Another timely warning: Beware Asbestos

The following article relates directly to technicians of fire protection companies who work in schools and have to disturb the fabric of the building to lay cables, fit extinguisher brackets etc.

Remember: you should be asking to see the Asbestos Register when you first sign in to a premises (IFEDA fire extinguisher training manual).

Repeal of schools-building programme raises asbestos alarm

The cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme could increase the risk of children, teachers and support staff being exposed to asbestos, TUC union officials have warned.
Many existing school buildings are likely to contain asbestos, as they were built before 1970, when the material was in common use. As these buildings fall into disrepair, the risk of asbestos exposure increases significantly.
The number of teachers who have died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma has increased by more than 300 per cent in the last 20 years, according to the TUC campaigners. More worryingly, they point out that children exposed to asbestos are five times more likely to develop mesothelioma than adult teachers in the same environment.
The TUC Asbestos Support and Campaign Group is further alarmed by the fact that many schools have spent little on maintenance, on the promise that they would be part of the previous Labour government’s BSF programme, which aimed to rebuild or renew nearly every secondary school in England. The Group claims that new Education secretary Michael Gove’s decision to halt the BSF scheme has scuppered the plans of nearly 100 schools in the north of England (six in Cumbria and 93 in the North East) to move forward with a new-build programme.

20 tradesmen/women die every week from the effects of asbestos - don't let it be you.

Why Join IFEDA

So why would you join a trade association like IFEDA? Well there are plenty of reasons which are listed in various places but one over-riding reason more than anything would be SUPPORT:- on Monday lunchtime IFEDA was informed of a potential problem and safety alert regarding a certain type/batch of fire extinguisher valve heads: this alert was with members within the hour. So not having to scrabble around in various forums or rely on hearsay to find out what's going on: if we know it, the members know it.

Convinced? See www.ifeda.org/join.htm

IFEDA Newsletter

The summer edition of Firetalk, the quarterly newsletter from IFEDA, is available to view at www.ifeda.org/newsletter.htm

Refresher Course Updates

Please be advised that there are places available on the following Extinguisher refresher courses:-
Blackwood, Gwent - Tuesday 21st Sept,
Walsall, West Midlands - Tuesday, 14th Sept
Enfield, North London - Wednesday, 18th August

BS5306-3 Annex A (informative) recommends the competent person; having passed the described examination should attend a refresher course at least every three years.
BAFE are with-holding SP101/ST104 certificates and badges if refreshers are not up to date.
These IFEDA courses are BAFE recognised and are run as per BS5306-3: 2009.
The syllabus can be found at www.ifeda.org/training.htm
Should you wish to book please reply direct to me in the first instance by email.