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Kids paid to shift deadly asbestos
MARK ALEXANDER
October 3, 2004
CHILDREN were paid by a State Government contractor to shift deadly asbestos materials from a school work site.
Students from Monto High School, west of Bundaberg, were used to remove vinyl tiles containing the potentially fatal carcinogenic material during a refurbishment of the science laboratory.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton has confirmed a sub-contractor, employed by a Q-Build contractor, paid the students to remove the tiles outside school hours in September 2002.
The disturbing revelations came to light this week following questioning by Opposition education spokesman Rob Messenger after he was contacted by a Monto resident concerned the children faced serious health problems because of potential asbestos exposure.
It is unknown how many students were involved or whether they wore protective gear. It is also not known if they or their parents were aware they were handling asbestos.
"I find this incredible that these children were paid to remove asbestos from their school. It's completely unacceptable," Mr Messenger said.
"If I was a parent and was told my kid was shovelling asbestos into the back of a trailer, I'd be pretty worried.
"I don't want to cause the kids or their families unnecessary worry or angst but they face serious risk."
Staff and former students who spoke to The Sunday Mail yesterday could not recall protective equipment being worn during the renovations.
Sue Muller, who works at the school as a part-time scientific assistant, helped clear the laboratory and watched the work take place.
"I never saw anyone wearing protective gear," said Mrs Muller, who raised the possibility of compensation for any student exposed to asbestos.
Nathan Dederer, a 2002 graduate, could remember classmates being paid to gut the laboratory, but also could not remember them wearing any protection.
"They were cleaning up, throwing old wooden stuff out," he said.
"They had the whole inside of the block stripped."
The Opposition believes some of the tiles may have been ripped in the process, exposing the children to asbestos fibres.
It also believes the sub-contractor may not have had the proper accreditation required to remove asbestos.
The Government has been unable to confirm or deny those claims.
In a letter to Mr Messenger, Mr Barton admitted Workplace Health and Safety Queensland was unaware students were being used at the time the work was done.
He said he had since been advised Q-Build visited the site after the removal of the tiles and saw personal protective equipment in a trailer used to take the tiles away.
However he was unable to confirm whether the students used the protective gear.
"Evidence available to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland indicates that compliance to the removal method was most likely followed and it would be difficult now to gather evidence to the contrary," he wrote.
Queensland Asbestos Related Disease Support Society president Shirley White said the children had been exposed to serious risk.
"It's completely irresponsible," she said. "These children shouldn't have been placed in that situation in the first place, never mind the worry of the next 30 to 40 years.
"If I was one of these children's parents, I'd be very upset."
Mr Barton declined to comment further, as did Education Minister Anna Bligh.
But a spokesman for Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten said the department would investigate.
Education Queensland figures show there are almost 1200 state schools on the Government's Asbestos Register.
The Sunday Mail (Qld)
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