Just before Christmas 2013, North and South of Adelaide, McMahon Services was removing over 11,000 square metres of asbestos materials from two separate premises.
Orrcon, one of Australia’s largest steel distributors and manufacturers, engaged McMahon Services to strip out 9,000 square metres of asbestos roofing, box guttering and flashings and 400 square metres of asbestos vent ridges. Over in Kilburn, Bradken, Australia’s largest combined foundry and heavy engineering group had a 17,000 square metre asbestos roof that required removal and replacement. Both jobs required new roofing to be installed after the asbestos removal process, and both jobs had to be completed during the four week Christmas shutdown.
Rising to the challenge, McMahon Services mobilised an in-house team of asbestos removal technicians, roofers and crane riggers to work on Orrcon’s O’Sullivan Beach workshop.
At its peak there were over 60 personnel on site. The team worked 12 hour days, seven days a week over the month of December totalling approximately 12,600 hours, only taking breaks for Christmas and Boxing Day.
It was a similar story at Kilburn where the team of 30 full-time personnel worked seven days a week over an intense four week period to remove the asbestos sheeting, roof purlins, wall girts, glazed window panels and nine roof trusses in preparation for structural upgrades to the roof framing for future ventilation works at Bradken’s northern suburbs facility.
Extreme dilapidation of the existing roof meant that all asbestos removal works had to be completed from a manbox. The project took three cranes, ranging from 60 – 250 tonnes, working simultaneously to get the job done along with eleven Elevated Working Platforms.
Our highly experienced roofers then reinstated the roof and wall sheeting, along with gutters. A new ridge ventilator was also installed, as well as high bay lighting and the retrofitting of a new natural gas line.
Meanwhile the Orrcon crew had to cover the internals of the workshop in plastic before asbestos removal works began. Extensive decontamination works were also conducted to ensure there were no traces of asbestos at handover. Specialist HEPA vacuums were used to clean all internal surfaces, purlins, trusses, girts, wall cladding, overhead cranes and structures.
All manufacturing plant and equipment, housed within the workshop, was also decontaminated. An Industrial Vacuum Recovery Unit was used to high pressure wash the machinery, and this allowed for the safe disposal of the waste water from this process.
The old asbestos roofing was replaced with concealed fixed-steel roofing, along with foil blanket insulation supported by safety mesh. Skylight sheeting to suit the roofing profile was also installed and finishes such as, new downpipes, gutters, safe access walk ways, static lines and ladder access.
An extensive fleet of equipment was mobilised to site for the duration of the project including four cranes ranging from 25-250 tonnes and 23 Elevated Working Platforms.
Given the large scope of the project and asbestos removal works required, several meetings were held with neighbouring businesses to address concerns and to detail the removal process and safe work methods. Around 80 residents near the site were also notified by hand-delivered mail explaining the project details.
Working close to the coast line, the team was faced with days of high winds as well as a mini heatwave.
