Law Courts Lift HAZMAT Remediation
Project Overview
Brown & Moodie was engaged by BGIS to complete the remediation of hazardous materials within the Law Courts’ lift shafts as part of a broader building upgrade program without operation disruption.
The scope included the removal of asbestos-containing material (ACM), encapsulation of shaft walls and structural steel, installation of scaffolding and supporting builders’ works, and continuous air monitoring by an independent environmental hygienist.
All activities were undertaken after hours to ensure no disruption to day-to-day building operations.
Client/ Builder: BGIS
Sector: Commercial
Location: Sydney, NSW
Project Duration: 14 months (March 2025 – April 2026)
Scope: Remediation of hazardous materials within five lift shafts, including removal of ACM, encapsulation of shaft walls and structural steel, and air monitoring - all undertaken outside standard hours to avoid operational disruption.
The Objective
The project objective was to complete the remediation of five 120-metre-high lift shafts without interrupting ongoing building operations or impacting the scheduled lift upgrade works to follow.
Key goals included:
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Safe and complete removal of all asbestos-containing materials (ACM)
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Encapsulation of lift shaft walls and structural steel to prevent future exposure
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Continuous air quality monitoring to ensure safe working conditions
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Adherence to a tight program limiting each shaft’s remediation to three months
Challenges
Delivering the remediation within an operational high-rise facility posed logistical and safety challenges.
The program required each shaft to be completed within three months to align with subsequent lift modernisation works.
Installing traditional scaffolding within 120-metre-shafts would have been impractical and posed significant safety and rescue risks.
Solutions and approach
Working closely with Kone Elevators Pty Ltd, Brown & Moodie developed an innovative access solution to enable safe and efficient remediation without the need for extensive scaffolding.
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Collaborative SOP development was established allowing remediation personnel precisely defined access.
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Working at Heights training: All workers completed WAH training and were certified to operate while securely tethered using harness and lanyard systems.
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Risk reduction within the shafts, reducing WHS risks and potential property damage while maintaining emergency rescue accessibility.
Results and Impact
The remediation of all five lift shafts was completed safely, on schedule, and within budget.
The innovative access solution enabled Brown & Moodie to maintain project momentum while ensuring zero interruption to building operations and no safety incidents throughout delivery.
Technologies used
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Hammertech: Quality Assurance and Work Health & Safety management system
