24 July 2023
Management of asbestos in school buildings 2022/23
This report provides a summary of the key findings from inspections carried out by HSE in 2022/23. They assessed how schools are:
- managing the risks from asbestos within the school estate
- meeting their legal duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
The inspections identified some common areas for improvement, which those with responsibility for managing school estates, including local authorities, headteachers, maintenance staff, academy trusts, and governing bodies, should consider when reviewing their arrangements.
Schools need to ensure that they have an up-to-date survey clearly showing the location of all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs)
The asbestos management plan should clearly set out who does what and when including regularly scheduled checks to monitor the condition of asbestos-containing materials.
Most schools were found to be managing asbestos in their buildings effectively. A small number of schools (7%) had significant enough failings in their systems, meaning enforcement action was required to address them.
Anyone carrying out work likely to disturb asbestos (for example builders, maintenance staff, IT engineers) must be appropriately trained and provided with information about the location of ACMs before they start.
Schools should consider the findings of this report and review their systems for managing asbestos to ensure that they remain effective and are regularly updated.