Asbestos fear over Sturgeon’s plan to chop school doors
Experts hit out at FM’s anti-Covid move
Asbestos experts have warned Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to cut the bottom off classroom doors could expose pupils and teachers to the deadly dust.
The First Minister is now facing demands to ditch the “bonkers” £300,000 scheme which is aimed at improving venti lation to combat Covid-19.
A report in 2019 revealed about 1600 schools in Scotland still have asbestos fixtures and fittings, including fire doors.
It stated: “An asbestos layer sandwiched by wood was a very common method of making fire-retardant doors before the material was banned in 1999.”
And in 2009, Edinburgh City Council was fined £14,000 after 10 staff members were exposed to asbestos af ter using a hand- held power saw to cut through a classroom door from Castlebrae Community High School.
Phyllis Craig, director of Action on Asbestos, said: “Asbestos can be found within doors and in different areas in schools and I would sincerely hope this is taken into consideration before any work is carried out.
“Schools are required to have had a survey to identify the presence of any asbestos, hold a register of the whereabouts of any asbestos and have a plan to manage asbestos.
“My question is, does the Scottish Government know if the schools meet these requirements before any work is carried out? If not, I ’ d be concerned asbestos may be disturbed during the process of cutting the doors.
“Asbestos exposure can have health consequences decades after exposure and this needs to be recognised and treated with the seriousness that it merits.”
Kevin Blyth, a professor of respiratory medicine and asbestos expert at Glasgow University, added: “We know that there is asbestos in Scottish schools and it is incredibly important that any work carried out is done in consultation with experts to make sure it is not released.”
Sturgeon defended the door cutting plans as “basic common sense”.
Councils were given £5million of funding to improve airflow in about 2000 classrooms,with £ 300,000 earmarked to “undercut” doors to improve airflow. After safety concerns were raised, Education Sec retary Shirley-Ann Somerville appeared to back away from plans but they have not been officially dropped.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Minister for Children and Young People Meghan Gallacher said: “This was a bonkers plan by Nicola Sturgeon and was rightly ridiculed.
“Fresh from concerns over fire safety, now we learn about how this could have resulted in an asbestos risk.
“Any plans to chop off doors must be firmly consigned to history.”
Scottish Labour’s Education spokesman Michael Marra said: “Chopping up school doors is not only an absurd way to try to improve air flow and a potential fire risk but now we learn it’s an asbestos risk, too.
“The SNP must come clean on whether they are still forging ahead with these bizarre plans and, at the very least, must provide assurances they will make sure they’re not exposing kids and teachers to asbestos in the process.”
Scottish Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie said: “This saga has been a poor advert for the skills and competence of SNP ministers.”
A Scottish Government spokesman appeared to pass responsibility on to local authorities.
He said: “There is no such plan. It is for local authorities to decide what measures they take to improve venti lation in schools. Precise remedial measures should be informed by expert assessment that adheres to legal obligations with regard to health and safety.”
This was a bonkers plan by Nicola Sturgeon