Ten councils have been told to improve their asbestos management or face the legal consequences

Ten councils have been served notices to improve asbestos safety in their schools.

The Health and Safety Executive carried out an assessment of asbestos maintenance in 152 local authorities with responsibility for schools in England. The HSE was specifically looking at system-built schools, which were constructed between 1945 and 1980 and were often fire proofed with asbestos.

Of the 152 councils surveyed, 110 provided satisfactory responses, but 42 councils required visits. Ten were subsequently served notices requiring improvements within a time frame or face legal proceedings. Thurrock Council was the only council given a prohibition notice, which meant a boiler room was immediately made off-limits.

According to the HSE a prohibition notice is given when, “an employer fails to protect their employees and the public and there is a risk of serious personal injury. A prohibition notice deals with immediate danger and the work/activity must stop immediately, while the issue is resolved.”

The full list of offending councils is:

  • Bedford – 1 improvement notice
  • Doncaster – 2 improvement notices
  • Harrow – failed to respond to survey and served 3 improvement notices
  • Kent – 2 improvement notices
  • Lambeth – 2 improvement notices
  • Medway – 2 improvement notices
  • South Gloucestershire – 1 improvement notice
  • Thurrock – 2 improvement notices and 1 prohibition notice on boiler room
  • Waltham Forest – 2 improvement notices
  • Worcestershire – 1 improvement notice

The HSE said it will continue to work with the 10 authorities given improvement notices to bring asbestos monitoring and maintenance up to standard. It will also continue giving advice to five other councils which were not served notices.

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