Laing O’Rourke was awarded the New South Wales Public Works ‘NSW Bushfire Clean-Up Programme’, requiring the remediation of thousands of residential properties that had been affected by the 2019/2020 devasting ‘Black Summer’ fires.
Many of the homes destroyed had been constructed from or contained some form of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). The ACMs added additional hazards to the clean-up work for Laing O’Rourke, their sub-contractors and the community to manage. Controlling and mitigating these risks and hazards was a complex exercise, as each site was unique in terms of the type and extent of ACMs, hazardous materials and environmental risks.
As Laing O’Rourke was operating a high-profile programme of work very much under the scrutiny of NSW, Commonwealth governments and the public, it had to ensure all aspects of the programme were undertaken safely and to the high standards expected by all stakeholders. Laing O’Rourke engaged EDP to guide and assist it as it navigated the asbestos, hazardous materials and environmental project challenges. EDP provided asbestos, hazardous materials and environmental consulting services throughout the term of the project, including
- asbestos management plan development for the project
- on-site consultant services relating to asbestos, hazardous materials and waste
- site inspections – scoping of sites to determine contamination and remediation extent
- waste classifications for off-site disposal, including NSW Environment Protection Authority pre-classification approvals
- environmental advice (asbestos in soil and other contaminants from the fires)
- review and update of the emergency waste management plan for the project
- ad hoc phone advice and recommendations
- round-the-clock support to Laing O’Rourke field staff
- asbestos awareness training (virtual) to Laing O’Rourke staff and contractors
- development and review of safe work procedures for on-site contractors.