Asbestos Exposure in Schools and Public Buildings | A Growing Concern

With the prominence of asbestos-containing products throughout most homes and businesses constructed anytime before the 1980s, it is more important than ever to ensure that both ourselves and those we love are safe from risks of exposure. 

Nearly every building constructed in the US before the mid-1980s contained asbestos building materials and products, including school buildings. Many schools still contain asbestos, and the risk is real.

However, one of the most overlooked places where asbestos can be found is in schools and other public buildings, especially because many schools throughout the United States are old structures, built during the era when asbestos was still in prominent use. But what are some of the more notorious places asbestos can be found, and what should be done to protect employees and students alike? Here’s what you need to know.

The Prominence of Asbestos in The Construction Industry

The ancient civilizations considered asbestos a miracle mineral. The reason for this is because of the incredible durability of asbestos. This mineral could withstand many of the things that would deteriorate other products, such as heat, fire, water, electricity, and more. Any simple historical analysis can see that this view of asbestos was put into practice by including asbestos in a variety of applications to strengthen, fireproof, or simply enhance other materials. 

As time went on, asbestos truly took a front seat in the construction industry, especially after the advent of the industrial revolution. Commercial buildings, homes, and even schools soon found themselves as ground zero for asbestos-containing construction materials. These included:

• Pipes/Ductwork
• Tile
• Paint
• Roofing Shingles
• Cement
• Drywall/Plaster

Simply put, asbestos could be found in the A-Z of the construction process. It’s important to keep in mind that at this time, despite the fact that manufacturers knew of the health risks of asbestos, this was not public knowledge as it is today. There were no regulations or bans on asbestos, thus, there was no reason for workers or residents to associate asbestos with health dangers. It was still considered throughout society as a highly valuable miracle mineral.

Asbestos | The Foundation of School Buildings?

It is easy to think about asbestos as something hiding in walls and attics of building structures. Since many school buildings are constructed of cement blocks for strength and weather protection, it can be easy to assume that the “living space” of schools would be the least likely to contain asbestos. Since students are not in the attic or on the rooftops of their schools, they should be safe, right? Unfortunately, the presence of asbestos in school buildings is far from limited to attics or rooftops. In fact, even with concrete blocks used for interior and exterior walls instead of plaster or drywall, asbestos can still be widely prevalent throughout schools. This is because asbestos was commonly used in both the concrete foundation of older buildings, as well as within vinyl flooring.  

Understanding the asbestos legacy in buildings

The further back one traces the rise and fall of asbestos-containing products, the more likely it is to find asbestos in schools. For example, any school that was constructed before the Environmental Protection Agency’s ban on most asbestos products in 1989 can be reasonably expected to contain asbestos in some form. Again, this is especially true of vinyl floor tiles and the concrete foundation of schools. 

When Asbestos is Harmless, and When It’s Dangerous

However, it should be understood that the presence of asbestos does not necessarily indicate danger. In fact, it’s important to remember that the whole reason asbestos become so popular and prominently used is because of its durability. The risk is not merely the presence of asbestos but rather the exposure to asbestos fibers. This happens primarily when asbestos-containing products are damaged or disturbed in some way. 

Once this damage to asbestos-containing materials (ASM) occurs, microscopic asbestos fibers are exposed, become airborne, and can travel throughout a building structure, attaching to clothing or other items and eventually becoming ingested in our bodies. 

Situations that can greatly increase this risk include building fires, flood damage, or damage from a natural disaster such as a hurricane. HVAC systems in buildings can quickly spread exposed asbestos fibers from a localized area of a building throughout the entire building, quickly making a complicated situation much worse.

Abatement and Testing

One of the most important safety tips related to asbestos in schools is to advocate for testing. Most likely, those that are aware of damages or renovation projects where older materials are being replaced with new ones in school buildings will have already taken the necessary steps to ensure that asbestos testing takes place at the appropriate times. 

There are guidelines in place by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) that require things like yearly inspections of asbestos materials, trained designated personnel, and certified contractors for asbestos abatement (removal). 

When in Doubt, Let the Professionals Handle it

Some areas of the United States are more susceptible to widespread asbestos use than others, but the important thing to note is that there are objective testing methods that can verify whether asbestos is present in a school and whether it has been successfully removed. These include things like air tests and other critical processes to ensure that the microscopic asbestos fibers (invisible to the naked eye) are not lurking around in places we expect to be safe and secure, places where children and teenagers are gathered to learn and become productive members of society. 

Our students and children are a precious resource, and screening and testing for asbestos in school buildings is vital to protect them.

It’s important to stress that while we have used public schools as the main test case of asbestos exposure, the things we have covered apply to all public buildings constructed before the mid-1980s such as hospitals, government buildings, stores, shopping malls, and more.

The good news specifically for schools is, there are legal requirements given to schools both at the federal and state levels to ensure that asbestos is no longer used, existing asbestos is frequently checked for indications of damage, personnel is trained to handle each situation in a safe way, and contractor companies are contacted for professional services to test and remove asbestos. Taken together, these checks and balances should ensure the safety of our children and school faculty. 

However, it is important to let your concerns be heard by the school board if you suspect that you or your child are being exposed to harmful asbestos-containing products in a school building. If you suspect that regulations are not being followed or someone who has been in an older school building has developed symptoms pointing toward an asbestos-related illness, reach out to the professionals at AsbestosClaims.Law to determine if financial compensation is available. These professionals are equipped to help you each step of the way.