Asbestos exposure and asbestos-related illnesses tend to be things you relate with people in the construction industry. They may have been working with asbestos materials and inadvertently exposed themselves to it. After all, asbestos is present in thousands of homes and buildings, so exposure is possible in any building constructed before 1990.

However, while some industries are riskier than others regarding exposure, there’s one that you may not expect to pose any risk: the education sector. Believe it or not, teachers and asbestos exposure are more commonly linked than you might think.

Teachers Being Exposed to Asbestos

Teachers being exposed to asbestos might seem rare, but cases are popping up all over the world. Remember, asbestos has been used in the construction of buildings for decades, and asbestos-related conditions can take up to around four decades to form.

In America

Lea DiRusso worked for almost three decades at two South Philadelphia elementary schools. These schools were known to have crumbling (friable) asbestos, but the schools papered over them for decades.

In 2019, she was diagnosed with incurable mesothelioma. She then became the face of her school district’s failure to protect both students and teachers from the hazards inside their aging buildings.

Even though the schools took steps to remove the asbestos, they also didn’t do it safely. Once asbestos fireproofing was removed from steel beams, air samples showed alarming levels of asbestos inside the school’s gym, a food pickup spot, hallways, and outside the asbestos sealed work area.

These air samples were between five and ten times over what you would deem to be safe. Since then, asbestos was being found in parts of the school where they never thought it would be present.

Studies in the United States show that for every teacher to die from mesothelioma, nine children will eventually follow.

In the UK

Teachers in the United Kingdom are also fighting a battle against asbestos exposure. Around 75% of British schools contain asbestos, and approximately 140 teachers have died from mesothelioma in the last decade.

UK schools built between 1950 and 1980 were putting students and teachers at the most risk, especially since they contained external pipe lagging, sprayed asbestos, and asbestos in insulation, ceilings, walls, and the frames of windows and doors. Studies showed that slamming a door only five times could result in asbestos fibres being released into the air.

In 2014, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated asbestos levels in schools. Out of their sample size of 153 schools, 44 received written advice on their asbestos levels, and 20 had been given enforced improvement notices.

Alarmingly, school teachers ranked eighth on the list of people dying from mesothelioma. From 2002 to 2010, 191 teachers had died of mesothelioma.

And in New Zealand

You might think that teachers being exposed to asbestos is not something that happens in New Zealand. After all, we have rigorous safety standards in school, not to mention qualified asbestos removalists who can take care of asbestos risks. The reality is, though, that asbestos exposure does happen here.

An example is Peter Kohing, a retired Wellington principal who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2008. Peter worked at two schools in Napier and Wellington and believed he, along with other teachers and students, were exposed to asbestos in schools.

While working at a school near Napier, he had to start the generator each morning in a room containing asbestos-lagged water pipes. The room was dusty, and the asbestos was friable.

At South Wellington Intermediate, Peter was exposed to asbestos again. Workers removed corrugated asbestos roofing on a hot day. They were throwing the roofing materials onto a truck and bin below, which sent dust into the air and classrooms.

Eight years into his retirement, he received the mesothelioma diagnosis. He was only given an ACC payout of $120,000, equivalent to one year’s salary as a school principal.

How Are Schools in NZ Protecting Teachers and Students from Asbestos Exposure?

The Ministry of Education has protocols and practices in place to make sure they are keeping students and teachers as safe as possible. They provide guidance for schools on managing the risks, and steps to take if asbestos is identified.

If asbestos in poor condition is found at a school, that school must use licenced asbestos removalists from WorkSafe’s list to take care of it. This process also involves a removal control plan and communication with all staff, teachers, and parents.

When the removal process takes place, the air quality is monitored to make sure it’s safe. Once the asbestos is gone, the school receives a clearance certificate that shows that area is safe for occupation.

Asbestos is Gone, But Exposure Risks Haven’t

We may no longer be using building materials containing asbestos, but that doesn’t mean the risk of exposure has gone away. Buildings across the country – and throughout the world – still contain this deadly material.

Whether you’re worried about exposure or you’re undertaking renovations to a business, school, or home, it’s essential to talk to a licenced asbestos removalist about the next step to take.