April 18th, 2005

A school in Ohio is at the center of concerns for the second time in a very short period – this time the concerns relate to the possible presence of asbestos. Midvale Elementary School was already having problems after a section of the kitchen ceiling collapsed earlier in the week. The school, located in Tuscarawas County, was still dealing with this problem when another serious problem was identified.

It appears that inspectors who assessed the school building have now discovered signs of asbestos presence in a number of classrooms in the school. It is thought that further inspections will be carried out to determine the level and severity of contamination, and to determine when – or if – the school will be safe for children to attend again.

In the meantime, the children that attend the school will be off school on Monday, and will then be attending an alternative building, at the Quaker Dome in New Philadelphia. As a result of this disruption, the times of the school day have changed until further notice, and hours will now be from eight in the morning until one in the afternoon.

Airborne asbestos can result in a number of health problems, hence the concerns over the contamination of the classrooms in the school. The health problems that can result from exposure to airborne asbestos include a deadly form of cancer, known as mesothelioma, which can take three to five decades to develop.