Government of New South Wales, Australia discloses that 1,300 primary and secondary schools that still contain asbestos
According to the NSW Education Director, approximately 70 percent of the public schools in New South Wales contain asbestos. Having completed an exhaustive $3 million survey of the state’s schools, the government is releasing a register giving the nature and location for all asbestos remaining in 1,300 primary and secondary schools in the state. The register, which will be accessible through the schools to parents and school visitors, will show where asbestos is located “room by room” in each of the schools.
The register is intended to keep students and school employees safer, as well as tradespeople working on school grounds. Knowing where asbestos is located allows workers to make safer choices: for example, they can avoid drilling directly into a wall that contains asbestos.
When asbestos-containing products are disturbed, the fibers can become suspended in the air and stay in the breathing space for long periods of time. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the membranes that line the lungs, heart or abdomen.
For the full story, go to the Australian.
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