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A NEW PROTECTED disclosure has been sent to Defence Minister Paul Kehoe detailing a number of “verified deaths” of those allegedly affected by the Air Corps chemical scandal.
It’s the contention of a number of Air Corps members, who have since retired, that the effects of the chemicals they handled as part of their work contributed to dozens of workers at the Baldonnel Airfield becoming ill.
In a protected disclosure made by one of the workers last year, it has also been alleged that the partners of male members of the force suffered serious fertility issues and a number of miscarriages. Other children, according to the previous protected disclosure, are living with life-changing illnesses and, in some cases, have died.
But a new disclosure, submitted last week, claims that the number of untimely deaths from the scandal has “grown exponentially”.
The former Defence Forces members are currently suing the state for damages.
For the last two years, one whistleblower has been collecting information about the premature deaths of his colleagues in the Air Force. He accesses death records and is able to see the cause of death of the Air Corps member. The name, rank, cause of death and age of the person is then collated.
It has previously been alleged that the Defence Forces failed to protect workers from exposure to harmful chemicals which have been proven to cause various cancers and autoimmune diseases.
The new protected disclosure, seen by TheJournal.ie, reads: “Today I am passing you a list of 56 verified deaths of serving and former colleagues with an average age of death of 48. For my research I arbitrarily started from 1 January 1980 and only counted the deaths of persons who died at or before the State Pension age of 66. The list contains persons who died from medical reasons or suicide.
I might add that the number of suicides is truly shocking.
“In addition to the attached list I have a further 20 adult male deaths that I need to verify. Most relate to the 1980s and are difficult to fully trace while some occurred overseas. Unfortunately, through my research I also have some evidence that the levels of offspring deaths, stillbirths & spousal deaths show a cause for concern and need to be investigated by competent authorities and included in any statutory investigation.”
A 2016 inspection of Baldonnel Airfield by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) identified a number of shortcomings at Baldonnel with corrective actions then taken by the Defence Forces in relation to how it handles chemicals.
According to the HSA report seen by TheJournal.ie, the Air Corps was warned it could face prosecution if it did not “comply with advice and relevant legal requirements” about how hazardous substances were managed, among other safety matters.
TheJournal.ie earlier this year obtained a detailed list of chemicals which were purchased for use by the Air Corps. These include the highly toxic Ardrox 666 and Ardrox 670.
Other chemicals which have been used at Baldonnel include:
All these chemicals have been proven to cause serious damage to humans after long-term exposure. They are used in degreasing agents as well as other solvents used at Baldonnel.
A number of ex Air Corps members are currently suing the State over the claims.
Late last year, TheJournal.ie reported that the cause of death, the age at death and the rank the Air Corps members held. The protected disclosure which has been submitted has the full names as well as other verifiable details of the deceased. We are not naming them.
The format for the following list is the rank of the deceased, their initials, cause of death recorded on their death certificates and finally their age of death.
The Department of Defence, in response to every query submitted to it regarding the chemical scandal, has said: “The State Claims Agency is currently managing six claims taken by former and current members of the Air Corps against the Minister for Defence for personal injuries alleging exposure to chemical and toxic substances whilst working in the Air Corps in Baldonnel in the period 1991 to 2006. Given these matters are subject to litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
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Truly shocking reading this article and the details of the deaths of so many Air Corps personnel, how could the authorities not have been aware of the mounting evidence when the death certs were showing real cause for concern, not to mention the worrying suicide rate particularly from firearms, hope this is a wake up call and the information is acted on, something is very wrong here.
@Honeybee: The No1 chemical they have been try to hide from us is Hexamethylene Diisocyanate which causes lifelong immune sensitisation to polyurethane plastics & foams which are everywhere in the modern environment. We believe this chemical in particular is behind the mental health issues. Chromates & kerosene are behind the Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns & cancers, VOC behind Parkinsons etc.
But overall a complex exposure to complex mixture of complex chemicals with ZERO protection & ZERO training = ZERO awareness.
@Chemical Brothers: Three years ago, I lost my brother-in -law who was an engineer in the aircraft industry working in electrics on the cockpits of planes, he developed frontotemporal lobe disorder, to be honest we knew nothing of his diagnosis so we researched the internet, sadly there is no cure and we watched his rapid decline and ultimate death from this horrendous illness,the interesting thing is the number of people who posted articles particularly in the US about their family members who died from the same thing and had worked in the airline industry especially hands on in electronics and electrics, you have to wonder if there is a connection or is something being missed .
@Honeybee: Many highly toxic chemicals in use in aviation, it really is a dirty industry. But manufactures of all these chemicals are very up front with the short term toxicity & dangers of these chemicals and tell you how to use them and how to protect personnel.
Unfortunately if health and safety in an organisation is not up to scratch then the chemicals will do what they say on the tin. Furthermore the long term effects of these chemicals are not studied and so the best protection is to not be exposed ever in an unprotected manner.
@Chemical Brothers: Cancer deaths are lower than average, 23% died of cancer whereas the expected rate for 50 years of age is 40%. About 20% died of diseases of the circulatory system, this is as expected. The data does not support the idea that the men were exposed to carcinogenic compounds.
