Where is Asbestos Hiding in Our Schools?
The Environmental Protection Agency notes that asbestos can be found in the majority of the nation's primary and secondary schools. For parents, students, staff, and faculty, that's a frightening statement. Though undisturbed asbestos is not a danger to anyone inside these buildings, the situation can change quickly, old asbestos crumbles and becomes a health hazard.
Asbestos is not always readily visible when touring an older school, but it is most definitely present. Prior to the 1970s, asbestos was widely used as insulation and in building materials, thanks to its excellent fireproofing qualities. But while builders of old thought that asbestos was keeping our children safe, today it may be creating alarming health problems for the nation's school students.
Finding Asbestos
There are several places in our schools where one may encounter asbestos. The first and most important place is in the classroom. Floor and ceiling tiles were often made of asbestos and these tiles were widely used in the nation's schools. While they are safe intact, many floors and ceilings in older schools are beginning to crack and crumble, causing loose asbestos fibers to become airborne and easily inhaled. Damage can be easily caused by such movement as sliding a desk or chair across the floor or tacking artwork to the ceiling. Sanding or sawing can also cause a release of fibers from floor and ceiling tiles.
Spray-applied fireproof insulation can be found behind the walls of our classrooms as well. That means each time someone's test paper or artwork is pinned to the wall, teachers risk exposure to asbestos dust. (In England, several teachers have won lawsuits against local school districts after developing mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos while tacking papers to asbestos-lined walls.) This same spray insulation can also be found above a drop ceiling. Such ceilings are common in schools all over the country.
Asbestos may be found in certain types of cement pipes and was also used as an insulated wrapping for pipes and boilers. These uses put custodial staff at great risk, especially those who perform routine maintenance on pipes or boilers on a regular basis. Furthermore, insulation manufactured to wrap pipes and boilers usually contained the highest levels of asbestos possible to insure better protection from fire.
Frighteningly, asbestos can also be found in playgrounds at some of the nation's primary schools. During the years before asbestos was thought to be a danger, companies that mined asbestos or manufactured asbestos products offered free asbestos-containing "filler" for use at school playgrounds. Because the price was right and no one was aware of the hazards, schools accepted the offer, unknowingly putting their students in danger.
When Is Asbestos a Danger?
A good rule of thumb is that if asbestos is able to be crumbled by hand pressure, it is dangerous. In this damaged state, asbestos is known as "friable". Friable asbestos is more likely to release fibers.
Insulation on pipes and boilers is generally encased in a protective casing but can also be dangerous if the casing is damaged. Chipped or broken cement pipes are a cause for concern as well, and spray-applied fireproofing is also considered friable and should not be exposed at any time.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
