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Displaying items by tag: Asbestos

#Navy - The Irish Examiner reports on a solicitor's call for all Irish Naval Service vessels to be immediately docked and checked for asbestos.

Ernest Cantillon represents 10 people who believe they have been exposed to the hazardous substance, after it emerged recently that as many as 150 workers could be at risk after working on the LÉ Ciara and other vessels at naval headquarters at Haulbowline in Cork Harbour.

Asbestos dust was discovered during routine maintenance on the Naval Service patrol vessel in March, despite an audit of all ships a decade ago that declared them free of the formerly common insulation material.

It's now thought that up to 100 navy personnel and some 50 civilian workers may have been exposed - with no chance of compensation following a Supreme Court ruling in 20013 that only those diagnosed with asbestosis - which can take up to 40 years to develop - can sue the State.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Published in Navy
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#Asbestos – While carrying out routine maintenance of a Naval Service patrol vessel, it is now being claimed that 30 more civilian workers could also have been exposed to potentially lethal asbestos, writes The Irish Examiner.

That's in addition to another seven naval personnel who also have been exposed to the dust while they were working on the LÉ Ciara (P41) at the navy's headquarters in Haulbowline, Co Cork, last month.

The crisis deepened last night when Siptu said none of its civilian worker members, who are employed by the Department of Defence, had yet received any medical assessment — unlike the Naval Service personnel. To read much more on this story, the Irish Examiner has a report.

 

Published in Navy

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!