Worksafe ACT has issued a prohibition notice for a Fisher newsagent due to possible asbestos contamination.
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The safety watchdog said the risk to the public was low and those who had visited the newsagent previously were not at risk.
Worksafe commissioner Greg Jones said the asbestos was discovered by a worker under the building's lino flooring during renovation works.
"As a precaution he rang worksafe and we attended and as a precaution we stopped all work with a prohibition notice," Mr Jones said.
"A worker noticed some of the material under the lino which appeared to look like asbestos material which was obviously previously bonded but had become friable."
"Bonded means it's effectively glued together like a concrete sheet and that's perfectly safe."
"As it's disturbed and especially if it's quite old, which this appears to have been, it can begin to disintegrate or break up and that causes a risk of some fibres becoming loose."
If the fibres become loose, or friable, there is a low potential they could be inhaled by someone.
The materials are being tested with the results expected on Monday, if it proves to be asbestos, a specialist will be required to remove the remaining flooring.
"We've got no reason to think that flooring materials been used anywhere else in the shopping centre," Mr Jones said.