Asbestos News

A plant in a suburb of Australia's capital was recently shut down so asbestos can be removed from the site.

Boral Plasterboard's Trade Centre in Fyshwick in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was closed by WorkSafe ACT, the territory's workplace safety agency, for the asbestos abatement work. However, the Canberra Times reports that the Construction, Forestry and Energy and Mining Union said that WorkSafe did not act quickly enough to protect workers from asbestos exposure.

Fast action is required when asbestos is discovered as exposure to the naturally occurring material can cause a range of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

ACT Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe told the news source that the plant would not be reopened until tests showed there was no risk to workers' health.

"The latest tests consisted of air sampling, which was negative, and dust and sample monitoring, which showed evidence of the presence of asbestos," he said. "The Prohibition Notice will not be lifted until the WorkSafe ACT inspector is satisfied that Boral has addressed the identified risks and is complying with its responsibilities under the Work Safety Act 2008 in respect of management of this hazard."