Cladding at Rockingham General Hospital could be fire risk, set to be replaced

A section of cladding at Rockingham General Hospital will soon be replaced after they were found not to meet Australian standards.

Work will soon begin to remediate a section of Aluminium Composite Panels used in the external cladding, which were found to not satisfactorily meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.

The issue was identified following a Department of Health assessment of ACP facade cladding, which was undertaken following the start of the Western Australian Building Commission’s Statewide cladding audit.

Similar assessments are being conducted by other agencies on publicly owned buildings, both nationally and overseas, following concerns about the potential fire risks associated with the use of some ACP cladding products.

Department of Health Deputy Director General Rebecca Brown said a specialist fire engineer had assessed the Rockingham General Hospital buildings and recommended the ACP cladding on two blocks (C and D) be replaced with a compliant alternative to mitigate potential fire management concerns.

The Department is working with Building Management and Works on a plan to replace the affected areas.

“The safety of our patients and staff is our number one priority and they can be assured that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure their ongoing safety,” Ms Brown said.

“A number of interim mitigation strategies have been implemented, including re-sealing any exposed or damaged cladding, using a non-combustible material, and installing fencing around the building’s external perimeter to limit access to the outer wall.”

All clinical services at Rockingham General Hospital, including elective surgery, are continuing as normal.