Asbestos has been found in fire doors at Edith Cowan University's new 850-million-dollar campus in Perth's CBD. It's believed the doors were shipped from overseas. The discovery prompting concerns over the stringency of checks on imported building materials.
00:05The minister has been briefed that asbestos containing material was identified in fire doors at the ECU city campus.
00:11It's understood the asbestos is within a metal frame, meaning there is low risk of exposure.
00:17The builder, Multiplex, made the discovery in September and told ABC it immediately informed WorkSafe.
00:24In a statement, the company said work to remove and replace the affected doors will occur in a timeframe agreed with WorkSafe and ECU, adding it was committed to a safe resolution to this issue.
00:36We don't know whether or not there are any other compromised materials or compromised buildings, not only in Perth, but throughout Western Australia.
00:44The industrial relations minister, Simone McGurk, says she's satisfied Multiplex is managing the risks appropriately.
00:51But she's keen to see CWA work with federal authorities to ensure all imported products undergo stringent checks.
00:59Authorities found fire rated board imported from China since 2021 may contain asbestos.
01:06Experts say only a small proportion of goods are actually tested.
01:10The high risk products, certainly things like fire doors, you would be expecting them to have some sort of stringent testing prior to their importation.
01:20With importers relying on certification from the manufacturer.
01:24The testing protocols that are being used in many of the overseas countries are nowhere near as stringent as Australia.
01:31For example, in China, an item can be declared asbestos free containing up to 5% asbestos.
01:39The latest incident adding to a growing list of asbestos discoveries in the country's imports.
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