News & Views
Alcoa cancer link
28 June 2002
A national survey of more than 11,000 workers at Alcoa plants in Victoria and Western Australia has shown a higher incidence of some cancers compared with national averages.
The study, conducted by Healthwise, a group of academics from Monash University and the University of Western Australia, is investigating the health of workers in the aluminium industry.
The interim Healthwise report found Alcoa workers to have higher than average rates of respiratory tract cancer, pleural cancer and melanomas.
Australian Workers Union health and safety officer, Dr Yossi Berger, is a member of the Healthwise scientific advisory committee. Dr Berger said the results warranted further investigation.
"What these results are saying is if you worked at Alcoa during the test period your chances of getting respiratory cancer are three times higher than the rest of Australia."
AWU national secretary, Bill Shorten, said the union would hold mass meetings of Alcoa workers to discuss the report.
"While we don't want to alarm anyone we see this as one of the biggest issues to confront the AWU since Esso and the fire at the Longford plant," Mr Shorten said.
Contract maintenance workers at Alcoa plants in Victoria and Western Australia are concerned that they were not included in the study.
AMWU national occupational health and safety coordinator, Deb Vallance, said a mass meeting of contractors in Western Australia today (June 28) had voted to cease work and meet again on Tuesday July 2.
AMWU members requested that contractors at Alcoa be included in any further Healthwise studies. The meeting also requested Alcoa seek expert medical advice to identify those at risk of developing the cancers mentioned in the study.
Ms Vallance said AMWU members had raised concerns over chemical exposure in various campaigns for many years. She said the results of the study indicate the need for Alcoa to look at the substances people are being exposing to.
"Many of our members are contractors who work the majority of their time at Alcoa yet they have not been included in these studies."