Waiora House closure likely to be months following elevated asbestos l
Further asbestos testing in the main building of Waiora House on Spa Road has revealed elevated levels in the air, forcing its closure until remedial work can be undertaken.
The main building was temporarily closed over the weekend to allow the removal of asbestos from two basement areas. While the removal was successful, air monitoring undertaken as standard practice following the work returned high levels of asbestos in the air. Further investigation indicates this was likely to have been from asbestos in the ceiling that deteriorated after a fire in about 2004. It was not assessed as being an immediate risk during the initial asbestos assessment, and is likely to have been spread by ceiling fans.
Chief executive Gareth Green said the results were much worse than first thought and at this early stage, the council's first priority was the people. "There are a number of tenants in that building that carry out very important work on behalf of our community and we will be doing everything we can to ensure they can continue to operate, albeit in an alternative venue, as soon as possible," he said.
"Tenants both past and present, and even visitors to that building, are going to be concerned about their health. We are working with both Toi Te Ora Public Health and Worksafe New Zealand on what health monitoring we can offer and we will be communicating that as soon as possible."
Initial indications were that the remedial works could take 12-14 weeks with refurbishment work to follow. Specialist contractors are due onsite tomorrow to begin the remedial works.
The council was working closely with the Waiora Trust Board and tenants on the next steps which would include accommodation requirements for the next few months.
The closure has not affected any of the school clinics run by Anamata Caf or the services delivered in Turangi. Any urgent health issues should be referred to a General Practitioner (GP). Anamata Caf will be operating out of the Taupo Health Centre from Monday September 3, updates can be found on their website. In the meantime, clients can access emergency contraception at Main Street Pharmacy.
Other agencies can be contacted by phone: Taupō Citizens Advice Bureau 0800 367 222; DHB Lactation Consultants 0800 525 372; Pregnancy Help, see their Facebook page; Taupo Community Food Bank 07 377 1507; Taupo Women's Refuge Crisis Line 07 377 1055; Waiora House Manager 07 378 0953; Youth Service 0800 884 7782; Tipu Ora 0800 348 2400.
For more information on the situation on asbestos please contact Taupo District Council Environmental Health Officers Shane Hancock or Bryan Brett on 0800 275 832 or Toi Te Ora Public Health Service, phone 0800 221 555.
August 30 2018
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lisa NairneHead of Communications and Customer Relations 07 376 0762 027 839 8410
Frequently Asked Questions about Waiora House asbestos
What is the current situation at Waiora House?
The main building of Waiora House, and Kauri Cottage, is closed after the discovery of asbestos. Staff have been evacuated and the building has been sealed and cordoned off. Security is in place and entry is prohibited until further notice.
How was the asbestos found?
Taupō District Council has embarked on a process of assessing all of its buildings for asbestos and structural integrity. As of April 2018 this was required by legislation. The first building to be assessed was Waiora House.
A preliminary assessment identified asbestos in the basement of the main building and the basement of Kauri Cottage that required urgent removal. Their assessment did identify asbestos in the roof cavity, but they indicated as this was in an area not commonly accessed it was likely to be stable and did not require urgent removal.
Ward Demolition carried out the successful removal of the asbestos from the basement over the weekend of 25-26 August 2018. The primary source of asbestos was hot pipe lagging in the radiator system and damaged asbestos composite boards and insulation.
Air monitoring of the main building was carried on Sunday following the removal. After the standard 24 hour air monitoring cycle, the results were sent for analysis. On Tuesday, the results identified unacceptable levels of fibre in the office areas of the building. Worksafe New Zealand was notified.
These office areas were immediately evacuated, the building closed and security put in place. On Wednesday, Council engaged a leading specialist from Wellington and an independent specialist to carry out further testing. At 12:30pm on Wednesday they reported contamination in the ceiling cavity. They noted that fans in the ceiling were disturbing the material. Further testing has been conducted and we are awaiting those results.
It was noted that in 2004 there was a fire in the building that may have made the asbestos more mobile. It is however not known if the material has been airborne since the fire, or became airborne due to a process or disturbance at some point. The successful removal of the asbestos in the basement is highly unlikely to have had any impact on the roof cavity.
Who has been affected by the closure of the building?
Several organisations have premises in the affected building. These include the Taupo Citizen's Advice Bureau, DHB Lactation Consultants, Pregnancy Help, the Taupo Community Food Bank, Taupo Women's Refuge Crisis Line, Youth Services, Tipu Ora, and Anamata Caf. We are currently working with these organisations to find alternative premises to ensure they are still able to operate.
How does it affect the staff?
We are working with Worksafe New Zealand and the Medical Officer of Health to gather more information. We have met with the board of Waiora House and its tenants to brief them on the situation.
What happens now?
The building will be sealed internally and a negative pressure atmosphere created to ensure no material can escape the building during the clean-up process. It is estimated the clean-up will take approximately 14 weeks and 12-15 tonnes of material will have to be removed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN CONTACT:
Taupo District Council Environmental Health Officers Shane Hancock or Bryan Brett on 0800 275 832 or Toi Te Ora Public Health Service, phone 0800 221 555.