A 3.7 tonne concrete slab that fell about 17 metres, crushing the toilet block of a nearby business and missing a worker by three metres, is expected to be lifted out from the site on Friday, more than two weeks after the incident that shut down the building site.
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The panel was being fixed to an external wall at the site of the Yamaroshi apartment complex at 32 Mort Street, Braddon, when it fell on the site of Braddon Smash Repairs, in an incident that could "very easily have been fatal", according to work safety commissioner Greg Jones.
A heavy lifting forklift will move the panel on to a truck on the smash repairer's site following successful removal of exposed asbestos material, a spokeswoman for WorkSafe ACT said.
Bonded asbestos in the toilet block where the panel fell made the removal operation complicated but a licensed asbestos removalist would remove safely accessible asbestos on Friday to allow for the panel to be moved, she said.
"WorkSafe ACT has sought engineering and other expert advice on the method to be used to remove the panel."
After the panel is removed, the toilet block will be demolished and the process monitored by a licensed asbestos assessor.
Braddon Smash Repairs continued to operate at 60 per cent capacity, having lost 7 carparks on the site, the business wrote in a post on Facebook.
WorkSafe is still investigating the incident and will inspect the panel after it's removed to assist with inquiries.
A prohbition notice remains in place on the site and will considered again early next week, the spokeswoman said.
