Runaway Bay Kindyland closes for week after maintenance worker washed roof with high pressure hose

A court has heard how a childcare centre was forced to close for a week after a dangerous substance was released. But the owners ended up winning kudos for how they dealt with the incident.

A RUNAWAY BAY childcare centre was forced to close for at least week after a maintenance worker cleaned an asbestos laden roof with a high pressure washer, a Southport court was told.

Runaway Bay Kindyland was left with asbestos contaminated flakes throughout the centre after the cleaning on January 21 last year.

A member of the public saw the cleaning and contamination and alerted authorities.

Workplace Health and Safety advised the centre they could have opened within five days but the centre instead chose to remain closed until April so refurbishments could be done.

Children were sent to nearby childcare centres while the Bayview St site was decontaminated.

It costs owners Alcheringa Enterprises, who run four Gold Coast childcare centres, about $22,000 to shut for a week.

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The company today pleaded guilty to one count of using high pressure water spray on asbestos or asbestos containing material.

Magistrate Jane Bentley fined the company $3500.

“The defendant business closed the centre, paid for decontamination of centre and, immediately becoming aware of the issues the defendant took immediate steps to protect the children and the staff,” she said.

“It is certainly out of character for the defendant to fail to comply with any applicable legislation or laws.”

The court was told the roof was cleaned by a maintenance worker on a Sunday and the director of Alcheringa Enterprises, Gwynneth Bridge, was not aware the method he used to clean the roof.

Ms Bridge is a highly regarded childcare operator and in 2017 was awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours.

Alcheringa Enterprises’ barrister Mark Healy, instructed by Australian Business Lawyers and Advisers, said the centre was shut down as soon as the contamination was noticed.

He said Ms Bridge’s first concern was to ensure children had a place to go.

“In hindsight it was an amazing feat, no family lost a day (in care),” he said.

“It demonstrates just how seriously the defendant took the incident and any risks to the health of any person.

“They were not concerned with their own interests but they immediately set about the tasks of remediation.”

Mr Healy said as well as ridding the centre of the asbestos, Alcheringa Enterprises also arranged to have the asbestos roof completely replaced.

Outside court a spokesman for Alcheringa Enterprises said the first concern of the company was for the children.

“After the incident, we acted immediately to ensure the centre remained a safe environment for everyone, and that all of the children were given places at our other centres,” he said.

“Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advised that we could have remediated the centre’s playground and reopened within five days. Instead we chose to have the centre’s roof removed under controlled conditions, and to rebuild the centre and replace all of the fittings, equipment and resources.”

The centre remained closed from January to April last year.

No conviction was recorded.