An urgent safety alert has been issued at wind farms across Australia after asbestos was discovered in Chinese-made wind turbines.

The deadly material was first found in brake pads used in wind turbine tower lifts at the Goldwind Cattle Hill wind farm in central Tasmania. The Daily Mail Online has the story.

WorkSafe Victoria and SafeWork NSW confirmed on Friday that white asbestos was also found at a number of wind farm sites.

The state regulators, along with renewable energy company Goldwind Australia, launched an investigation into the issue.

Goldwind, which is a subsidiary of Chinese firm Goldwind Science and Technology, claimed the brake pads were supplied by 3S Industry.

3S Industry is a major Chinese-based supplier and one of a few brake pad suppliers in Australia.

The supplier has provided brake pads to numerous wind farms across the country and has been involved in several projects, including White Rock, Gullen Range and Biala in NSW, Clarke Creek in Queensland, and Moorabool and Stockyard Hill in Victoria.

The discovery has sparked fears the problem could be more widespread, with the hazardous material potentially affecting turbines throughout the country.

The brake pads are part of the turbine’s internal mechanism, with the level of risk of asbestos exposure to workers and contractors unclear.

There is also no suggestion the community has been exposed to the asbestos or that the environment has been contaminated.

Read the full story here.