Safety Breakthrough at West Gate Tunnel Sets New Industry Standards

AWU Delegates and HSRs work with project team to deliver major improvements for worker health

A worrying trial of asphalt work in the West Gate Tunnel earlier this year has led to significant safety improvements that are now setting new standards across the construction industry.

When several workers reported health problems during a February trial of asphalt laying inside the tunnel, AWU delegates and health and safety reps knew they had to act. The workers were at risk and as the project moved deeper underground, conditions could get worse.

The company’s own testing showed some concerning readings, even though they said everything was within the legal limits. But for AWU delegates and HSRs, that wasn’t good enough. When members are telling you something’s wrong, you listen.

Over the next few months, AWU officials and onsite HSRs worked closely with the project team to tackle the problems head-on. The main issues were clear: the asphalt being used was dangerously hot (up to 170°C), the tunnel didn’t have proper air flow, and there weren’t enough safety controls in place.

The union’s research found that this type of super-heated asphalt work simply shouldn’t happen, in fact, countries like the US and Europe stopped using such hot asphalt more than 20 years ago, switching to cooler alternatives that are much safer for workers.

Armed with this knowledge, AWU representatives worked with the project to implement comprehensive changes. The dangerous super-hot asphalt has been completely replaced with a cooler version that operates at 140°C. This temperature drop makes a huge difference because the hotter the asphalt, the more toxic fumes it releases.

The improvements go well beyond just changing the asphalt. Every load is now temperature-checked multiple times, and if it’s too hot, it doesn’t go into the tunnel. Six to eight powerful fans run constantly, creating proper airflow throughout the underground work areas. The union’s HSRs have much greater involvement in ongoing safety monitoring, and the enhanced monitoring shows no concerning emissions under the new system.

Emergency response procedures have been improved, and there’s much better communication about the risks of asphalt fumes. The paving work itself has been adjusted to maintain safe conditions while keeping productivity up.

The collaborative approach has delivered real results. Asphalt work in the outbound tunnel has been finished safely, and work is continuing in the inbound tunnel under these improved conditions. An 800-metre trial proved that all the new safety measures work well while still getting the job done.

These changes mean more than just better conditions on one project. The union has established a new principle: super-hot asphalt can’t be used in tunnels, underground car parks, or any enclosed workplace. This will protect AWU members on projects right across Australia.

The success builds on the AWU’s long history of fighting for asphalt worker safety, going back to campaigns in the 1990s when new materials were first introduced. The union is already working on the next steps, including identifying all the dangerous compounds in asphalt work and making sure proper health monitoring becomes standard across the whole industry.

The West Gate Tunnel story shows what can happen when workers speak up about safety concerns and experienced delegates and HSRs know how to turn those concerns into real action. The collaborative work between union representatives and project stakeholders has created improvements that will benefit workers for years to come.

Most importantly, it reinforces something every worker knows: you should be able to go to work and come home healthy. The AWU delegates and HSRs at West Gate Tunnel made sure that happens, and their success is setting new expectations for projects across the industry.