5000 ex-nuclear factory workers may have disease

By Tando Mfengwana
10 October 2006

Approximately 5000 former employees of the Pelindaba nuclear facility, near Pretoria, may possibly be suffering from an occupational disease related to chemical and radiation exposure.

The Cape Times reports that this emerged from a survey of 208 former employees and found that 72 had probable occupational disease.

The report said that this could mean that 5 100 workers from the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa, a state owned company that boast 30 000 workers, could have the occupational disease.

The survey is said to have been commissioned by the anti-nuclear lobby group, Earthlife Africa, after employees complained of contracting diseases from the radiation.

The report says that during the investigation by Earthlife Africa, 15 employees died out of the 208 surveyed.

Mashile Phalane of Earthlife Africa is reported to have said that the organisation began its investigation due to the death of a young graduate who died in the facility after inhaling gas.

The group approached Health Gap Network to survey ex-Necsa workers.

Phalane provided medical files of 208 former staff of Necsa. Sixty-eight percent of them were between the ages of 41 and 60 years old, many had been retrenched and 45 percent had over 10 years of exposure to the chemicals and radiation.