Brisbane, Australia: ABC Toowong to close after cancer scare

ABC Toowong to close after cancer scare PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
The World Today - Thursday, 21 December , 2006 12:22:00
Reporter: Brigid Glanville
ELEANOR HALL: The ABC will abandon one of its capital city headquarters within a matter of weeks because of a health investigation, which has revealed an unacceptably high incidence of breast cancer at the broadcaster’s Brisbane base.

The report showed women who work there have reported breast cancer at a rate 11 times higher than the general working community. The report examined the cases of 10 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer while working at the Toowong site. Most of them worked in the newsroom, and had been there for more than 5 years.

The ABC’s Managing Director has also revealed there will now be similar health studies at ABC sites around Australia.

Brigid Glanville was at the staff meeting in Brisbane, and she joins us now.

So Brigid, this is clearly a very significant report. Who conducted it and what are the key findings?

BRIGID GLANVILLE: It was conducted by a panel, and the Chair of the panel, Eleanor, was Dr Bruce Armstrong from the University of Sydney, and also from the Sydney Cancer Clinic.

Within the report, they interviewed the ten women who have had invasive breast cancer at the ABC studios here. Eight of them have been from the newsroom.

And from the study it found that with those statistics, it would be reasonable for 1.6 women to have breast cancer, who work at the ABC here in Toowong, in Brisbane, but actually because ten of them have breast cancer, it means that women who work here are up to between three... and up to 11 times more like to get breast cancer. They think it’s probably around 6.25, will be the figure.

So, they’ve ruled out a number of factors of the cause, unfortunately they say they can’t actually pinpoint what the cause is, they’ve ruled out things in the study, say, lifestyle.

All the women they interviewed that have had breast cancer, they had a significant amount of exercise, no one in their family had had breast cancer, that’s a major risk for women, also they didn’t smoke, all those things that could contribute. So, they rules that out, they ruled out other risk factors, they ruled out error in the study, so they’ve come to the conclusion that it has something to do with the workplace.

ELEANOR HALL: So, they can’t pinpoint the cause, but they are concerned enough to ask that everyone be removed from the site?

BRIGID GLANVILLE: Absolutely. They’ve tested radiation levels, all those kind of things, and they said it’s not that, so they can’t actually find anything. So now, within a matter of days, the people that work here, I think there’s around 250 people that work here, will be moved from the site.

The first emphasis is on the newsroom, because the women, Eleanor, that had it, the eight of them, worked in a cluster area, mainly around the TV news desk, and in the studio. So, the newsroom will be moved first, it’s likely that will probably to Channel Seven, and Channel Ten, and work from their newsrooms.

The rest of the ABC sites, all the local radio programs, Australian story, Landline, all the other programs that come out of the ABC, will be moved within days to a temporary location, and then in January they’ll try an look for a permanent home.

And actually, Eleanor, I’ve just had some news come in, that actually the newsroom staff will leave the site today.

ELEANOR HALL: So, what has been the reaction of people there?

BRIGID GLANVILLE: Well, when Mark Scott, the Managing Director, handed down the report, there were a number of women who were crying - young women, who have worked here for years.

A combination of, I think, emotion for the people they know, the women who have had breast cancer, and of course for these young girls, in their early thirties, who are now concerned that they might have a chance of contracting breast cancer because they’ve worked here.

ELEANOR HALL: Now, Mark Scott delivered the results of this report. At the time he also said there would be similar health studies conducted at sites around Australia. What did he say about that?

BRIGID GLANVILLE: He said that they’re going to do a study, an epidemiological study of women who have had breast cancer at all the other ABC sites, so, Sydney, Melbourne, right around the country.

And obviously when those results come down, just to see if it is obviously in every ABC workplace. But at the moment, obviously the focus is here on Brisbane, and a lot of management are up here today, and they’re obviously saying that the importance is on health and safety.

They are urging a lot of staff, possibly over the Christmas period, to take longer leave, so they’re not back until, sort of, mid-January. They are also talking about now, setting up like a convention type... going to a convention centre, and setting up makeshifts sort of studios, and that kind of thing.

