Bethel high school dismissed early after asbestos incident

BETHEL, Connecticut â€" Students at Bethel High School got an unexpected afternoon off from school that may extend into a full day’s vacation, thanks to asbestos and clumsy workmen. Early Wednesday, workers who were renovating the school accidentally opened a wall cavity, exposing fireproofing material that contains asbestos. The workers immediately reported the accidental asbestos exposure to school officials, who reacted by dismissing school and evacuating students immediately. Gary Chesley, Superintendent of Schools, said that Eagle Environmental, the town’s environmental consultant, started sampling the air for asbestos levels as soon as the students were dismissed. A letter informing parents of the situation has been sent home. Asbestos exposure is a concern in schools across the country. The EPA has estimated that over 30,000 public schools in the United States were built using asbestos-containing materials. Those materials range from floor and ceiling tiles to pipe and boiler insulation. As long as the materials remain intact, the asbestos is not a danger, but if the materials are damaged or become dilapidated, they can release asbestos fibers into the air and it becomes a health hazard. Once asbestos fibers are airborne, they may be inhaled by students, teachers and staff in the school, and may remain in the body for decades. Inhaled asbestos fibers are known to cause an array of serious health conditions including respiratory problems, asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the thin layer of tissue surrounding the lungs and other organs. Mesothelioma may take decades to become symptomatic. Other conditions appear sooner, but may take years to become symptomatic or to be diagnosed. The EPA and other regulatory agencies require that schools maintain an up-to-date management plan for asbestos that lists the location and condition of all materials in the building that contain asbestos, as well as any plans for handling and managing the asbestos when repairs or maintenance is being performed. In addition, all maintenance and custodial staff must be trained to recognize asbestos and any who might come in contact with it during the course of their jobs must be trained in appropriate handling of the deadly material. The incident at the high school happened when workers installing electrical material on the second floor of the building pulled out a piece of drywall and exposed asbestos insulation behind it. Fortunately, said Chesley, the area where the incident happened is not typically frequented by students. He said that there are no classrooms anywhere near the exposure site, and it is in a relatively isolated location. The students were dismissed early, he added, so that the environmental support group could begin testing immediately. The results of those tests should be available tonight and will determine whether or not the school will be open for classes in the morning. Parents will be notified by telephone and email of the outcome. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)