Head 'not aware' of asbestos risk

Glaziers said they were not told asbestos was present

A headmaster accused of exposing his school to potentially deadly asbestos claims he had no idea the material was a major health risk, a court heard.

Phillip Robinson, 50, of Chevin Road, Duffield, Derby, denies a charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of others.

The trial at Leicester Crown Court relates to the installation of windows at Silverhill Primary School in Derby.

The former head told the jury he was unaware of the dangers of asbestos.

I knew nothing about asbestos Phillip Robinson, former head teacher

The court heard the 50-year-old gave the go-ahead for the £68,000 scheme to replace old windows in February 2004, but failed to tell glaziers asbestos had been found in the pre-fabricated premises at the site during a survey.

Workers should be told if asbestos is found, but staff said they were not informed and were days into removing old frames before they found "white asbestos", which they believed to be lower risk, so they carried on, the jury was told.

They claimed it was not until work on the project was over that they knew the more dangerous "brown asbestos" had been discovered and by then "widespread contamination" had occurred in the school during term time, exposing teachers and staff.

Mr Robinson was subsequently prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

'Learning curve'

The father of three told the jury on Friday he had "no training" on the risks of asbestos and was unaware of its presence in the window panels.

"On the opening day of this trial somebody made the comment that everybody knows how dangerous asbestos was. I didn't realise, I knew nothing about asbestos.

"I had no idea there might be asbestos dust or that anything might come off it. The whole thing has been a complete new learning curve for me," he said.

The court heard Mr Robinson, who had been the head of the since 1996, developed throat problems after the incident, forcing him to step down from his post.

The trial continues.