An Auckland woman says people may have been exposed to asbestos after a demolition site that's tested positive went uncontained for days.
Photo: 123RF
A chimney on the Point Chevalier site crashed through the Paterson family's home on Wednesday night.
Kate Paterson, who has multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair, and her husband and children now have to stay at a hotel over Christmas while the damage is fixed.
Ms Paterson visited her home on Moa Road this morning and found WorkSafe testing it and the demolition site next door for asbestos.
"We had quite a few questions about why that didn't happen on Tuesday before the demolition," she said.
The family had flagged concerns about asbestos with Worksafe and Auckland Council on Tuesday but was ignored, Ms Paterson said.
"It is absolutely shocking to me," she said.
Testing should have happened on Wednesday before people spent a lot of time at the house clearing up the chimney damage, she said.
Ms Paterson said neighbours, children and contractors could have been exposed to the toxic building material from the site.
"Those could have been contaminated asbestos particles flying through the air, completely uncontained, with no safety checks and no registered asbestos removal people doing the job."
Tarpaulins were now covering the demolition site to contain the particles from the site but the "horse has already bolted," she said.
The Paterson's house tested negative for asbestos.
In a statement, WorkSafe said a prohibition notice has been placed on the demolition site.
A duty holder would be allowed access to the demolition site and a licensed removalist would begin work tomorrow, it said.
A WorkSafe Inspector would be visiting the site every day over the holiday period to make sure it was being appropriately managed.
