| The following letter was published in the ‘Farmers Guardian’ on 20th August 2010. The author highlights a document produced in the UK by the Health & Safety Executive which lists “suicidal intent” as one of the chronic symptoms of organophosphate (OP) poisoning. As it has been shown thay OPs in the form of tricresyl phosphate regularly get into airliner cabins, it is no coincidence that some of our members have felt so ill that thoughts of suicide have also entered their minds.
SHEEP BANK FARM LITTLEBOROUGH LANCS 13.7.2010
FOR PUBLICATION PLEASE
Dear Editor,
Government leaflets abound and as long as they reach the right people can be extremely useful. It is essential that information on health reaches the people at risk. Such was the case of the Health and Safety Document M.S.I 7. The farmers and shepherds and farmers using organophosphates were never in receipt of this document. It did reach a small number of doctors and also such bodies as the Transport and General Workers Union. The horrifying information on the copy I have mentioned the suicide impulse of victims. Mine is the draft copy, when it was reprinted for the limited circulation, the suicide clause was dropped!
I am now informed that the document is now out of print and unobtainable so now the suicides can be ignored and the Health and Safety Executive can rest on their laurels and still parrot the same old story, Safe if handled properly. Many of us would have been safe if we had been told the truth and many of the suicides would still be alive today.
Is it too much to ask that the H.S.E. put this paper back into production and ensure that every farmer in the country has a copy?
Yours faithfully
B Sutcliffe |
Quote
from MS17 1998 draft: “40. Depression with suicidal intent, chronic fatigue and
multiple chemical sensitivity are specific conditions which have been
associated with exposure to pesticides and veterinary medicines, including OPs.
A number of other conditions have also received attention including
cardiomyopathy, osteoporosis, malignancy and developmental abnormalities.”
Various versions of the MS17 document
40.
Depression with suicidal intent, chronic fatigue and multiple chemical
sensitivity are specific conditions which have been associated with exposure to
pesticides and veterinary medicines, including OPs. A number of other
conditions have also received attention including cardiomyopathy, osteoporosis,
malignancy and developmental abnormalities.
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