MORE than 150 schools in Glasgow contain asbestos, new figures reveal.
But education chiefs have sought to put parents’ minds at ease after it was claimed that children running through corridors could disturb the toxic substance.
In total 167 primaries, secondaries, nurseries and assisted support needs schools in the city contain asbestos.
Specialist officers are employed by the city council to monitor education facilities to ensure asbestos is not disturbed and cannot become harmful. But Hope Robertson, secretary of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, which covers the west of Scotland, said: “Asbestos costs an arm and a leg to remove but you can’t put a price on children’s lives.
“Kids run through corridors, they bang doors and that’s all it takes to disturb asbestos and make it go airborne.
“Parents should be aware of the fact that they can request a look at the asbestos register. Schools must be able to produce that.”
“Folk say we’re scaremongering but schools, especially the Consortium of Local Authority Special Programme (CLASP) facilities, have the old pipe insulation systems in them. They are covered in asbestos.”
Seven CLASP schools and 18 secondaries throughout the city were identified as having asbestos. Those included Holyrood Secondary, St Mungo’s Primary and the all-girls Notre Dame High School.
In the west of the city, 50 nurseries, primaries and additional support needs schools were revealed as containing asbestos, with 42 on the Southside, 29 in the East End and 21 in the north.
If undisturbed, asbestos does not pose a health risk but, if material containing it is damaged, fibres can enter the lungs, causing asbestosis if exposed over a prolonged period.
The council said: “We have a robust management programme in place to ensure safety in all our buildings.
“Whilst there are times where removal is appropriate, it is also true that on many occasions asbestos is safer when left alone and managed appropriately.
“Asbestos that remains undisturbed presents no risk and it’s very unhelpful to worry parents unnecessarily.”
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