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Worker had high levels of nickel carbonyl

A doctor testified Thursday medical tests confirmed a veteran Inco Ltd. employee was exposed to Â?extremely severeÂ? levels of nickel carbonyl in the days before his death.

A doctor testified Thursday medical tests confirmed a veteran Inco Ltd. employee was exposed to Â?extremely severeÂ? levels of nickel carbonyl in the days before his death.

Suspicions Brian Laughlin, 50, died after being exposed to lethal nickel carbonyl were confirmed by Dr. Greg Garrioch, a general practitioner who does a lot of work for Inco.

Garrioch testified test results from urine samples taken from Laughlin after his death three years ago revealed he had almost 2,200 micrograms of
nickel carbonyl per litre of blood in his system on March 19, 2002. Laughlin died six days later.

This level of exposure is very dangerous without immediate medical intervention.

Further testing confirmed LaughlinÂ?s lungs were heavily congested and heavy and he wasnÂ?t suffering from pneumonia, said Garrioch. ThatÂ?s important because lung tissue samples for those suffering from pneumonia and exposure to nickel carbonyl are very similar.

Inco and supervisor Ted Callaghan are both on trial on charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to LaughlinÂ?s death.

Laughlin was a reactor/operator at the nickel refinery who was called to work overtime. He was asked to drain high-pressure storage tanks inside the huge refinery complex.

Inco is charged under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act with failing to properly maintain a respirator used by Laughlin; failing to provide proper information and supervision; failing to ensure a pail of water needed for the draining procedure was properly placed; and failing to meet measures for the breathing apparatus Laughlin was using.

Callaghan is charged with failing as a supervisor to take reasonable precautions of providing information, instruction and supervision to Laughlin.

A detailed medical history of Laughlin since he was hired by Inco in the early 1970s indicated Laughlin had Â?numerous minor exposuresÂ? to nickel carbonyl.

As far back as 1974, he was given an antidote used to combat exposure to the toxic substance, said Garrioch.

Regular testing in the months before his death indicated Laughlin had not suffered any significant exposure, he said.

Â?His levels were fine,Â? he said.

LaughlinÂ?s overall medical history chart indicated he was in fine physical condition as he didnÂ?t smoke and drank very little.

He had talked to an Inco nurse two weeks before his death and indicated he wasnÂ?t suffering any medical problems, said Garrioch.

Monitoring increased

After LaughlinÂ?s death, Inco management instituted a policy to ensure any minor exposure to nickel carbonyl was tested immediately, said Garrioch.

Â?There was a great deal of concern about what had happened...we didnÂ?t know what was going on,Â? he said.

A team of doctors, including a pathologist, toxicologist and himself all concluded Laughlin had been exposed to a lethal dose of nickel carbonyl, he said.

A local coroner is expected to testify later in the trial about the official cause of death he registered on LaughlinÂ?s death certificate.

British expert testifies

Dr. Bryan Corrin, who came from England to testify at the trial, testified samples of lung tissue taken from LaughlinÂ?s autopsy revealed his lungs were badly damaged.

The damage caused to LaughlinÂ?s lungs can be caused by trauma, shock, radiation treatment, but testing he conducted lead to an assessment of exposure to a noxious gas or fume, said Corrin.

He agreed lung tissue caused by severe pneumonia is Â?very similarÂ? to that caused by exposure to nickel carbonyl.

However, further testing ruled out pneumonia in LaughlinÂ?s case, he said.

It was his conclusion Â?recent high exposure to nickel carbonylÂ? is what caused the severe lung damage to Laughlin, Corrin testified. Â?It has to be recent and it has to be high.Â?

His testing went as far as to match samples of lung tissue taken from workers who were killed during an industrial accident involving nickel carbonyl in Wales back in the 1930s, said Corrin.

The lung tissue samples taken from Laughlin were very close to the Welsh workers, he said.

When asked by Ministry of Labor lawyer Paul Slansky for his best guess on how Laughlin died, Corrin testified Â?it was most likely by being exposed to nickel carbonyl.Â?

The trial, which was scheduled to wrap up next week, could take several more months.

The trial will continue Tuesday and further court dates will be announced then.