Asbestos fears for NBN contractors

Following recent instances of potential asbestos exposure to contractors, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, has directed the Office of Asbestos Safety to coordinate a national response and work with Telstra and its contractors on a best practice approach to asbestos safety.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) says it had already warned the NBN about the potential risks associated with exposure to asbestos fibres in 2010-11. The union is now calling on the NBN to engage safety officers to monitor each project, said ETU Assistant National Secretary Allen Hicks.

If contractors are working on the NBN they should have undergone the NBN Safety Awareness course, he said, claiming that not many contractors have received the required training. He advised contractors to notify the relevant regulatory authority if they were unsure about the risks associated with the projects they were working on.

The temporary stop work on pit remediation will stay in place for contractors (and subcontractors) until they have completed further training on working with, removing, transporting and disposing of asbestos containing material, said Telstra.

Telstra has already announced a new field workforce of up to 200 specialists to directly inspect and supervise all asbestos-related remediation work and mandatory Telstra-designed training for all contractors and subcontractors.

The Office of Asbestos Safety will work closely with Comcare, as well as with all eight responsible state and territory work health and safety regulators, to ensure best practice management of any potential asbestos hazards arising from the Telstra pits, said Shorten. “This will ensure that concerning incidents of potential asbestos exposure are acted on quickly and consistently across each state and territory.”

Comcare inspectors are investigating the work health and safety systems of Telstra and its contractors in Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria. The Office of Asbestos Safety will ensure that the lessons of any shortcomings in asbestos handling and disposal identified by Comcare investigations are acted on by the agency, according to a government press release.

Following the audit, Telstra will work with Comcare and an accredited training partner to review and update the mandatory training program that all Telstra contractors will need to implement before they are approved to work on Telstra pits. Telstra commenced an audit into the work practices of its contractors last week after a number of incidents of non-compliant asbestos management and removal. The audit is aimed at ensuring the law and our own strict guidelines are adhered to at all times, and to provide the public with confidence in the safety of this process as it occurs.