A giant bubble will be stretched over a house in Downer this week to prevent deadly asbestos fibres from escaping while the building is deconstructed.
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Preparations for the installation of of the plastic shield, which began last week, included fencing the site, disconnecting utilities and constructing a steel framework over the house.
The Bradfield Street property was one of more than a thousand residences in the ACT to be insulated with loose-fill asbestos in the late '70s by a company trading as Mr Fluffy.
While most were cleaned as part of the Loose Asbestos Removal Program in the late '80s and early '90s, the Downer residence was one of four properties later found to have missed the program.
The ACT government purchased the home from the owners following the discovery of the substance last year and will spend $2 million dismantling and decontaminating the site.
Amosite asbestos is considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of the substance because it is easily crumbled or reduced to powder and the microscopic fibres require very little disturbance to become airborne.
A special vacuum system and negative air pressure system will be used to prevent loose fibres from escaping the bubble.
While on first glance the site looks like it could just be an unusual building project, signs displayed on the fences give more detail as to the hazardous nature of the home. A dangerous substance prohibition notice describes the presence of friable asbestos throughout the property, a work notice reads "asbestos removal and demolition of dwelling" and a giant padlock and heavy chain hold the entrance gates together.
A government spokesman said completion of the scaffolding work had been delayed because of the inclement weather on Friday.
The work is expected to be completed on Monday and then the "containment system" - or bubble - will be placed over the house.
The spokesman said the methodology used in this removal was the same as in previous loose-fill asbestos cases.
"The only difference is that the asbestos has been located in an inaccessible place in the sub-floor space and also in a ducted heating return air cupboard," he said
"This makes it more difficult than normal as the floor needs to be removed and the walls also need removing."