Paragraph 86. It was not possible on the basis of the available evidence in the BALPA submission or that sourced by the Secretariat and DH Toxicology unit to conclude that there is a causal association between cabin air exposures (either general or following incidents) and ill health in commercial aircraft crews. However, we noted a number of oil / hydraulic fluid, smoke / fume contamination incidents where the temporal relationship between reports of exposure and acute health symptoms provided evidence that an association was plausible.
http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/pdfs/balpa.pdf
So now we know that breathing visible toxic oil fumes can not cause ill health in COMMERCIAL aircraft crews. Well, possibly (Just covering ourselves).
The available evidence was NEVER asked for, so how could it have been properly examined?
If the entire COT (Committee of Toxicity) had been bothered to spend 30 minutes in a fume filled aircraft fuselage, they would have been in no doubt whatsoever that toxic oil fumes do cause serious illness. It ain't rocket science.
They looked, but they didn't want to find the answer. It stinks.
The really scary thing is that one day, sometime in the future - when it is more convenient, they will 'discover' that toxic oil fumes do actually cause serious ill health.
DB
