Inconsiderate Disposal of Asbestos Poses A Risk to Disabled Workers In Australia
Gunnedah Shire Council is investigating the illegal dumping of 24kgs of fibro sheeting suspected of containing asbestos, with the hazardous material found by disabled workers, who were sorting materials by hand from residents’ kerbside recycling collection.
Council says the potentially dangerous material was discovered in one of the bunkers and on the conveyor belt used at its Material Recycling Facility (MRF).
The MRF
workers that were placed at risk exposure to this material are from the
Gunnedah Workshop, a non-profit organisation providing NDIS services and
supported employment opportunities to around 40 people with disabilities in
Gunnedah.
“This
beautiful community is incredibly supportive of our mission and of our people,
which makes the thoughtless actions of one person so much more heartbreaking,”
said Gunnedah Workshop Enterprises general manager, Jasmine Alloway.
“They have
endangered the health of some of Gunnedah’s most vulnerable people, and
probably their own as well. I hope that this is a case of ignorance, rather
than malice: that they were somehow unaware that Gunnedah’s recycling is sorted
by hand, and not that they just didn’t care.
The
facility was immediately shut down and all workers removed from the area
following the dangerous discovery, Council said in a statement.
“The site
was inspected by an appropriately qualified contractor to determine visually if
the product was suspected asbestos and upon inspection it was identified that
the fibro sheeting was highly likely to be asbestos.”
“The
contractor taped off the bunker, hopper and loading area and all Recyclit
workers within the MRF were sent home.”
Inconsiderate Disposal of Asbestos Poses A Risk to Disabled
Workers In Australia
Council
notified the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of the incident, and its
Work Health and Safety (WHS) business partner and kerbside collection
contractor JR Richards, who sent representatives to the site to conduct their
own investigation.
It says
the investigation will include a review of footage provided by the in-truck
camera to identify the alleged offender.
“The
asbestos contractor hand picked all the visual fibro sheeting and removed the
material from within the bunker and on the conveyor belt. The recycling
material within the bunker and hopper was also treated as contaminated material
and appropriately disposed at the Gunnedah Waste Management Facility designated
asbestos area.”
“The areas
that were exposed to the fibro sheeting contamination were cleaned by the
asbestos contractor to allow normal operations to resume on Tuesday.
“The areas
within the MRF were cleared of all fibro sheeting and contaminated material at
7.05pm on Monday night and a sample of the sheeting will be sent for testing to
confirm the product is asbestos,” Council said.
Safe Work
has cleared the site for operation, and advised that in this instance, the risk
to the health of workers was well-mitigated.
Gunnedah
Shire Council’s Director of Planning and Environmental Services, Andrew Johns
said members of the local community should be mindful of the processes Council
has in place for the removal and disposal of asbestos.
“If this
material had been disposed correctly at the Gunnedah Waste Management Facility
it would have cost the resident(s) responsible of placing this material in
their recycling bin just $5.”
“That’s a
small price to pay for doing the right thing not only by their own safety but
that of our workers and the general community,” said Mr Johns. The Council says
legal action may be pursued as a result of the investigation.
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