The Times
October 12, 2003
Mark Macaskill
A MAJOR electronics firm at the centre of a suspected cancer cluster has been accused of “stalling tactics” to prevent a government study into the cause.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is said to be involved in a “stand-off” with National Semiconductor — an American owned firm with a factory in Greenock — over proposals to carry out further studies into cases of cancer among the workforce.
Government scientists are particularly keen to investigate cases of lung cancer which were found to be up to three times the expected figure in a previous HSE study in 2001.
Since then, a further 30 former employees who have been diagnosed with cancer after working at the Greenock plant have come forward.
In the original study, 11 female workers were found to have contracted lung cancer. Other cases of cancer were identified although a work-related cause has not been established.
Scientists have now drawn up a protocol to interview around 300 current and former workers to investigate the link with lung cancer and the inhalation of a range of chemicals commonly used in semiconductor factories.
They want to establish if outside factors, such as smoking, could have caused their condition and have asked for access to private medical records on employees held by the company.
Experts also wish to interview people who worked, or are still working, in the same parts of the factory with similar duties but who do not have the disease.
However, sources close to the HSE say the investigation is being hampered by a lack of co-operation from the firm.
“The company has been told that the HSE is the regulatory body,” said one. “They have balanced the HSE’s five epidemiologists by getting five of their own. They are saying the protocol is not right and there is a stand-off.”
In the 2001 study, 4,388 current and former employees — 2,126 men and 2,262 women — were investigated after concerns were raised by workers over the number of colleagues who had contracted cancer.
However, the scale of the investigation meant scientists were unable to draw a link between certain cancers and the workplace.
A trial involving former employees of IBM — who claim they contracted cancer while working for the company — starts in America next week.
Experts say a decision against IBM could open the floodgates for thousands of claims against semiconductor companies worldwide.
Copyright 2003 - The Times
