Diesel fumes will be monitored

DIESEL fumes will be monitored at the Queensland Rail Callemondah depot near Gladstone.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union requested monitoring after a QR Sarina site report suggested diesel fumes posed a health hazard.

A report prepared by Tim Driscoll, an independent consultant in epidemiology, occupational health and public health; and a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine and public health medicine, stated lung and bladder cancer were the two cancers most strongly associated with exposure to diesel engine exhaust.

RTBU spokesman Craig Allen said the Sarina investigation was the result of a request by the union to QR after about 15 members had been diagnosed with cancer.

He said he had pushed the matter after Dr Driscoll had handed down a report on the Sydney Art Gallery, which showed the link between diesel fumes and cancer.

“They jumped on it immediately,” Mr Allen said.

He said now that Dr Driscoll's report on the Sarina site, which is on the Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot at Jilalan, had been released, he felt another site needed to be investigated.

“There is some concern in the report about diesel fumes,” Mr Allen said.

“Sarina doesn't use a lot of diesels. Gladstone (Callemondah) does.”

He said there were probably 100 workers at the Callemondah site, which had been operating since the early 1980s.

Testing is expected to be carried out at Callemondah early in the new financial year.

Mr Allen said a noise level study would be carried out at the Callemondah at the same time.

“We haven't worked out how long the monitoring will go for yet,” he said.

“From that, if there needs to be any work done there to reduce the exposure to the workers, it will depend on what comes out of the report on Callemondah.

“That will determine if we go and do further monitoring.”

Mr Allen said the Rockhampton diesel shed could be the next location to be monitored.

Diesel exhaust consists of small particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, plus other substances.

Dr Driscoll's report stated diesel engine exhaust was classified by IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as being probably an agent directly involved in the exacerbation of cancer in humans.

Trains were changed over from diesel locomotives to electric locomotives between 1986 and 1988. Since then, diesel locomotives have been used for shunting in non-powered tracks.

Dr Driscoll's summary stated the investigation into carcinogenic exposures in and around the Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot at Jilalan identified a number of actual and potential exposures to definite or suspected carcinogens.