Asbestos reportedly found at the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment site
UPDATED: Hundreds of construction workers will return to work tomorrow after an asbestos scare shut down the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment site.
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UPDATED: HUNDREDS of construction workers will return to work tomorrow after an asbestos scare shut down the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment site.
Workers walked off the job on Wednesday morning after managing contractor John Holland confirmed friable asbestos was found on site.
The builder was notified of test results on Monday but only informed employees today. Union officials told tradies to show up on Thursday, but it’s not known if it will be safe to complete any tasks.
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Three workers installing copper pipe found the suspect material while hand-digging at the location of existing hospital buildings on April 18.
Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union Tasmania state secretary Michael Anderson said it was the 12th time John Holland had exposed workers to asbestos on site.
RHH redevelopment project director Ben Moloney said he believed that figure was inaccurate, but he conceded he did not know the exact number. Mr Anderson said people had been working in the contaminated soil for three weeks before the hazardous material was uncovered.
“The big problem is that asbestos material has been transported all through the job — and Christ knows where else — because it hasn’t been properly contained,” he said.
“Workers have had enough and they’re drawing a line in the sand — if you can’t maintain safe systems of work we’re not going back to work.”
Mr Anderson said site senior staff used “a bit of black plastic and a couple of bits of reo bar” to isolate the area.
“It 100 per cent wasn’t isolated,” he said. “There was a big draught coming through that area. Materials for the whole job were stored in that area so workers have genuine concerns it has moved to other parts of the job.”
Mr Moloney said the area was isolated and works ceased immediately in that location once the material was discovered, but he wouldn’t go into detail on what the measures involved. He said the incident occurred within a construction zone and no patients or hospital staff were exposed.
Mr Moloney said he believed the site was a safe place to work. He said he had no information to suggest the asbestos had ended up anywhere else.
“We are obviously operating in a very challenging site where asbestos materials are known to be present in the existing buildings,” he said.
“We have established processes that proactively seek to identify areas of potential risk and manage those.”
A John Holland-Fairbrother spokeswoman said: “Workers involved were notified immediately when a report confirming the existence of asbestos was received. Air monitoring devices have today confirmed the site is safe for workers.”
Mr Moloney said it was up to John Holland to provide the information and support the workforce needed to have the confidence to proceed safely.
EARLIER: Asbestos has been found at the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment site.
An event notification and investigation report by managing contractor John Holland, seen by the Mercury, said brown friable asbestos was found suspended in loose material in the southwest ground floor area of the K Block.
It’s understood workers at the site were notified this morning and were being sent home at 11am.
The report said three workers tasked with installing copper pipe found a small amount of “pipe lagging within the soil” while hand digging on April 18.
“The workers reported the lagging to their supervisor, works were stopped immediately, [the] area was sealed off [and] and occupational hygienist engaged,” the report said.
Results on sample sent for testing were received on Monday and confirmed the presence of asbestos.
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A Facebook post on the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union Victoria-Tasmania page said it was the 12th time workers had been exposed to asbestos on the site.
The report said a support notice had been sent to SafeWork NSW and SA but WorkSafe Victoria, WorkCover Queensland Tasmania.
John Holland, the State Government and SafeWork NSW and SA but WorkSafe Victoria, WorkCover Queensland have all been contacted for comment.
The State Government has continually said the redevelopment remains on track for completion in mid-2019.
jack.paynter@news.com.au
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