Asbestos Closes Hardie Plant

December 13, 2006 - Asbestos found in a James Hardie Corporation plant in a town west of Sydney, Australia, has caused the plant to be shut down, reports The Courier Mail. 

A member of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) inspected the Rosehill plant of the building products manufacturer last month.  Mr. David Henry found that “parts of the manufacturing facility's structures, which were made with the asbestos substance, had rotted away and were lying on the ground in work areas.”

"(The workers) had concerns about the asbestos and weren't satisfied with what action or lack of action has been taken by the company," Mr. Henry said. "The asbestos seems to have been sitting there for a considerable period of time.  How long that is could be anyone's guess."

However, earlier news reports stated that the AMWU first alerted plant managers at the Rosehill factory to asbestos exposure after a union safety inspection on November 3. The report stated that James Hardie allowed the plant to continue operating for almost another four weeks before the shut-down.

James Hardie spokesman Cameron Hamilton denied that there were any complaints by employees to which management had not responded. "We have sought the professional advice about what areas we may need to take action on," Mr. Hamilton said.  "Subject to that advice we'll then move forward with the unions."

Though the plant stopped using asbestos to bind its building products in the 1980s, portions of the building itself still contain asbestos. 

James Hardie is already in the limelight for historically providing poor compensation for former employees who were/are victims of asbestos-related diseases.  After years of non-action, the company finally put the finishing touches on a $4 billion compensation fund meant to assist those with asbestos poisoning and their families.