Starting in September 2022, schools, colleges and trusts in England, Scotland and Wales are to be subject to an inspection programme by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), looking at how they are managing the risks of asbestos.
In statistics released on 6 July 2022, HSE acknowledged for the first time that there is evidence of higher rates of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, in teachers, noting “proportional mortality ratios are somewhat higher for teachers and administrative occupations than those for nurses, sales occupations and process operatives, and this may suggest the potential for asbestos exposure during work time was somewhat higher in these jobs…”.
