Radioactive waste probe at Galway Clinic

An investigation into the incident at the private hospital in Doughiska was launched after complaints from waste management staff, who feared for their health and safety following incorrect labelling of potential radiological waste.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan has conceded that there was potential for radiation exposure to staff working at the hospital arising out of the incident which occurred on September 11, 2012.

However, Minister Hogan told the Dáil that the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) said the risk “was very small and was of no concern from a health point of view”.

He was responding to questions from campaigning Independent TD, Clare Daly who raised the allegations in the national parliament.

In the incident in question, the waste that was labelled radioactive and that was not disposed of in accordance with proper procedure for radioactive waste, actually turned out not to be radioactive.

But waste management staff working at the hospital at the time were concerned that national and in-house policy was breached in relation to the disposal of waste.

It was one of at least two incidents of suspected mislabelling and/or mishandling of potential radiological waste that staff at the hospital raised with superiors, according to email correspondence seen by this newspaper. The issue was first raised with Galway Clinic management by staff in February of 2012.

The internal investigation into the September 2012 incident carried out by Galway Clinic, which was reviewed by Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, and seen by the Galway City Tribune, concedes that protocol was not followed. The report also notes staff concerns and “upset at having possibly handled radioactive waste.”

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.