WORKERS attempting to fix the troubled Gungahlin pool last year had complained to safety inspectors about the detrimental affects of repairs to their health.
WorkSafe ACT inspectors were called onto the site after suspicions of silica dust was found, allegedly affecting five men using angle grinders to remove materials that had been glued between tiles and concrete.
The industry watchdog ordered an assessment for respirable silica dust after visiting the Gungahlin Leisure Centre on July 24, nearly two months after the pool was closed over maintenance from tiles falling off its structure.
Silica dust is generated in workplace mechanical processes, such as grinding, and some of the dust particles are not visible and can be about 100 times smaller than grains of sands.
Respirable silica is harmful when inhaled into the lungs, requiring all states and territories in Australia to have drawn up work, health and safety laws that explains duty of care for employers and their workers’ responsibilities.
“We had received some concerns about large amounts of dust coming from some tiling work in the pool area and it was thought silica could be involved,” the inspector’s report confirmed.
Tiles were loose at the pool a year before the call for repairs were implemented, the report goes onto to say.
More than 400 tiles that fell off were a danger out of the 40,000 that engulf the pool.
But inspectors could not find evidence of exposure to silica dust being produced on the job.
The office of Liberal member for Yerrabi Leanne Castley had sought Freedom of Information documents on the pool located in her electorate to ascertain the details of workers calling in WorkSafe ACT inspectors over their health concerns.
Ms Castley remained suspicious of the outcome, adding it was unclear what the report – from the inspectors – had concluded as most of the FOI documents were withheld and information “redacted” for possibly obscuring or removing sensitive information.
“This is a serious concern, which has only come to light due to my FOI inquiry,” she said.
“Minister for Sport, Yvette Berry, must immediately explain what’s been going on – and guarantee that no worker has been or will be exposed to silica dust.
“This is particularly urgent because the government has just signed with construction company, Kynetic, to fix the pool, which will see big teams of workers on site.”
The Labor-Greens parliamentary agreement contains references to silica dust, stating the government will introduce stronger workplace regulations to protect tradespeople from it.
WorkSafe inspectors shut down a prisoner transport area at the ACT Supreme Court back in October 2019 after silica was discovered.
Community and Public Sector Union members had previously been raising safety concerns since moving inmates to and from the new ACT courts facility.
An ACT government spokesperson said Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Mick Gentleman, can ensure that all of the workplaces and industries across Canberra have silicosis management plans in place to protect workers.
“WorkSafe ACT inspectors did not find remediation work at Gungahlin Pool was generating silica dust, however, silica dust exposure is a concern across the construction industry,” the spokesperson said.
“The ACT government is taking this issue seriously, and we have committed to introducing regulations under the legislation to protect tradespeople from silica dust.
“The Work Health and Safety council has a dedicated silica sub-committee, which the minister has tasked investigating mandatory silica training similar to programs already in place for asbestos awareness training.”
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