The issue-stricken Australian Defence Force humanitarian mission to Tonga has gone from bad to worse as personnel fear they may have been exposed to asbestos during the clean-up process.
Defence has confirmed that some members of Operation Tonga Assist uncovered asbestos-containing material as part of the cleanup process following the tsunami in January.
A source who spoke with the ABC and was connected to the operation explained that members on the ground were worried about potential friable asbestos exposure.
“A problem with the cleanup in the last days has been the disturbance of asbestos from damaged and bulldozed structures,” the source told the ABC anonymously.
“No risk assessment [was] done on friable asbestos material, and [it] wasn’t identified as a risk until the pile of rubbish was set fire to.”
Defence has released a statement saying that safety precautions were taken once ACM was discovered.
“The safety of Defence personnel is our highest priority and work on Atata Island ceased in the asbestos-affected areas after the discovery of the material,” a Defence spokesperson said.
“The Australian Defence Force remains committed to supporting the Government of Tonga in their recovery efforts and are working with the government to identify other areas where asbestos may be present, whilst ensuring the safety of our personnel.”