A FENZ firefighter works in breathing gear, amid smoke. Photo: Supplied/ FENZ
The firefighters' union says asbestos found in an air tank, which helps emergency services breath during fires, will be distressing for personnel in Auckland.
It said a bulk air supply tank had tested positive for a "very small level" of asbestos.
The tank has not been in use since asbestos was found in equipment used to fill breathing apparatus (BA) cylinders for individual firefighters at Auckland City fire station two years ago. Police sometimes also filled up using that gear.
However, the Professional Firefighters' Union said in an online post it was now concerned the bulk tank may have contaminated the cylinders, though some extra tests showed it might not have.
"There has been additional tests on the bulk air supply tank to see whether the asbestos would transfer from that tank to a breathing apparatus cylinder and those tests demonstrated that the identified asbestos remained in the bulk air supply tank," it said.
The problem was the cylinders had not been tested as they should have been, and it had only just learned this.
"This news will be very distressing for many firefighters who now have the uncertainty of the safety of their BAs potentially filled using this sample bulk air tank prior to 2023," it said.
"To not have any tests to either confirm or refute any potential risk will no doubt cause anger and frustration."
The union said FENZ should urgently test the cylinders, or withdraw them immediately.
"We understand the BA sets are nearly at end of life," the union said.
"FENZ should procure new BA cylinders and sets now in order to decommission all cylinders that had possibly been filled through the tanks prior to 2023 and therefore have a possible risk of contamination."
FENZ said it was identifying air tanks filled at Auckland City fire station - checking for tanks or cylinders that crews use with their breathing apparatus, that were filled at the station before May 2023.
It said on Tuesday evening it would work with the Professional Firefighters' Union on a practical method to test more of them.
FENZ said about 20 cylinders were tested and cleared in 2023, and it was happy with the quality of that testing.
Earlier this year it had more testing done including on the storage tank used up till 2023 that detected the two fibres on the inside wall of the big tank.
"Following exhaustive testing, both the compressor and storage tank air samples found no presence of asbestos in the air, which is a reassuring outcome," it said in a statement to RNZ.
Since mid-2023, Auckland City crews have had their air filled at other stations.
"We are committed to continuing working with the... union on the way forward following our consultant's report on the testing earlier this year.
"The health, safety and wellbeing of our people is our top priority and given the NZPFU's concerns, we have begun to identify cylinders filled at Auckland City fire station before May 2023 (the date we stopped using the compressor and storage tanks) and will immediately work with the union on a practical method to test more cylinders in circulation."
Worksafe said it had been contacted by the union with concerns about breathing apparatus sets filled prior to 2023 at Auckland City fire station.
"We have had ongoing involvement at the site over time and are making further enquiries to understand the latest concerns ," it said on Tuesday.
The Auckland City station had an asbestos scare that closed it briefly last month. In 2023 there were at least four discoveries of asbestos at the station.
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