ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

INQUIRY INTO THE CFA TRAINING COLLEGE AT FISKVILLE

SUBMISSION

My Details:

0 ·~@~TIW~~""'-17 FEB 2015 ~ Name: Alistair Vincent Allan

Address: _/

EN~MENTANDNATU~ RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Contact:

Executive Summary:

This document has been submitted to explain why a Non-CF A person who was training Non -CFA personnel for a Non-CFA organisation at the CFA's Fire Training Ground at Fiskville in the late 1980s is making a submission and is claiming compensation.

During the period between 1985 and 1989, I conducted fire training courses for the Petrochemical Industry at Fiskville on behalf of the Australian Institute of Petroleum (AlP).

During the period 1985 to 1989, the AlP conducted fire training for employees of petrochemical companies.

I have attached photographs of the CF A training ground which I took at that time. These photographs illustrate the proximity of all persons to the water and to the products of combustion. At the conclusion of a training session, all participants were wet, despite the protective clothing worn. We thought nothing of this at the time.

It has now been established that both the fuel and the recycled water used for firefighting contained toxic and carcinogenic material.

The recent Monash Report on Fiskville stated that, amongst the cancers identified as a result of this exposure, were melanomas.

Since 2012, I have had two melanomas removed, one from the left side of my face and a large one from my back on 14/04/2014.

My back has not been exposed to the sun for at least 50 years.

This, then, is the reason for my submission.

1

General Background:

During the period between 1985 and 1989, I conducted training courses for the Petrochemical Industry at the CFA's Training College, Fiskville.

I conducted these courses on behalf of the Australian Institute of Petroleum (AlP). Since then, the AlP has moved from Melbourne to Canberra.

The AlP is the Industry Association for the Petrochemical Industry; its members at the time were the oil industry majors: BP Australia, Shell Australia, Mobil Australia, Caltex Australia, AMOCO and Am pol.

I have been informed that the AlP is no longer the hands-on organisation that it was in those days.

At the time, I was employed by BP Australia as its Safety Adviser.

The AlP had a Safety Committee comprising the safety officers from its various members. I represented BP Australia on this Committee.

Because of my expertise in this area (which I will describe later), I was chosen to conduct this training.

During this training, I, as well as the trainees, was exposed to:

the re-cycled water; and the liquid by-products of the combustion of the fuels in use; and the vapours of the fuels and by-products of combustion ofthe fuels.

As it turns out, the fuels in use included waste from chemical and plastics companies. These companies were pleased to use Fiskville as a cheap disposal route for their "slops", or liquid waste.

At that time, all parties were "happy" with this arrangement, especially the CF A as the fuel was free.

No one realised the long-term consequences of this arrangement.

As a matter of passing interest, Mr Brian Potter was the CPA's Chief Fire Officer at this time. I got to know him personally.

One of the firefighting techniques employed in the petrochemical industry is the "5-man fog attack". This technique is used to safely approach a valve to close it thus depriving the fire of its fuel.

The attached close-up photograph shows how the trainees are wet by the recycled water fog during this drill. They are also exposed to the by-products of the burning fuel at the same time. This included me as the fire ground controller. (I took the enclosed photographs during one such training session.)

If there were, say, 20 trainees, they would all be given the opportunity to participate in all the roles of the 5-man fog attack drill. That meant that they were all thoroughly wet at the end of the drills which were repeated five times.

The other photographs show various fire drills which also exposed the personnel to the hazards from the fuel and the recycled water.

2

The Fire Ground:

At this time, BP Australia had made the decision to close its refinery at Westernport. The Refinery's Fire and Safety Officer at the time was Mr Russell (Russ) White. He was also the Captain of the Hastings CFA Fire Brigade.

As the refinery was being dismantled, he salvaged some of the tanks, pressure vessels, valves and pipework for use at Fiskville.

The various individual fire "props" were then manufactured and installed by the CFA.

The fuel was piped from the storage to the various props.

This became the CF A's petrochemical fire training ground as it remained for many years and probably still is. Some of the props feature in my photographs taken at that time.

