By Geoff Spencer
PERTH - About 100 construction workers were exposed for three hours to a liquefied petroleum gas leak here recently. The workers eventually walked off the job complaining of giddiness, stinging eyes and sore throats, despite company claims that the work environment was safe.
The workers were from a new diesel refining plant at BP's Kwinana refinery. Eventually the company admitted there had been a leak but claimed it was insignificant. BP only "pays lip service to occupational health and safety, and now they're saying the workers overreacted", electrical and engineering union assistant secretary Bill Game told Green Left Weekly.
The company's policy has been to deny everything and claim the union and the workers have a record for being "troublesome", says Game. He counters that BP's "willingness to allow workers to continue under poor conditions is in line with its past record".
The company was fined $5000 two years ago after being found guilty of exposing workers to asbestos fibres. The construction workers are now setting up a safety committee, without company involvement.