The case in summary In October last year, asbestos was discovered at Frederik II upper secondary school in Fredrikstad. Nevertheless, parts of the school were not closed until mid-December. Breathing in asbestos dust can cause cancer. Asbestos expert Tom Eriksen criticizes the county council’s handling of the matter. He believes the school should have been closed immediately when asbestos was discovered. The school’s management submitted a deviation to the county council on 20 October. A number of measures were called for. The main protection officer at the school says they have not received a direct response to the discrepancy. The county council believes they have followed all routines in line with professional advice, and say they responded to the discrepancy the same day they received it. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. On 15 December, Viken county council decided to close parts of Frederik II secondary school in Fredrikstad following the discovery of asbestos in several classrooms. Asbestos dust is harmful to health when inhaled, and can lead to several serious diseases, such as cancer. If asbestos is discovered during ongoing work, the area must be immediately secured and cordoned off, according to the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Now news can say that the school’s management sounded the alarm about the discovery of asbestos and possible danger to life and health as early as 20 October. Nevertheless, it took almost two months before the county council closed down parts of the school. – We were told that the school’s premises could be used as usual for the time being, but that we then had to exercise caution, says the school’s principal Leif Østli. The concrete slabs hanging on the facade weigh several tonnes. During the autumn, it was discovered that several of the plates were hanging loose. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news It is a requirement that those handling asbestos must wear full protective equipment. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news The county council hopes they can open the school at the end of February. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news Just before the New Year, a number of school buildings were closed following new asbestos discoveries and failure to secure concrete slabs weighing several tonnes. The closure has meant that 1,200 pupils today have lessons spread across the city. Expert: – Very worried – I actually thought we had come a long way, says Tom Eriksen. For almost 40 years, he has worked with mapping and handling asbestos. Eriksen reacts strongly to the way the case has been handled. – The school should have been closed immediately, he believes. Asbestos expert Tom Eriksen fears the county council is not taking the asbestos problems at the school seriously. Photo: Lars Christian Wallace / news The county council, on the other hand, thought it was not necessary to close the school when the first asbestos findings were made in October. Rather, they chose to speed up a survey of asbestos, which was to be carried out in 2024 anyway. – It is dull. We can’t have it like this. There are no other products in construction that take more lives than asbestos does, says Eriksen. The Norwegian Cancer Society estimates that 150 people die of cancer due to asbestos exposure each year. By comparison, around 100 people die in traffic every year. – I am actually very concerned that a public agency such as Viken County Council can take such an approach to this area, says Eriksen. – No one exposed to unacceptable risk At the time the asbestos was discovered, Eivind Lage Løken was head of the technical section in the county council. – We have had a good overview of the risk since these plates were discovered in October 2023, and are sure that no pupils or staff have been exposed to an unacceptable risk during this period, writes Løken in an email to news. He believes that closing the school pending a complete survey of the scope would have disproportionately large consequences. – Early on, air samples were taken in the premises, and none of these showed that there were asbestos fibers in the air. The concrete slabs attached to the school’s outer walls must weigh more than 3 tonnes. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news Some of the plates at the entrance have been given extra protection. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news Request for immediate measures Since the summer of 2023, work has been done to attach loose facade elements at Frederik II upper secondary school. It was in connection with this work that asbestos was discovered in October. The school then sent a deviation with a high degree of severity to the county council. In the deviation, which news has seen, the school requests that areas be immediately blocked off. – So we have a situation with loose concrete slabs and findings of asbestos. The school has requested a risk assessment from the school building, but has not received one. A principle in HMS is the precautionary principle, the deviation states. The school has not received any direct feedback on this deviation, according to chief protection officer Svein Angelskår. – I think it’s a problem when the system we have to carry out HSE work doesn’t seem to work. Many employees are distraught that they do not know when the closed school buildings will reopen, says Svein Angelskår, chief safety officer at Frederik II upper secondary school. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news According to the county council, the discrepancy was resolved shortly after it was submitted. However, the deviation was not marked as closed in the county council’s deviation system until news asked for access to it. I believe all routines have been followed. On 1 January, the new Østfold county municipality took over responsibility for the school. Property manager Heidi Vildskog writes in an e-mail to news that the school received a response to the deviation on the same day it was submitted. – The answer contained information, guidelines for upcoming measures, and good information about who could be contacted in the future. Just after the New Year, the entire Christianslund department at Frederik II upper secondary school was locked behind fences. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news news has requested an interview with property manager Vildskog. She has refused, because this is a complex matter “where the level of precision is very important”. In a written reply, she writes that all routines have been followed in line with the professional advice that has been given. – The school management has also been informed that immediate security measures would be implemented during the survey period, if certain test results would require this. Has made new discoveries Training director Brynjard Rønningen tells news that he was not informed about the asbestos discoveries in October until mid-December. At the same time, he is clear that the matter has been handled in the right way. – I actually have to trust that the advice given is the professional advice that we should follow. In any case, I have no opportunity or competence to test them. Training director in Østfold county municipality Brynjard Rønningen. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news Just after the new year, it was estimated that the closed school buildings could open four weeks into 2024. Now the county council believes that an opening can only happen at the end of February. – The reason for the postponement is new asbestos discoveries and that the securing work of loose external concrete slabs has become more extensive than first thought, states a press release that was sent out on Thursday last week.
ttn-69
Expert criticizes handling of asbestos findings at Frederik II high school – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
