Students never told about exposed asbestos in their Box Hill TAFE classroom

BOX Hill Institute students have feared for their health after a room they used every day for years was revealed to contain exposed asbestos and they weren’t formally notified.

STUDENTS at a Melbourne TAFE college feared for their health after learning a room they used every day for years contained exposed asbestos.

The discovery was made in a furniture spray booth at the Box Hill Institute in mid-July, yet students were not formally notified by the institution.

FRUSTRATION AT ASBESTOS REMOVAL DELAY

POLICE RACE TO FIND ASBESTOS DUMPER

EPA ORDERS CLEAN UP OF BRIGHTON BEACH

A student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the class used the booth every week for at least four years and the asbestos tiles were broken for as long as they could remember.

“If it’s been blowing around the whole classroom where students are, it’s pretty sickening,” the student said.

“You’d think they’d tell all the students this room contains asbestos, but nothing’s been said.”

Asbestos at the Box Hill TAFE.

Box Hill Institute CEO Vivi­enne King said an employee first reported the suspected exposed asbestos to management on July 19. It took almost a week for staff to be made aware of the issue.

“The spray booth was immediately locked and made inadmissable,” she said.

A consultant was called and the tiles removed on July 28.

“During the removal of the tiles, air monitoring was conducted, the air quality was found to be compliant and a certificate was issued,” the CEO said.

“Given the negligible risk, it wasn’t considered necessary to communicate with the students,” Ms King said.

Students at Box Hill Institute are concerned for their health after an asbestos discovery.

A WorkSafe Victoria spokes­woman confirmed work to remove asbestos from the site was completed in July.

A Victorian Department of Education and Training spokesman said all TAFEs were required to conduct checks for asbestos every five years.

“The department will continue to work with all TAFEs to ensure best-practice processes are followed to safely manage any asbestos identified.”

[e-mail]

@tamsinroses