Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

A recent report by the BBC raised alarms in the area of Kent, in the United Kingdom, after an examination of schools in the South East showed 92 percent of facilities contain asbestos. However, the Kent County Council’s (KCC) property group maintains the asbestos is “contained” and managed so that it poses “minimal risk” to youngers and teachers.

When asbestos is disturbed, it releases microscopic fibers that can be inhaled, and which can imbed themselves in the lungs or abdomen. Exposure to these fibers can lead to asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, or mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and, more rarely, the abdomen.

The problem, according to a report in the Kent News, is that it is difficult to accurately monitor the asbestos in the schools. The News quotes Dr. Alastair Stewart, a consultant chest physician, who recommend an independent assessment of the schools to locate any asbestos and determine the safety of the situation.

Another factor that makes it difficult to assess whether schools that contain asbestos materials are safe is that it is still largely unknown how much exposure to asbestos fibers is too much. Currently, the standard thought is that any asbestos exposure can be dangerous.

The school asbestos study was produced by the BBC, and aired on its Inside Out program. Experts interviewed on the show pointed to an alarming rise in mesothelioma cases among schoolteachers, and expressed concern for children, in whom the asbestos danger may be latent.

According to the News, asbestos is present in 554 of Kent’s 559 schools, and in 111 out of 116 schools in Medway.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 16th, 2009 at 2:42 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.