My Background:

During my career in the Royal AustralianAir Force (RAAF) from 1962 to 1973, I became involved in fire protection and practical aircraft fire fighting. To become more efficient in this discipline, I studied for my fire engineering qualifications. I did this through the Institution of Fire Engineers (!FE) which is one of the worldwide fire qualification and standard setting organisations.

I passed the various grading examinations and continued with the !FE in civilian life. It was as a result of my RAAF fire training experience and my !FE qualifications that I was recruited into BP Australia as the Chief Fire and Safety Officer at its petrochemical refinery at K winana which is just south of Perth.

I have also included photographs of training that I conducted at the fire training ground at K winana, with clean fuel and clean water.

In 1984, I was appointed as BP Australia's Safety Adviser and transferred to Melbourne.

This practical and theoretical experience led the AlP to select me to conduct its fire training courses at Fiskville.

3

My Health:

The photographs of the training which I took at the time illustrate the proximity of all persons, including me, to the contaminated water and to the products of combustion of the fuel including the waste products.

Since 2012,1 have had two melanomas removed, one from the left side of my face and a large one from my back on 14/04/2014. I have documentation to support this claim.

Over the years, I have had many "sun spots" such as solar keratosis removed, but never melanomas.

- My back had not been exposed to the sun for at least 50 years.

To have one melanoma is bad enough, but to have two diagnosed in such a short period is seen by the medical profession to be potentially dangerous.

The recent publicity surrounding the health effects resulting from exposure to the contaminated water and fuel at Fiskville alerted me to my present medical situation.

This, then, is the reason for my submission.

I am still in a full-time employment.

Alistair Allan

Attachments:

The first set of photographs depicts the CF A Fire Training Ground at Fiskville in the late 1980s.

The second shows the Fire Training Ground at BP Australia's Petrochemical Refinery at K winana.

In both sets of photographs, I was the Training Officer and was conducting the training.

1 have included current details of the AlP.

Confidentiality:

This Submission is not to be treated as "Confidential".

4

Media Release The Hon Daniel Andrews MP Premier

Wednesday, 21 January, 2015

CANCER CLUSTER FOUND AT INFAMOUS FIRE FACILITY

Firefighters who worked at the Fiskville Training Facility have higher than expected rates of skin, testicular and brain cancer.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett, today announced the findings of the Fiskville Cancer Study.

The study, conducted by Monash University, examines cancer and death rates linked to the site between 1971 and 1999.

Among a group of 606 people who worked and trained on the fire ground, a total of 69 cancers were discovered that resulted in 16 deaths.

Staff who worked full time, and who were exposed to flammable chemicals, combustion, foams and recycled firewater, developed melanoma and testicular cancer at higher than expected rates.

Part time instructors considered to be in the medium risk group showed higher than expected rates of brain cancer.

The Andrews Labor Government will ask the Parliamentary Inquiry into Fiskville to include the Monash report in its considerations. The Inquiry will also get to the bottom of how this occurred, how widespread the exposure was and who should be held responsible.

The CFA has written to those involved in the study. Firefighters and Victorians concerned about these findings are urged to call the Hotline on 1800 060 729.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

"Our firefighters work hard to protect us. It's our turn to protect them."

"We always thought Fiskville was a problem and now we know it was one with tragic consequences."

"We must learn the lessons of Fiskville, because this can't be allowed to happen again."

Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett

"We will deal with the findings for the sake of our firefighters and their families"

"We have set up a Parliamentary Inquiry into Fiskville and we expect its interim report at the end of June this year."

"The inquiry will come up with recommendations to reduce the harm and provide justice for the victims and their families."

Media Contact: Chris Piper 0458 715 135 I chris.piper@minstaff.vic.gov.au

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AIP is a key representative body of Australia's petroleum industry and their aim is to promote and assist in the development of a strong internationally compet itive Australian petro leum products industry, operating effici ently, economica lly and safely, and in harmony with the environment and commu nity standards.

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http://www.business.gov.au/advice-and-suppmt/directory/Pages/ Australian-Institute-c. .. 28/0 I /20 15

Alistair V. Allan Grad.Dip.OHM. F.I.FireE.. M.S.I.A. Salety Adviser

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