Vol. 425 No. 7
465 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the recently reported comments by a person (details supplied) that hospital staff working in nuclear medicine face hazards from toxic fumes, hepatitis B and HIV in addition to radiation risks; and the proposals, if any, he has to deal with this matter.
Under the terms of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, all employers are required to prepare a safety statement which sets out the particular hazards associated with individal workplaces and the measures to deal with them. My Department have participated in the work of the Advisory Committee on the Health Services established by the Health and Safety Authority, which has now published guidelines to assist health agencies to comply with the Act in the context of the particular hazards to be found in health care facilities. Compliance with the Act is a matter for each individual employing authority.
In regard to the particular comments referred to by the Deputy, I am advised that, provided correct safety procedures are followed, the staff working in nuclear medicine departments are not placed at any particular risk. In regard to radiation risks, I would refer the Deputy to the detailed reply by the then Minister for Health to a question from him on 30 January, 1992 (Vol. 415, No. 2). In relation to the other specific points raised, my Department have been active in advising health agencies in relation to protection of health staff from HIV and hepatitis B infection and have facilitated relevant hospital staff in obtaining vaccination against hepatitis.
