REDBRIDGE: Asbestos schools revealed

Figures obtained by this newspaper show nearly every major secondary and most primary schools have been identified by Redbridge Council as having structures containing the toxic material.

However the authority says the school figures comprise "a significant amount of lowest risk category material."

The revelations come after former Redbridge teacher Carole Hagedorn, 58, warned asbestos was a "ticking cancer timebomb" for pupils and staff at schools.

Ms Hagedorn, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma last summer, taught at three unnamed schools in the borough during a career spanning 34 years.

A council spokeswoman said: "The council’s key priority is to ensure the health and safety of all teachers and pupils and anybody working or visiting a council or school building.

"As such the council has put in place robust measures to identify asbestos and where necessary remove it.

"This is in line with the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive that does not recommend the automatic removal of asbestos. The council’s Asbestos Management System (AMS) ensures that regular inspections of all known asbestos materials are carried out by trained inspectors.

"All appropriate Redbridge staff receive asbestos awareness training. The training highlights the council’s policy with respect to asbestos materials and includes the procedure should the material become damaged."

Most of the material "contains a very low percentage of asbestos by mass and does not liberate asbestos fibres readily and, that work with this material is of short duration and does not include operations which may release asbestos fibres."

Under recent government legislation, Redbridge Council has been forced to identify and monitoring the presence of asbestos in its buildings.

An estimated 80 per cent of schools in the UK are thought to contain asbestos.

Around 4,000 people die every year from diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by inhaling the toxic fibres.

Primary schools containing asbestos:

Aldersbrook Primary

Grove Primary School

Parkhill Infants School

Barley Lane Primary

Highlands Primary School

Parkhill Junior School

Chadwell Primary

Ilford Jewish Primary School

William Torbitt Primary School

Churchfields Infants

John Bramston Primary School

Ray Lodge Primary School

Churchfields Juniors

Hatton School

Redbridge Primary School

Cleveland Infants

Manford Primary School

St Antony's RC Primary School Downshall Primary Mayespark Primary School

St Bede's Catholic Primary School

Fairlop Primary

Newbridge School (Barley Lane)

Roding Primary School

Farnham Green Primary

Mossford Green Primary School

Snaresbrook Primary School

Fullwood Primary

Newbridge School (Loxford Lane)

South Park Primary School

Gearies Infants

Newbury Park Primary School

St Aidens Catholic Primary School

Gearies Junior School

Wells Primary School

St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

Gilbert Colvin Primary

Nightingale Primary School

Uphall Primary School

Glade Primary School

Little Heath Foundation School

Woodlands Junior School

Goodmayes Primary School

Oakdale Infants School

Wanstead C of E Primary School

Gordon Infants School

New Rush Hall School

Woodlands Infants School

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School

Oakdale Junior School

Secondary schools containing asbestos:

Beal High School

Canon Palmer Catholic High School

Caterham High School

Hainault Forest High School

Ilford County High School

Ilford Ursuline High School

King Solomon High School

Loxford School of Science and Technology

Mayfield School

Seven Kings High School

Trinity Catholic High School (Lower and& Upper)

Valentines High School

Wanstead High School

Woodbridge High School

Woodford County High School

Other educational establishments containing asbestos:

Redbridge Institute of Adult Education

John Barker Centre (Pupil Support Centre) Tuition Service

Newbury Hall Teachers Centre, Ilford

Hainault Youth Centre

Loxford Youth Centre

Wanstead Youth Centre

Downshall Centre