Campaigns to remove asbestos in schools are welcomed by lawyers

The Daily Mail and The Times have both run stories today regarding the creation of a national online database and the setting up of a program to remove deadly asbestos in schools and hospitals.

Harminder’s father died from mesothelioma and she has represented mesothelioma victims for 30 years in legal cases and campaigns.  

The Daily Mail and The Times have ongoing campaigns to highlight the danger of asbestos. They have today reported on Dr Gill Reed’s report on behalf of the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC), which states that the next wave of mesothelioma deaths “is likely to be a tsunami in the UK, that bears hundreds of thousands of staff and children to a painful death by suffocation.  Their deaths would be the consequence of ineffective asbestos regulations and a cost-cutting culture that wrongly implies ‘asbestos is safe so long as it is not disturbed.’  It is too late for those already exposed but prompt Government action to remove asbestos from buildings could prevent further deaths in future.”

Harminder has been instructed by the National Education Union (NEU) regarding the Government’s policy to leave asbestos in schools and is currently investigating bringing a legal action on their behalf. She was approached to investigate the possible legal action after Hank Roberts, a retired teacher and a member of JUAC, said “we wouldn’t send our children into burning buildings, so why are we sending them into buildings riddled with asbestos?”.

The Leigh Day asbestos team has represented numerous teachers, doctors, nurses and other staff who have been exposed to asbestos whilst working in schools and hospitals.  

Steven Dickens, asbestos claims partner, who has represented many families affected by asbestos-related diseases linked to schools including the family of teacher Hazel Healey, states:

“This shocking report highlights the danger that has faced teachers, staff and pupils over the last five decades when they have been required to attend schools constructed using asbestos.  Many of those buildings are now in poor condition.

“Until asbestos is removed from all schools in the UK the staff and pupils in those schools will be at risk of developing mesothelioma in future years.  The figures of predicted future deaths from mesothelioma in UK schools are appalling and cannot be ignored. Government must act now to remedy this.” 

Harminder has previously represented Julia Browne, a PE teacher who was exposed to asbestos at a school in Surrey. Harminder said:

“Julia was a PE teacher who was exposed to asbestos whilst teaching children. This is intolerable and should not have occurred. She should be alive today continuing to enjoy her life with her beloved family. Thousands of schools in England and Wales contain asbestos and sadly Julia is not the only teacher whose life has been cut short as a consequence of this deadly substance. Sadly as a result of successive Government’s failure to remove the asbestos from the schools teachers and pupils will continue to be exposed.”