However, the suicide rate is 5 to 6%, this is far higher than normal and is obviously very worrying. It follows the pattern seen in the US, with former servicemen suffering from higher rates of mental heath difficulties and a higher suicide rate.
Look up “This graph shows causes of death by age”
@David Jordan: This is only a partial list. We have at least another 30 adult deaths that have not yet been verified with a death certificate and these also are only the deaths that we have been able to discover to date with zero resources.
In RAAF Amberly in Brisbane rates of cancer showed a 39% increase compared to a control group but interestingly 27% lower mortality compared to Australian males of the same age due to screening, vigilance and coordination of medics.
Australian government spent $3 million to find out what was wrong with their service personnel our government is spending this to screw the survivors in court.
We are calling for a proper medical & scientific investigation so far Minister Kehoe has only sent in a barrister to the Air Corps and information was even withheld from him.
@David Jordan: Carcinogens mutagens and teratogens are all part of the problem but one family of chemicals that has been withheld from us by the Air Corps are Isocyanates whos effects are more insidious, long lasting and we suspect are behind the high levels of mental health problems suffered by personnel at Casement Aerodrome.
Jesus Christ. Seeing that list really puts it in perspective.
@The Risen: for once shinnerbot I am in agreement with you
@The Risen: its extremely grim reading.
Let’s just hope they get justice & Rest In Peace.
@Colette Kearns: Approximately 20 serving / former personnel have died since the minister was first notified of this in 2015.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
I’m guessing this number of deaths is disproportionate to those of the general public but nowhere in the article is it highlighted the total number of people who have had to deal with these chemicals throughout their work life at this facility…….
@Sean Higgins: I’m guessing too that they were in excellent health when they joined. This is chilling.
@Sean Higgins:
Correct Sean, these figures are completely lacking context. 56 premature deaths in 38 years and every one an individual tragedy, but how do the figures compare to a similar sample of the general population or of those working in a similar industry elsewhere?
Either way there seems to have been a completely cavalier attitude towards health and safety in the Aer Corps, which is unforgivable and those responsible should be held accountable.
@Walt Jabsco: you are right and you would imagine that the Minister and the Dept. of Defence would have by now done all the statistical, epidemiological and all the other analysis necessary to establish the full facts and the seriousness of this scandal – but 5 years on from first becoming aware of the issues……………………………………….!!!!????
@Gary Delaney: Approx 20 dead since minister notified in 2015. Helping survivors to NOT DIE unnecessarily has NOT been a priority for anyone in officialdom. DELAY-DENY-DIE
@Chemical Brothers:
Back of an envelope calculation:
54 deaths in 38 years = 1.47 deaths per year.
Staff level of the Aer Corps: 750 (http://www.military.ie/air-corps/). This is probably a bit on the conservative side as it may not include civilians and Aer Corps numbers have been slashed in recent years.
Combine the two figures and you get 1 premature death for every 510 people annually. I have no idea what the equivalent figure would be for the general population, but this doesn’t seem particularly excessive.
Hard to draw firm conclusions without comparing against a control group.
@Walt Jabsco: Cancer deaths are actually quite a bit lower than average, just 23% died of cancer whereas the expected rate for 50 years of age is 40%. Also, about 20% died of diseases of the circulatory system, this is as expected. The data does not support the idea that the men are experiencing an increased rate of cancer. After all, only a subset of servicemen worked as mechanics at Baldonnel and were exposed to carcinogenic chemicals.
However, the suicide rate is 5 to 6%, this is far higher than normal and is very worrying. It follows the pattern seen in the US, with former servicemen suffering from higher rates of mental health difficulties and a higher suicide rate. There also seems to be a higher rate of liver disease which may be linked with alcohol abuse and mental health problems.
Look up: “This graph shows causes of death by age”
@Walt Jabsco: Don’t forget we are excluding the other premature deaths such as RTAs, aircraft crashes, murder etc.
For comparison does Intel have 10 x premature deaths annually considering they employ circa 5,000 persons. Anyone on here an Intel employee? Have you seen 100 of your colleagues die prematurely in the past 10 years.
@Walt Jabsco: Some areas in Baldonnel have also been particularly badly hit by cancer & suicide as a percentage such as the Search & Rescue crewmen.
@Chemical Brothers:
Are you suggesting that there’s an increased risk of RTA, aircraft crash, murder etc. as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals??
Re. your second comment, if you could break down your list into those who were exposed to chemicals and those who weren’t it may help to paint a fuller picture.
@Chemical Brothers:
Re. Intel, I have no idea (do you?) but I wouldn’t have thought it impossible with a workforce of 5000 that they’d lose 10 a year to cancer, suicide, heart attack etc. combined.
80+ adult deaths exclude accidents & murder.
ALL personnel in Baldonnel exposed to chemicals in an unprotected manner ONLY dose differed.
