Australia's Science Forum

Dear All, Welcome back to term 2, Hope you had a restful holiday. My question is aimed mainly at the Private - make that Catholic school labbies!! (private schools tend to lag behind when it comes to rules and regulations!!!!!) How often do you have a medical check up? What is involved - Numerous blood tests?? Is it something your local GP can do? What are the guidelines ? What is the Diocese's position on the extent of check ups? I do know it has to be at the employer's expense - and that is about all I know! Any information, particularly from someone who has recently had their check up, would be most appreciated. Thank you, Judy

I would be really interested to know as well.
I have been working as lab Tech for 20 yrs, and havent had anything at all. I would be happy to have heavy metal/toxins/organic blood test levels. As for tests that see if the job has sent me insane...well, I can tell you now.......

edited to show how I feel

Hey Judy,

Medical check? What medical check? Never had one. I did receive lovely prompt attention when I spilt hot NaOH agar on my hand, , but no-one has ever suggested I have a medical check-up.

Shall I rock the boat and ask around? What inspired you to ask about them anyway?

Cheers, K

Hi,

I'd also be interested if anyone out there has more info. I also work at a private school and often any changes must be initated by those it effects. At a recent chemical course I took they gave some info about it which I am yet to persue more. But basically it went into "exposure monitoring" and "biological monitoring", the latter one being what I think you were talking about. For biological monitoring they commonly take blood, urine and breath but can also take faeces, nails, hair, sweat, saliva and breast milk, depending on what is being tested for. Apparently this is largely done by companies involved in mining etc and is limited in other areas, probably including our own. They can test for things such as lead, acetone, phenol, mercury, cobalt, etc. I have five pages with information on this which I'd be happy to fax to anyone interested but it's not aimed specifically at lab techs or schools.

On a related topic that I was thinking about (reading the post on a maternity leave position) what sort of actions are people who are pregnant taking to minimise risk? Not that I need to think about that any time soon but some day it will probably be an issue.

Courtney,
Could you please fax me a copy of your info.
Fax # 026772 5697

I've worked here for 18 years & a medical check has never been mentioned.
I have wondered about it though & think it's a good idea.

Thanks
Judy

I have always said if I had another child it would probably have 3 heads due to the exposure of chemicals that we have in schools.

It would be very interesting to find out just how toxic I am.

Just faxed it to you Judy. I hope it's of some help.

Hi Courtney,
I would love a copy of that as well thank you!! Fax: 0248681610 ATT: TAMMY.
I was wondering if the policy is different in different states, does anyone know?

I've received the fax you sent and I'd be interested to know if you are able to get further info.
Thanks for that Courtney.

I was breathing in Bromine fumes for a couple of years from a bottle that was kept in the prep room. The seal gradually deteriorated and I guess I was so used to the smell I didn't even notice it. It wasn't until we had a relief teacher come to the school and he was the one who noticed the smell. After that I kept it in the fridge 'til it ruined the fridge and eventually got rid of it. I now only buy ampoules.

Still makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Cheers
Judy

My incubator was sited on the bench in the Prep room. Every year when students did the prac of growing bacteria or mould in petri dishes I would become ill - one year it developed into pneumonia and I was very ill. I moved the incubator into a fume-cupboard and havent had a problem since. Work related illness??? The evidence is clear!

Sent you off a copy Tammy. Again, it's not much, but it's a starting point.

That bromine situation makes me shudder. I know my sense of smell must be warped by working in science. Someone spilt some lovely fish juices in the fridge a while back and it was (apparently) stinking out that room. I didn't smell a thing until someone pointed it out. After that I was fairly concerned about what else I may not be smelling! I guess that's why they say never to use your sense of smell as a guide to exposure!

I have no sense of smell , or very diminished - thought it was just me. I never can pick up on smells like others. Wondering how many other labbies have the same issues.
Just curious.

I also have a very diminshed sense of smell after working for nearly 25 years with chemicals in various jobs
Dee

Just a point of view from someone who has has worked in the Private and Catholic sector and is now in the public system (over 20 years all up)..... has anyone out there heard of any others who have contracted cancer etc after working with all these chemicals in schools? I developed cancer several years ago now ( and thankfully am still here) and heard at the time of 2 others. Of course these cases may or may not have been work related but I have often wondered (especially after one incident I recall when a Head Teacher asked me to make up a Millons Reagent; nitric acid + mercury as part of the process - done in a fume cupboard though ) Still I always wondered if there was an increased incidence among those working in Science as opposed to say those in the office or library.

Very good point, I also know of 2 labbies that passed away of cancer, but can it be document its their job??? Guess we may never know.

I have just returned from a fantastic school excursion (From Tamworth to the Gold Coast Via Ularu, 8500 km!) and am now catching up on messages from the last 3 weeks.

I am the second lab assistant here at Oxley to have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer as have 2 of the Science teachers. This is over a 15 odd year period but it still is food for thought. Luckily we are all still here and OK.

Wendy

Yes that is food for thought. Our best wishes to you Wendy, I am please all is well now.

Take Care

Wendy
Has this cluster been reported to the authorities?

I know that annual medical examinations are provided for in my "Work place Agreement" but nobody has ever told me the procedure for actually having it done! I guess I should check it out!

Ian

Hi Barbara,

I actually hadn't thought of it before as a cluster, with a female staff of over 50 it seemed to be within the range of women that are likely to get breast cancer and had been over more than 15 years.

Actually when I was diagnosed there were a lot of questions that I had expected to be asked when I was diagnosed but wasn't, like exposure to chemicals (which I had been both here as a labbie and in the previous life as a registered nurse) and exposure to radiation (again as a nurse when I had to hold several premature babies each day whilst they had an x-ray).

Wendy