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A DEFENCE FORCES whistleblower has made a protected disclosure alleging that a number of children of Air Corps workers have died as a result of being exposed to toxic chemicals at Baldonnel Airfield.
In a document seen by this publication, a Defence Forces whistleblower has said that he has uncovered “the untimely deaths of at least 20 adults…of which I believe died of illness related to unprotected chemical exposure”.
The protected disclosure details the rank and specific illness of each of those who have passed away. We are not publishing these details as to do so would breach data protection rules.
There are also claims that the partners of male members of the force suffered serious fertility issues and a number of miscarriages. Other children, according to the protected disclosure, are living with life-changing illnesses.
It has previously been alleged that the Defence Forces failed to protect workers from exposure to harmful chemicals which have been proven to cause various cancers and autoimmune diseases.
In his address to 17 people, including Ministers, TDs, senators and a senior member of the Defence Forces, the former Air Corps mechanic claims that: “I have come across several personnel whose wives have had multiple miscarriages both in serving and in retired personnel. In one case, a retired member’s wife had eight miscarriages in succession. I am also aware of three personnel who shared in an office in ‘photo section’ (area of Baldonnel’s engineering wing) whose wives all had a miscarriage in the same six-month timeframe.”
In another worrying claim, the latest protected disclosure details the illnesses contracted by children of those who served in the Air Corps at Baldonnel.
The whistleblower, with the permission of the children’s parents, has claimed that :
It has been alleged that there was a systematic failure on the part of the Defence Forces which allowed Air Corps personnel be exposed to harmful chemicals during his time at Baldonnel. The Defence Forces, which are facing legal action by some former employees, have said, “Given these matters are subject to litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
TheJournal.ie has obtained a detailed list of chemicals which were purchased for use by the Air Corps. These include the highly toxic Ardrox 666 and Ardrox 670.
Other chemicals which have been used at Baldonnel include:
All these chemicals have been proven to cause serious damage to humans after long-term exposure.
When asked to specifically comment on the new accusations in relation to fertility matters, a statement from the Department of Defence stated: “In September 2016, the Minister appointed an independent third party to review allegations made in a number of protected disclosures relating to health and safety issues in the Air Corps which were received in late 2015 and early 2016.
“Once a final review is to hand, the Minister will determine any further steps required and ensure that all recommendations, whether arising from the work of the Health and Safety Authority or the ongoing protected disclosure review, will be acted upon to ensure the safety of the men and women of the Air Corps. It would be inappropriate to comment in advance of the Minister receiving and considering the report.”
Earlier this year, TheJournal.ie reported how a large number of Air Corps members have experienced brain inflammations, Crohn’s Disease, cardiac arrest, ulcerative colitis and leukaemia.
The general secretary of the representative association for Defence Force members, PDFORRA’s Gerry Rooney, has said that chemicals and their use have been a problem for defence forces worldwide.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, he said that the representative association is working closely with all the whistleblowers and said that attitudes within the force would have to change if better health and safety practices were to be implemented.
“There’s a tendency in military organisations to focus on carrying out the operation at all costs.
“It’s fairly clear there was a problem with chemicals and their use.”
Sinn Féín TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has accused junior Justice Minister Paul Kehoe of being indifferent “to the plight of the Defence Forces”.
The Dublin South Central TD said: “His claims that the health and wellbeing of members of the Defence Forces are a priority for him, contrasts with his refusal to ban the anti-malaria drug Lariam, despite the fears that it has caused severe mental and physical side effects on serving and retired soldiers.
“Equally serious are the protective disclosures that have been made by retired Air Corps personnel in recent months, whose revelations about a lack of even the most basic health and safety procedures at Casement Aerodrome are alarming. Their claims that exposure to highly toxic chemicals has resulted in serious health complications, and in some cases fatalities, to personnel performing their duties from as far back as the 1990s have largely fallen on deaf ears.”
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No fear of anyone in the Dail putting themselves in harms way. This is absolutely scandalous if true, but no doubt the politicians are more interested in covering this scandal up rather than compensating the injured parties.
@Paul Mc: what type of chemicals are we talking about? From reading the only reference i could find are chemicals used to produce photographs.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: seen the other chemicals there.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan:
Partial list here. State Claims Agency are actively fighting survivors in court to prevent them finding out all they were actually exposed to. They claim through Hayes Solicitors that it is too onerous & time consuming.
