A suburban Sydney council is urgently investigating after discovering a possible cancer cluster among its workers.
Liverpool City Council, in Sydney’s southwest, says five people who work at its Moore St office have developed thyroid cancer in the past three to five years.
A sixth person reported a thyroid condition but did not consent to take part in a NSW health department investigation.
Three of the cases were found on level six of the office, that floor was closed and staff moved to level four while the investigation takes place.
The council has hired an external environmental health consultant while the Department of Health carries out a separate epidemiological investigation.
Jenny Havilah (pictured), one of the workers still recovering from thyroid cancer surgery, admitted she was worried for everyone at Liverpool City Council’s Moore St office following the discovery of a possible cancer cluster .
“The decision to relocate staff responds to the council’s high level of concern for the welfare of its staff,” the council said in a statement.
“The Council takes this very seriously and future actions will be based on the results of the two simultaneous investigations.”
Jenny Havilah, one of the workers still recovering from thyroid cancer surgery, admitted she was worried about everyone in the office.
“It certainly sounds very sinister… I’m worried about my colleagues, not just on the sixth floor (but) who worked in that building,” she told Nine News.
“I had my thyroid and some lymph nodes removed and will get the results in about a week.”
The United Services Union called for more action, including a complete cleanup of the Moore St. building.
Liverpool City Council, in Sydney’s south-west, says five people who work at its Moore St office (pictured) have developed thyroid cancer in the last three to five years.
“We don’t know what we are dealing with here, all the workers in the Moore St building need to be relocated immediately, I can’t say it more clearly,” said USU acting general secretary Daniel Papps.
“We are very concerned because several of our members are ill and their well-being and that of their colleagues is the only thing that matters at this time.”
The council told Nine it had been informed it was “unlikely there was a causal connection between our workplace and the cancer diagnosis”.