Navy staff exposed to asbestos fear for families
At the meeting, held last Tuesday, 11 civilian workers employed by the Department of Defence told the officer that, as they were not wearing protective clothing they could have brought dust particles back to their homes and thus also put their families at risk.
The exposure lasted up to two days as the men carried out routine maintenance on the LE Ciara. One of the men said it appeared the senior officer didn’t have the answers to any potential impact on their health and that of their loved ones. They also asked that they be given X-rays and ongoing screening.
The Irish Examiner has learned that asbestos was first discovered by an alert workman who was among a group carrying out maintenance on the LE Ciara’s sister ship, LE Orla, on March 27.
The alarm was raised while the LE Orla was in Verolme dockyard. Both she and the LE Ciara were immediately locked down by navy bosses.
The asbestos wasn’t disturbed on the LE Orla, but during the previous two days the asbestos was ground down and broken up on the LE Ciara.
The 11 civilian workers and seven Naval Service personnel moved the broken asbestos, which was releasing harmful dust, to a warehouse.
Tests were carried out on the substance and on April 2 it was confirmed the men had been handling asbestos.
A spokesman for the Naval Service declined to comment on what took place at last Tuesday’s meeting. However, he said the primary concern of the Naval Service remains the safety and well-being of its members, civilian employees and contractors.
“We are currently following all HSA (Health & Safety Authority) guidelines while dealing with the current situation. Assessments are ongoing with health professionals and medical staff for those who may have been potentially exposed to these materials,” the spokesman said.
“The Naval Service are working with all persons potentially affected to address their concerns. It is not intended to comment on any ongoing internal meetings or consultation processes.”
It’s expected that the asbestos will be removed from the two ships shortly and disposed of in a safe manner.
In 2000 consultants told the navy all its ships were asbestos-free.
As a result of the find all ships in the fleet will be surveyed again.
The HSE will not be allowed to remove asbestos from a psychiatric hospital until it has satisfied the Health and Safety Authority that the work will not adversely impact on patients.
The HSE had planned to remove asbestos from a 13-bed unit at St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, Co Cork while patients and staff were still in situ.
Work was supposed to start last Monday, but was cancelled after concerned members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) held a protest at the hospital’s main gate.
The PNA then made a complaint to the Health & Safety Authority saying removing the asbestos could lead to health problems, plus major inconvenience to patients and staff.
PNA spokesman Derek Cunningham said an officer from the Health & Safety Authority since held a meeting with hospital management and instructed them to carry out a multi-disciplinary risk assessment on the impact the work would have on each of the 13 patients.
The unit they’re in is to close on April 28 for a complete refurbishment and the PNA says its “incomprehensible” that the HSE cannot do the work then, when the patients are transferred to another building.
“The Health & Safety Authority move vindicates what the PNA said, that it (the work) would be hugely upsetting to the clients in the unit,” Mr Cunningham said.
Fianna Fáil spokesman on Health Billy Kelleher said he also welcomed the move.
Senator John Gilroy, who worked for 20 years as a psychiatric nurse at the hospital, maintained the only way to remove the asbestos flooring at the unit was to use kango hammers and this was totally unacceptable while patients and staff remained in the building.
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