Toxins force firm to lay off 150 staff for four months

A CONTAMINATED production line has forced a major healthcare firm in Castlebar, Co Mayo, to temporarily shed 150 workers for a four-month period.

The shutdown at Baxter Healthcare, where a number of kidney dialysis products have been contaminated, will take effect from Monday next.

Baxter, which has more than 1,000 on its payroll and is the largest employer in Co Mayo is US-owned.

Last November the company let go 200 workers because of the downturn.

An investigation is under way into the to the causes of the contamination in some kidney dialysis products.

The problem centres on the presence of endotoxins in peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions.

Baxter has informed the European Medicines Agency that it cannot guarantee the production of endotoxin-free solutions from the affected production line in the short term.

The implications for workers of the temporary shutdown of the production line was discussed yesterday at a meeting between them and their SIPTU trade union representatives.

It is understood a compensation deal has been offered to the workers affected.

This will be voted on in the coming days.

The company insists the number of contaminated products is very low and that the risk to patients is minimal.

The European Medicines Agency said Baxter could not recall all of the products but that supplies would be imported from its other plants in the US, Canada and Singapore to meet the shortfall.

Alternative products from these countries will replace products from Castlebar in the coming months.

This will minimise the use of PD solutions manufactured in Castlebar until the problem has been fully solved.

Yesterday, the Mayor of Castlebar, Cllr Ger Deere regretted the temporary layoffs but welcomed the fact that everything possible was being done to remedy the production line difficulties.

“I would be optimistic that Baxter in Castlebar will be back in full production by early summer,” Mr Deere said.