§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many incidents involving exposure of personnel to organophosphorus components were recorded in each year of operation of CDE Sutton Oak and CDE Nancekuke, and what follow-up studies have been done to investigate the long-term effects of OP exposure in these cases; and
What measures they have taken to trace former personnel at CDE Sutton Oak and CDE Nancekuke who were known to have been exposed to 79WA organophosphorous compounds and what follow-up studies have been undertaken to investigate the chronic effects of exposure to these compounds; and
What were the ages on retirement or last day of professional consultation of all clinical and medical staff at CDE Nancekuke from 1953–75.
Viscount Cranborne: Responsibility for the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment under its Chief Executive, Doctor G. S. Pearson, CB. The agency is therefore responding to the question.
Letter to the Countess of Mar from the Director General of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Dr. Graham Pearson, dated 11 April 1994
- 1. Your Parliamentary Questions to Her Majesty's Government of 23 and 24 March 1994 asking how many incidents involving exposure of personnel to organophosphorus compounds occurred in each year of operation of CDRE Sutton Oak and CDE Nancekuke, and what follow-up studies have been done to investigate the long-term effects of OP exposure in these cases, what measures have been taken to trace former personnel at CDRE Sutton Oak and CDE Nancekuke who were known to have been exposed to organophosphorus compounds and what follow-up studies have been undertaken to investigate the chronic effects of exposure to the compounds and what were the ages on retirement or last day of professional consultation of all clinical and medical staff at CDE Nancekuke from 1953 to 1975 have been passed to me to answer as Chief Executive of the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment.
- 2. Our records do not indicate how many incidents involving exposure of personnel to organophosphorus compounds occurred at the Chemical Defence Research Establishment (CDRE) Sutton Oak and the then Chemical Defence Establishment (CDE) Nancekuke. They do show that CDE Nancekuke had a commendable accident record compared with similar industrial chemical facilities. Between 1955 and 1979 there were 98 lost time incidents, of which the majority were accidents concerned with physical injury due to mechanical causes. Very few accidents occurred involving chemicals. There were no major accidents where toxic chemicals were concerned.
- 3. There were allegations in the press in the late 1960s that deaths and illnesses had been caused to workers at Nancekuke by nerve gas and other chemical warfare agent poisoning. In the case of staff who had died there was no evidence to substantiate this claim (see Official Report, col. 194–5, 2 November 1970). There were two cases in which industrial employees claimed that they were suffering from work-related illnesses. One claim was rejected, although the employee was later retired on medical grounds, his symptoms being considered to have been caused by "psychoneurosis" or anxiety. The second claim was that an individual had been poisoned following some work on a nerve gas pipe in 1958 when
WA 80 not wearing adequate protective clothing and which did result in a lowering of his cholinesterase at the time. As a result of hearing from DHSS Medical Boards, he was awarded modest compensation to cover 5 weeks of disablement benefit in 1958; this was later significantly reduced after a DHSS appeal. - 4. There has been no necessity for follow-up studies as there is no indication in our records to suggest that those who worked at CDRE Sutton Oak or at CDE Nancekuke had had any long term effects as great care was taken to ensure that they were not exposed to toxic chemicals and the health of all staff was closely monitored with blood cholinesterase levels being checked regularly.
- 5. Our records do not show the ages on retirement or last day of professional consultation of the clinical and medical staff at CDE Nancekuke from 1953 to 1975. Further search would involve disproportionate costs.