National Headquarters
Level 12
80 The Terrace
PO Box 2133
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone +64 4 496 3600
19 November 2021
Mark Montgomery
By email: [FYI request #17299 email]
Dear Mark
Information Request – Potential exposure to asbestos
I refer to your official information request dated 21 October 2021, in which you ask a series of
questions about potential exposure to asbestos. In accordance with the provisions of the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA), I set out your questions and our responses below.
1. How many fire related events were attended and / or investigated by Fire and Emergency New
Zealand or its predecessor organisations that involved fire damage to structures in the 5 years
to 30 June 2020.
Please find enclosed the data in response to this question.
2. In the same period how many events had asbestos recorded as a risk and / or hazard?
3. In the same period how many reports were made into the organisation’s health and safety
database/s where potential exposure to asbestos was identified arising out of those events?
We understand you are requesting the number of incidents that we attended where we have
identified asbestos, and how many events were entered into Fire and Emergency’s health and
safety reporting system.
Fire and Emergency records any work-related injury, illness, hazardous substance exposure or near
miss events involving asbestos in its health and safety reporting system. Fire and Emergency does
not centrally record the number of events where asbestos was recorded as a risk and/or hazard,
including in its incident reporting database
.
The Fire and Emergency health and safety reporting system holds records for 270 events reported
over the past five years where potential exposure to asbestos is noted.
4. How many sets of Level 2 gear was sent to Total Care and identified when sent as potentially
asbestos contaminated during this period?
Fire and Emergency does not maintain records of the specific contaminant on the garments.
Consequently, it is necessary to decline this part of your request under section 18(g) of the OIA, as
the data is not held by Fire and Emergency.
5. In the 20 years to 30 June 2020 how many claims made by past and / or present workers of Fire
and Emergency New Zealand or its predecessor organisations to the Accident Compensation
Corporation have been acknowledged and / or accepted for work-related asbestos diseases.
a.
Please break down by year and region.
b.
Please indicate whether they were for paid or volunteer firefighters, including fire
investigators, managers, etc.
Under its Accredited Employer Agreement with Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), Fire
and Emergency is responsible for managing the work injury claims of paid staff (employees) for a
period of 48 months. Claims are then transferred to ACC for ongoing management.
Over the past 20 years there have been three claims within scope of your request, of which one
was accepted. They were made in 2007, 2014 and 2018. Two were from Te Ūpoko and one from
Te Kei. Note, this information is only available for the former New Zealand Fire Service and Fire
and Emergency and only to paid staff (employees).
Gradual process injuries such as asbestos exposure sustained by Volunteer Firefighters are not
covered by ACC. Fire and Emergency has no data on volunteer injury claims.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is availab
le at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Raewyn Bleakley
Deputy Chief Executive, Office of the Chief Executive