FOI request reveals full list of borough schools where the hazardous material can still be found, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

credit Daryl Mitchell via Wikimedia Commons

Buildings at 28 schools in Barnet still contain asbestos, new data released under the Freedom of Information Act show.

The potentially deadly material, which was used in construction until it was banned in 1999, is not considered harmful when in large pieces and undamaged, but can lead to an incurable type of cancer if it is disturbed and the fibres are inhaled.

The council says it has a management plan and safety measures in place at all of its schools in the borough that are affected by asbestos.

Concerns over the safety of school buildings have been mounting since the government revealed more than 170 schools around the country contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), a lightweight form of concrete used from the 1950s to the mid-1990s that is at risk of collapse after its 30-year lifespan. They include Bishop Douglass School in Finchley.

Teaching unions have urged the government to remove asbestos from school buildings amid concerns that up to 10,000 former staff and pupils may have died from cancer caused by the material.

According to government figures published in 2019, the substance is still present in four out of five schools in England.

All three types of asbestos are known as class one carcinogens, although blue and brown asbestos – which have been banned since 1985 – are the most dangerous. White asbestos was banned in 1999.

Before it was banned the substance was used in a wide range of construction materials, including insulation, boilers and pipes.

When asbestos-containing materials are intact, they pose little risk to health. But if they are damaged, fibres may be released and inhaled or swallowed.

Breathing in high concentrations of asbestos for long periods can lead to a condition called asbestosis – which can take decades to develop – and this in turn leads to an increased risk of cancer.

Asbestos causes mesothelioma – a cancer of the protective tissue covering the lungs or the abdomen – as well as cancer of the lung, larynx and ovary. Breathing in lower concentrations of asbestos can cause other lung problems.

A report produced by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee estimates that between 5,000 and 10,000 former staff and pupils died from mesothelioma between 1980 and 2017 because they were exposed to amosite (brown) asbestos in their schools between the 1960s and 1980s.

The committee has called on the government to fund the phased removal of all asbestos in educational establishments by 2028.

On Monday (9th), a coalition of trade unions called for the removal of asbestos from all public buildings within the next 40 years.

A Barnet Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the presence of asbestos in some Barnet schools and have a management plan and safety measures in place.

“Whenever asbestos is found, disturbed or damaged on Barnet Council school premises, a council asbestos co-ordinator supports and advises on risk mitigation steps to ensure the safety of staff and pupils.”

The full list of school sites containing asbestos provided by the council is as follows:

Beis Yaakov Primary School
Brookhill Nursery School
Brunswick Park Primary & Nursery School
Chalgrove Primary School
Christchurch CE Primary School
Danegrove Primary School
Dollis Primary School
Foulds Primary School
Friern Barnet School
Hampden Way Nursery School
Hasmonean High School for Girls
Henrietta Barnett School
Holly Park Primary School
Hasmonean High School for Boys
Independent Jewish Day School
Livingstone Primary School
Mapledown School
Martin Primary School
Meadway Pupil Referral Unit
Monkfrith Primary School
Moss Hall Junior School
Moss Hall Nursery School
St Andrew’s CE Primary School
St James’ Catholic High School
St Margaret’s Nursery School
St Paul’s CE Primary School
Sunnyfields Primary School
Wessex Gardens Primary School

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