Asbestos in schools

Survey call after teacher's asbestos death

Teaching union NUT has called for all schools in Wales to be checked for asbestos after the death of a retired teacher from an asbestos cancer.

Renee Blodwen Eden, 69, from Anglesey, was most likely to have died from exposure to asbestos in a school building, an inquest heard.  Coroner Dewi Pitchard Jones has now taken the unusual step of writing to Flintshire County Council because o fhte possible risk to others. 

Recording the cause of death as Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, Mr Pitchard Jones told the inquest last week: 'I will be writing to Flintshire Council that it's more likely that it was from exposure to asbestos in their schools.'

Mrs Eden taught in three schools in Flintshire before retiring in 1998.  She had been fit and well before being diagnosed with mesothelioma last April.  Consultant pathologist Dr Tony Caslin, who carried out the post mortem examination, said Mrs Eden could have been exposed if she worked anywhere where asbestos was being 'broken up or disturbed'.

David Evans, secreary of NUT Cymru, said many more teachers, pupils and anyone working in or visiting schools, could have been affected.  Local education authorities should check all schools, he said.  'We want local authorities to assess the full problem in schools in Waltes.  To do that they will have to carry out a survey.  This is a real wake-up call to the potential number of people who might have been, or might be, affected.  It's not just teachers but pupile and all people in schools.'

The case is one of a spate of recent teacher deaths linked to school asbestos exposures.

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