An alarming photo of workers in hazmat suits inspecting mulch contaminated with asbestos at a park has caused some Aussies troubling flashbacks to scenes from the Covid pandemic.
The photo uploaded to reddit on Friday showed several workers wearing the protective gear while working in the park at Rozelle in Sydney’s inner west, after the dangerous substance was detected in dozens of sites across the city.
Five workers wearing hazmat suits were seen checking through the landscaping in the new Rozelle Interchange park to detect the substance.
One worker in full orange protective gear was seen holding a large yellow pipe while walking in the area, which is closed to the public during ongoing inspections.
‘Literally dystopic,’ one user captioned the image.
Locals have had flashbacks to scenes from the pandemic after workers were seen inspecting a park in Rozelle (pictured) in Sydney’s inner west due to contaminated mulch
‘Reminds me of the Covid cleaners in the early stages of the pandemic,’ another person who viewed the image commented.
‘My thoughts exactly hence why its so eerie to see again!! Very thankful for the work they’re doing though,’ another wrote.
‘I wouldn’t go so far as saying dystopic unless the people responsible get away with it with little more than a slap on the wrist,’ another person commented.
Asbestos has been detected in least 22 sites after the contaminated material was first found at the Rozelle site in January.
The contaminated mulch has also been found in seven schools across the city with all but one school – St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park – closing their doors for the safety of students and staff.
The latest discovery at a primary school in Liverpool has resulted in hundreds of students learning from home before being shifted to another public school nearby while the mulch is removed.
Contaminated mulch was also found in Victoria Park at Camperdown on Monday with plans to hold a Mardi Gras Fair Day event cancelled. The event was expected to draw 70,000 people to the park.
Workers in protective gear were seen inspecting the park (pictured) for the dangerous substance
Seven schools across the Sydney were closed after asbestos was found in mulch at the campuses (pictured, St Luke’s Catholic College)
NSW Premier Chris Minns said hundreds of sites could potentially be affected by asbestos-laden mulch.
The growing scale of the issue and demands on the EPA caused an asbestos task force to be assembled on Thursday taking in hazardous material experts and government agencies.
Contact-tracers working to find potential sites containing the contaminated mulch have also had numbers boosted in a bid to speed up the process and reduce exposure to the public.
The workforce now exceeds 130 people.
One difficulty facing authorities is the supplier linked to all 22 sites distributed their recycled mulch product to 30 companies, some of whom passed it further down the chain.
Victoria Park (pictured) at Camperdown is among dozens of parklands across Sydney contaminated with asbestos-laden mulch
Hundreds of students at Liverpool Public School (pictured) were forced to revert to learning from home after the school was closed when the dangerous substance was detected on school grounds
Greenlife Resource Recovery, the supplier linked to all 22 contaminated sites, denies the mulch was tainted.
The company on Tuesday said testing showed mulch stockpiled at their facility was free of asbestos.
The EPA issued a prevention notice to the company after the watchdog determined it supplied the mulch used at Rozelle.
Greenlife has been asked to recall their product voluntarily however the company is challenging the prevention order.
The state government has remained steadfast in stating it has been working to deploy resources to detect contaminated mulch in public areas.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe denied the government had been too slow to respond.
‘What we’ve realised is from the start of that process through to the bottom of the supply chain, that it’s bigger than we think,’ she said.
Victoria Park in Sydney, where bonded asbestos was found in mulch, is pictured on Wednesday, February 14, 2024