@Paul Mc: I bet you have been scammed many times in the past. Try and break the cycle use your head for once.
Way to over simplify a complex investigation Journal!
Can we try not to jump from chemical to culpability quite so quickly.
That these things happened is sad, but you need to ask:
Is the incidence of these conditions higher in this group than the general population?
Were these personnel exposed to chemicals? Which ones?
When? How much? For how long? By which route? Are also relevant.
What is the action of the chemicals? Can a causative link be established?
Are there any other circumstances present that might contribute to these conditions?
There are many conditions for which the cause is unknown or cannot be established.
@Pharmy: E.g. 3 personnel in a unit with an establishment of 19 suffered Lymphoma {2 dead). 6 dead in the same small building measuring about 15m x 40m where in 1995 Dichloromethane in parts of the building tested @ 175ppm whilst limit was 50ppm. Staff were not notified and were left working in the location for a further 12 years. An employee of this unit was accused of malingering by the Health & Safety officer for turning yellow. At this point air quality tests from 1995 & 1995 were ordered shredded. A proper investigation is absolutely required but Minister Paul Kehoe refuses to appoint a toxicological or medical expert to investigate but instead appointed a barrister to do so. See known illness list here http://www.accas.info/?page_id=61
@Chemical Brothers:
“an employee was accused of malingering for turning yellow”
Such a ridiculous claim doesn’t help your cause.
@Chemical Brothers: 50ppm of what? Air I presume? Over how long a measuring period? No info from you on these critical points of course. These solvents are highly volatile and dissapate rapidly in ventilated areas such as a hanger for example.
Many people have worked in the dry cleaning business for years and work with most of these very solvents. Dont hear them screaming for compo though.
This is a classic example of bad science. “Pharmys” comment just about sums it up.
@james o reilly: Yea must be bad science Dichloromethane, Cresylic Acid & Sodium Chromate dribbling from an extrctor fan is harmless http://www.accas.info/?page_id=142
@Pharmy: Just to come back to your comment “Way to over simplify a complex investigation Journal!” it is significant that since this was reported to the Minister for Defence in 2015 the only official investigation launched was by a retired barrister from the Attorney General’s office. Not a toxicologist, not a doctor, not a chemical expert…a retired barrister. It is also significant to note that when this “independent 3rd party investigator” met with whistle-blowers he stated that he had not been given any information from the Air Corps or DoD to refute our claims of chronically poor health & safety, he was given no powers to compel witnesses and he had no power to make any findings and he could find himself subject to defamation proceedings if he did
Other than that, the investigation of deaths & illnesses is being conducted by serving & former services personnel with no scientific training whatsoever…amateurs if you like.
ACCAS would absolutely welcome a scientific investigation of our claims but so far the state has only managed to mobilise barristers & solicitors.
@Avina Laaf: In the mid Noughties a military doctor started to suspect that autoimmune, hepatic & skin problems in an NDT technician may have something to with his working environment. The doctor ordered that this person who was suffering also at the time suffering Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and was jaundiced, be removed from the environment of the Non Destructive Testing workshop.
The Health & Safety officer, who is still serving, decided that this NTD technician was exaggerating & malingering and set about bullying him with a range of dirty details beneath his rank.
It is interesting to note that as recently as the 19th of April 2017 the Irish Army Air Corps made a settlement with another serving whistle-blower at the WRC due to bullying and mistreatment after further serious (& current) chemical safety concerns were raised.
Believe us the claims are not at all ridiculous and we look forward to substantiating them in court.
@Chemical Brothers: I’m not disputing the facts of the claim; I’m saying the claims should be properly investigated (by an epidemiologist & a toxicologist at the least). If the Dept are refusing to do this then that should be the focus of the story.
What I am suggesting is that printing a list of disparate conditions alongside the names of some “nasty chemicals” and implying causality is bad science and sloppy journalism.
@james o reilly: Perhaps you assume that DCM etc was used in a safe environment. So just to flesh things out for you.
Prior to being reported to the HSA in 2016 the Irish Army Air Corps had NEVER carried out any chemical risk assessments despite them being required since the 1989 act.
