Australian Schools Still Awaiting Asbestos Checks

Novmber 3, 2006 - More than 600 Australian schools are still awaiting asbestos testing, nearly a year after tests were ordered due to concerns as to the presence of the hazardous material in many of the country’s aging educational institutions.

The West Australian newspaper reports that a safety notice demanding the inspections was served on the Education Department about 10 months ago.  Education Department facilities operations manager Russ Looker said inspectors had to be trained and risk assessments would begin this month. His department, he says, has until mid-2007 to finish the surveys. So far, eight inspectors have been trained to carry out the testing.

Piers Dudman, president of the parent organization at Carine Senior High School, led the campaign to have the schools tested.  He and others aren’t very pleased about the delay, calling it “inexcusable.”

“This stuff is deadly — they have no grasp of the risks that kids are exposed to,” Mr Dudman told The West Australian.

An incident at Carine – where asbestos was found in the lunchroom and uniform shop – prompted the inquiry.  It was also found at that time that this school and many others had no register of materials containing asbestos in their buildings.

Department of Housing and Works property and facilities manager Ken Sharman said there had not been a maintenance program for repairing or removing asbestos in schools since a roof replacement project was completed four years ago but that consistent air quality monitoring over the last 15 years revealed that asbestos levels posed no danger to students.