Tangeni Amupadhi
A Northern Cape doctor has called for the mandatory use of protective clothing after an outbreak of chemical poisoning affecting dozens of farmworkers.
Many labourers in the Kakamas and surrounding areas have fallen ill during the past month after coming into contact with Dormex, which contains a highly toxic chemical called cyanamide.
The provincial Department of Health in Upington has records of 25 workers treated by one doctor over the past three weeks alone. Three of the labourers were admitted to hospital with severe symptoms.
Cyanamide causes nausea, headaches, eye and skin irritations – in some cases the skin becomes blistered. The chemical also interferes with the functioning of the nerves of people who drink alcohol within three days before or after coming in contact with it.
District surgeon Jan Meyer says this year he treated the worst case of Dormex poisoning he has come across in the five years he has been working in Kakamas – a woman with blisters all over her body. In all he alone has treated 23 labourers this year, most for allergic reaction.
Farmers use Dormex in winter to induce early budding of grapes. People working with the chemical are supposed to wear masks and overalls, as well as gloves which cover their arms up to the shoulders. But doctors in the area have found that few farmers give their workers the protective clothing.
The Department of Labour in Kimberley this week launched an investigation into the use of Dormex. The deputy director of occupational health and safety, Edward Khambula, says cases of poisoning were never reported to the department in the past. It will recommend prosecution of those found to have been negligent.
Dr Neil Slabbert, the Kakamas private doctor who has requested mandatory provision of protective clothing, believes manufacturers and farmers should launch an educational project for workers.
He says although farmers’ techniques in the use of Dormex are improving, many do not follow guidelines for its use.
Johannes Moller, vice-president of the Northern Cape Agricultural Union, admits most farmers do not supply protective garments: “And we do not condone that.” However, he adds that workers sometimes decline to wear the clothing because it is uncomfortable.
The health department visited some farms and found “not all farmers are prepared to buy all kinds of safety equipment for all the workers”.
It reported that the lot of farm labourers is unlikely to improve as the Department of Labour does not have enough inspectors to monitor the implementation of workplace safety regulation. The report also mentions that most poisoning cases are not reported.
Moller says many farmers are in the process of mechanising the way they apply Dormex so that it is sprayed rather than brushed manually on to the plants.
Meanwhile, some of the sick workers are worried that farmers will not pay for their medical treatment. Most labourers used in the Dormex operations are employed on a seasonal basis.