WorkSafe has issued a Safety Alert advising that the Australian Border Force (ABF) detected chrysotile asbestos within fire rated boards (FRBs) branded ‘Pyropanel’ imported by Assa Abloy Australia from China between 2021 and May 2025, and on-supplied to New Zealand up to August 2025. The FRBs were on-supplied to Australian and New Zealand customers for the construction of fire doors. Some fire doors constructed in Australia with the same FRBs were also exported to New Zealand.
Assa Abloy commercial customers have been informed. Follow-up action has been undertaken by relevant Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) and other Regulators. Commercial customers of Assa Abloy who believe they may have received an affected FRB delivery are advised to contact their relevant Assa Abloy sales representative.
The FRBs are a composite cement-type board, intended to be manufactured with raw material ingredients: man-made silicon fibres, starch, expanded perlite, glass fibre and quartz. They may be easily dented or damaged when unprotected. They have no obvious distinguishable marks or numbers. Affected fire doors constructed with the FRBs as the core material have no discernible markings to distinguish the contaminated FRBs from other fire doors constructed with a different or similar looking material. The affected fire doors will usually be constructed with FRBs as an internal core structure, which sometimes may be exposed at the base and/or top of the door structure.
Affected FRBs supplied between 2021 and mid-2025 are prohibited from installation due to the risk of potential asbestos contamination and must be disposed of as asbestos waste. For those fire doors currently installed or partially installed in various buildings in Australia and New Zealand disposal is to occur once appropriate replacement fire doors are made available so as not to affect fire integrity of installation. Identified affected fire doors already installed must be recorded in an asbestos register for future removal and their structural integrity monitored.
Asbestos is banned in Australia with a prohibition in place since 2003 on the manufacture, import, supply, sale, storage, transport, use, reuse or installation of goods containing asbestos. Some countries still manufacture products or materials which contain asbestos, these may be sold as ‘asbestos-free’ but still contain a low-level of asbestos. Any level of asbestos is prohibited for import or use in Australia.
When disturbed, asbestos-containing materials can release airborne asbestos fibres. If inhaled, airborne asbestos fibres can cause serious medical conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. These medical conditions are life threatening and affect a person’s quality of life.
For more information about identifying and managing asbestos:
OHS Reps - Asbestos
WorkSafe Victoria – Compliance code: Managing asbestos in workplaces and Compliance code: Removing asbestos in workplaces
Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA) - Asbestos in the Workplace
Read more: Asbestos-containing fire rated boards | WorkSafe Victoria