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Asbestos scare strikes hospital
By Clara Pirani
October 6, 2004

PARTS of Sydney's Westmead Hospital have been cordoned off in an asbestos scare after months of dry weather caused pieces of asbestos to rise up from under the site.

Staff working at the hospital, built on a dump site formerly owned by James Hardie Industries, found pieces of asbestos on a pathway close to one of the buildings.

Hardie is under fire after the Jackson inquiry found last month it had failed to sufficiently fund a trust it set up for victims of its products.

The hospital has commissioned an environmental impact study of its entire 10ha site to determine the extent of the asbestos.

A hospital spokesperson said an EIS conducted in 1993 had found asbestos throughout the hospital grounds, but declared it posed no risk because it was about four metres underground.

"We know that there is lots of it underground because this is an old demolition site," said Kevin Gillies, Westmead's deputy director human resources risk management. "Part of the site was formerly owned by James Hardie. The previous EIS couldn't tell us whether the asbestos came from the James Hardie site that was here, or if it came from everything that was ploughed into the ground when Westmead was built, or whether it came from the showground buildings that were also here and were demolished," Mr Gillies said. "It's three or four metres underground and because we've had a drought some of it has worked its way to the surface."

Four weeks ago staff found small pieces of asbestos close to one of the hospital's buildings.

Mr Gillies said the type of asbestos found posed no immediate health risk. "What we're talking about is fibro, which is bonded asbestos, which is fairly low risk.

"The key issue is that it's not friable which means that it's not broken up or airborne so it's very low risk."

He said this was the first time asbestos has been found on the ground surface and stressed there was no asbestos inside the hospital.

"In its current state buried under the ground, that's the best place for it."

A Health Services Union spokesperson said it was holding discussions with the hospital about how to remove the asbestos.

"We've raised it with management and we know they've fenced off the area and told people to be aware.

According to WorkCover guidelines, only licensed contractors can remove bonded asbestos.

Mr Gillies said he had contacted several companies in the past fortnight to remove the asbestos and believes the matter will be dealt with within the week.

The Australian

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