exposure to asbestos, a material used in the past for cement, insulation, car parts, and some roof and floor tiles. The fibres in asbestos break down into little pieces when they’re damaged, released into the air and then breathed in. These fibres get stuck in the lungs, and over a long time, can cause permanent lung damage.” 

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at ElectricalDirect, said: “Despite being banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos is a still a real issue in the industry, and it’s awful that so many tradespeople die from related diseases every year. 

“Some people might not experience symptoms for decades after their exposure to the material, so it’s important that individuals remain vigilant, and see a doctor immediately if they spot any signs.” 

To read ElectricalDirect’s full Asbestos and the Trades: 2022 report, including what to do if you encounter asbestos at work, and the treatment options for those who spot symptoms, visit: https://www.electricaldirect.co.uk/blog/asbestos-and-the-trades-2022

Scotland to ban combustible cladding

Materials barred from high-risk buildings over 11 metres

Legislation to improve fire safety and boost Scotland’s Net Zero ambitions has been laid before the Scottish Parliament.

Under the legislation, developers will be banned from using combustible cladding on high-rise buildings. Since 2005, new cladding systems on high rise blocks of flats have either had to use non-combustible materials or pass a large-scale fire test.

The building standards legislation removes the option of a fire test, completely prohibiting such materials from use on domestic and other high-risk buildings, such as care homes and hospitals, above 11m.

The highest risk metal composite cladding material will be banned from any new building of any height, with replacement cladding also required to meet the new standards.

The legislation also includes improvements to energy performance standards, aiming to make buildings easier to heat while ensuring they are well ventilated and comfortable to live in.

Building Standards Minister Patrick Harvie said: “This is the third set of changes made to fire safety standards for cladding in Scotland since the tragic Grenfell Tower Fire, requiring any cladding on domestic or other high risk buildings above 11m to be strictly non-combustible.

“Taken together with our new fire alarms regulations, covering all homes in Scotland regardless of ownership, this is yet another step on the Scottish Government’s mission to minimise the risk of deaths and injuries from fire.

“The energy improvements will deliver another important step toward improved energy and emission performance of our buildings, and we’ll be going further on this in 2024 with regulations requiring new buildings to use zero-emissions heating systems.”

The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)

Changes to requirements on fire safety of cladding systems will be introduced on 1 June 2022, while improvements to energy and environmental standards will apply from 1 October 2022.

The changes have been brought in following public consultations in 2021 on the fire safety of cladding systems and on energy and environmental standards.

Supporting Technical Handbooks, which set out the full detail of changes, will be published from the start of May.

The combustible cladding ban will apply to all buildings with a storey 11m or more above the ground, and which contain:

  • a dwelling
  • a building used as a place of assembly
  • or as a place of entertainment or recreation
  • a hospital
  • a residential care building or sheltered housing complex or a shared multi-occupancy residential building.

MPs back TUC’s calls for asbestos removal from public buildings

On Thursday, MPs backed calls from the TUC for all asbestos to be removed from public and commercial buildings. 

Westminster’s Work and Pensions Select Committee published a report from its inquiry into asbestos management in which it cites TUC calls for stronger asbestos removal.  

Asbestos remains the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with 5,000 deaths recorded in 2019. And Britain has the highest rates of mesothelioma cases in the world. 

Asbestos is classed as carcinogenic, which means it can cause cancer and other serious lung conditions when fibres are inhaled.  

According to figures from the HSE asbestos is still found in around 300,000 non-domestic buildings despite a ban on the use of the substance in new buildings in 1999. 

Committee report  

The new report by MPs cites concerns that the likely dramatic increase in retrofitting of buildings in response to net zero ambitions means that more asbestos-containing material will be disturbed in the coming decades. 

The TUC says current asbestos management is not fit for purpose and has long called for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings. 

Today MPs have called for a 40-year deadline to remove all asbestos from public and commercial buildings. The TUC welcomes the news but says a 40-year deadline is not ambitious enough. 

The report also calls for more funding for the HSE to support this increased programme of work. 

Asbestos dangers 

There is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos fibres – inhalation even of small quantities can lead to mesothelioma decades after exposure. 

This means that where asbestos is still present, it is not safe to assume there will be no disturbances that put working people in danger. 

The only way we will eradicate mesothelioma in Britain is with a legal duty to safely remove asbestos, and a clear timetable for its eradication. Only then can we ensure that future generations will not have to experience the same deadly epidemic from asbestos-related diseases that we suffer today. 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone should be safe at work. Asbestos exposure at work continues to cause thousands of deaths every year. Asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country. As a result, more than 22 years after the use of asbestos was banned, hundreds of thousands of workers are still put at risk of exposure every day. 

“The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings.  

“Today’s report by MPs is welcome, but a 40-year deadline isn’t ambitious enough: hundreds of thousands of workers risk dangerous exposure in that time. Ministers must commit to removing all asbestos to keep future generations safe.” 

DWP-Select-cttee-asbestosDownload

Action Meso Day

Action Mesothelioma Day (Action Meso Day), an annual event to raise awareness of mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos, will this year be a virtual event hosted by broadcaster, academic, and mesothelioma patient, Kate Williams.

The UK has the world’s highest incidence of mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, with more than 2,700 people diagnosed each year. Over 1600 schools in Scotland contain asbestos.

Hosted by the UK Mesothelioma Alliance (UKMA) as part of its ActionMeso campaign, the event will be held from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Friday 2 July.

It will include panel discussions, clinical trials updates, expert insights and patient stories for anyone affected by mesothelioma. ActionMeso supporters, including support groups and charities in Scotland, will be hosting their own activities before or after the main event.

Patients, family members, friends, carers, local dignitaries, healthcare professionals, asbestos removal companies, law firms and anyone interested in mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos are invited to join the event.

Registration is free at www.actionmeso.org/amd21 and the hashtag #ActionMeso will be used on social media platforms.

Kate Williams, broadcaster, academic, mesothelioma patient and host for the national event, said: “I was honoured to be asked to host Action Meso Day 2021. As a peritoneal mesothelioma patient myself, I am all too aware of the importance of raising awareness of the disease and the dangers of asbestos.

“This is a chance to hear from people directly affected by this cancer and along with other patients, I will be sharing my story. We’ll also be learning about the latest in treatment and care from healthcare professionals.

“Events like this and the #ActionMeso campaign are vital if we are to see companies and the government take action and prevent other families being affected by this disease.”

Phyllis Craig MBE, Director of Action on Asbestos said, “Our charity is proud to be part of an initiative that brings people together to raise awareness that mesothelioma is a preventable condition.

“Being a charity that covers the whole of Scotland we know only too well the devastation that is caused to those diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families, especially when this condition is caused through no fault of their own.

“The fact that asbestos remains in over 1600 schools in Scotland is terrifying, because this means that we may continue to see more people being diagnosed with mesothelioma in another 20 to 30 years. If we stand united, we can eradicate asbestos from all public buildings and safeguard our future – our children.”

Statistics show that 94 per cent of mesothelioma cases in the UK are caused by workplace exposures and are preventable.

ActionMeso is campaigning to promote the Mesothelioma Patient Charter to employers, healthcare providers and politicians in all the nations of the United Kingdom, which sets out the action needed to prevent this disease and ensure more families do not suffer.