School’s out

Global Environmental took advantage of the half-term holidays to survey a school in Enfield prior to the replacement of its entire heating system.

Working with the school’s Facilities Manager, our surveyor sampled material from the extensive system of hot and cold-water pipes which ran through the buildings.  Asbestos was often used to lag heating pipes from the 1940s through to the end of the 1970s due to its heat resistance and insulation properties.

Analysis showed a large amount of Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) had been used to lag the pipes which will now be removed under controlled conditions by a licensed contractor prior to the work commencing.

Project Manager, Lee Ypey, commented “It was almost inevitable that school buildings of this age would contain asbestos and I wasn’t surprised to see the lagging material being identified as AIB.  The key thing now is for safe removal of the material.  This is going to be a three-year-long project due to the contractors working alongside the normal school timetable and we will be working with the site team over this period to assist with any technical questions.”