Asbestos in schools: no immediate risk

Asbestos in schools: no immediate risk

A cancer-causing material found in the majority of schools in Caithness does not present an "immediate risk", according to Highland Council officials. Results from a newly-released survey show that two-thirds of the county's primary schools and both secondaries contain asbestos.

But the local authority has insisted there are strict measures in place to monitor and manage the situation.

Its asbestos register, released to a daily newspaper this month under Freedom of Information legislation, shows that most local schools contain a form of the substance in wall panels, flooring and ceiling tiles.

The most prevalent is chrysotile, known as white asbestos, which is thought to be the least hazardous type.

No 'immediate risk' from asbestos in local schools (John o'Groat Journal, 23 January 2008)