Bligh Labor secrecy over friable asbestos in schools
Monday, 26 July 2010 14:17
Dr Bruce Flegg MPShadow Minister for Education and TrainingMember for Moggill26 July 2010
Bligh Labor secrecy over friable asbestos in schools
The Bligh Labor government had hidden a report warning of dangerous friable asbestos in Queensland schools, the LNP said today.
Shadow Minister for Education and Training Dr Bruce Flegg said the government was warned in a 2007 report of the dangers of low density asbestos fibre board sheeting in schools but had not warned parents of the dangers
“Low density asbestos fibre board, most commonly Hardies Asbestolux ,contains 10 times more asbestos than normal asbestos sheeting but the fibres are loose and not bonded in any matrix and can be released with minimal mechanical disturbance,” Dr Flegg said.
“Due to the high percentage of asbestos fibres present in low density asbestos fibre board and the soft nature of the product, it is regarded as a friable asbestos material.
“Friable asbestos material must only be removed by an ‘A’ class certificate holder and performed in accordance with strict removal conditions*.
“Despite knowing since 2007 that Asbestolux was in schools, Labor kept that fact secret and failed to conduct an audit of schools for another two two years.
“So far it seems only 289 of Queensland’s 1400 schools have been audited, with 115 found to contain asbestos.”
Dr Flegg said the situation was another example of the tired and lazy Bligh Labor government failing to act quickly to remove a deadly threat from Queensland schools.
“Parents and teachers have a right to know what deadly materials are in classrooms, but this arrogant Bligh Labor government chose to hide that fact from them,” he said.
“I call on the govt to release a list of all schools affected and to place warning stickers on each panel of Asbestolux.
“There have been far too many 'accidents' in schools already.”