LEGAL EAGLE: The growing danger of asbestos in schools

Asbestos is still an issue in some schools.

The Department of Education in 2018 revealed that some 87% of schools that had responded to an enquiry confirmed that they had asbestos in at least one location at their sites.

As such, lobbying started of the Government to address this problem through the Joint Union Asbestos Committee.

It appears that schools are likely in future to be a source of asbestos claims from a wide group which will include teachers, pupils, administrative and maintenance staff and indeed visitors to the premises.

Indeed it came as no surprise to Mark Ellis of Tilly Bailey & Irvine that a claim was reported in the national press on the 6 November 2020, when BBC Wiltshire reported that the family of a Terry McLoughlin a former teacher at two of their schools in Swindon between 1979-1993 passed away from the condition Mesothelioma in 2018 and he had settled his claim against the Local Authority responsible for the school.

“It appears that amongst other things Mr McLoughlin used asbestos gloves to clean and refurbish asbestos kilns that had been installed for onsite ceramic art lessons.”

TBI Solicitors believe that in light of the presence of asbestos materials at schools, “this will not be the first and will potentially be one of many claims that will come before the Courts.”

To pursue a personal injury claim please contact Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors in Hartlepool on 01429 264101.

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