Many firemen still suffering year after fire

Press, 16 December 1985, Page 25

Many firemen still suffering year after fire

PA Wellington A report into health effects of an I.C.L chemical fire in Auckland last year avoids blaming any of the highly toxic chemicals stored in the warehouse for the symptoms suffered by firemen who attended the blaze.

But it shows that many of them are still suffering tiredness, irritability, forgetfulness and mood changes, a year after the event

The report, prepared by Associate Professor W. I. Glass of Otago University, said it would be wrong to see the effects of the fire as caused by any one chemical. It recommends that the Fire Service should have a properly organised national occupational health service. The fire at LCJ. New Zealand Riverview store in Mount Wellington killed one cleaner (through burns) and 41 of the 86 ©emen

who attended the blaze suffering skin, respiratory and central nervous system disorders. Professor Glass said the fire occurred at a time of maximum public anxiety about chemical plants and stores as it followed. the November 19 Mexico City gas fire which killed 452 people and the Bhopal Union Carbide disaster which killed several thousand a fortnight later. The Riverview store fire on December 21, 1984, burned a wide range of chemicals, among which were paraquat and 2,4,5-T, the latter containing the highly-toxic dioxin. But Professor Glass said other extremely toxic substances such as carbon monoxide, cyanide and benzine were also present in fires of this type. Because of the complex nature of the fire reaction, “it is seldom possible to identify one particjilar chemical as the cause <®ihe

symptom-complex or ‘intoxication syndrome’ which may develop among those exposed,” he said. Quoting from a medical report on the firemen’s symptoms, Professor Glass said it was "doubtful” that skin rashes and lesions in 34 of the 41 firemen were caused by dioxin absorption, which causes a condition known as chloracne.

Most skin complaints lasted no longer than three weeks, the medical report said.

Respiratory problems affected 13 of the 41 firemen, and coughs, shortness of breath and sore throats lasted up to about four days. But two of the worst affected officers were still suffering in October, 1985, one with shortness of breath and the other with a bron-chitis-like complaint The bulk of the longer lasting symptoms were central nervous system troubles, which showed up as tiredness, forgetfulness,

irritability, sleep problems and mood changes in 34 of the officers. In most cases the symp- 4 toms developed within the first two or three weeks and had persisted, Professor Glass said. A few had shown improvement but in those whose symptoms persisted a number had been severely affected and have been referred to psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists. “Their home and work life has been severely affected and they have lost confidence in their ability to work as fire officers,” Professor Glass said. While the report does not say a particular substance was the cause of these disorders, it does note that they are not inconsistent with some effects of exposure to carbon monoxide. Experimental tests had found this gas caused a reduction in vigilance, irritabifity, poor memory and personality changes.