Asbestos campaigners are calling for the government to adopt US-style laws requiring schools to tell teachers what is being done to manage the deadly substance.
Figures released by campaign group Asbestos in Schools (AiS) show that mesothelioma, the lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres and dust, has killed 16 teachers a year in the last decade, up from three a year in the 1980s.
It is estimated that 75 per cent of school buildings have some asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) but current advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is that if asbestos is not damaged then it is safer to leave it in place.
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