Asbestos and Queen’s University Belfast

This series explores the ongoing impacts of the asbestos industry today. Major asbestos companies knew asbestos was carcinogenic by the 1940s and that even brief exposure to certain types of asbestos could cause the fatal cancer mesothelioma by the mid-1960s. Nevertheless, global asbestos production did not peak until 1977. 

The consequences have been devastating. Public and private institutions have absorbed enormous costs for removing and managing the asbestos in their buildings. Worldwide, millions of people have died – and more continue to die every day – from asbestos exposure. And many more live with the fear, or realities, of contracting asbestos-related diseases.

Queen’s University Belfast has received 12 claims since 2001 for asbestos exposure, and still has over 2,000 different asbestos-containing materials across its campus, Confront can reveal.

Confront filed a Freedom of Information request to Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) on the extent and impact of asbestos across its campus.

QUB disclosed that they have received 12 claims relating to asbestos exposure since 2001. Of these, seven have been settled with damages totalling £315,217 paid to the claimants. The university noted that, “These are not direct costs to the university. The settlements are made by the relevant insurance companies.”

Over 5,000 people a year die from asbestos-related diseases in the UK. It can take decades for diseases to develop after exposure to asbestos. According to multiple lawyers Confront spoke with, generally the most common asbestos-related disease in compensation claims is mesothelioma.

This is because mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. While asbestos exposure also kills thousands of Britons a year through lung cancer, these can be harder to trace back to asbestos through compensation claims as there are multiple other causes of lung cancer. Other asbestos diseases include asbestosis, pleural plaques, pleural thickening, and other forms of cancer.

The UK banned five types of asbestos in 1985, before a full ban on all asbestos in 1999. Nevertheless, there has been no national plan to eliminate the millions of tonnes of asbestos across British buildings. Since 2004, duty-holders, such as universities, hospitals, and schools, have been required to manage the remaining asbestos according to strict regulations.

For Queen’s University Belfast, there are still 2,073 asbestos-containing materials in 57 of the university’s 270 buildings. Of these, 1,434 were classified as ‘low-risk’, 551 as ‘medium/low-risk’, and 53 as ‘medium risk.’

A further 35 were classified as ‘high-risk’, however, a university spokesperson said, “Please note that high-risk items on our register have been classified as such because a surveyor has been unable to access the space to complete a survey e.g. a vacant property which is unsafe to enter and duct areas that do not have an access point.” These figures were accurate as of December 2024.

While all asbestos-containing materials have the ability to release asbestos, a number of factors dictate the risk categories. This includes the type of material, how much asbestos is contained, the condition of the asbestos, and its location.

The university has also spent, between January 2014 to August 2024, £1,920,150 on asbestos removal. The university added that there were potentially additional costs, but these were more complex to identify if they were included as part of a larger capital works project.

QUB also underwent an audit of its asbestos management processes in 2016 conducted by Deloitte. While QUB declined to share the audit, they said they received, “The highest assurance level in Deloitte’s audit framework”, which was satisfactory.

The full investigation by Confront into how British universities are managing asbestos across its universities can be read here.