'Mr Fluffy' asbestos in Ainslie shops

The deadly amosite asbestos was at the heart of the ACT’s $100 million removal program, in which 1050 homes had their roof cavities forensically cleaned during the late 1980s and early '90s.

ACT Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe said the asbestos was in the roof of one business, which he could not name for privacy reasons, although he did say it had a management plan and public health risks were being managed appropriately.

But an asbestos expert questioned how the government could allow it to be left in the building and called for urgent air testing in and around the shops.

Just six months ago a Downer home was encased in a plastic bubble, pulled apart and buried in an asbestos dump at a cost to taxpayers of more than $2 million because it was found to contain loose amosite asbestos – considered the most deadly form of the cancer-causing insulation.

The Downer home was one of four in the ACT missed in the original screening process to determine which homes had “Mr Fluffy” insulation and which have since been demolished.

The presence of the loose asbestos has come to light following questioning of the ACT Work Safety Commission about asbestos management in commercial buildings in the wake of the discovery of asbestos in a commercial building at Dickson late last month.

The roof of a commercial building housing automotive workshops and a restaurant storeroom on Woolley Street has been ordered to remain sealed until it is replaced or made safe after asbestos fibres were found to be falling from ageing Super 6 asbestos-bonded sheeting.

Mr McCabe confirmed the presence of much less stable amosite asbestos in the neighbouring shopping centre in Ainslie when asked whether asbestos had been detected in other commercial precincts and how many shopping centres were adhering to Asbestos Management Plans.

Mr McCabe could not confirm whether the Ainslie shops insulation had been installed by “Mr Fluffy”, just that it had been confirmed after testing to be the loose amosite asbestos used for ceiling insulation - the same as material installed by Dirk "Mr Fluffy" Jansen and his sons in the '70s.

Its public health risk is considerable in that this form of asbestos is easily crumbled and reduced to powder and the microscopic particles are easily airborne when disturbed. Inhalation of even a minute amount of amosite asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other cancers.

Mr McCabe said, “In terms of the Ainslie shops, asbestos ceiling insulation is present in one premise and a management plan is in place as required by law. Inspections by WorkSafe have identified that the recommendations in this plan to appropriately manage any risks to health and safety are being followed."

He did not have legislative powers to order the asbestos be removed unless its management plan was being breached.

He had become aware of the amosite asbestos at Ainslie because, “WorkSafe ACT has previously identified issues regarding asbestos at the Ainslie Shops”. He was not aware of issues arising from asbestos in any other suburban shopping centres.

Mr McCabe could not reveal the exact location of the asbestos for privacy reasons but it is believed the insulation is in part, not all of the roof.

Mr McCabe noted WorkSafe inspectors had already inspected all suburban shopping centres in the inner north and found varying levels of compliance and follow-up inspections were scheduled.

Commercial property owners were required by law to have management plans, but the WorkSafe inspection regime over recent years had found 35 per cent of the 26 businesses operating out of the Ainslie shops had been non-compliant with their obligation to have a plan.

Management plans require a licenced asbestos assessor to determine whether asbestos is present and how it must be contained.

Mr McCabe reiterated a plan was in place for the business in question at Ainslie and public health risks were being managed appropriately.

But asbestos expert Dr Keith McHenry, who headed up the ACT’s five-year removal program from 1989, said the issue had massive ramifications for government.

“Commercial properties were never screened in the original program, presumably to limit the considerable costs involved,” Dr McHenry said.

“But if they knew about Ainslie and just left it there, what does it say about the $100 million residential program and $2 million just recently spent on the Downer home. Was that all a waste or was it justified spending?”

“Why are they leaving it in some buildings but not others?”

Dr McHenry said air monitoring needed to be undertaken in and around the Ainslie shops as a matter of urgency.

“This stuff is deadly, and you can’t compare it with the asbestos present in bonded sheeting. It is like comparing 2 per cent beer with 100 per cent ethanol alcohol.”

Dr McHenry has spent two decades calling for commercial properties in the ACT to be screened for “Mr Fluffy” insulation, which was commonly pumped into gabled roofs. He has also described as “criminally negligent” the inaction by the NSW Government to clean up the asbestos known to have been installed by Mr Fluffy in at least 50 Queanbeyan homes that were neither screened as part of the $100 million clean-up, nor decontaminated.

Workplace Safety Minister Simon Corbell said commercial premises had been excluded from the loose fill asbestos removal program.

"The asbestos management plans are the vehicle for managing asbestos in commercial premises. In addition there is no limitation on commercial premises removing the loose fill asbestos should they wish to do so," he said.

"The Ainslie shops’ most recent asbestos survey and management plan was completed in October 2012."

Mr Corbell said the territory had the most rigorous asbestos legislation in Australia and businesses where asbestos was found were required to have management plans.