Commenting on The Legacy of Cape Plc and the Case for Justice, a report from the APPG on Occupational Safety and Health calling on government to begin a programme of safe asbestos removal, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The NEU fully supports the findings of this report, including the sanctions placed on Cape and the reinforcement of a commitment to remove asbestos from all public buildings.
“Exposure to asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain with around 5,000 people dying each year from asbestos related cancers, including mesothelioma.
“Most schools still contain asbestos and every day that passes means that children and staff remain at risk of developing asbestos-related disease. Hundreds of education workers have died from mesothelioma since 1980. Children who are more vulnerable to asbestos exposure are also at great risk. The lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma for a five-year-old is about five times greater than an adult aged thirty.
“We need to see a timeframe and much firmer commitments from Government to address this silent killer.”