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HSR Leon is a builder. Leon and his team arrive on site - they have been asked by their foreman to help clean up an industrial building before they start repairs. The building has been badly damaged by the recent cyclone and flooding.
Leon knows the building was built before 2000. This means that it is likely to contain some form of asbestos. In the past, asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials, such as cladding, roofing, flooring, electrical components, and insulation material.
Normally, this isn’t a problem if the building remains undamaged and dry. However, after the extreme weather, the building has suffered leaking, flooding, and damage to the roof. Since Leon is an HSR looking out for his team, he thinks twice before starting the mahi. Leon asks his foreman for the building’s asbestos management plan. This plan should tell you the location and condition of any asbestos on-site, as well as how that asbestos should be managed in the building.
Leon’s foreman says they don’t have an asbestos management plan for the site and can’t confirm that the building doesn’t have asbestos. Also, some of Leon’s team members haven’t been provided with PPE like respirator masks or coveralls.
Leon feels uncomfortable with the risk to his teammates because he knows how dangerous asbestos exposure is for your health, especially when it’s been disturbed. He raises this with his foreman, who says that he’ll sort this out in the next couple of days.
As a trained HSR, Leon decides to use his powers to direct his team to stop work until it is safe. Instead, he tells his team to work on a different section of the site outdoors where there’s no asbestos risk.
He advises his foreman that it’s not safe to enter the building until his team have the correct gear and that everyone knows the exact location of the asbestos. He tells his foreman that the crew will continue working outdoors until this issue is resolved.
Leon’s foreman is frustrated initially that this will impact the project deadlines, but ultimately agrees to get a specialist in to assess the building and create a plan to manage hazards like asbestos on the site.
Remember that if you think it’s unsafe to work, speak up and take action. Your voice can help keep yourself and your hoamahi healthy and safe.
If you have a concern about unsafe work as a result of the recent floods or Cyclone Gabrielle, you should let us know: Notify WorkSafe.
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