Media Enquiries:
Robert Caulfield Managing Director Archicentre (03) 9819 4577 Mobile: 0412 381 306
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications Archicentre Mobile: 0417 329 201
Media Release
19 October 2009
Apartment Explosion Highlights Importance of Maintenance Checks
An explosion in an East Hawthorn apartment block in Melbourne yesterday highlighted the
importance of regular maintenance and safety inspections on multi storey units and apartments
Archicentre said today.
Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said the explosion highlighted the potential amount of
injury to numbers of people living within the single structure.
“Whilst the explosion has happened on the second level of the apartment block the entire three storey
structure has been put at risk.”
Mr Caulfield said when a building has such an explosion of the magnitude as experienced at East Hawthorn
yesterday, it may be necessary to pull the building down as it is difficult to ensure the integrity of the
structure and services such as plumbing and wiring.
Archicentre is carrying out an increasing number of body corporate inspections to determine maintenance
and safety requirements for body corporate organisations wanting to limit the risk of structural damage by
regular maintenance.
“Many of the apartments in Melbourne built in the sixties and seventies were now approaching a time where
there was a need for increased surveillance and thorough pre-purchase inspections for prospective buyers
of individual apartments or blocks of flats.”
“We have seen many cases where water penetration had rusted reinforcement in concrete floors, beams
and stairs dramatically weakening their structural integrity”
Mr Caulfield said many flats and apartments built in the sixties and seventies also had problems of a lack of
fire separation in the roofs which meant fires could spread along in the roof cavity from one end of the
building to the other without residents knowing there was a fire above as the smoke alarms are fixed in the
ceiling below the fire.
NEWS 
