4 March 2013

Safety concerns at the old country comfort site

| johnboy
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country comfort

A reader who wishes to remain anonymous has sent this in:

The following concerns are raised regarding demolition activity at 102 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon:

1. Unsafe building practices

No fall protection has been installed on demolished apartments. See below photo of construction worker washing out apartment without fall protection. Ground is slippery from washing out building materials and there is nothing to stop him falling three storeys onto concrete ground.

There seem to be no spotters on the excavators – Also no exclusion zones have been provided for high risk activities.

2. Concrete Dust

Demolition activities are generating high amounts of cancer causing concrete dust. This is passing into neighbouring properties (including Clifton swimming pool area) and other neighbouring carpark area.

3. Asbestos

There has been no notification of asbestos removal from the site to neighbours. Concern that asbestos is still within the building – should neighbours be notified and given the opportunity to leave the area during removal of asbestos?

4. Security

Evidence of graffiti on walls within upper floor apartments. We are concerned that adequate security measures are not in place to keep the general public out of this highly dangerous worksite.

fall protection excavators

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EvanJames said :

My thought was “asbestos”. There’s some broken wall lining there, he’s wearing a hankie around his face, and hosing down what I presume is dust.

So, good chance it’s asbestos.

Or possibly just brick, mortar and concrete dust.

If it turns out to be asbestos being hosed down in an open environment like that, there is going to be the mother of all class action suits against the construction company. How many people use Northbourne Avenue on a daily basis? Most of Canberra?

p1 said :

If demolition has reached the point of the main front wall being missing, what the hell is a guy even doing in the building, let alone hosing it down?

My thought was “asbestos”. There’s some broken wall lining there, he’s wearing a hankie around his face, and hosing down what I presume is dust.

So, good chance it’s asbestos.

rigseismic679:20 am 12 Mar 13

I work alongside this building and the real danger are the B doubles thundering through Mort and Lonsdale Streets. Two incidences of late- the fat controller next to Officeworks abusing a little old lady in her car, leaving her for a minute then returning to abuse her again through her open window. Nice one hero.
The other a B double stopped at the roundabout on Lonsdale St, the driver got out (blocked all traffgic) and abused a man and what looked like his little son and grandfather. The abusive tyrade seemed to be based on the driver not liking how close the pedestrians were to the roundabout when he went through it. Yet another hero, who would want to live in Braddon! its going to be a building site for years to come.

Sandman said :

A couple of tripwires attached to explosives should get rid of the building and the graffiti scum in one go.

There really doesn’t seem to be a downside to this idea.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd5:05 pm 04 Mar 13

Seems like anon does not seem very bright or has absolutely no idea what they are talking about or are not very good at explaining things or more than likely some NIMBY living near by.

The asbestos post makes zero sense worded as it is.

The security post is laughable when they then post a pic of regulation fence.

Can you elaborate, anon?

A couple of tripwires attached to explosives should get rid of the building and the graffiti scum in one go.

Hasn’t been Country Comfort in a very long time. Chifley for a long time, and most recently Marque.
I have a suspicion though that the reference to such an old name for the place and the wish of the reader to remain anon is a clue to an ulterior motive behind their apparent grievances.

schmeah said :

Mysteryman said :

I have to say, if the “general public” aren’t smart enough to stay out of what is clearly a fenced-off construction site, then they probably deserve to learn that lesson the hard way.

I’m also a little unclear on point number three. Are you saying that there is asbestos in the building, and you weren’t notified? Or are you saying that you never received notification and you don’t know if there is asbestos or not?

That’s not really the point. It is argued the site is dangerous for workers, neighbours and the local paint-can wielding scum .. it doesn’t take a genius to know that an open work site like that is a concern for everyone involved. Local louts may not just be spraying paint, they may be destroying the place in other ways which makes it dangerous for workers. It’s clearly an issue.

Actually it was the point. Point 4, in fact. It was quite clear.

Also, from the photos it doesn’t appear that this site is “open”. It looks pretty obviously fenced off by some quite high fences. Does the OP have some photo evidence of the site not being secure? Certainly looks like it would take quite a bit of work to get into – at least as much as any other construction site. Just because some tossers managed to get in, doesn’t constitute a security issue. I’m not sure there will never be “adequate security measures” to keep determined members of the public out of sites like this.

p1 said :

If demolition has reached the point of the main front wall being missing, what the hell is a guy even doing in the building, let alone hosing it down?

Just waiting for a mate?

If demolition has reached the point of the main front wall being missing, what the hell is a guy even doing in the building, let alone hosing it down?

tim_c said :

Maybe you should raise your concerns with WorkCover/WorkSafe (or whatever the ACT equivalent call themselves this week).

This is exactly what is needed although given the extremely high visibility of the site, I expect they already know

Maybe the rules for demolition are different to construction,pretty hard to knock out a wall with fall protection around it.

Mysteryman said :

I have to say, if the “general public” aren’t smart enough to stay out of what is clearly a fenced-off construction site, then they probably deserve to learn that lesson the hard way.

I’m also a little unclear on point number three. Are you saying that there is asbestos in the building, and you weren’t notified? Or are you saying that you never received notification and you don’t know if there is asbestos or not?

That’s not really the point. It is argued the site is dangerous for workers, neighbours and the local paint-can wielding scum .. it doesn’t take a genius to know that an open work site like that is a concern for everyone involved. Local louts may not just be spraying paint, they may be destroying the place in other ways which makes it dangerous for workers. It’s clearly an issue.

I have to say, if the “general public” aren’t smart enough to stay out of what is clearly a fenced-off construction site, then they probably deserve to learn that lesson the hard way.

I’m also a little unclear on point number three. Are you saying that there is asbestos in the building, and you weren’t notified? Or are you saying that you never received notification and you don’t know if there is asbestos or not?

Maybe you should raise your concerns with WorkCover/WorkSafe (or whatever the ACT equivalent call themselves this week).

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