Premier Roger Cook guarantees Hazmat-affected Maddington schools safe for students after cleaning

Premier Roger Cook has guaranteed that six public school sites will be safe for hundreds of students returning for the start of Term 2, one week after the Maddington area was blanketed with toxic smoke from a blaze at a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

“I have had a report on that, and I know that the schools have all undergone a thorough cleaning,” Mr Cook told reporters on Sunday.

“So we don’t anticipate any danger to the students when they go back to school for Term 2.”

A Hazmat incident warning was still in place on Sunday as firefighters continued to remove hazardous materials from the site on Burwash Place in Maddington, seven days after the facility went up in flames on April 12.

The Health Department has advised residents who experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, burning eyes or confusion to leave the area and seek medical advice.

A spokesperson for the Education Department said its top priority was the health and safety of students.

On the advice of the Health Department, precautionary cleaning had been carried out at six public school sites prior to opening on Monday.

The department was supporting schools to ensure there was minimal disruption ahead of welcoming students back to class.

Impacted public school sites include Maddington Primary School and Education Support Centre, Bramfield Park Primary School, East Maddington Primary School, East Kenwick Primary School, Orange Grove Primary School, Yule Brook College and Dellar Road Engagement Centre.