The case in summary No pupils have been exposed to unacceptable risk following the discovery of asbestos at Frederik II upper secondary school, according to Viken county council. The county indicates that all air samples that have been taken have been negative. However, news’s investigations show that such samples were never taken in two of the most exposed rooms, which had to be closed immediately just before the Christmas holidays. Norconsult has been responsible for the asbestos mapping at the school. They will not comment on news’s findings directly, but say they will now consider whether they can improve their routines. The health risk of inhaling asbestos dust is low, but it can lead to cancer several years later. That is why it is considered a serious health risk, explains specialist Oluf Dimitri Røe. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In October last year, asbestos was found after drilling in the outer walls of Frederik II upper secondary school in Fredrikstad. Subject experts later carried out investigations at the school. They then found released asbestos in several rooms. Only in December did the experts believe that parts of the school had to be closed immediately because of the cancer-causing substance. Today, the entire Christianslund department at Frederik II upper secondary school is fenced off. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news All the air samples taken at the school have been approved. Therefore, the county council has guaranteed the safety of over 1,200 pupils. However, news’s investigations show that air samples were never taken in two of the three classrooms that had to be closed on the day of 15 December. This means that no one can know for sure whether pupils and staff have been exposed to an unacceptable risk after the asbestos was discovered. – A selected number of samples must be taken per room. As I read the report, samples were taken in selected rooms and only one sample in each of them. It does not provide a basis for considering this as safe, says asbestos expert Tom Eriksen. – I think this is very serious, says student council leader Erle Klemetsen Mossik. In the corridors of the school there are many steel columns that are covered with asbestos sheets. Student council leader Erle Klemetsen Mossik says students have pushed each other into these plates. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news – Must be closed immediately In October, the consultancy Norconsult was brought in to survey the extent of asbestos in the school. During an inspection on 9 and 10 November, the company saw what they suspect was released asbestos. The county council says they were not notified of these findings until the report from the investigations was ready on 14 December. A tape test shows that free asbestos has been detected in classroom D203. Air samples should not have been taken here. Photo: Norconsult/Viken County Council Damaged asbestos sheet in classroom E103. Norconsult suspected that the damage was of a fibre-releasing nature, but no air samples were taken in the room. Photo: Norconsult/Viken County Council The picture shows a damaged asbestos sheet in classroom D102. A negative air sample was taken in this classroom. Photo: Norconsult/Viken County Council Ceiling on the ceiling in corridor D108. On the right are damaged asbestos sheets. On the left is dust that is believed to contain asbestos. A negative air sample was taken here. Photo: Norconsult/Viken county municipality “Rooms D102, D203 and E103 and corridor D108 must be closed immediately, asbestos removed and the room cleaned of asbestos fibres” Norconsult’s report 14 December news has reviewed the report and the associated appendices. Our review shows that air samples were never taken in classrooms D203 and E103. – Why were air samples never taken in these rooms? – In these rooms, thorough asbestos mapping was carried out through material samples and tape samples, writes Norconsult in an e-mail to news. Neither material samples nor tape samples can be used to determine whether there are asbestos fibers in the room air. Norconsult did not wish to be interviewed, but has answered some of our questions in writing. All results ready in December – There is no doubt among our subject experts that rooms should be closed when asbestos is found, writes executive vice president for communications and brand Hege Njå Bjørkmann. Nevertheless, more than a month passed from Norconsult’s inspection of the school until they thought it had to be closed for the day in mid-December. A total of 19 air samples were taken at the school. Since all of these were negative, Norconsult believed that more analyzes were necessary. – On 14 December, all results were ready, analyzed and quality assured. There is a requirement that those handling asbestos must wear full protective equipment. The picture was taken during ongoing work at Frederik II upper secondary school. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news Cancer researcher: Small but serious risk Professor at NTNU and specialist in cancer medicine Oluf Dimitri Røe has a doctorate in pleural cancer. It is a type of cancer that can be linked to asbestos. – If students have breathed in asbestos dust at school, they have been exposed to a health risk. There is a small risk, but on rare occasions it can develop into cancer many years later. This is a serious health risk, he says. It is serious that over a month passed from the time asbestos was observed until the first rooms were closed, says Oluf Dimitri Røe. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news It is not acceptable to have an indoor environment where asbestos fibers are added from damaged material, according to Kari Mork, chief engineer at the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. She speaks on a general basis. The health risk is low if there is minor damage to asbestos-containing material. – But if there is a large extent of damage, and for example aggressive interventions such as drilling and sawing have been carried out, there may have been relatively high exposures. Then of course you have to close straight away, says Mork. The asbestos discoveries at Frederik II upper secondary school were made after drilling in the outer walls. Criticizes the county Asbestos expert Tom Eriksen recently criticized Viken county council for not closing the school immediately when asbestos was found in October. He has read the entire report that news is now referring to, and believes that far too few air and tape samples have been taken. According to Eriksen, this means that you have not got a correct picture of the actual situation either. He says the photos that Norconsult took of the damage in November should be good enough reason to close. – I firmly believe that in this case the county has reacted in a terribly bad way, and that they could have done much better. Tom Eriksen is the leader of Asbestforum, and has worked for almost 40 years with mapping and handling asbestos. Photo: Lars Christian Wallace / news Real estate manager Heidi Vildskog says Østfold county council has relied on the advice they have received from Norconsult throughout. – When we receive advice that air tests are good news and the decision to operate in the buildings stands, and is supported by approved air tests, then we have to trust that it is essential information. – Little impact required All around the corridors at the school there are many steel beams that are covered with airy asbestos sheets. – Asbestolux sheets themselves are very porous. Very little influence is needed for them to release fibre, says Tom Eriksen. “Having such asbestos sheets available for poking by students and drilling (…) by craftsmen constitutes, in our opinion, an all too great probability of releasing asbestos fibers into the room air”Norconsult’s report 14 December – We have stood there, chewed and pushed each other into them, says student council leader Erle Klemetsen Mossik. Such steel columns can be found over large parts of the school. The columns are wrapped in porous asbestos sheets, which are easily accessible to the students. Photo: Norconsult / Viken County Municipality I don’t think anyone has been exposed to unacceptable risk news has on several occasions tried to get an interview with Eivind Lage Løken, who was head of the technical section in Viken County Municipality when the asbestos was discovered in October. He has refused, because he has nothing more to add. Løken has previously stated to news that the county council is certain that no pupils or staff have been exposed to an unacceptable risk. From 1 January, Østfold County Council took over responsibility for Frederik II upper secondary school. Property manager Heidi Vildskog believes Løken’s previous statements still stand. At the same time, she understands that the asbestos problem creates uncertainty among the school’s students. Property manager in Østfold county municipality Heidi Vildskog. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – But I think it is very important to keep the facts high, listen to the advice we receive, and follow the regulations that are there, says the property manager. In an email to news, Norconsult writes that they believe the county council has handled the situation correctly. At the same time, they are now considering making changes to the way they work themselves. – Based on the overall course of events, Norconsult will assess whether improvements can be made to its own routines for similar types of projects.
ttn-69
Never took air samples in exposed classrooms – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
