Asbestos handling at Henderson Waste Recovery Park

The City of Cockburn's response to WAMN News about asbestos handling at Henderson Waste Recovery Park


Question: What is your response on the concerns surrounding the poor working conditions for those at the Cockburn City Council Tip? 
 
Answer: The City has policies and procedures to ensure a safe working environment for staff at the Henderson Waste Recovery Park (HWRP).
 
 
Question: Do you believe the workers are adequately equipped with proper safety equipment?
 
Answer: Yes, the City ensures all staff are adequately equipped with Personal Protective Equipment.
 

Question: There was a dumping of asbestos in the tip yesterday and workers were reportedly handling the asbestos without proper safety equipment. What is your comment on this
 
Answer: The asbestos handling procedure at HWRP has been developed to minimise the risk to City employees having direct contact with asbestos.
 
Asbestos will only be accepted if wrapped in an appropriate builders film. The customer is to place the wrapped asbestos into a dedicated bin.
 
City staff collect the bin when full for burial at the landfill site.
 
 
Question: We understand union negotiations are in progress, are you able to provide a response on how you will deal with better working conditions for Cockburn City Council tip employees?
 
Answer: Yes, the City is negotiating a new Enterprise Agreement (EA) for all employees. The new EA includes better conditions than the previous agreement.