Extremely high concentrations of airborne mould regarded as a potential have been found in the M4 East tunnels under construction in Sydney’s inner west. The results were regarded as a “health risk to all persons”.
The findings prompted about 500 construction workers to walk off the job on Friday, saying they had failed to receive adequate assurances from the head contractor that their health would be safe. A confidential report, completed on Monday by a Mycolab laboratory, found the average of four samples taken from inside the tunnels had a rating of “extremely high” airborne fungal concentrations.
“This [airborne concentration] was significantly higher than the outdoor airborne fungal concentrations,” the report said.
WestConnex said on Friday that the higher levels of airborne fungal spores detected in “limited unventilated areas” would not impact on the timeline for construction of the M4 East or on motorists using the tunnels when they open.
