RMIT launches investigation into cause of staff brain tumours
AM - Friday, 12 May , 2006 08:27:00
Reporter: Lynn Bell
PETER CAVE: Five members of staff at RMIT University in Melbourne
have been diagnosed with brain tumours in the last month.
Two other staff members have developed brain tumours in recent years,
and the university is concerned that more staff may now report
serious health problems.
A number of telecommunications transmitters are fitted to the top of
the building, and RMIT has launched an investigation to look for the
cause of the problem.
As Lynn Bell reports.
LYNN BELL: Of the seven staff members at RMIT University who've
recently discovered brain tumours, two are suffering malignant
tumours.
RMIT's Chief Operating Officer, Steve Somogyi, says radiofrequency
radiation in the Bourke Street building is now being monitored; air
and water quality tests are also being conducted.
STEVE SOMOGYI: Clearly we're very concerned with the health and
safety of our staff, and therefore we have taken a number of key
actions to ensure that our staff can continue to work in a healthy
framework.
LYNN BELL: The first tumour was reported in 1999 and then another in
2001.
At that time, a study was done to look at possible links between the
tumours and the mobile phone towers which are on the roof of the
building.
But Steve Somogyi says no connection was found.
STEVE SOMOGYI: The result of that expert study was that the exposure
to radio frequency radiation was in fact well within the minimum
requirements of the Australian standards, and therefore you could not
draw a conclusion between that exposure and the two cases that were
then known.
LYNN BELL: On the 11th of April this year, a third staff member
discovered a brain tumour.
Two more cases were reported on the 4th of May, and another two were
discovered this week.
The University is worried that other brain tumours may also be
reported.
Matthew McGowan from the National Tertiary Education Union shares
that concern.
MATTHEW MCGOWAN: We've had one or two calls, and I have to reiterate
that this is anecdotal information at this stage, but we have been
advised that there are a couple of other people who have also had
similar injuries that aren't included in that seven, and we believe
there may have been a fatality involved. Now, we can't confirm that,
because this is anecdotal information at the moment, but we are
checking that out.
LYNN BELL: Dr John Gall from Southern Medical Services has made a
preliminary assessment of the tumour cluster, and says at this stage
there is no obvious link between the tumours and the environment in
the University building.
But the Union's Matthew McGowan says further questions must be asked.
MATTHEW MCGOWAN: What we know at this stage is that five of the cases
occurred on the top floor, and that's a highly unusual concentration.
What we also know is that the majority of those people were long-term
employees, who'd been there for 10 years.
Now, there are questions that have to be asked about the building,
and I don't know the answer to that. At this stage, we've asked the
university to shut down the hot spot, but we haven't ruled out the
possibility of asking the university to close the whole building. But
I think at this stage, it's too early for us to make that
determination.
LYN BELL: The university has temporarily closed the two top floors of
the building, while investigations are carried out.
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