Tech stores built on a toxic dump, spray paint shop contaminated adjoining & adjacent workplaces, Engine shop contaminated Avionics. Hangars, Fire Crew & ATC were contaminated with Kerosene exhaust from vintage engines. Technicians used hexavalent chromium compounds with bare hands, old photo section in the main block mixed potassium ferrocyanide on their lunch table, cookhouse was downwind of ramp and built adjacent to site of old camp incinerator. Apprentice accommodation heating pipes lagged with asbestos that fell onto floor as a powder, asbestos roofs throughout camp, toxic chemicals used to clean floors in ACTD/ACAS when on military courses.
@Walt Jabsco: Re Intel…let’s ask!
@Chemical Brothers:
As I said above, Aer Corps attitudes to health & safety have been totally reckless and someone should be held accountable, but in order to determine whether exposure to toxic chemicals has caused deaths you need to compare exposed Aer Corps staff to a control group – Intel would be a start but ideally you’d need to look at an equivalent group (eg. suicide rates may be higher in the armed services in general vs. a tech company, etc.).
ps. I thought the figure was 56 – where does 80+ deaths come from?
@Walt Jabsco: no need to be facetious, there’s no suggestions above about RTAs etc. It looks like Chemical Brother is pointing out that the figures require a closer unbiased look. He is only looking for public support for a proper investigation. Where the stats can be officially collated and assessed. He could do without plants, only out to deflect and water down his arguments, like you and the other guy above with his, totally out of context, 40% for under 50s cancer figure. We’ve all seen these ‘nothing to see here’ suggestions so many times before. I, for one, would be very interested in any credible findings and to see him get an earnest response from the state.
@Walt Jabsco: We have a further 30+ we don’t have death certificates for yet as the earlier deaths are harder to obtain correct names, dates of death etc. Also a few died overseas so even trickier & 2 have died in past 3 weeks and as we are batching certs we haven’t verified yet.
We are gathering this information & presenting it to the minister in order to convince the government to carry out an independent investigation using professionals with the required skill set. The government have resources they have the employee databases they have the death certificate database they have the stillbirth database so they can investigate quickly & cheaply. investigating the injured adults & child disabilities should be straightforward too once there is a will to investigate.
@Greg Blake:
It sounds like you’re the one being facetious here, accusing me of being a plant just for suggesting that an unbiased objective look at whether or not death rates are higher in those exposed to toxic chemicals vs. a control group is warranted before firm conclusions can be drawn.
I’d be the first to agree that a full investigation should take place to do just that.
In relation to RTAs, murders etc., why were they being brought up when the subject is about exposure to toxic chemicals??
@Walt Jabsco: Because when another comment brought up the breakdown of premature deaths for persons aged 50 we assumed it to include ALL reasons for death.
Our stats exclude road & aviation accidents & murder as they cannot have had a chemical exposure cause.
Comprende?
I think a shake up is needed urgently, and some serious mental health issues dealt with immediately to prevent further suicides. Why this has not been dealt with beforehand baffles me especially since these guys are serving their country.
Wow. That is truly unnerving. The poor families left behind all the carnage.
So Chemical Brothers was right all along. Another day, another scandal, more needless deaths and more grieving families.
That’s not good at all.
Poor health & safety training is obviously evident here. Almost everything in aviation is carcinogenic, sealants, oils, compounds, paints, etc. Staff really need to protect themselves. Its no wonder there’s a massive shortfall of personnel currently entering the industry.
@Bairéid Rísteard: A decade or 2 ago in the DF the health and safety could be summarised very easily “do it or I’ll charge you”. It was that simple!
The,ne problem I see here is that Kehoe won’t have a clue what to do or say.
I haven’t heard about this scandal before. As usual the government will bury its head in the sand. Truly awful about these service men and probably women not to mention their families
@Paul O Riordan: the journal have been covering it since 08 May last year, and it’s been on TV and the national papers, front page no less.
@Vocal Outrage: facts have no place here, people have an agenda you know…
@Paul O Riordan: RTE, Irish Times, Sunday Times & Indo refuse to cover this scandal.
As we have come to see more and more where there’s no accountability, no personal responsibility for decisions, the result can be catastrophic and it doesn’t get worse than this.
This is absolutely shocking and sickening. Fair play to the man who said it. The man has been taking records about this since 1980. Unbelievable it is the level of suicide that is on there. Those gobshi*es in Dail Eireann asleep at the wheel as per usual. Rest in peace to all those affected by this and I hope the families get the compensation they deserve out of this.
Garreth, the picture at the top of the article includes all three branches of the Defense Forces starting with the Navy at the front, Air Corps in the middle and Army at the rear.
We have many colleagues very sick and they need to know exactly what they were exposed to to have a correct diagnosis and a fair chance of avoiding an early death by appropriate treatment.
Alas the Air Corps are appealing High Court orders that ordered them to reveal what they poisoned personnel with and the Air Corps Health & Safety management is also trying to pretend to Defence Forces Freedom Of Information office that they have no computerised record.
DELAY – DENY – DIE
Truly shocking that list is.
Christ….. Let’s hope they have met their maker with love and grace
@David Dineen: Unfortunately they met their end via guns, ropes, trains & rivers as well as slowly & painfully…no grace whatsoever.
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