Asbestos scare at junior school
May 15, 2008
A junior school in Coventry was forced to close after a damaged wall panel caused an asbestos scare.
St Giles Junior School in Exhall was partially closed and 200 pupils evacuated after a child kicked a corridor wall which sparked the incident, the Coventry Telegraph reports.
Teachers at the school were aware the panel contained asbestos and acted to minimise the danger to those inside the school.
Some children remained in the school while they sat their Standard Assessment Tests, which are compulsory and cannot be postponed.
A spokesman for Warwickshire county council said that the school took the safety of its students very seriously and decided to close part of the building as a precaution.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the partial closure but as we are sure parents will understand, we would never wish to compromise the safety of children in school and we would prefer to take precautionary measures," he told the newspaper.
Joint divisional secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Warwickshire, Tony Souter, added that asbestos is still a problem despite the fact that it is no longer used.
Asbestos can cause respiratory diseases such as lung cancer.
St Giles Junior School in Exhall was partially closed and 200 pupils evacuated after a child kicked a corridor wall which sparked the incident, the Coventry Telegraph reports.
Teachers at the school were aware the panel contained asbestos and acted to minimise the danger to those inside the school.
Some children remained in the school while they sat their Standard Assessment Tests, which are compulsory and cannot be postponed.
A spokesman for Warwickshire county council said that the school took the safety of its students very seriously and decided to close part of the building as a precaution.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the partial closure but as we are sure parents will understand, we would never wish to compromise the safety of children in school and we would prefer to take precautionary measures," he told the newspaper.
Joint divisional secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Warwickshire, Tony Souter, added that asbestos is still a problem despite the fact that it is no longer used.
Asbestos can cause respiratory diseases such as lung cancer.
More Asbestos news:
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HSE will conduct spot-checks in Lancashire - October 8, 2008
Unlicensed asbestos removal costs director GBP 36,000 - September 30, 2008
Firm fined for burning asbestos debris - September 23, 2008
