Parents can’t protect their children every second of the day, but they expect schools to provide a safe environment. Sadly, many UK schools still contain one of the most dangerous materials ever used in construction: asbestos.
While most of today’s school risks are visible, from illnesses to playground accidents, asbestos exposure is silent and invisible, yet potentially fatal. Fibres can be released from ageing ceiling tiles, pipe insulation or wall panels without anyone noticing.
A 2019 Department for Education survey revealed that over 80% of schools in England still contain asbestos, much of it in poor condition. Worryingly, children are more vulnerable than adults, those exposed before the age of five are five times more likely to develop mesothelioma later in life.
We explore the scale of the issue, why asbestos remains so widespread in UK schools, and what steps schools, parents and local authorities can take to keep children safe.
Asbestos in Schools Statistics
It’s one thing to say that asbestos presents a significant threat to schools. It’s another to examine statistics. Only then does a clear picture emerge of the importance of taking the asbestos threat seriously.
A 2019 Department for Education (DfE) survey found that more than 80% of schools in England still contained asbestos. This is especially alarming when you consider that a child exposed to asbestos under five years of age is five times more likely to develop mesothelioma than an adult exposed to asbestos at the age of thirty.
The National Education Union found that approximately 25,000 children are predicted to die of mesothelioma because they were exposed to asbestos in schools prior to the mid 1990’s.
Additional research has, quite surprisingly, uncovered that approximately 25% of people working in education have zero understanding of what asbestos is. More shocking, 13% of people are completely unaware that asbestos exposure can lead to health issues.
These statistics present a stark picture of the dangers asbestos in schools presents.
Why Is Asbestos Found in UK Schools?
From roughly the 1950s to the 1980s, asbestos was widespread in UK building construction. At the time, it was thought of as a “miracle material,” thanks largely to its strong insulation properties and resistance to fire heat and chemicals. Any school constructed or refurbished throughout that time relied heavily on the material.
The durability of the material combined with its relative affordability seemingly made asbestos perfect for use in a range of areas around the school. From ceiling tiles and floor tiles, wall panels and adhesives, to notably, insulation, concrete and roof sheets, asbestos is commonly found in pretty much every area of a school building.
When Was Asbestos Used in UK Schools?
The post-war era (from the 1940s to the 1970s) saw a massive boom in asbestos use in UK construction and schools were a big part of this. WW2 decimated much of the UKs infrastructure and the need to rebuild swiftly and affordably was clear. Asbestos presented an opportunity to build and modernise UK infrastructure.
In the 1960s, scientists began to see a link between asbestos exposure and serious health issues, including mesothelioma, not to mention a range of cancers, including stomach, larynx and lung cancer.
The concern to public health saw construction scale back the use of asbestos, but it wouldn’t be until 1985 until asbestos use was banned, starting with a total ban on the most dangerous asbestos blue (amosite).
By 1999, the UK banned the use of all forms of asbestos when white (chrysotile) was banned. The problem was that by 1999 thousands of UK schools contained asbestos. Managing asbestos in UK schools has become a key issue for school boards and local authorities, a legacy that’s persevered to 2025.
Common Areas Asbestos is Found in UK Schools
Classrooms
Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were widely-used in UK classrooms, especially those built in the post-war era. AIB (asbestos insulating board) can be found from floor tiles and adhesives to ceiling tiles and the partition walls. Textured coatings (Artex) are commonly painted on walls and ceilings. People are literally surrounded by asbestos.
Roofs and Ceilings
Legacy cement roofing sheets, especially those of flat or prefabricated school buildings, have a rich asbestos legacy. This is very true of bitumen roofing in older flat roofed structures. Compounding this, ceiling tiles or panels contain asbestos insulation board. Soffits, gutters and downpipes also feature asbestos cement. And ceiling tiles or panels also contain asbestos insulation board.
Corridors and Stairwells
It’s a mite disconcerting that high traffic areas in schools, for example, the corridors and stairwells across the school will, very likely, contain asbestos. These areas often house AIB fire doors and panels, column beam coatings, textured or sprayed decorative coatings on the ceilings and walls, and vinyl flooring with asbestos adhesives. This means that when travelling around the school children are being exposed to asbestos.
Storage Rooms, Science Labs and Workshops
One of the lesser-considered, yet, potentially, more asbestos-dense school environments are the storage rooms, science labs and workshops. The benches and worktops are often reinforced with asbestos coating to promote fire resistance. Older science labs often have fume cupboard linings. Even noticeboards are coated with asbestos.
