November 2nd, 2007

An elementary school will have a makeshift vacuum created around six rooms were asbestos it to be removed. The abatement must be sealed to keep students and faculty safe.

Stewart Elementary in Washington state will have a vacuum around six of its rooms over the next couple of weeks. When asbestos was found in the floor tiles of rooms being renovated, the work was quickly put on pause, and abatement contracts were up for grabs. After a licensed company was found, and the budget was approved, the six rooms were sealed off from the rest of the school. Though work on the kitchen, nurse’s room and four classrooms will take place mostly at night and on the weekends, school officials wanted to make sure no person was exposed to the deadly substance.

Asbestos, a material often used in insulation products prior to the 1980s, is usually a safe material. The material can fragment into airborne pieces when it is disturbed, such as during renovations or removal. These fibers get stuck in the lungs and can cause emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of deadly lung cancer. Mesothelioma slowly suffocates the victim, and can take years to diagnose.