The BBC has highlighted the need for asbestos awareness training for tradespeople working in schools. Disturbing asbestos fibres and dust will directly endanger the health of anyone coming into contact with it, and worrying figures seen by the BBC suggest that almost nine out of ten schools in the UK contain asbestos somewhere within their buildings.
These figures are backed up by the Asbestos Exposure in Schools group, who using information provided by 75% of schools in the UK collated between 2009 and 2014, show that 86% of schools do indeed contain asbestos.
The key aspects when trying to control the dangers of asbestos include:
- Knowing the areas where it is likely to be present
- Understanding why you should not try to tackle asbestos or disturb it in any way without prior training
- Being prepared to step back and call in licensed contractors who can safely remove it
So, if school buildings form part of your day-to-day work as a tradesperson, asbestos awareness training is absolutely vital to stay safe.
It’s not just tradespeople who are at risk
Teachers and pupils are also in danger from asbestos. What’s more, they face these dangers potentially on a daily basis. Many schools built during the 1960s and 1970s will contain asbestos in some form, with those constructed during the ‘80s and ‘90s also at risk. It was only in 2000 that asbestos was banned in this country.
Online asbestos awareness training
Training courses on asbestos awareness are short, and take around 90 minutes to complete. They can be fitted into a busy day, and at the end you get a certificate to prove your competence in identifying sources of asbestos, and your understanding of the appropriate action to take.