Management of asbestos in school buildings 2022/23

Applies to:

UK

Published:

July 2023

Documents

Details

This report provides a summary of the key findings from inspections carried out by HSE in 2022/23. They assessed how schools are:

• managing the risks from asbestos within the school estate
• meeting their legal duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

It is aimed at all those with responsibility for managing the school estate, including local authorities, headteachers, maintenance staff, academy trusts and governing bodies.

Most schools were found to be managing asbestos in their buildings effectively. A small number of schools (7%) had significant enough failings in their systems, meaning enforcement action was required to address them.

Where improvements were required, common areas are identified in the report. These include ensuring schools have an up-to-date survey clearly showing the location of all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).

Schools should also have an asbestos management plan in place clearly setting out who does what and when, including regular scheduled checks to monitor the condition of asbestos containing materials.

Anyone carrying out work likely to disturb asbestos (for example builders, maintenance staff, IT engineers) must be appropriately trained and provided with information about location of ACMs before they start.

Schools should consider the findings of this report and review their systems for managing asbestos to ensure that they remain effective and are regularly updated.