Government Publishes Plan to Remove RAAC From all Schools in England
A final list of schools and colleges affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in England has been published, alongside a plan to remove it from all...
Read Full ArticleThe UK National Asbestos Register has joined forces with a contractor management company to help mitigate the risks of accidental asbestos exposure in UK schools and buildings.
The collaboration means that when a contractor uses EntrySign to sign in to a site, they can access asbestos information about the building, read and accept any health and safety policies and confirm they have had relevant training.
80.9 per cent of participating state-funded schools and academies in England were found to have asbestos present on their school estate, according to a Department for Education (DfE) report in 2019. According to the National Education Union (NEU), more than 200 teachers have died from mesothelioma since 2001, caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres in the school environment.
The DfE requires that schools must have up-to-date asbestos management plans in place and emergency procedures to deal with accidental exposure.
The UK National Asbestos Register (UKNAR), a social enterprise working to improve awareness around asbestos management, provides vital asbestos information via a QR code. Scanning this QR code gives contractors and staff instant access to an up-to-date asbestos register for the building. EntrySign can ensure the asbestos register is viewed and accepted before any work commences, by displaying an asbestos management notice and the SMART QR code during the sign-in process.
Andy Brown, Co-Founder and Director at UKNAR said: “Having spent over twenty years in the asbestos industry and operated as a fully qualified asbestos consultant for over 15 years, I am acutely aware of the varied challenges that so many responsible persons face trying to manage asbestos safely within their organisations.
That is why I am delighted to be one of the co-founders of UKNAR CIC as we try to make it easier for people to manage asbestos safely with the aid of today’s SMART technology. We are particularly keen to help schools given that over 75 per cent still contain asbestos and the more vulnerable nature of their occupants: which include pupils and teachers as well as estates teams, caretakers and contractors.
EntrySign is a great product, and we believe this collaboration will enable more building occupants, visitors and contractors to access vital asbestos information and remain safe whilst in buildings protected by the EntrySign and Asbestos SMART systems."
Picture: a photograph of a person wearing a protective hard hat and hi-vis waistcoat using their smartphone to scan a QR code on a screen. Image Credit: UKNAR
Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 15 September 2023
A final list of schools and colleges affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in England has been published, alongside a plan to remove it from all...
Read Full ArticleThe Department for Education has pledged to clarify how it will meet its sustainability targets. Baroness Barran, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the...
Read Full ArticleThe government has announced that over 100 schools in England will need to close buildings because they are at risk of collapse. ThisWeekinFM looks at the latest on this...
Read Full ArticleThe National Audit Office says that an estimated 700,000 children in England are studying in schools that need major rebuilding or refurbishment work. Over a...
Read Full ArticleThe Department for Education has added more sites to its ten-year programme of renovation projects for schools and sixth forms in England. Buildings will be...
Read Full ArticleSOCOTEC is highlighting the risk of asbestos exposure in UK schools, and what the FMs should be doing about it. One of the main issues with regards...
Read Full ArticleAccording to documents leaked to The Observer newspaper, deteriorating school buildings in England are a “risk to life.” The leaked emails are from...
Read Full ArticleA Freedom of Information Request has revealed that schools across the UK are riddled with asbestos with no plans to remove it. The request was made by JMW Solicitors....
Read Full ArticleThe Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers has created an educational game to engage primary school pupils in the world of building services...
Read Full ArticleSodexo has re-signed a ten-year soft FM contract with private school Wellington College in Berkshire. The contract is worth approximately £80 million and...
Read Full Article