AN environmental clean of the old boiler house at Peel Clothworkers' School — including the removal of asbestos — has been carried out during the summer holidays.
Department of Education estates director Richard Collister confirmed that JCK Ltd had been contracted to do the work, which was to be completed for the school re-opening yesterday (Monday) for the new term.
The clean has involved the removal of th
e hazardous substance asbestos.
The school does not rely on the old boiler house and it would not be somewhere pupils would have had access.
Mr Collister said: 'The recent capital extension project provided the school with an all new boiler house/plant room.'
The inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Since the mid-1980s, the European Union and most developed countries have banned asbestos.
Asbestos was popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th Century because of its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage, sound absorption and tensile strength. When asbestos was used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibres were often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats.
Asbestos was used in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals.