Personnel received NO chemical usage or safety training.
Personnel received NO chemical PPE
Personnel never received any risk specific health surveillance
Personnel were doused in chemicals such as Kerosene, Trichloroethylene and Tricresylphosphate as pranks because personnel were uninformed as to the dangers of such chemicals.
Personnel worked beside aircraft that were being spray painted.
Air that was known in 1995 to be contaminated with DCM, was piped via an old tool compressor over to spray painters & welders as breathing air.
Technicians working to strip paint off Marchetti Warrior aircraft had to “beg the cookhouse for Marigolds & pot scrubs” as the DCM based paint stripper was stripping the skin from their fingers. They had no breathing apparatus either.
HSA inspectors described it as the worst case of chemical misuse they had ever come across.
@Pharmy: Don’t worry we already have an eminent UK toxicologist who has validated our claims. Not only are the DoD refusing to do this they are fighting us in court as to discovery of the approx. 288 chemicals in use in the Air Corps.
The civil servants don’t care that 4 of our serving and former colleagues have died since January of this year.
We named diseases colleagues have or have died of, we named the chemicals were exposed to without training, PPE or medical surveillance. There is also significant commonality between the illnesses suffered by Air Corps personnel and RAAF personnel from a similar scandal.
Considering the might of the state and how it is being mis-applied to fight rather than help survivors, how do you suggest we proceed?
@Chemical Brothers:
Of course people can become jaundiced from hepatic problems, and of course people can be accused of malingering, but to suggest he was accused of malingering ‘for turning yellow’ is just silly.
If your claims were more moderate and considered people would be inclined to give them more credibility instead of just thinking they were somewhat exaggerated – that’s all I’m saying.
@Avina Laaf: NDT technician turned yellow (skin & eyeballs), military doctor took him out of chemical environment. Health & safety officer accused him of exaggeration & malingering and punished him.
Does that clarify things for you? Perhaps Health & Safety officer thought he was sucking yellow crayons or screwing around with fake tan?
@Avina Laaf: obviously you’ve never served in the Defence Forces.
@Chemical Brothers: But of course, let’s not jump to conclusions. :(
Unfortunately I am lead to believe every word of this. The PC9 crash was an eye opener to just how mismanaged the Air Corp as an organisation is.
I wish you all the best in getting to the end of this for the sake of the families involved.
@Chris: Blame the student pilot, withhold evidence from military inquiry, falsify evidence pretending senior officers had proper oversight, have military court arrive at polar opposite conclusion to civilian inquest & AAIU investigation and finally retire to a fat pension so you don’t have to answer for your actions…this is Ireland after all.
@Avina Laaf: How can you judge whether the claim is ridiculous, especially when you are ‘Avina Laaf”? The claim does look extreme or badly worded but perhaps there is evidence for it.
Faddish paranoia about all chemicals needs to be distinguished from whistleblowing about real industrial dangers. Asbestos is a good example. Decades ago when its dangers were unknown, workers from an asbestos factory in Barking used to go home white with asbestos fibres. More recently, the carcinogenic dangers of diesel engines have been exposed, or rather re-exposed.
This is a feckin Banana Republic. They’ll set up a commission, be found negligent eventually, get an apology from Taoiseach, and then a Minister for Justice will try and see how many die off before they make payments. And we stand for it. #raging
Every condition under the son is being blamed on the “chemicals”, completely unrelated conditions, even conditions of spouses and children. What a stretch they are making for the hope of a few pound. Is there any condition that the chemical didn’t cause?
“to personnel performing their duties from as far back as the 1990s have largely fallen on deaf ears”
Our armed forces do have form with deaf ears perhaps it spread to the air corps.
@Murr Paul: You aware that the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 1989 & 2005, Chemicals Act 2008 and Chemicals (Amendment) Act 2010 were all ignored by the Air Corps?
You also aware that personnel were ordered, without any PPE, into Trichloroethylene baths to desludge the tank bottom?
You aware jointing compound containing Barium Chromate, Strontium Chromate, Benzene, Toluene & Xylene was being used with bare hands with only a belfast sink with cold water for washing?
You aware that Air Corps personal only issued with PPE in the past year, only took 95 years.
