What to do if things go wrong

What you must do if something goes wrong and you find that there has been, or may have been, an unplanned disturbance of asbestos at the school or college.

Contractors who may be working at the school or college are required to have procedures to deal with any unexpected release or exposure to asbestos. Schools and colleges must have similar arrangements, as exposure to asbestos can result from everyday school or college activities or accidents, such as the collapse of an asbestos ceiling.

Actions to take

If something goes wrong and you find that there has been, or may have been, an unplanned disturbance of asbestos you should:

  • stop any activity in the affected area immediately
  • remove everyone from the affected area and do not remove any items from the area as the spread of asbestos can occur through contaminated clothing or possessions
  • prevent access to the area until any necessary remedial action has been taken
  • seek immediate expert advice regarding necessary remedial action to be taken – there may be a need to decontaminate individuals or areas exposed to asbestos

Certain incidents which may have resulted in the release of asbestos fibres should be reported to HSE. Where relevant, this is a legal requirement under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). If you are unsure whether the regulations apply, seek professional advice or contact HSE.

Staff, pupils, students and their parents or carers should be given relevant information to understand the risks and should be advised to consult their doctor.

Case study 4: costs of decontamination

The financial costs of having to carry out decontamination can be high, and the education of pupils can suffer as a result.

In one school, a laboratory technician installed an IT cable through a ceiling void, putting holes through fire barriers and walls and contaminating most ceiling voids throughout the building. It was 9 months before the exposure was spotted by a surveyor. The clean-up required new ceilings and lighting to be installed and cost £280,000.

Another school arranged an electrical re-wiring over the summer. On observing the contractors with unsealed bags of asbestos waste, the school’s site manager contacted an experienced asbestos consultant. Asbestos contamination had spread throughout the school, affecting everything from computers, files and records to pupils’ coursework.

At the start of the autumn term, 1000 pupils had to move to temporary accommodation. The school did not reopen until the following summer term. The school and council incurred costs of £4.54 million as a direct result of the contamination. The HSE prosecuted the contractor.

Key resources

Further advice on asbestos management is available in: