Project Update

Dust levels are routinely monitored at our worksites, including at Woolloongabba, in the interest of workers’ health and safety and to ensure there are no adverse impacts to local residents or businesses.

This monitoring is subject to stringent conditions to ensure air quality complies with state and national requirements. It forms part of an Air Quality Management Plan, which is a project requirement and is in place at the Woolloongabba worksite.

Monitoring points are both within and around the construction site and located to the north, south, east and west for full coverage. This monitoring has consistently shown that the Cross River Rail project is compliant with all of its air quality requirements.

Recent issues

Issues relating to dust levels at Woolloongabba have been raised at site on 18 June, 27 July, and 11 October 2021.

In relation to 18 June, Workplace Health & Safety Queensland (WHSQ) attended site on 21 and 22 June and confirmed:

On 27 July, workers left a work area due to dust from the TBM spoil conveyors and an onsite review was carried out to ensure all existing mitigation measures were in place and working effectively.

This was supported the same day with additional monitoring conducted by an independent Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH), who confirmed no further controls were required for work to safely continue.

Additional mitigation measures were installed overnight regardless as added precaution, including:

• increased chemical dosage on conveyor spray to coagulate the dust
• installation of additional duckbill water spray on the conveyor
• shrouding over the start of the decline conveyor
• installation of water mist sprays at conveyor transfer.

WHSQ attended the site on 28 July to review these mitigation measures. No issues were raised and work resumed as normal on all parts of the Woolloongabba site.

On 11 October, a sub-contractor team left an allocated work area due to concerns about dust from the TBM spoil conveyors.

TBM conveyor water suppression nozzles were in operation. However, a duckbill water hose at the conveyor transfer station was not because a lower quantity of excavated material that day meant the spoil was becoming too wet.

Our major contractor’s three static dust monitoring locations within the stations work area indicated no exceedances that morning.

The duckbill water hose was put back in operation and workers returned to site on 12 October.

Our contractor’s station manager confirmed that the dust issue was resolved and closed out at a safety committee meeting same day.

In summary

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority can reassure workers and nearby residents that stringent safety measures and controls are in place and there is no risk to health.

Independent sampling conducted at the Woolloongabba worksite has shown air quality on site meets stringent WHSQ requirements.

The safety of our workforce and the public is our top priority and control measures are continually reviewed and adjusted to ensure highest possible standards and continued best practice.

The Delivery Authority expects its contractors to continue to uphold the highest level of standards when it comes to meeting industry requirements, including dust mitigation measures such as using sprinklers to dampen spoil.

If you have any further questions, please contact the Delivery Authority on 1800 010 875.