You honestly think such negligent behaviour by an employer can have no medical consequences for employees?
Similar happened at RAAF Amberly RAAF with 2,500 personnel affected. http://www.accas.info/?page_id=33
@Murr Paul: I guess one of the worlds top toxicologists has to go back to university after diagnosing most of of the aforementioned conditions. Obviously the TD’s are better qualified than him and the tens of thousands of euros didn’t by each person to be tested are wasted.
@Chemical Brothers: all the above chemicals were widely used in the maintenance of aircraft in the old semi state flag carrier often without any or basic PPE supplied,
Fuel tank sealant contains strontium chromate which is highly carcinogenic.
Ardrox was used as paint stripper on aircraft fuselage & parts.
This story could get legs.
@Paul Brierley: Yep aviation is a chemically dirty business and some of the exposures can have a long latency. RAAF studies suggest a latency of many decades for some of the related illnesses to appear.
Air Corps is decades behind H&S in civvie street and has only come close to complying with the 1989 act requirements since about March of this year, only 28 years late. This means another generation of young men and women were needlessly exposed due to the arrogance & incompetence of an arm of the state.
@Chemical Brothers: I think that’s the most worrying thing, something you ignored in your 20s like handling chemicals, can bite you later in life. Chelation with chlorella is prob the only trump card. The problem is its all a bit hush hush, and when you speak up its met with a wall of silence.
I have been working in aviation for over 20 years. The use of ardrox and trichlorethelene was rampant for cleaning and degreasing. Also MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) .
The dangers were not fully explained or known to the workers until the late 90′s. This is not something new to anyone in aviation.
@James O Connor: also MEK in its original form was banned across the EU around the same time (1990′s) and then a slightly modified version was immediately reintroduced, equally as noxious and dangerous. There is literally NOTHING used in the maintenance of modern aircraft that is not highly carcinogenic, chronic illness causing or a danger to respiratory systems. It’s not something the general public (want to) know about.
@Kate Meleady: Very true, aircraft maintenance is a very toxic business and if Health & Safety is ignored like it was in the Air Corps then the results are catastrophic for personnel and their families.
@Chemical Brothers: just some confusion around the exposure.. I’ve you got for example fuel tank sealant or mastinox on your hands a few times, does it affect later in life? Or is it repeated exposure over many many years? I’ve been reading about the benefits of chlorella and spirulina for detoxing heavy metals. Very interesting and good supplements.
@Bairéid Rísteard: The personnel who are sick are those that had these chemicals on their hands all day every day as they were sheet metal workers or were carrying out deep inspections whereby aircraft are disassembled and reassembled.
We have been informed by doctors in occupational healthcare that some of the Hexavalent Chromium compounds will cause immediate DNA damage to stomach if ingested for example via contaminated hands.
Whilst Chlorella and Spirulina can be used as chelation agents in our case the metals are likely no longer present, and in some cases neither is most of the survivors stomach.
See victim impact stories below.
http://www.accas.info/?page_id=171
@Chemical Brothers: so what you are saying is if you breathed in primer or paint dust, it can affect your DNA immediately? Also, what do you mean about the toxins being no longer in you?
@Bairéid Rísteard: In the case of Hexavalent Chromium compounds we have been told it causes immediate DNA damage on contact with the oesophagus & stomach. This genetic damage damage will eventually lead to ulcers & possibly stomach cancer. This is from eating lunch with contaminated hands. CR6 dust on the other hand has the capacity to cause nasal and lung cancers. Open to correction but we believe the body can eventually metabolise CR6 and pass it.
@Chemical Brothers: you are a well informed. Fair play to you for spreading awareness. The likes of the air corps will need to get their act together or they will be scratching for staff to maintain aircraft going forward.
Who is the current Minister for Defence?
@Paul Mc to the best of my knowledge Enda Kenny, says it all really!
@Paul Mc: Watch him step down now..
Come on 8 mis carriages, don’t know many women who would try 8 times for a baby and I cant see a doctor saying it was a good idea to keep trying after one or two miscarriage.
@Paul, thats such a sexist remark & you obviously know NOTHING about having a miscarriage , you prat!
@Paul: are you kidding ??? Have you ever had a miscarriage Paul ??? I’ve only had 4
@Paul: what a ridiculous comment to make. Seriously .
