Geelong
Friday, 6 March, 2015
WIN PASSES
Connecting people and communities
Phone: 5249 6700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Sacked ‘for raising alarm on asbestos’ Safety fears at $300m project By PAUL MILLAR
GIVEAWAY FUN WITH NEW SUPA TRAMP P2
GIGGLES, DRAMA IN STORE ON WEEKEND P17-19
SACKED: Rodica Posogeanu claims she was unfairly dismissed for raising concerns about asbestos on a residential development Picture: REG RYAN site at Fyansford. 135541
A GEELONG woman claims she was unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about asbestos removal and contamination at a housing development site in Fyansford. Rodica Posogeanu has complained to the Fair Work Commission that South Geelong’s St Quentin Consulting employed her as an on-site superintendent at Gen Fyansford in November before sacking her in January. Ms Posogeanu’s complaint said she became concerned within days of starting work when asbestos was detected in an area under excavation for the $300 million development. Geelong Trades Hall secretary Tim Gooden has lodged a statement in support of Ms Posogeanu, saying he found the site unsupervised and open to the public when he visited on 20 November. He questioned contractors about the location of asbestos buried on the former cement works site but they “did not know” and referred him to Ms Posogeanu. Her complaint said St Quentin’s engineering manager was upset that she had spoken to Mr Gooden even though she denied contacting the trades hall boss about her concerns. Ms Posogeanu said she continued expressing concern about work on the site, including dust levels and lack of signage warning the public. But contractors complained her continued interventions to ensure site safety were slowing progress on the project, she said. Ms Posogeanu’s complaint said she had seen a grader operating in an area suspected of containing asbestos. The operator was working without protective gear and had the grader’s door open. “Dust was being created, uncontrolled, with no water cart to damp it down. Clearly correct safety procedures were not being followed,’’ she said in her complaint. Ms Posogeanu alleged the engineering manager discriminated against her and that the main reason she was sacked was for raising “safety concerns around the remediation work at the Gen Fyansford project, in particular the identification and removal of asbestos and other contaminates”. Ms Posogeanu disputed the company’s claim she had verbally resigned. “All I said to them was that if I was wrong I would resign. You cannot imagine how I feel, as I was just doing my job,” she told the Independent. Continued page 5.
200W Bluetooth™ iPod®/iPhone® Digital Media Receiver SKU ME19335
139
$
GEELONG REMOVALS
~
$70 CE SAVE ING HOT PRI
SCORCH
BACK TO SCHOOL
GARAGE
Moving made easy Locally owned & operated Advice is FREE
SALE
MP 3 WMA
IN
front aux
1X RCA
Valvoline X XLD Classic 20W50 5LT
X-Pack Battery • 270CCA, 7 plate • 12 month warranty • Suits older 4 & 6 cylinder cars without A/C or EFI SKU BA00352, BA00353
• Formulated for older technology engines built before 1993
5277 9001 email: info@geelongremovals.com.au
www.geelongremovals.com.au
1176247-LN10-15
~:H]PUNZ HYL VɈ YLN\SHY [PJRL[LK WYPJL
SKU OA01735
SALE ENDS SUNDAY 8TH MARCH
for all your automotive requirements
STRICTLY 2 PER CUSTOMER
49
$
GEELONG 82 SEPERATION ST
EACH
SIZZLING HOT PRICE!
PH: 5278 1200
1173869-CB8-15
1199
$
NO RAINCHECKS
~
$16 SAVE HOT PRICE
HOT,
1168036-LB51-14
LOCAL - COUNTRY - INTERSTATE