The ABC is to test all its sites around the country for possible links to breast cancer.

Managing director Mark Scott made the commitment yesterday.

The organisation is under fire for its handling of the evacuation of the Brisbane ABC site at Toowong after a cancer cluster more than ten times worse than the norm was confirmed.

The Courier Mail reports the ABC has shifted its newsroom to a temporary Mt Coot-tha office, where a safety audit found a series of hazards, including untested electrical leads, holes in the floor and a floor that could contain asbestos.

The ABC set a deadline of the end of January to move staff off the Toowong site, a target that has been beset with difficulty with two potential alternative sites either leased to a higher bidder or sold.

As radioinfo reported yesterday most local radio programs are broadcasting from a Toowong car park from two mini-buses – one from Darwin, one from Sydney.

Other ABC services have temporarily shifted to the Gold Coast, Sydney, university campuses, commercial television studios or other office accommodation.

Mr Scott has told ABC Radio some staff had concerns about their temporary workplaces: “I am willing to cop some criticism from staff who I know aren’t working in the easiest of environments.”

“But if part of the criticism comes from the fact that we moved quickly then yes we did move quickly. We had a bias for action.”

“I’m very very proud of the work that our staff has done under difficult circumstances to be able to continue broadcasting.”