@Colette Kearns: I genuinely didn’t intend for it to come across like that. Just not sure many people could go through 8.
@Paul: if there is no physical reason why a woman cannot have a baby then there’s no reason why she wouldn’t keep trying. Obviously she didn’t realise she was being poisoned. A really shocking story.
@Colette Kearns: Guys can express their views too Colette. Try to challenge his comment rather than brand him sexist.
@Deborah Behan:
Literally thousands of women in Ireland suffer multiple miscarriages. Just because this woman experienced the same doesn’t necessarily mean she was being ‘poisoned’.
You’d need to look at overall fertility rates in the wives of defence forces personnel (or better still those exposed vs. those not exposed) to establish possible causation.
@Paul: Also, Paul, for your information over 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriages and in most cases the pregnancy isn’t't even noticed.
@Paul: you don’t know many women who would try 8 times for a baby? I feel very sorry for you lad, because you know absolutely nothing of the plight of couples who want nothing but a child. You’re essentially saying that couples who go through fertility treatment and IVF after years of trying have only put up with the heartbreak of a couple of miscarriages, is that correct? You sound like an expert in the subject the way you’re talking. Listen lad, leave the sexist comments at home and think before you open your beak. Don’t be that guy.
@Colette Kearns: yet some of us males do know a thing or two about miscarriages. Believe it or not we do actually listen to our doctors and partner’s from time to time. It’s more of a sexist remark to claim we are clueless. Oh and by the way I’m speaking from experience on this one colotte
@Paul: I’ve had eight miscarriages and seriously invasive medical procedures to determine why – still none the wiser. You sir are an ignoramus.
@ChuckE: Nobody said all men know nothing about miscarriages or fertility – one man was taken up for his stupid, insensitivity comment but sensitive little souls like yourself have to take offence for your whole sex.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Trust me Neal, if you ever had a miscarriage you would know that it doesn’t go unnoticed.
@Lisa Saputo: while he might have thought his comment stupid under pressure from replies a doctor would have given the same advice, again I/we are speaking from experience. That comment would never have been made towards a female questioning the numbers. Also there seems to be little or no medical evidence presented linking the person’s in the miscarriage case directly to the use of chemicals so while it’s a tragic event and an enquiry of some sort should be sought it seems the cases are nothing more than circumstantial when it comes to the individuals involved.
@molly coddled:
Lots of miscarriages go unnoticed and just appear as a heavy period.
@Nick Allen: well Nick when you grow a womb and suffer a miscarriage come back and tell me how it felt like a “heavy period”. Trust me it’s much, much more painful.
@molly coddled:
When you remove your blinkered view and understand the data and the facts then you may people able to comment with less bias. just because one woman experiences noticeable pain with a miscarriage does not mean that all women do. The fact that you have a womb does not mean your experiences are the same for everyone that has a womb.
“Many miscarriages occur very early, going unnoticed before a woman is even aware that she is pregnant.”
http://www.momswhothink.com/pregnancy-complications/signs-of-miscarriage.html
@Martin Flood, well you see Martin I think even @Paul gets that perhaps his comment was a bit sexist, (sorry but a man will never know what it feel like to be expecting a baby & to loose that very much wanted child! You see years ago a good pal of mine died suddenly in a car crash just coming up to his 21st birthday & at his funeral we found out his mum had has 13 miscarriages before she had him!
@Chemical Brothers: I recently read an msds sheet of white spirits, its actually carcinogenic. Nowadays correct ppe training\equipment should be provided. The culture of ignorance needs to come to stop.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Absolutely agree 100%. Chemical Health & Safety training should be a module for all apprenticeships, engineering degrees, agriculture courses, medical courses etc and should be a requirement for all business insurance. Lack of awareness of the consequences of chemical misuse is a much wider national issue than the Air Corps.
@Chemical Brothers: Children of two generations ago were regularly sprayed with DDT. My mother in law isn’t bothered by that. She shrugs it off… despite everything we know about it now. People just … don’t care, or don’t want to know about safety, because the chemicals are such a short cut. It’s also seen as uncool, somehow, to take precautions or worry about it.
And then when there are effects, people want to deny them, despite the fact that there was a reason for the caution in the first place. It’s a weird quirk of human nature.
