Asbestos has been found in balconies being taken down on the University of Otago campus, but the university says it is taking precautions to make sure staff are not affected.
The balconies are being removed from the university's humanities building, which is due to be replaced in 2019.
The building was reported to have concrete cancer - decaying concrete that could crumble and fall - in 2013.
The balconies posed a degradation risk urgent enough to justify taking them down before the 2019 construction, university property services director Barry MacKay said.
And now, a university spokeswoman said, the balcony's ‘‘coating system was found to contain asbestos''.
‘‘After consultation, the removal method has been changed to eliminate the risk to building occupiers and other campus users,'' she said.
The staff had been notified via ‘‘several meetings with humanities staff [that] included university health and safety compliance staff to ensure that they are fully informed and are comfortable with the actions we're taking''.
Asbestos was not believed to be present in the building's interior.
