They came, they cleaned and now they are sick. Clean up crews hired to clean and save the gulf now need help themselves. More workers operating on the affected sites have been hospitalized after they experienced nausea, pounding headaches and high blood pressure. These symptoms could have resulted from inhaling fumes from the burning crude oil, from the dispersant's used in the oil and from the oil itself.
The workers are blaming the oil giant BP and the chemical that was poured into the sea to disperse the ever growing oil slick. Now, a growing number of workers have filed class action suits against BP and Transocean.
Chemicals as well as vapors from the oil and dispersant's can cause serious damage to the health and both of them can inflame the nose, throat and lungs.
Another big concern is the long duration of the operation, which has hindered the worker’s health. OSHA has requested BP to cut short the time of the operation.
There are also allegations that the workers are working without proper gear while operating at the affected sites. OSHA has made it quite clear that clean up workers should have a proper HAZWOPER training and must be armed with proper personal protective equipment while cleaning.
The need for clean up workers is definitely there and the oil needs to be cleaned up but it should be done so in a proper way taking extreme care not to jeopardize the welfare of the workers. Clean up workers are being exposed daily to hazardous materials and many of them are miles away from the nearest clinic.
The workers are blaming the oil giant BP and the chemical that was poured into the sea to disperse the ever growing oil slick. Now, a growing number of workers have filed class action suits against BP and Transocean.
Chemicals as well as vapors from the oil and dispersant's can cause serious damage to the health and both of them can inflame the nose, throat and lungs.
Another big concern is the long duration of the operation, which has hindered the worker’s health. OSHA has requested BP to cut short the time of the operation.
There are also allegations that the workers are working without proper gear while operating at the affected sites. OSHA has made it quite clear that clean up workers should have a proper HAZWOPER training and must be armed with proper personal protective equipment while cleaning.
The need for clean up workers is definitely there and the oil needs to be cleaned up but it should be done so in a proper way taking extreme care not to jeopardize the welfare of the workers. Clean up workers are being exposed daily to hazardous materials and many of them are miles away from the nearest clinic.
Comments
Post a Comment