These issues have been seen in the Australian F111 Deseal Reseal Group. The Australian Government spent a lot of money on studies that showed links to exposure. Sadly they spent more money on studies than the actual victims. Government fight these things only because they know what it would cost if they admit they poisoned people. They have no respect for the service given by the Mean and Women who join armed forces around the globe
@Ian Fraser: I worked in Oz, and found the h&s standards to be atrocious. They are great when it comes to safety on elevated platforms. However, when it comes to gloves and masks, this macho attitude comes out. I used to ‘joke’ with one lad, asking if he uses mastinox on his bread instead or mustard.
What are the chemicals for
@Seamus Scott: Stripping of grease & paints for Non destructive testing. Dyes for UV penetrant testing. General degreasing & component cleaning. As jointing compounds to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion. As sealing compounds for fuel tanks, canopy’s/windscreens. For cleaning helicopter blades, leading edges etc. As etchers, primers & thinners for painting. For cleaning circuit boards and soldering. Lubrication greases, engine oils, hydraulic fluids, fuels etc. In the Air Corps photo section chemicals were also mixed for mono & colour photographic processing.
Unbelievable, similar chemical compounds at haulbowline in Cork Harbour, the Minister at the time Simon Coveney, suggested that the piles of waste from the furnace be covered in earth and grassed down, all quietened up then and after years we still have government collusion in covering up high cancer incidence in the area, why do we allow our government to fool the people.
@Michael O’Riordan: I think we like to fool ourselves too. Sure, doesn’t everything give us cancer these days, etc?
@Michael O’Riordan: Alcohol is a major cause of cancer and various illnesses, yet we glorify and celebrate its use and abuse. Not dismissing what you are saying, there is a lot of merit to it, but we need to have an honest chat with ourselves too sometimes.
Chemical trails & having to dump them perhaps?
@Colette Kearns: ?Chemical trails?? Surely you’re not implying that these chemicals were meant to be sprayed on us all from airplanes! You do know that “chemtrails” do not exist and that their “existence/happening” are actually an internet hoax,” promoted by con men and lapped up by (insert suitable adjective) the simple minded who get all their info from Youtube!!!” as was quoted to me.
@Ally Collyer: Are you a real-life chemtrailer?
Oh here we go again. Yet another handout for our armed forces. Is there another Presidential brother waiting for their payout?
@John Cusack: there’s a big difference between s handout and proper compensation should it be due. What would you day us correct if state is at fault?
This is all very familiar for the victims of the F111 Deseal Reseal Disaster in Australia. Various studies linked adverse outcomes to chemical exposure. The Australian Govt went someway to recognising the issues but fell well short of a proper response to address the issues. Clearly it’s a global issue in which Governments fail to engage the victims who’s lives they have destroyed
There are a few key points here:
1. The HSA has confirmed that the Air Corps up to 2016 was significantly non compliant with chemical safety legislation.
2. HSA involvement was not as a result of a request by Defence Force Authorities but as a result of the HSA’s own initiatives based on reports to it.
3. The Minister For Defence (1st Simon Coveney & now Enda Kenny) have failed to act appropriately and in a timely manner to Protected Disclosures. There is a suggestion that Dept of Defence Officials acted as barriers to a response.
3. When a independent investigator was finally appointed he did not have the appropriate skills or authority
4. But for persistent PQ’s in 2017 to date, acting Minister For Defence Paul Keogh would be paying no attention to this issue at all. Relevant action is literally being dragged out of him by PQ’s from the opposition and the real Minsiter for Defence has NO interest;- though fully responsible.
All of these facts being the case, there is every reason to believe and justify the content of whistleblower’s disclosures and NO substantive evidence produced by officials of the State to undermine anything said by them to date.
As with all recent experiences in relation to wistleblowers, the State’s basic instinct is to do nothing in the hope that it will all just go away. The 2nd instinct is then to attempt to undermine the whistleblowers themselves. In this case, it is clear that the whistleblowers are well founded and briefed and well prepared for the State’s reactions including inept attempts to generally obfuscate ad infinitum. However, obfuscating health and safety issues in that can rolling down road means that the State is actually taking a direct roll in undermining the safety of those for which it is directly responsible…..something which is conspicuously unwise.
