2013 January: 12 gas workers hospitalised. Pesticide: Paraquat

Workers released after chemical poison fear

17th Jan 2013 The Chronicle

“Yesterday, Goondiwindi Hospital treated 12 gas workers who were working on a private property and were exposed to the herbicide spray Paraquat 250,” Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service Goondiwindi director of nursing Katie Jefford said.

“All workers underwent a full decontamination process, were closely monitored for several hours and released yesterday afternoon.”

EARLIER: A dozen people have been exposed to the potentially deadly herbicide, Paraquat.

The gas workers from Goondiwindi were taken to the local hospital yesterday at about noon.

The Queensland Ambulance Service was made aware of the incident, however, did not take the group to the hospital.

Instead the group transported themselves to the Goondiwindi Hospital.

It was placed into a code brown state of emergency.

Paraquat is a widely in Australia as herbicide. It is banned in 32 countries.

The chemical is used on Australian farms to control grasses and broadleaf weeds.

In November, 2012, 55 year-old Howard Reck of Lynford died after ingesting a small amount of Paraquat.

He was filling a back-pump spray with Paraquat when the unit cracked spraying the toxic chemical over his face.

Yesterday afternoon, the Goondiwindi workers were in a stable condition and most of them were expected to be released from hospital.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/poison-puts-12-workers-in-hospital/1719931/