Asbestos (white asbestos/ chrysotile) has been identified in brake pads used in internal service lifts inside wind turbine towers at several Australian wind farms using Goldwind turbines. The brake pads were supplied by the Chinese company 3S Industry, a major supplier of lift brake pads to the Australian wind sector.

Asbestos is present in brake pad friction material used in internal service lifts within turbine towers. It is not part of the blades, nacelle housings, or main structural steel; it is a discrete component in the lift system.

Regulators including WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe Tasmania have initiated a coordinated national response. Affected turbines have had access restricted while testing, risk assessment and removal plans progress. Current advice is that risk to the public is low, but there is potential occupational risk to workers/contractors if asbestos-containing components are disturbed during maintenance, failure or removal.

This incident highlights the ongoing risk of asbestos entering Australia via imported plant and equipment components, despite a national ban on the importation of asbestos-containing materials since 2003.