Builders and construction companies probably thought they were doing the right thing when they used building materials containing asbestos in schools and playgrounds in New Zealand. After all, it was an affordable material that offered more bang for the buck, and it also boasted fire-resistant properties. Therefore, the kids were, as they probably thought, safer.

As it turns out, asbestos dust is exceptionally harmful to health and is the reason why 90,000 people die from it yearly. Asbestos exposure has short and long-term effects that you may not be aware of. While it might have stopped fire ripping through the halls of your local school, it could have been causing cancer instead. 

The reality is that any school built before the year 2000 probably contains asbestos. When it’s not damaged, touched, or disturbed, it’s not harmful. However, if construction is underway or wear and tear starts to occur, that’s when it can be alarming.

There have been many cases of asbestos-related illnesses in schools already, dating back to the 1980s and surrounding periods. The common reason for this is that asbestos exposure can take decades to show itself as a form of cancer, often asbestos-specific lung cancer known as mesothelioma.

Asbestos cancer strikes Wellington school principal

A retired Wellington principal who worked at South Wellington and Napier schools was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma at age 71 in 2010. Not only did Peter Kohing vow to fight this cancer type, but the government as well to make schools asbestos-free.

Peter said he recalls two times in his career where he was exposed to the substance. The first was near Napier when he started the school’s generator every morning in a dusty room containing asbestos-lagged water pipes. The second was during the removal of corrugated asbestos roofing at a South Wellington school.

Peter recalls how dust flew everywhere on the unusually hot day, and while the windows were closed for the removal, they were opened soon after. Cleaners were cleaning dust off of the window ledges inside the classrooms. It was a lack of education and care that put the most vulnerable members of communities at risk.

Kids pulled from asbestos school

Parents also chose to pull their kids out of a school in Auckland after asbestos was found on a section of soil, but was not removed immediately – nor was the school shut.

In the mid-1980s, a nationwide school asbestos survey was completed to identify asbestos hazards in schools. Any hazardous asbestos was removed over the following weeks.

However, it’s also up to each school to make sure that all buildings and grounds are free of hazards – including asbestos – and that they safely manage them. If asbestos must be removed, then financial support is available for that process.

What the Ministry of Education is doing to protect your children in schools and playgrounds

There are over 2,500 schools in New Zealand, which means it’s not feasible for the Ministry of Education to have its finger on the pulse of all happenings in all schools. Therefore, they make sure they equip all schools with the information, guidance, and support they need to tackle asbestos risks head-on. The goal, of course, is to limit or eliminate your children’s risk of exposure.

If a teacher or member of a school has identified asbestos, they then must work out whether it’s in poor condition, offers an exposure risk, or requires regular monitoring to ensure it doesn’t get to that point.

If it does require removal, the school must organise for a licensed asbestos assessor to conduct an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey to identify the asbestos and outline the ways in which to manage it.

A licensed asbestos removal professional, as chosen from WorkSafe’s list, prepares a removal control plan and communicates this to those affected by it – parents, teachers, support staff, etc.

When works are underway, a licensed assessor must monitor the air and ensure no one has been exposed to unsafe airborne asbestos levels. The area must be kept free of people until your asbestos assessor provides you with a clearance certificate that shows that space is now safe to be occupied. 

Be informed

It’s important to know that many schools will contain asbestos, but it’s not always a reason to panic. As long as it is untouched, it doesn’t pose a risk to human health. If you are not sure if your child’s school is taking all necessary precautions, or you believe exposed asbestos might be present, then contact the school directly. It’s their duty to make sure your children and all those who work in the building are safe, happy, and healthy.