Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Mount Maunganui. Photo: Screenshot / Google Maps
Inspectors have approved of how a Mount Maunganui fertiliser plant has dealt with asbestos.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients stopped working with dunite rock from a South Island quarry early this year when it found asbestos fibres in it.
Workers notified authorities in February and Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) did an inspection in March.
MNZ said the company had by then already gotten an Australian expert in to draft a management plan, and safety measures had been put in place.
It was processing the rock separately, had told staff how to work with it, provided personal protective equipment and put in extra dust suppression.
"No issues were identified while Maritime NZ was onsite and as a result no further actions were required," the agency said.
Ballance said its routine monitoring found asbestos at levels only marginally over the allowed threshold in a little of the rock - dunite has fibres in it from time to time.
"Which is why we are vigilant about making sure it remains at safe and allowable levels," the company told RNZ.
It immediately stopped working with it and secured it so nobody could be exposed.
"Ballance contacted the regulator about the matter and kept them informed of the situation," it said.
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