Deadly drums in ship back to Europe

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 1

Deadly drums in ship back to Europe

Twelve leaking drums of deadly pesticide which have lain in Lyttelton's dangerous-goods compound for the last two months were repacked by firemen yesterday for shipment back to Europe. The firemen wore the latest “Cheetah ammonia suits,” valued about $lOOO each, which 'were bought specially to handle the drums of Azinphos Methyl, an organo-phosphate which can kill if absorbed through the skin. The leaking drums caused controversy when they were dropped off the container ship Moreton Bay tn April, bringing to a head a long dispute with watersiders over the provision of adequate safety equipment at the port. Since then the drums have lain untouched while the Port Employers’ Asso-

ciation waited for the four new safety suits to arrive from overseas.

Yesterday sheets of plastic were sealed over the leaking lids of the drums and they were repacked in their container to be returned to Europe on the Nedlloyd Houtman, which is due to sail today. Lyttelton firemen say they had some teething troubles with the new suits: compressed-air tanks for breathing were frozen to the firemen’s backs because of the cold temperatures. A valve in one man’s breathing regulator froze open, letting a continuous stream of air into his sealed suit. “We had to get him out of the compound fast and get his suit off: there is no way a chap can get out of one of these suits on his own,” said a fireman.