Indifferent followed by adversarial defence will no longer wash in this modern Republic!
Unbelievable, similar chemical compounds at haulbowline in Cork Harbour, the Minister at the time Simon Coveney xx suggested that the piles of waste from the furnace be covered in earth and grassed down, all quietened up then and after years we still have government collusion in covering up high cancer incidence in the area, why do we allow our government to fool the people.
Claims are one thing – but how does this compare to the general population. Regardless, it needs a thorough investigation.
@John Flood: In the RAAF case as exposed by Ian Fraser above ongoing health studies by the Australian authorities, with reporting every 4 years has shown a 39% increase in cancer amongst former military, civilian and work experience students at Amberly Royal Australian Air Force Base when compared with a control group.
Significantly mortality was 27% lower when compared to Australians of the same age due to awareness & vigilance by survivors & medical establishment in Brisbane and because of cancer screening programs & other health initiatives introduced by the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs.
Over here @NTMA_IE (aka State Claims Agency aka NAMA) are playing the “drag it out game” in order to reduce costs by hoping personnel expire. As it turns out 4 current / former personnel have died since January 2017, 3 from cancer & one from suicide. Unfortunately the chemicals cause mental health issues as well and so suicide awareness and counselling need to be part of the government response.
But then again Protected Disclosures were made to the Taoiseach and Minister as far back as 2015 and they appear to sit on their hands and kick the issue down the road with inappropriate arse covering reports….while they prevaricate people will die needlessly.
How were there wife’s affected did they bring the chemicals home. They should disband 50% of defence forces, sell the sites to pay these claims.
@joe o hare: Working dress and overalls contaminated with chemicals such including Barium Chromate, Benzene, Calcium Dichromate, Carbon Black, Cresylic Acid, Dichloromethane, Dimethylacetamide, Epichlorohydrin, Hydroflouric Acid, Isocyanates, Magnesium Chromate, Potassium Chromate & Dichromate, Sodium Chromate, Strontium Chromate, Tetra Ethyl Lead, Toluene, Trichresyl Phosphate, Xylene, Zinc Chromate are not only permitted to be worn home, but the only available option to launder them is with personnel’s own domestic washing machines.
Washing such potentially contaminated clothing at home exposes partners, children and other family members to the contaminants in the wash and also when ironing as the steam will push any remaining contaminants into an aerosol form to be inhaled.
In other aviation companies such as Aer Lingus or other industries such as pharmaceutical or even meat factories it is unthinkable that staff take their contaminated work clothing home to wash, and for good reason.
Minister Paul Kehoe recently appeared to mislead the Dáil on this very issue in a parliamentary question reply to Lisa Chambers of FF. But then again perhaps the Defence Forces or the Department of Defence were misleading the Minister.
@Chemical Brothers: It is hard to believe what you’re saying. There are people here asking for our air force upgrade to jet fighter while they don’t even have proper washing facilities !!!
@cortisola: This was really basic chemical hygiene failings. In one particular hangar Engineering Wing, where some of the heavier maintenance was done, the only personal washing facility was a Belfast sink with a cold tap, probably left behind by the British in 1921.
The consequence of this, coupled with the lack of knowledge of the risks, is that many personnel ate their lunch with their hands contaminated with Barium Chromate & Strontium Chromate which cause immediate DNA damage to the stomach lining causing ulcers and eventually stomach cancer. “Mastinox Sandwiches” is the techie joke.
I know off at least 2 guys who worked in this location who have had parts of their stomach removed due to Ulcerative Colitis, one of whom also had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and also has nearly died of Hypokalaemia as have others.
@Paul: bad taste paul
Why do they need these chemicals??
@Kathleen Blye: Stripping of grease & paints for Non destructive testing. Dyes for UV penetrant testing. General degreasing & component cleaning. As jointing compounds to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion. As sealing compounds for fuel tanks, canopy’s/windscreens. For cleaning helicopter blades, leading edges etc. As etchers, primers & thinners for painting. For cleaning circuit boards and soldering. Lubrication greases, engine oils, hydraulic fluids, fuels etc. In the Air Corps photo section chemicals were also mixed for mono & colour photographic processing.
have your say