More asbestos testing for some employees

Health problems are starting to come to light as testing on Marine Atlantic employees who worked with asbestos on the Atlantic Freighter continues.

Union representative Sue Irvine expects the testing will continue for some time to deal with the more than 1,000 past and present employees and others. Ms. Irvine works for the CAW, which represents almost 600 vessel employees, as well as those in two maintenance shops.

She said 58 employees underwent company-provided health tests in December. Of those, 39 have completed all the tests which included lung X-rays and lung function tests. Fourteen others who were offered the testing declined to participate.

Seven participants were told to see their family doctor for further tests as potential problems were found. Three of the seven were told their issues could be related to asbestos.

Ms. Irvine said more issues may be identified as the other employees complete all the testing and others begin. She said the people invited to the first clinic, held in Port aux Basques, were deemed by the company to have high risk of exposure.

"To me, those at the highest risk have not yet been addressed," said Ms. Irvine. She explained those tested were present employees, but there are many retired employees who spent years working aboard the Freighter in jobs where they would have high chances of exposure.

Ms. Irvine said the company is also contacting dock workers in Halifax and St. John's, other contractors and truck drivers who may have been exposed to asbestos. She said they have been sent a questionnaire to help the company determine their potential risk.

Employees and retirees who develop asbestos related health problems may be eligible for Workers' Compensation. Ms. Irvine said the benefits will depend on the type of illness and other factors.

She said workers compensation representatives have assured her that claims in this situation will be straightforward as the company has acknowledged its responsibility.

As the matter is covered under the workers' compensation plan, employees are prevented from any type of civil court action against the company. Claims are dealt with through the plan, said Ms. Irvine.

The company told the union more clinics will be held, said Ms. Irvine, but no dates have yet been set.

"This could be ongoing for years and years," she said. "There are no rules about who will get sick. It's totally random."

Ms. Irvine explained that some people develop asbestos-related issues after very limited exposure, while others who had high exposure do not get sick. With many of the health conditions related to the material taking up to 30 years to become evident, the complete picture may take decades to unfold.

Back to work

Meanwhile, employees are facing the possibility they will have to return to work on the Freighter this spring with the asbestos still onboard.

The ship is currently in winter lay-up. Ms. Irvine said her members would have preferred to have all the asbestos removed before the ship returned to service.

However, they do not have the right to refuse to work once the vessel is judged a safe work environment by inspectors.

She said there is a lot of anxiety from some employees, but she is confident the measures the company will undertake to encapsulate the material will make it a safe work environment. She said health and safety inspectors will be watching to ensure the proper measures are taken and the crew receives the needed training and personal safety equipment.

The company initially planned to remove all asbestos from the ship, but that could take up to a year, according to Ms. Irvine. That's time Marine Atlantic doesn't have.

It has been seeking a charter vessel to replace the commercial ferry, but to date has not reached a deal with any ship owner. The company is not saying much else on the matter as it is still in negotiations.

Ms. Irvine said the union was told four suitable vessels were found, but the single European owner wants to sell the ships or charter them for a seven-year term. She said the company isn't interested in either option as it hopes to soon build new vessels of its own.

The union representative said the encapsulation work done on the vessel in the 1990s when asbestos was first discovered may have been safe if it had been maintained instead of being forgotten about. She said some employees were trained in dealing with the material at the time, and even fitted for personal protective equipment that never arrived.

Ms. Irvine said the issue of asbestos aboard the vessel was "pushed aside and not talked about."

nmusseau@gulfnews.ca