Up to 15 teachers a year are dying of asbestos-related cancer, the Sunday
Express can reveal. Thousands of children could also be at risk from the
disease because they are being sprinkled with deadly asbestos fibres every time
teachers pin notices to ceilings and walls. Between 1991 and 2000, 147 teachers
died from untreatable cancer mesothelioma because they were working in
deathtrap classrooms that still contained the lethal substance.
Asbestos hidden in household ceilngs could cost thousands of lives.
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"Every building manager must have a survey and management plany in place by May
2004 or substantial fines may be imposed. Asbestos will be dealt with the same
gravity as a Legionnaire's disease outbreak."
Companies could be landed with huge increases in their insurance costs if they
fail to comply with new regulations for monitoring asbestos in buildings, a
leading insurance broker, Alexander Forbes, has warned.
Flat owners could face huge asbestos survey bills .
'Common areas of residential blocks, such as stair wells, corridors, plant
rooms, riser ducts, lift shafts, reception areas and car parks, could contain
asbestos. The new Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations came into force in
May . Landlords are now required by law to establish whether a block contains
asbestos and if so, where and in what form. If asbestos is found, the
freeholder must identify the location, type and state of repair of all asbestos
materials and produce a plan to deal with the risks. Most landlords will comply
with the rules by commissioning surveys. Asbestos may be found in more than
3,000 products that have been used in the past, includind sash cords, linos,
roofing felts, paints, adhesives and mastics. As a rough guide, a proper
asbestos survey of the common parts of a block of eight flats should cost in
the region of £3,000, a block of 16 flats £3,500; a block of 32 flats £5,000
and 64 flats £5,500.