Peace Arch Elementary parents

This web blog is for all parents and was originally created for the parents of Peace Arch Elementary School. In recent months we have seen a number of parents visiting this site from several countries around the world and perhaps parents from other school districts can share their experiences, thoughts and comments to help us all make our schools a healthier and better place for all our children.

Thank you for taking the time to visit, contribute and share your ideas and comments. ~~~~~~~

Over the last few months we have had so many serious health issues that pertain to our school which directly affect the health of our children.

This web blog has been put up to provide a central place for all parents to turn to, to leave comments, ask questions and communicate.

As parents it is important for us to be able to stick together and protect our kids as best we can. Let's make our children's school as healthy as possible by voicing our concerns and our recommendations and hopefully our strength in words and numbers will lead to a healthier school for our kids.

Monday, September 27, 2010

What do we know about asbestos?

It would be interesting to know what we all think we know about
asbestos.

Here's some of the things I've found out in the last few months:

There is no safe level of airborne asbestos particles even though there is a legally allowable level of airborne asbestos.  Why is this? 

It has been written that even a single exposure to asbestos can be lethal and cause cancer.

When asbestos is properly sealed and not disturbed it is not dangerous. 

Do we know the source of all the asbestos leakages at our school?  This has been a question posed by parents and WorksafeBC since the springtime.  I have still not seen a definitive answer to this question anywhere.  Have I missed it?

In early September two parents sat down with the principal of our school to ask for a meeting.  The meeting was denied but another interesting fact arose.  The parents were told that the asbestos in the school would leak again.  Will it leak in your child's classroom?  How long will it go unnoticed?  If a child or teacher accidentally steps on or disturbs the asbestos dust on the floor it becomes airborne and unseen by the human eye.  Who will be negatively affected then?

In conversations with WorksafeBC over the summer we were told that WorksafeBC would accept a zero leakage level only, as should the parents and that the school needs to prove to us, the parents that they have ensured they have done everything possible to make sure there are no more asbestos leakages.

The weep holes along the bottom of the exterior walls of the school were put there during construction of the school to provide ventilation in the walls.  Now that the weep holes have been sealed (only some of them were actually, many unsealed walls were discovered by some parents who brought it up to the school and the inspector came and could not explain why they were left unsealed--they were supposed to be sealed shortly afterwards), does this present a double edged sword?  If sealing the weep holes prevents asbestos leaking, will it prevent proper ventilation and therefore if moisture becomes trapped in the walls what happens?  Mould?


How do we get the answers to these questions?

What are your questions?

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