Renovations at Harrisburg, PA Area School Results in Asbestos Contamination

All public, private and parochial schools in the United States are required to follow specific regulations regarding renovations that may disturb asbestos materials. The replacement of carpeting at a Harrisburg, PA area Catholic school caused workers to be exposed to asbestos-containing floor tiles.

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On March 16, 2010, the ABC television affiliate in Harrisburg, PA reported that the St. Catherine Laboure School in Swatara Township would be closed for the remainder of the week after asbestos was inadvertently released into the environment at the school.

The asbestos was released when carpeting was being replaced at the school after classes were dismissed the previous Friday afternoon. When the old carpeting was being pulled up, the workers accidentally ripped up floor tiles that were suspected to contain asbestos.

Workers began ripping up the existing carpet at the school on Friday afternoon. During that process, school officials said workers unintentionally ripped up floor tiles that may contain asbestos.

While the tiles were being tested to confirm whether they contained asbestos and air quality testing is performed, the school remains closed to teachers, staff and students.

Federal and State Asbestos Regulations for Schools
All public, private and parochial schools in Pennsylvania are required to follow federal regulations enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). These regulations are known as the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).

Schools are required to periodically test for the presence of asbestos at all school buildings. In addition, schools are also required to:

Inspect all school buildings every three years for the presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACM);

Maintain an asbestos management plan for each school building;

Advise all teacher, parent and employee organizations that use the school buildings of the availability of the asbestos management plan;

Communicate information about any planned renovations that may cause ACM to be exposed to all parent, teacher and employee organizations that use the building;

Appoint a contact person to oversee all asbestos inspection and reporting; and

Provide periodic asbestos awareness training for all school maintenance and custodial employees.

Asbestos Materials in Schools Result in High Risk for School Teachers and Others School Employees
Virtually every school building constructed prior to the 1970s was built using a number of asbestos materials.

Asbestos insulation was used in furnace and boiler rooms, and was also applied to heating pipes in classrooms, hallways and stairwells. Asbestos-containing glues and mastics were used to apply wall and floor tiles in school bathrooms, locker rooms, gyms and cafeterias. In addition to the use of asbestos-containing floor tiles, asbestos was also used in linoleum and subflooring materials, and asbestos was also added to plaster, in texture paints and vinyl wallpapers.

The vast amount of asbestos materials used in aging schools has led to a chilling statistic: elementary school teachers have the highest asbestos disease risk rate of those not employed in construction or other industries where the use of ACM was common.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If your family is facing a loved ones diagnosis with asbestos disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.