NewKerala.com

Canberra School Crisis: 70+ Schools Closed Amid Asbestos Scare

More than 70 schools in Canberra have been forced to close due to asbestos contamination in decorative sand products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued recalls after detecting chrysotile asbestos in multiple sand varieties. Education Minister Yvette Berry assured that health risks are minimal but closures may continue for several days. Authorities are working to safely remove the contaminated materials from school grounds across the capital territory.

Key Points: 70 Canberra Schools Closed Due to Asbestos Sand Contamination

  • 71 of 94 public schools in Canberra ordered closed for safety assessment
  • Asbestos detected in four decorative sand products during ACCC testing
  • Education staff spent weekend mapping contaminated sand locations
  • ACCC confirms respirable asbestos unlikely unless sand is crushed
2 min read

Over 70 Australian schools closed due to possible asbestos contamination

Over 70 Australian schools shut after asbestos detected in decorative sand products. Health officials warn of contamination risks as authorities work on safe removal.

"The health risk to students and staff is small but closures could last several days - Yvette Berry, ACT Education Minister"

Canberra, Nov 17

More than 70 schools in the Australian capital of Canberra were ordered to close on Monday due to growing concerns about possible asbestos contamination from decorative sand products.

The government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) said that 71 of 94 public schools in Canberra and surrounding suburbs would be closed on Monday after an audit found widespread use of sand products in which asbestos had been detected.

It comes after 24 ACT schools and preschools were fully or partially closed on Friday, with two reopening on Monday.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Wednesday issued a recall notice over a type of decorative colourful sand after laboratory testing detected chrysotile asbestos.

On Sunday, the ACCC revealed that asbestos had been detected in four more sand products and said they may cause a risk to public health.

ACT's education minister Yvette Berry told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio that the health risk to students and staff is small but that closures could last several days.

She said that education staff, building service officers and volunteers spent the weekend identifying and mapping the sand in schools so that assessors can remove it safely.

The ACCC said on Sunday that respirable asbestos has not been detected in any of the tested samples and is considered unlikely to be released unless the sand is mechanically crushed or pulverised, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the World Health Organization, Asbestos is a group of mineral fibres with widespread current and historical commercial uses, but which can cause deaths and serious ill-health in workers and other people who are exposed to these fibres (more than 200 000 deaths globally every year, along with a substantial burden of ill health).

All forms of asbestos have been assessed by WHO as causing several types of cancer, and asbestos also causes chronic respiratory diseases. Because of its use in building materials, anyone engaging in construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings where asbestos has been used is potentially at risk, even many years or decades after the asbestos was put in place.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Over 200,000 deaths globally every year from asbestos? That's shocking! Good that Australia is taking immediate action. Hope they conduct similar audits in Indian schools too - safety standards need to be prioritized everywhere.
D
David E
While I appreciate the caution, closing 71 schools seems excessive if respirable asbestos hasn't been detected. The disruption to education and parents' schedules must be massive. Maybe they could have phased the closures?
A
Ananya R
Decorative sand products containing asbestos? This is why strict quality control is so important. In India, we need to learn from this and ensure our building materials are properly tested. Children's safety should never be compromised.
M
Michael C
The volunteers and staff working through the weekend to identify and map the contaminated sand deserve appreciation. It's heartening to see community coming together for children's safety. 👏
K
Karthik V
This incident shows how developed countries also face safety challenges. We often think only developing nations have such issues. Hope they resolve this quickly and the children can return to safe classrooms soon.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50