West Footscray fire: Hundreds report health issues since toxic blaze
BREATHING problems, sore throats, headaches, nosebleeds and bronchitis are among illnesses western suburbs residents have reported since a toxic factory fire in West Footscray three weeks ago.
North West
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HUNDREDS of families have suffered serious health issues since a toxic West Footscray fire suffocated the inner west, an alarming survey has revealed.
And experts have warned residents to brace for longer-term chronic impacts such as respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
The survey found almost 65 per cent of people reported headaches, sore throats, coughs and sore eyes in the weeks following the August 31 blaze.
WEST FOOTSCRAY FACTORY ON FIRE
EX-TENANT SAYS BLAZE NOT HIS FAULT
Resident Gillian Milne, who lives about 500m from the factory and just 30m from toxin-flooded Stony Creek, said she had a sore throat, coughing and breathing problems immediately after the blaze broke out on August 30.
Ms Milne said her five-year-old son had since experienced numerous nose bleeds.
“His eyes were stinging and he is still having nose bleeds, despite not ever having them before the fire,” she said.
“The chemical smell at the creek was so overpowering we could not open our door for a week.”
A thick cloud of black smoke billowed for days as the chemical explosions, which blasted at the scene, were believed to contain toxins including oxyacetylene and acetone.
University of Melbourne chemical and bio-molecular engineering expert Dr Gabriel da Silva said the symptoms were common responses to breathing in toxic fumes.
“There’s a whole range of health effects, from immediate impacts such as coughing, headaches and sore throats to more longer-term chronic impacts such as respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses,” Dr Silva said.
SURVEY FINDINGS
- 35 per cent reported headaches
- 32 per cent reported coughs or respiratory issues
- 24 per cent reported sore throats
- 10 per cent reporter another symptom
- 39 per cent reported no symptoms at all
It comes as WorkSafe continues to inspect factories in the inner-west in a bid to prevent another inferno.
Inspectors are focusing on potentially dangerous chemicals being stored correctly and regulations around labelling, storage and handling of chemicals are being followed.
The Greens-led survey received 433 responses over seven days.
The majority found communication to be inadequate with 60 per cent saying they didn’t receive information from the Environment Protection Authority and almost 15 per cent thought the information they received was “not helpful at all”.
Western Metropolitan Region Greens MP Huong Truong said she wanted emergency communication methods to be reviewed and improved.
“We need to fully understand the health impacts caused by the fire … when hundreds of people, including entire families are reporting symptoms we deserve to know exactly what we have been breathing,” she said.
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