Nearly 60 primary schools in Sheffield still contain asbestos, as warning is issued over 'extensive risk'

In total, there are 174 public buildings containing the cancer-causing building material, according to new data supplied by Sheffield Council under the Freedom of Information Act. They include: 57 primary schools, 12 libraries, one market, one museum, 49 community buildings, 24 parks, three depots , six youth clubs, 13 cemeteries, one coroners office, one mortuary services, one dog kennel, four respite care centres and two barns.

The figures were obtained by the law firm Irwin Mitchell, which said Sheffield Council had also confirmed that 174 asbestos surveys had been carried out in the past five years, but no removals were reported. Irwin Mitchell supports numerous people exposed to the hazardous substance, many of whom have been diagnosed with mesothelioma a terminal cancer of the lining of the lungs, or asbestosis, a chronic lung disease, as a result.

Asbestos is usually harmless if left undisturbed but can be deadly if the fibres are released into the air. Sheffield Council has said regular risk assessments ensure safety is never compromised at any of the city's council-maintained schools which are known to contain asbestos.

Irwin Mitchell said that more than 4,500 public buildings across 20 of the highest populated council areas in the UK still contain asbestos, based on responses to its Freedom of Information requests. Legal experts at the firm estimate there are around 87,000 public buildings in total across the UK containing asbestos.

The firm’s figures show that across the councils responding to its request for informaion, only 291 buildings had asbestos removed in the last five years, during which time 3,263 had a survey undertaken.

In April 2022, Irwin Mitchell said, MPs recommended a 40-year deadline be set for the removal of asbestos from the estimated 300,000 public and commercial buildings that still contain asbestos. However, the report from the Work and Pensions Committee was rejected by the Government. Irwin Mitchell estimates that if UK-wide removals continue at their current rate, only just over half of the public buildings with asbestos would have the hazardous substance removed within the next four decades.

In 2020, a Sheffield-born cancer survivor called for an investigation after discovering she was just one of at least seven former school friends to have been diagnosed with the disease. In 2018, The Star published a list revealing which council-maintained schools in the city contained asbestos and when their most recent asbestos management survey was completed.

Adrian Budgen, a leading specialist asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Most people associate asbestos with historical exposure in factories or construction work, but these latest figures highlight the extensive risk still posed by the deadly substance across the UK in everyday buildings used by the public.

“At Irwin Mitchell, sadly, we come across families and individuals affected by asbestos most often after coming into contact with it in their workplace, and to have it confirmed that it’s not yet been eradicated from a large number of public buildings is incredibly concerning.

“One of the main problem areas is revealed to be schools, which are obviously densely populated with pupils, teachers and other school workers for long hours at a time. It’s extremely worrying that so many still contain asbestos, essentially putting children at risk every day.

“Whilst some of the asbestos may not yet be deemed harmful, once it’s disturbed or in a state of disrepair it can quickly become very dangerous, and with many of our public buildings being old and maintenance budgets being stretched, it’s a huge concern.”

He added: “We’ve known the dangers of asbestos for several decades now, with its use outlawed for more than 20 years, yet there’s still an ongoing debate around whether to remove it from our schools… More needs to be done to help protect people and we call on the Government to approve the recommendations of the Select Committee Report, accelerate the removal process and ensure asbestos is extracted from all public buildings within the given timeframe – or preferably sooner.”