Swiss schools told to speed up radon gas protective measures

Monitoring has shown that the premitted levels of radon gas exposure is still to high in some Swiss schools. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The Swiss government has significantly brought forward the deadline for radon remediation in schools, which in many places it will be difficult to meet. But there are hardly any consequences for failing to meet the revised deadlines.

Danger comes from the ground. It’s invisible, you can’t smell it – but it’s poisonous. Radon: a natural, radioactive gas that in high concentrations causes lung cancer. In February, the government stipulated that school buildings in affected areas must be renovated much more rapidly to protect against radon.

“If people are exposed to radon gas for a long time, the risk of getting lung cancer increases,” says Martha Palacios from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). After smoking, radon is the second most common cause of lung cancer, according to the health ministry. Some 200 to 300 cancer deaths a year in Switzerland are attributed to radon. 

The government therefore lowered the safe radon exposure limit ​​five years ago. If the limit is exceeded, the affected houses must be renovated within a timescale that varies according to the exact radon concentration.

At the beginning of the year, the government also tightened measures for school buildings even further. It is now assumed that any room in a school building could serve as a classroom. The stricter rules ​​have significantly brought forward deadlines for remedial action – in extreme cases, demanding action within a year.

The shortest possible deadlines are applied in a targeted campaign to meet child protection targets, explained the FOPH.

Around one in eight schools in Switzerland need renovations, with 21 schools needing immediate action.

Cantons are responsible for complying with the maximum radon limits and ​​have in many places adjusted their regulations. Radon measurements in schools have also been intensified in recent years. In canton Valais, which was badly affected, the local authorities intend to submit their own radon law to parliament in the near future.

And in the canton of Bern, an initiative has been pending since the weekend, asking how the canton intends to comply with the requirements for the renovation of schools after the deadlines have been reduced. In some cases, the radon values ​​measured in Bern are several times higher than the federal government allows.

What if the reduced deadlines are missed? “There is no specific consequences as long as the issue is approached in a sensible manner,” said Martha Palacios from FOPH.

She also admits that the federal government is not yet where it wants to be when it comes to radon remediation. Due to the lack of consequences, failure to meet shortened deadlines for radon remediation in school buildings will probably be met with a federal wagging finger.

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