Asbestos Removal for Schools | HSE Licensed Contractor

WHERE WE WORK

The buildings we work in

CLASP and other system-built schools, post-war expansion blocks, AIB ceiling tiles, column casings, window panels and boiler houses — most schools built or extended between 1945 and 1985 contain asbestos, and the HSE expects it to be managed, not ignored.

We plan removal around the school calendar: half-terms, summer holidays and out-of-hours working, DBS-checked teams on site, and clear reoccupation certificates so governors, heads and the local authority can evidence a safe return to teaching.

Child safety first, programme second

Most UK schools built before 2000 contain asbestos — and system-built schools of the 1950s–80s (CLASP, SCOLA and similar) contain a lot of it, often as AIB in ceiling voids, column casings and partition walls. We work for schools, academies, colleges and local authorities on exactly these buildings: management and refurbishment surveys, planned removal, and rapid response when damage is discovered mid-term.

School holidays are our main working window — summer works are booked from spring, and half-terms handle smaller packages. Where term-time work is unavoidable, it’s done in fully sealed, segregated areas out of school hours, with access routes and timings agreed with the head so children and staff never come near the works. Either way, independent air testing and four-stage clearance certify every space before a child sets foot back in it.

Evidence for governors, parents and the LA

School asbestos decisions get scrutinised, so we document everything: survey reports and register updates, plans of work, HSE notifications, clearance certificates and consignment notes, packaged for governors, the local authority or the DfE’s asbestos management assurance process. Straightforward summaries are available for parent communications — reassurance matters as much as compliance. See our schools asbestos guide for the background.

System-built schools: where the asbestos is

Most schools built between 1945 and 1980 — especially CLASP and other system builds — contain asbestos by design: AIB in ceiling tiles, window panels, column casings and corridor linings, lagging in boiler rooms, and textured coatings in halls and classrooms. Managed properly it is safe; the risk arrives with re-wiring, ICT upgrades, leaks and refurbishments. That is why the sequence is fixed: an up-to-date survey scoped to the works, removal planned into holidays, and independent air testing and four-stage clearance before a single pupil returns.

Holidays first, term-time when needed

Summer is our schools season — six weeks is enough for substantial removal programmes, and we plan them with the site team months ahead. Where work cannot wait, sealed enclosures in isolated areas with out-of-hours working keep teaching running safely. Governors and the local authority receive the full pack: plan of work, notification, clearance certificates and waste consignment notes — the evidence trail that answers any parent's question. Recent work includes Cardinal Newman High School and summer AIB programmes across the North West.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

School questions, answered

01Do you work during school holidays?

Yes — holidays are when most school removal happens. Summer programmes are surveyed and notified in spring so the full six weeks are available for removal, clearance and handback before September. Half-terms are used for smaller packages.

02Is it safe to remove asbestos during term time?

It can be, done properly: fully sealed enclosures in segregated areas, out-of-hours working, agreed access routes and independent air testing before handback. Where a job can’t meet that standard in an occupied school, we’ll say so and programme it for a holiday instead.

03Do you deal with system-built (CLASP) schools?

Yes. System-built schools are among the most asbestos-heavy buildings in the country and we know exactly where to look — ceiling voids, column casings, partitions and heater cabinets. Surveys and removal are planned around the construction system, not against it.

04What documentation do you provide for the school and local authority?

A complete pack: survey report and register update, plan of work, HSE notification where applicable, air monitoring results, four-stage clearance certificate and waste consignment notes — suitable for governors, the LA and DfE assurance returns.

05Who is the duty holder for asbestos in a school?

For community schools it is usually the local authority; for academies and free schools the trust. Either way we work to the duty holder's management plan and keep both site staff and the responsible body documented.

06Do you carry out management surveys and re-inspections?

Yes — full management surveys, annual re-inspection programmes and refurbishment surveys ahead of any building work, timed for holidays so teaching is never interrupted.

07What happens if asbestos is disturbed during term time?

Immediate make-safe and isolation of the area, air monitoring, and clear reoccupation criteria — with incident documentation the school can share with the HSE, staff and parents.

08Are your teams vetted for school sites?

Yes — DBS-checked operatives, signed in and escorted per your safeguarding policy, working in segregated areas away from pupils.

09Can you coordinate with our maintenance contractors?

We share the asbestos register, operate permits to work and programme jointly — so electricians, roofers and fitters never open up fabric that has not been checked.

10How do you reassure parents and staff?

Plain-English communication the school can send out, visible safe systems on site, and clearance certificates presented so governors can evidence the building is safe to reoccupy.

HSE-licensed asbestos removal and environmental contractor. Surveys, removal, demolition, remediation and hazardous waste — one team, one responsibility. North West based, working UK-wide.