NEW rules have been brought in at North Yorkshire's largest comprehensive school following the discovery of asbestos.

Work is set to take place during the next 10 months to deal with all asbestos-based products from areas of South Craven School, Cross Hills.

The school, which has more than 1,700 pupils, was built in the late 1960s and early 70s when the use of asbestos was very common.

Its many rooms have wall and ceiling panels which contain the material which can be hazardous, but education chiefs say there is no cause for concern.

Officials at North Yorkshire County Council are working closely with staff and governors to ensure that all appropriate precautions are taken.

Accidental damage of asbestos material can cause a serious problem as dust containing harmful fibres could escape into rooms.

Air testing at South Craven School led to one room being sealed until the damage was repaired. The room was also thoroughly cleaned and a further air test gave the 'all clear'.

Headteacher John Vickers welcomed the swift action taken to deal with the material.

'The building, design and management team has been both open and thorough in the way in which they have approached an issue which must be a matter of concern for many schools across the country,' he said.

'It is to North Yorkshire's credit that the county council is prepared to take swift action like this and resolve a difficult problem once and for all.'

Specialist consultants have conducted nearly 300 tests throughout the whole school. Only nine areas have showed a marginally higher risk than normal and these have already been dealt with.

Work will now start to deal with the rest of the problem.

Panels containing asbestos can either be removed and replaced or can be covered over in a process known as encapsulation.

'It is important to remember that the air test means all fibres picked up over a period of time are counted whether they are asbestos or not, and in most cases they may not be,' said a council spokesman.

'The county council, in consultation with the school's governing body, proposes to take action to encapsulate or remove asbestos materials in all areas of the building and it is envisaged the bulk of the work will be completed over the next 10 months.'

Now the county council intends to train school staff to improve the monitoring of the condition of asbestos-based materials.

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