Tens of thousands of pupils and teachers could have been exposed to asbestos in school science labs, it is feared. 

Two UK laboratory-supply companies have issued schools with gauze mats that contain asbestos, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said. The gauze mats are designed for use with Bunsen burners.

The HSE has stopped the supply of the mats and said that the overall risk of exposure to asbestos was low - but it has not named the companies involved.

The NASUWT teaching union said that the situation was “appalling” and potentially meant that thousands of metal gauzes supplied to schools, potentially dating back to the 1970s, contained asbestos.

Chris Keates, NASUWT general secretary, said it was “shocking” that “life-threatening equipment” had been distributed to schools, “putting children and teachers and other staff at risk”.

“It beggars belief that this situation has been allowed to happen for so long, possibly as far back as 1976,” she said. 

“While it is to be welcomed that the HSE has highlighted this major hazard to the health of children and young people, and all those who work on school sites, it is unacceptable that the two suppliers involved have not been named.”

The school-science advisory service, CLEAPSS, said customers of the companies involved would be contacted from this week onwards.

The organisation has published advice on its website on what schools need to do; the documents have been updated today.

The guidance includes:

• If you are uncertain whether gauzes contain asbestos, respond as if at least some of them do - following the guidance from the HSE/Department for Education about how to dispose of the gauzes. This relates to all gauzes sold since 1976.
• Advice on how to safely dispose of gauzes has been issued, but if you do not feel confident that you can follow the advice given by the HSE regarding how to safely dispose of gauzes, you do not have to do this - your school could engage the services of a specialist contractor to carry out the work.
• It is safe to carry on using science rooms as usual with the exception of the use of any suspect gauzes. Deep cleaning is not required.

“The fact that the HSE has told these suppliers to immediately stop sending the gauzes to schools highlights the seriousness of this issue,” said Ms Keates.

“Staff, pupils and parents will be deeply anxious as a result of this announcement. If schools had the names of the suppliers, the anxiety and distress could be alleviated, as they could confirm that they had not used these suppliers.

“There are serious questions to be asked and answered about this appalling situation, including why it has taken so long to identify that suppliers are using such hazardous materials and what action the government intends to take to support schools in the light of this revelation, including the costs that may be incurred as a result of the disposal of this material.

“I have written to Damian Hinds, secretary of state for education, to ask those questions.”

An HSE spokesperson said: “Although the risk of exposure is low, we took action as soon as we were informed. HSE Inspectors ensured supply of the asbestos-containing gauze mats stopped immediately. We got the message out as soon as possible and alerted schools, colleges and others to the issue, providing precautionary advice on how to check if they are affected and if so what to do next.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “Following advice from the Health and Safety Executive we have immediately written to all secondary schools and colleges advising them to take steps to remove and dispose of potentially hazardous mesh gauze used in science lessons.

“We will continue to liaise with the HSE and CLEAPSS over this issue.”