\u201cWe have confirmed that 12 of these doors supplied by Pacific Door Systems have been installed in the Ng\u0101 Huia building … The asbestos material is contained within the core of the doors and only poses a risk when disturbed. <\/p>\n
\u201cFive of the 12 doors had been drilled in preparation for the hardware to be installed, therefore the release of ACM [asbestos-containing material] occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
The university took \u201cprompt action\u201d to isolate and secure the work site after being notified of the potential presence of ACM in the doors, Turner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll health and safety requirements have been strictly enforced and remain in place until further notice. WorkSafe have been notified, and we have been in touch with Massey staff who have entered the building since the five doors were drilled to offer support and guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The site is a controlled and contained worksite, requiring strict adherence to access and exit protocols by contractors and any Massey staff. It is also contained within a security fence to prevent uncontrolled entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cExternal contractors have carried out air quality testing, and a full containment remedial strategy is in place. We are continuing to work with independent asbestos management specialists to determine the extent of any risk, required controls and next steps,\u201d Turner said.<\/p>\n
It is unknown how many of the doors are impacted by the asbestos contamination.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know this news may be of concern to some of you. I want to assure you that the health, safety, and wellbeing of our people is our top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Massey spokeswoman confirmed the doors they tested came back positive for asbestos.<\/p>\n
PDS has issued a recall for 13 categories of fire door sold between March 2021 and August this year. It noted the exact timeframe of the contamination issue has not been determined yet.<\/p>\n
PDS put a safety notice on its website on August 22 advising customers the FRB core in some of its doors, imported by an overseas third party, was contaminated with asbestos.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important to stress that FRB core and the potentially impacted PDS fire door categories do not contain asbestos \u2018by design\u2019,\u201d the notice said.<\/p>\n
This was a \u201ccontamination event\u201d, PDS said, and it is still seeking an explanation from the third-party manufacturer.<\/p>\n
PDS has defended the decision not to notify workers earlier, despite knowing about the issue as early as June 30, when it contacted WorkSafe.<\/p>\n
Business unit manager Sean Crowley said it initially believed the affected group of doors was much smaller and so had contacted the customers it thought would be affected. After confirming the problem was more widespread, it issued the safety notice and then a recall.<\/p>\n