Companies face legal action over radon tests
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) announced yesterday that it was to take legal action for the first time in relation to the failure of employers to comply with its directions to carry out measurements for the gas.
The RPII estimates that 200 people in the Republic develop lung cancer each year as a result of exposure to the naturally-occurring, colourless, odourless gas.
A dozen firms in Tralee, Co Kerry, and Ennis, Co Clare, will appear before a local district court next month for an alleged breach of the Radiological Protection Act 1991. Anyone convicted of the offence can face a maximum fine of €1,270 and/or a 12-month prison sentence.
Paddy Power bookmakers went public yesterday and confirmed that the company would apologise to the court in December.
A spokesperson said the problem had arisen due to correspondence from the RPII not being sent to the company’s head office.
Tralee and Ennis were selected by the RPII due to the known high radon levels in the area. A total of 60 businesses in both towns were instructed by the RPII last year to carry out measurements of the gas in their premises.
Under legislation, employers have six months to complete the measurement and inform the RPII of the result.
RPII chief executive Dr Ann McGarry said: “Exposure to radon in homes and workplaces is a real issue in Ireland and people seem unaware of the risks.”
She claimed there was also an onus on employers and workers to be aware of the potential health effects of radon in the workplace. According to the Health and Safety Authority, all indoor places of employment located at ground or basement levels must be measured for the gas.
Addressing the fourth National Radon Forum in Tralee yesterday, Dr McGarry said she failed to understand why the companies had not carried out the tests, especially as they were relatively simple and “not particularly costly”.
She warned that up to 91,000 private homes around the country may also have radon levels above the recommended safety limits.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael Kerry North TD Jimmy Deenihan expressed concern that the Government had failed to provide grants for remedial work on houses to reduce the threat from radon, despite repeated promises dating back to 1997 to introduce such a measure.
