Parent proves material removed from school contains asbestos after being told otherwise
The father of a girl attending a school in Queensland, Australia blew the whistle on the local government’s improper removal of asbestos-laden materials from the school, after being assured that the materials were harmless. Simon Smith grew concerned when he saw workers removing a bag rack from Caningeraba State School when he brought his daughter to school one morning. He contacted the school with his concerns that the rack might contain asbestos. A school employee in turn spoke with the workers doing the removal, and was assured that the rack did not contain asbestos. Mr. Smith, who himself worked in asbestos abatement, was not satisfied with that response. He contacted a coworker, who happened to be at the city dump at the same time the workers from the school were dumping the material. The coworker took a sample of the material, had it tested, and reported that it did, indeed, contain chrysotile asbestos. Mr. Smith was upset that asbestos removal was improperly taking place at the school while school children were in attendance, with none of the required warning signs or safety measures in place. The Minister of Public Health, who himself has lost a family member to asbestos-related disease, vowed to investigate the matter as well as ensure the proper protective procedures were followed in the future. For the full story, go to http://www.goldcoast.com.au
