Scared Angry Father After Asbestos Feard
WHEN Noel Connors found out both his sons might have been exposed to asbestos he could not sit by and be silent.
The boys attend Mackay West Primary and Mackay North High schools, where children were at risk of being exposed to the fatal substance after asbestos was disturbed.
“I am in a situation where I had to speak up,” Mr Connors said….
“Two of my children have been involved and from a parental point of view I am concerned.”
He said his son would not be returning to Mackay North High until he had confirmation from the school that asbestos was no longer in the classrooms and had been removed correctly.
Yesterday, an investigation team from the Department of Education and Training was at Mackay North State High School to begin a probe into an incident where children were evacuated from classrooms following an asbestos scare.
Mr Connors, who in the 1990s removed asbestos in the ACT, said he had undertaken an Asbestos Removal (Residential) Course through the ACT Institute of Technical and Further Education.
He said he was contracted to remove loose asbestos from 1000 homes in the ACT.
“There are codes in this country and they are put in place for a reason… They should be followed at all times… if you break these, there is a jail term.”
Mr Connors said he did not know the situation on the school sites, or what was used during the removal of the asbestos, but said there had been no mention of air monitors being used.
The Federal National Occupational Health and Safety Commission’s Code for the Safe Removal of Asbestos defines air monitoring as airborne asbestos fibre sampling to assist in assessing exposures and the effectiveness of control measures.
Mr Connors said he wanted to know if the subcontractors who cleaned the classrooms last Tuesday night took the right precautions and were being monitored on removing the asbestos correctly.
“QBuild is playing Russian roulette with our kids,” he said.
“Once asbestos is airborne it is dangerous.”
via:dailymercury.com.au
Tags: Asbestos, Cancer, Mesothelioma
