Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have declared safe the scene of a hazardous materials emergency this morning at Woollahra, in Sydney's inner east.
Around 9 am, workers, carrying out renovations at an apartment in Oxford Street, discovered a plastic bag, marked 'uranium' in a wall cavity.
zero reading for radiation
The workers were monitored by paramedics throughout the incident but displayed no signs
Concerned about possible radiation contamination, they called Triple Zero (000), sparking an immediate response from FRNSW, NSW Police and NSW Ambulance.
An exclusion zone was established, along with a decontamination area, as the four workers were tested for potential exposure. Those tests returned a 'zero reading' for radiation. The workers were monitored by paramedics throughout the incident but displayed no signs of illness.
Hazmat experts
FRNSW also liaised with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) as Hazmat experts, wearing breathing apparatus and spill suits, carried out additional scientific tests at the scene. Those tests have also found no traces of radiation and the scene was declared safe by FRNSW.
The occupant of the property has told authorities he sourced a rock from South Australia around 15-years ago and placed it in the wall cavity. The EPA has taken possession of the material for further analysis and disposal.
