Haulbowline cadet canteen shut down after inspectors find exits locked and mould

There were also hazardous chemicals stored in open containers at the Haulbowline Naval Base in Cork late last year

Haulbowline  Larry Cummins

A health and safety inspection at Naval Service headquarters resulted in the shutting down of a cadet canteen area after emergency exits were found blocked as well as damp and mould.

An inspector from the Health and Safety Authority visited the Haulbowline Naval Base in Cork late last year discovering fire doors that weren’t being properly maintained, open attic space between buildings, and storage of hazardous chemicals in open containers.

There were serious issues with a cadet mess building on the base with lower emergency exits “blocked by stairs” along with evidence of damp and mould on walls and floors.

The health and safety inspector asked the Naval Service to conduct an immediate review of the building in terms of its “fitness for use or occupation”. In early January, the Defence Forces wrote to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to say it was no longer in active use.

A letter from Defence Forces Headquarters said:

“I can confirm and as per [our] action plan the Naval Service Cadets Mess is not used to accommodate any personnel following HSA inspection. Cadets [and] personnel were moved to alternative accommodation within the base.”

Read full article by Ken Foxe at the Irish Examiner 

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41414152.html

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Despite repeated interventions by the Health & Safety Authority the Defence Forces cannot seem to get their houses in order.

The previous Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett was at the helm of the Defence Forces when the HSA threatened legal action against the Irish Air Corps. 

Subsequently,  Vice Admiral Mellett heaped praise upon then Brigadier General Seán Clancy as GOC Air Corps claiming that “Sean Clancy did a great job cleaning up the Air Corps” albeit after serving 30+ years in the same Air Corps he supposedly cleaned up.

Two service branches now under the command of Chief of Staff,  Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, namely the Air Corps and the Naval Service, have yet again come under the spotlight for poor Health & Safety including hazardous chemical breaches. 

The Defence Forces have so far been as high as the Supreme Court in attempts to defend against legal cases relating to poor health & safety and unprotected hazardous chemical exposure yet the HSA continue to find them in contravention of legislation designed to protected their personnel. 

There is no accountability in this organisation when it comes to incompetence & negligence on Health & Safety issues because it simply does not have a culture of Health & Safety, a fact which successive Defence Ministers have been more than happy to ignore. 

Delay – Deny – Die

Helicopter crews suing MOD, claiming exhaust fumes caused their cancer

The personnel claim toxic fumes emitted from the aircraft caused their illness, and they are accusing the MOD of being negligent about the risk to their health.

The Sea King is one of the helicopter types whose exhaust fumes allegedly caused cancer among a number of former aircrew

The Ministry of Defence is being sued by crew members who have been diagnosed with cancer after serving on military helicopters.

The personnel claim toxic fumes emitted from the aircraft caused their illness, and they are accusing the MOD of being negligent about the risk to their health.

According to a report by The Times, crew members who served on board helicopters such as the Sea King, Wessex, Puma and Chinook are among those who are taking legal action.

It includes those who’ve served in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force from a variety of ranks.

They are saying they were exposed to concentrated levels of toxic exhaust fumes during their flights.

The say they have subsequently been diagnosed with illnesses such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, lung cancer, throat cancer and testicular cancer.

At least three of the former personnel affected have already passed away, while others have been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Five former service personnel have received out-of-court settlements, including a former flight sergeant who trained Prince William in the RAF.

It is being claimed the Government knew about the risk posed by the Sea King’s exhaust as far back as 1999, but aircrew continued to fly on board without safety precautions.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We hugely value our service personnel and veterans and owe a debt of gratitude to all those who serve, often with great personal sacrifice.

“We continually review our policies to ensure they are aligned with good practice and protect our people from harm.

Service personnel and veterans who believe they have suffered ill health due to service from 6 April 2005 have the existing and long-standing right to apply for no-fault compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.”

Read full article on Forces.net…

https://www.forces.net/technology/aircraft/helicopter-crews-suing-mod-claiming-exhaust-fumes-caused-their-cancer

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Delay – Deny – Die

Is anything safe at Air Corps base?

Damaged drains, cables across hangar floors, a leaking oven, oil spills and a risk of Legionnaires’ disease… these are just a few of the workplace hazards inspectors found at Casement Aerodrome

Health and safety inspections on the Irish Air Corps discovered spills of hazardous brake fluid, a water supply that carried the risk of Legionnaires disease, fall risks, damaged drains and trailing cables across hangar floors.

The Defence Forces were also issued with a contravention notice by the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) over the use of some chemicals without proper training of personnel.

A separate report from December said that several safety data sheets were outdated and recommended additional training on the handling of specific restricted chemicals. 

Read full article by Ken Foxe at the Irish Mail on Sunday via Pressreader…

https://www.pressreader.com/article/281728389626905

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Delay – Deny – Die