As part of the ongoing refurbishment of Wainuiomata High School, led by main contractor Naylor Love, our team was called in to assist with a unique challenge—safely supporting asbestos removal from a disused 18-metre chimney in the school's old boiler room.

Once used to heat the school with coal, the boiler room contained asbestos due to the material's fire-retardant properties. With the building scheduled for demolition, the asbestos needed to be removed first—safely and without disrupting students.

To make this possible, we worked closely with asbestos specialists Grun, erecting a fully shrink-wrapped scaffold around the chimney. The work had to be completed during the school holidays to ensure safety and minimize disruption.

The Challenges:

• Limited Access: The chimney was surrounded by lower roof structures, complicating scaffold positioning.

• Wind Loading: Shrink-wrapped scaffolds act like sails, requiring precise engineering and counterweights.

• Roof Load: With the scaffold built on a roof, weight distribution was a key concern.

• Tight Deadline: We had just a few days to complete the scaffold before Grun began asbestos removal.

Our Approach: With a crew of just 3–4, we erected the scaffold in three days, followed by shrink-wrap installation the next day. The asbestos was removed safely and efficiently, and two weeks later, we returned to dismantle the scaffold.

The Result: A high-risk task completed safely, on time, and to a high standard—exceeding client expectations. This project showcased our ability to deliver innovative scaffolding solutions under pressure, while meeting strict safety and scheduling requirements.

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