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Some reports from County Hall says asbestos was found in many school buildings in West Surrey. This was revealed from the surveys carried out by the county council to locate, identify and assess asbestos containing materials.
The reports to the Surrey Advertiser were released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The list seen by the Surrey Advertiser state that asbestos is present in 50 schools in Mole Valley, Guildford and Waverley.
The list doesn't include many voluntary aided or foundation schools as it's their responsibility to manage asbestos.
The asbestos presence in schools is a major concern now. The risk level depends on the level and type of asbestos used. The maintenance of the material can cause deadly fibres to get released into the air. The inhalation of these fibres can result in serious diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma (a cancer specific to asbestos exposure, which can take up to 65 years from the initial exposure to develop).
In West Surrey, schools are generally given a risk code (from A to E, A for most serious and E for least risky hazards) when it's been identified or suspected that asbestos containing materials are there in the school. Risk code A means removal is recommended at the earliest.
There was a total ban on the import and use of asbestos in the UK in 1999. However, there are many old schools still with asbestos.
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