Toilets, Kitchens and Maintenance Access Areas
Whereas it’s unlikely that children will venture into kitchen and maintenance access areas (though they may get into mischief from time to time and explore prohibited areas), the toilets will, more than likely, put children at risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos cement panels are often found behind the sinks or around the pipework. Floor and wall tiles are fixed with asbestos adhesive and ceiling boards are often made from AIB to safeguard against the spread of fire.
The Impact of Asbestos on Children’s Health
As you can probably guess, asbestos can have a significant impact on children’s health. Fibres released into the air can be easily breathed in, damaging lung cells. Long-term exposure can result in diseases, including mesothelioma.
What’s, arguably, more alarming is that the UK Committee on Carcinogenicity 2013 concluded that Mesothelioma appears five times more in children than in adults. After years and years of exposure, trapped asbestos fibres in the body cause chronic inflammation, scarring (fibrosis) and genetic damage, which can all lead to serious diseases.
In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos exposure in early life can manifest as children age, leading to a diagnosis of asbestosis. Symptoms presented include breathlessness, coughing and reduced lung capacity. It’s important to remember that the latency asbestosis period is 10-30 years, so children may not even realise the damage that’s being done until later in life.
Regulations and School Responsibilities
There are a range of regulations, and consequences, for asbestos in school buildings.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to ensure the health and safety and welfare of their employees, and anyone present in asbestos environment, or affected by their activities.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) lays out specific duties on who is responsible for managing asbestos in non-domestic premises (which includes schools).
The DfE asbestos guidance document, Managing Asbestos in Your School or College across England and Wales and outlines. The guidance was updated in March 2025 and provides practical guidance for managing asbestos in schools throughout the UK.
The Importance of Asbestos Management Plans
It goes without saying having an asbestos management plan in place across schools is not only important but a legal requirement.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations require duty holders of non-domestic buildings to have a clear plan to identify and manage asbestos risks. The plan details how to safely monitor, maintain or remove ACMS which prevents accidental damage and the release of fibres into the air.
In clearly identifying where asbestos is and how to handle it, an asbestos management plan protects employee, contractor and the public from exposure to airborne fibres.
Moreover, having an asbestos management plan provides a clear framework for what to do should you suspect asbestos, including protocols for handling emergency protocols, such as when you uncover accidental damage to ACMs, how to minimise exposure to harmful fibres and who’s responsible for managing asbestos actions across the organisation.
Remember that an asbestos management plan is a live document and must be regularly reviewed every 12-months and updated to reflect changes to the building, for example, refurbishment to ensure continued compliance.
Once in place, an asbestos management plan is a vital resource to help schools efficiently manage and oversee what they need to do to control and mitigate asbestos.
The Steps to Protect Children’s Health in a School with Confirmed Asbestos?
Step One: Protecting Children’s Health in a School with Confirmed Asbestos
Immediately restrict access. Make sure that children, staff and visitors are kept away from any suspected or confirmed asbestos presence. Use clear signage and physical barriers to prevent entry.
Step Two: Implement Strict Maintenance and Cleaning Controls
Prohibit any work that could disturb asbestos, (including drilling, sanding or structural changes.) All cleaning staff are trained to avoid and manage asbestos materials.
Step Three: Educate and Train Staff
Provide asbestos training for everyone working at the school. This includes teaching and administrative staff, caretakers and maintenance staff. Communicate where asbestos is located, and the procedures to follow if accidentally disturbed.
Step Four: If Decided Upon, Plan for Safe Removal
If it has been decided that the asbestos must be removed, schedule the professional school asbestos removal work during the school holidays or when buildings are unoccupied. Once the area has been cleared, complete thorough tests before reoccupation.
Mitigate the Silent Threat to Children
Asbestos in schools poses a silent threat to children. Inhaling any released fibres (if disturbed) can damage lungs and cause serious illness, including mesothelioma, which is why it’s vital that the threat is mitigated as effectively as possible.
Every flaky tile, damaged pipe cover or uninspected ceiling could be releasing fibres. This poses a risk, not only to children but, a lifelong risk.
Remember, protecting children means more than just meeting building regulations. It requires proactive management, open communication and a genuine commitment to safety. Schools, local authorities and parents must work together to ensure that asbestos is accurately identified, monitored and, where necessary, safely removed. Any child’s education should certainly not come at the expense of their health.
Concerned about asbestos in your school? Don’t take risks with asbestos.
Contact Fibre Safe today for expert guidance, a free quote, or to book a survey on 0800 458 4136 or send a message here.
