Contact required with timber workers exposed to PCPThursday 5 Feb 2009 Allen and Clarke Policy and Regulatory Specialists Ltd (Allen & Clarke) this week released the terms of reference for a project to design and consult widely on a possible support service for workers in the New Zealand timber industry who were historically exposed to pentachlorophenol (PCP). PCP is a chemical that was used as an anti-sap stain treatment in the New Zealand timber industry between the 1950s and 1980s. The chemical was used at certain stages in timber processing only and has not been used in the industry for over 20 years.Recent research (McLean et al 2008) has shown that most timber workers had low exposure to PCP and had mortality rates similar to or less than, national death rates. However, about 10 percent of timber workers were more highly exposed to PCP or worked for more than 10 years in the industry. While their numbers were too small for an assessment of specific health problems, the findings suggested a possible increase in physical and neuropsychological conditions. This also includes a small non-significant increase in cancer mortality similar to that found in other studies on dioxin and health outcomes. Workers exposed to PCP also had higher levels of dioxins in their blood than the other people in the study and other New Zealanders. More >> |
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