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.JilfM 'Z L  by the Minister for National Development

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The M in ister fo r National Development, Mr Kevin Newman,  said today th a t the f i r s t  re p o rt on the health survey of employees

a t  the A u stra lian  Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishm ent, Lucas H e ig h ts, has been completed.

. A t o ta l o f 1140 s t a f f  members (93% of s t a f f )  were examined

during the health survey. S t a f f  p a r t i c i p a t i o n  was voluntary.

The re p o r t re ve als no disease s p e c i f i c a l l y  r e l a t e d  to work

with io n is in g  r a d i a t i o n , nor with uranium or other ra d io a c tiv e  m a t e r i a l .

No chronic occupational disease was id e n tifie d , except for  five cases of skin d is o rd e rs . Raised blood pressure was common and  implies a need fo r control of fa c tors such as e x e r c is e , drinking,

e a ti n g , the taking of s e l f - p r e s c r i b e d  analgesics and m edically p rescribed  pharmaceuticals. .

Hearing lo ss in some groups was a common f in d in g , but i t  was  r a r e l y  regarded as due to exposure to noise a t  the Research Establishment.  The m atter will be analysed f u r t h e r  in a l a t e r  re p o rt. The l a t e r  re p o rt

w ill include recommendations on health promotion in the Research '  Establishment. .

The survey was planned in 1974 following re p re s e n ta tio n s   Ã¢ÂÂ   ’ by unions re p re se n tin g  s t a f f  a t  the Research Establishment, for an

independent medical survey a t  Lucas Heights. Concern ha a been expressed  . over po ssib le  i l l  health a r is in g  from the working conditions at the

. ' Establishment. Â·

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cÂ·Â·* *  The survey was conducted for the'Commission by the Department

“ of Occupational and Environmental Health of the School of Public Health

and Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney. Professor David Ferguson, Ã¢ÂÂ¢  Head of the Department.of Occupational and Environmental Health, prepared

the present report. The Labor Council of New South Wales co-operated  with the Commission in the survey.

The survey was i n i t i a l l y  under the control of Dr G.C. Smith,  Senior Lecturer in Occupational Health, School of Public Health and  Ã¢ÂÂ   . Tr opi cal Medicine, U n i v e r s i t y  o f  Sydney, u n t i l  his r e t i r e m e n t  in October

Â· 1975 when P r o f e s s o r  David Ferguson to o k - o v e r  th e  r e s p o n s i b i l i t y .  The

survey was c a r r i e d  out with th e  a s s i s t a n c e  o f  a Medical Advisory P a n e l,

c o n s i s t i n g  o f  P r o f e s s o r  D. Ferguson (Chairman), A s s o c i a t e  P r o f e s s o r   Ã¢ÂÂ   B.H. Gandevia, Department o f  M ed ic in e , Prince Henry H o s p i t a l ,  Sydney,

.........Â·.. . . Dr P.L.T. I l b e r y ,  Medical D i r e c t o r ,  Cancer I n s t i t u t e ,  Melbourne, and

Dr M.R. J o s e p h , C o n s u lt a n t Chest P h y s i c i a n , Royal P r i n c e  A lf r e d  H o s p i t a l ,

Sydney.

CANBERRA

8 MAY 1978