ELEANOR HALL: Brigid Glanville at the ABC newsroom in Brisbane, thank you.

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The Herald Sun

ABC may face cancer lawsuits

By Christine Flatley and Rosemary Desmond

December 21, 2006 06:08pm
Article from: AAP

THE ABC is facing possible legal action from women who have contracted breast cancer while working at the broadcaster’s Brisbane studios.

An independent study has found that women who worked at the Toowong studios in the city’s inner-west reported breast cancer at a rate of up to 11 times higher than the general working community.

The shock findings forced ABC managing director Mark Scott to order the immediate closure of the studios, even though the cause of the unusually high incidence of cancer remains a mystery.

“Given the uncertainty of not knowing what has caused it, the only alternative was to move quickly to relocate the site,” Mr Scott said today.

He rejected suggestions staff should have been moved sooner, saying it would not have been appropriate to act before the study was completed.

The 350 staff employed at ABC in Brisbane will temporarily use the studios of the Seven Network and Network Ten until suitable accommodation can be found.

In the meantime, the ABC will commission a study of the incidence of breast cancer among staff at other sites around Australia in an effort to find out the cause of the cancer cluster at Toowong.

ABC journalist Ian Eckersley said he had been notified that women were already starting to pursue avenues for compensation.

“I know the women are talking about it,” Mr Eckersley said.

“I know there’s one staff member, or ex-staff member, who’s been investigating that pretty thoroughly and it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a class action out of this.”

Mr Eckersley was one of three staff members who worked alongside the panel of scientists commissioned by the ABC in July to investigate the high incidence of cancer.

Twelve women who worked at the Toowong office have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 11 years.

Eight of the women worked in the newsroom and most had been there for more than five years.

The study confirmed the higher than usual levels of incidence, and concluded that long-term employees were most at risk.

However there is still no conclusive evidence about what has caused the cancer cluster, and Dr Bruce Armstrong, who headed the study, said it was unlikely they would ever know.

“I think the history of investigations of clusters like this tells us that (the likelihood) is pretty low ... most of the time an explanation is not found,” Dr Armstrong said.

“This is an unusual cluster and on that basis it ought to be obvious what the cause is, but it’s not obvious what the cause is.”

Mr Scott said there should only be minor disruptions to Queensland news bulletins.

The swift action to abandon the site has been welcomed by staff members.

However, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) state secretary David Waters said the Queensland management’s response to staff concerns was unacceptable.

“ABC Queensland’s management’s handling of this matter ... could be characterised as at times tokenistic, at times dismissive, but overwhelmingly, inadequate,” he said.

Staff now fear there may be more incidents of breast cancer as yet undiscovered.

“There could be a lag factor for women working here ... we hope to God that’s not the case,” Mr Eckersley said.

“We hope we’ve had the last case of breast cancer amongst ABC staff but there’s no certainty of that.”

ABC staff will be given free mammograms and counselling during the relocation process.

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says the state Government will help the ABC find a new Brisbane site.

The Australian:

Breast cancer cluster closes ABC studio

*
* December 21, 2006

THE ABC news team will abandon its Brisbane studios today following an investigation that blamed the workplace for the high incidence of breast cancer among female workers.

The independent review could not pinpoint the cause of the cancer, but concluded it was related to the office environment, ABC radio reported. Other staff will be moved out in coming days.

Experts have spent the past five months conducting an investigation after it was revealed 12 women who worked at the Toowong office in Brisbane’s inner-west had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 11 years. Eight of the women worked in the newsroom and most had been there for more than five years.

ABC managing director Mark Scott met staff today to discuss the findings of the investigation and tell them of the planned relocation.

Earlier this year Mr Scott said he would not relocate staff unless the investigation found evidence of a cancer cluster.

The study showed women who worked at the office reported breast cancer at a rate 11 times higher than the general working community, ABC radio reported today.

Almost 100 ABC staff members walked off the job in July to demand a relocation.

All female staff working at the Toowong office were immediately offered free mammograms, and a free counselling service was made available during the investigation.

Mr Scott has today extended the offer to women at other ABC sites around Australia, ABC radio reported.

 AAP

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