A working group established by ACT Health has identified potentially dangerous cladding on a Canberra hospital.

The Centenary Hospital for Women and Children — a three storey building at Canberra Hospital — has been identified as using the composite panels in a limited way as a façade cladding. ACT Health said only some of the panels on the Centenary Hospital building will need to be replaced.

Similar building products have been used in Australia since approximately 2006. ACT Health emphasised that the Centenary Hospital was constructed in accordance with the building regulations and standards at the time as is the case with all ACT Health buildings.

Other buildings constructed post-2008 have been checked as part of a desktop review, and no other buildings were found to have used these panels. An independent assessment to determine the level of risk presented by polyethylene aluminium composite panels cladding products has also been undertaken.

The inter-agency building cladding working group was established to support the checking of buildings, including both Government and non-Government owned assets across the city in the wake of the deadly Grenfell Building fire in London.

This group comprises professionals from building policy units, including inspectors and members from the Emergency Services Agency. 

Preliminary planning for remediation works to affected parts of the Centenary Hospital is currently underway with the targeted completion date for works to be confirmed.

ACT Health said it is “working closely with our staff to boost fire preparedness at the hospital while the remediation work is underway. Canberra Hospital has well established emergency management protocols and procedures in place and we are confident patient and staff safety have been thoroughly managed.”

The ACT Emergency Services Agency visited the Centenary Hospital in August to review current safety and emergency protocols and have advised ACT Health that they are fully satisfied with all precautionary measures currently in place.

Information will be updated on the ACT Health website, www.health.act.gov.au, as it comes to hand.