Toxic fumes endanger Hobart workers

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union has accused a Hobart zinc smelter of exposing 100 production workers to a carcinogenic mist and putting company profits ahead of workers' health.

The CFMEU claims that for the first 10 days of October, growing numbers of workers at the Nyrstar smelter reported suffering serious nasal haemorrhages and eye and skin irritations following exposure to sulfuric acid mist in the smelter's cell room.

According to the Union, the mist is a toxic by-product that formed because Nyrstar had increased production temperatures to 39°C.

"The sulfuric acid pools used in the process are covered by a foam blanket to minimise the amount of mist that forms," said Marshall Reeves from the Union.

"But at 39°C the blanket dissipates and acid mist is released. The company has boosted the temperature by ramping up the power to get more production."

The Union is incensed because Nyrstar has refused to put a stop to the deadly emissions by introducing an engineering solution (such as cooling tanks) to lower production temperatures, choosing instead to offer workers heavy facemasks.

Nyrstar said it regularly monitors the level of exposure to acid mist and that there has been no increase in first aid injuries in October.