/ 2 December 2004

SA nuclear workers say they’re ill

A toxicologist will study the medical records of 23 current and former Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) employees to determine their state of health, Earthlife Africa said on Wednesday.

The organisation has expressed concern there was ”irregularities” in the way in which workers’ medical files had been handled.

This comes after a former Koeberg worker, Ron Lockwood, contracted leukaemia. Studies show that leukaemia can be contracted through exposure to radiation, Earthlife Africa spokesperson Mashile Phalane said.

Phalane said the workers would hand their medical records over to well known toxicologist Dr Murray Coombs on Friday.

He said several workers had complained of feeling ill during Earthlife Africa workshops held in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, recently.

Phalane said it had also been found that the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), responsible for protecting the public against radiation, had never undertaken any health studies on workers or citizens living close to nuclear installations.

Earthlife Africa urged all affected workers and communities to hand over their medical records to Coombs in Atteridgeville on Friday. – Sapa