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Health and Safety at Work - Asbestos

Asbestos Advice Leaflets

In the 'Resources' section below on the right-hand side of this page, you will find the following health and safety leaflets providing advice on asbestos in the workplace.

Asbestos in the Workplace

This leaflet provides essential information for governors, school leaders and staff in schools and colleges relating to asbestos.

Asbestos in the Workplace: Advice for Representatives

This leaflet provides information and advice for NASUWT Representatives on the issue of asbestos in schools, colleges and other buildings in which NASUWT members work that were built or refurbished between 1945 and 2000. It aims to enable NASUWT Representatives to ensure that schools, colleges and other educational settings properly manage the problem of asbestos in buildings on a strategic level and comply with their statutory obligations.

Asbestos in the Workplace: Briefing for Local Secretaries

This briefing contains advice to NASUWT Local and Negotiating Secretaries and addresses the issue of potential asbestos fibre release in schools, colleges and other buildings built or refurbished between 1945 and 2000 in which NASUWT members work.

Asbestos - Latest News

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (new window) came into force on 6 April 2012. The regulations revoke and replace the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (new window). The new Regulations are most relevant to workers, such as caretakers in schools and maintenance workers, who may undertake some types of low-risk short-duration work with asbestos containing materials. They retain the core duties imposed by the previous Regulations and consolidate the existing asbestos legislation with some modifications that require employers to:

notify the relevant enforcing authority of some types of low-risk short-duration work;
carry out worker medical examinations; and
maintain a register for each worker of the type and duration of work done with asbestos.

School closures highlight asbestos risk - March 2012

The importance of effectively tackling the issue of asbestos in schools has been underlined by its discovery in two schools in the past week.

Government rejects calls for asbestos action in schools - March 2012

The Government has rejected calls from MPs for urgent action to ensure staff and pupils are protected from asbestos in schools.

'National scandal' of asbestos in schools - February 2012

An all-party group is calling for national programme of asbestos removal from schools after studying estimates which suggest it is present in more than 75% of state schools.

Governor risk over asbestos liability - January 2012

The welfare of staff and pupils will be put at risk, the NASUWT has warned, if plans to transfer responsibility for managing asbestos to school governors go ahead.

One in six schools failing to meet asbestos standards - October 2011

One in six schools outside of local authority control are failing to adequately manage asbestos, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Asbestos report call - July 2011

Teachers and parents should be given an annual report of the asbestos risk in schools, a coalition of trade unions, including the NASUWT, has argued.

Asbestos management - July 2010

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, all business properties, including schools and colleges, which were built before the year 2000 must have an asbestos register

New asbestos guide published - March 2010. An updated and expanded guide to assist employers in managing asbestos in their workplace has been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

NASUWT continues asbestos fight - February 2010. The NASUWT is continuing to lobby ministers for action to ensure school staff and pupils are effectively protected from asbestos exposure.