Chemical Poisoning through Inhalation

[PoisonedinAus]

March 2016 was not a good month, with waterproofers injecting toxic waterproof chemicals into a cavity wall underneath our appartment. The chemicals injected under pressure pumped out of wall power sockets and a large service hole behind the stove. Filling the cupboards and apartment with a pungent smelling cloud of toxic chemicals. Which over the next nine hours I inhaled, be coming dizzy, disoriented, finding it hard to breath and aching head and muscles. Thinking I was getting a bad dose of flu, kept going with my domestic duties as best as I could. Over the next week's, got worse and worse taking cold tablets and panadol and each day finding it difficult to move head, legs and arms. Then one morning at 6am unable to move at all as the pain felt like my limbs were being torn off. Hospital and diagnosed with PMR due to environmental change weeks before. Environmental change, yes being poisoned. Life virtually stopped for the past three years as health deteriates. I am alive and I thank God for that as I have been told it could have killed me. Anyone else have similar experiences, where do you go for help, need to know which of the chemicals caused this.

[Tonch]

Do you know what was used? You need to ask them for a material safety data sheet for the product. This is required by law and should list all the hazardous ingredients and a CAS number for each. CAS numbers are good because although a chemical can have different names, it will only have one CAS.

[SnazzyD]

Where are you, Aus? Start complaining now and get a paper trail because you have no idea what the full ramifications will be over time, medium or long term. Begin by writing to the company and as said already ask for the chemical particulars. Go to your health provider and get evidence of their diagnosis and cause and ask them if there is any public health type body to go to. It may well be worth going down the legal route for damages on a no win no fee basis; they should be insured. Get testimonials from others affected, the more the better and see if anyone is willing to help you.

I had a similar problem when I and many people were poisoned by remediation of an old agrochemical site in 2010. A whole group was set up to fight it. In our case the authorities were involved because the site was council owned after they bought it from the agrochemical company for some bizarre reason. We had people on the inside and some very good brains but no money. So we were beaten back by their well oiled mighty legal team and the fact the bad practice went to the top of some government bodies. What we did achieve was evidence for future sickness that may appear in the community over time and it made them improve their practices over the 18 months we suffered. Some people were never the same.

[SheffieldJane]

This is horrifying. I agree with SnazzyD. Can you get a lawyer interested pro bono, or a no win no fee?

You haven’t banned Asbestos in Australia either. I was very worried by some of the properties my daughters looked at. Sounds like the law needs tightening on these issues. The U.K. has been having problems with cladding on buildings not being fireproof. The ruthless pursuit of profit is putting us all in danger.

PaulBut makes an interesting point.