Managing Asbestos in Schools & Colleges: A Guide for Governors and Facilities Teams

Why Asbestos Management in Schools and Colleges Needs Extra Attention

An estimated 80% of school buildings in England contain some form of asbestos, according to the Department for Education’s Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) survey, with the risk concentrated in buildings constructed before the year 2000, many of them during the 1960s and 1970s when asbestos was used extensively in construction. Children spend a significant part of their day within these buildings, and school premises typically see far higher footfall and wear than a comparable office building, which makes thorough asbestos management in schools and colleges a particularly important responsibility for governors, academy trusts and facilities teams.

Who Holds the Duty in a School Setting?

The duty holder is usually the person or body with responsibility for maintenance and repair of the premises. In practice this often means:

• The Local Authority, for community and voluntary controlled schools
• The Academy Trust, for academies and free schools
• The Governing Body, where responsibility has been delegated under the school’s funding agreement
• The College Corporation, for further education colleges

Whoever holds the duty is responsible for ensuring a suitable and sufficient asbestos survey is in place, that the register is kept up to date, and that anyone who could disturb the fabric of the building, including contractors, is made aware of its contents.

What Good Asbestos Management in Schools and Colleges Looks Like

A well-managed school site typically has:

• An up to date asbestos register covering every building on the site
• A clear management plan that names who is responsible for reviewing and acting on it
• A system for informing contractors and maintenance staff of the register’s contents before any work begins
• Regular condition monitoring of any materials left in place, at least annually
• A process for commissioning a refurbishment and demolition survey before any building work that will disturb the fabric of a pre-2000 building

Common Gaps We Find in School Asbestos Registers

Even well-run schools can have gaps in their asbestos records, often because:

• Previous refurbishment work was carried out without a survey being commissioned first
• Records were not passed on properly when a school converted to academy status
• Areas above suspended ceilings or beneath later floor coverings were never inspected
• The register has not been reviewed since the last survey, even though several years have passed

A management survey and register review is the most reliable way to close these gaps before they become a problem during a maintenance project.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a school’s asbestos register be reviewed?

HSE guidance recommends reviewing the register and management plan at least every 12 months, and sooner if a material’s condition changes, the building layout is altered, or new areas are brought into use. Full detail on the wider duty is set out in the HSE’s duty to manage guidance.

Can surveys be carried out without disrupting lessons?

Yes. We regularly schedule school and college surveys during holidays, weekends or after school hours specifically to avoid any disruption to pupils, staff or timetabled activities.

What happens when a school converts to academy status?

Responsibility for asbestos management transfers to the academy trust, and it is good practice to review the existing register at this point to confirm it is complete and up to date under the new duty holder.

Does every building on a school site need its own survey?

Each building should have a survey covering its own specific asbestos risk, since construction dates, extensions and previous refurbishment work can vary significantly between buildings on the same site.