Source: Workers First Union
Workers First Union is calling for Kmart to urgently and proactively engage professional waste services and advise all customers publicly that they should not bring returns of asbestos-laced children’s play sand into stores, which is risking staff health and wellbeing and causing major anxiety for Kmart retail workers.
Gary Cranston, Workers First Union’s National Coordinator for Kmart, said the union had been urging Kmart since Tuesday to establish a safe way for the products to be disposed of by professionals instead of putting workers at risk.
“Kmart workers should not be expected to deal with customer returns of contaminated products in the first place,” said Mr Cranston. “They must urgently engage professional services to deal with returns and removal of the products from stores, and get the word out proactively to customers before they reach the carpark.”
“This process should be managed at store entrances by people qualified to handle dangerous substances like this, not workers.”
“The company has not met its obligations to avoid harm to workers sufficiently at this point.”
“Workers should also not have to face the understandable fury of customers when they’re being advised that the store cannot handle their returns.”
One Kmart worker, who commented anonymously due to restrictions on public speech, said it was “chaos” in some stores.
“Customers are just leaving this stuff here on checkouts. We’ve asked managers multiple times to sort it out but it’s not happening quickly or safely,” they said.
“We’re still hearing reports of loose bags full of asbestos sand left on counters, piles of contaminated bags behind checkouts, and stock and break rooms being treated as dumping grounds for the stuff,” said Mr Cranston.
“Workers are stressed out and dealing with the Christmas rush already – this is adding to their anxieties.”
“Let’s get this right and not risk further harm to retail workers.”
