Military Specific Job Hazards/exposures

[betrayed]

I was thinking the other day about all the chemical exposure I had whil in the navy. Back in the 70's there was no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), No Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). No one gave a 2nd thought.

Working on 5 inch gun mounts I was exposed to PD 680 dry cleaning solvent, I remember having my arms imersed upto my elbows in it. I remember being covered with hydraulic fluid. How about redlead paint, or zinc chromate or the the best of all 117 Blue stuff....................

So I wondered if there is a data base with this kind of info in it, or could we start one? I want to be pro active in the Veterans Arena!

[Hoppy]

FLHRCI,

There was a guy on hadit a couple of years ago who got SC for reactive airway disease caused by zinc chromate. Part of my angioedema claim involves exposure to paint and paint solvents. My disease is known to be caused by repititous exposure to organic chemicals including the ones I was exposed to while on active duty. Luckily the guy with zinc chromate and myself developed symptoms while on active duty. The VA did make a determination that I was exposued to such chemicals as a result of my rate and duty stations.

The VA rules have historically required that a disease manifest during service and one year after. Presumptive diseases have been added over the years that circumvent the inservice onset issue. If you were diagnosed with these conditions prior to one year after discharge the going will be much easier for you. Consider that a close evaluation of the SMR is needed. Sometimes doctors will notice things and not tell you about them in a language you can understand, yet note them in the SMR. I would be especially concerned about the dry cleaning fluid. There was a dry cleaning fluid, the name started with Tri-Chlor. I am pretty sure it has been banned as a safety hazard by OSHA. That PD 680 might have been the same thing.

If you go past the one year requirement, I would get a doctor to write a report that he is of the opinion that your exposures in the military would be considered primary causes of your conditions. Any current product data sheet should be applicable to the same chemical while in the military. I did read one old BVA case where the product data sheet actually indicates the posibility of lung disease. The rater cited that statement on the product data sheet as sufficient for causing the disease and did not even seek a medical opinion. It is best to get doctors to write reports ratrher than rely soley on product data sheets. Get both types of evidence and submit them to the VA.

The big reason I am still active on hadit is because of the lack of profession guidance available to members of the military. I am not sure the service organizations are as organized and capable of focusing on probmlatic disease caused by chemical exposure when compared to the services available through attorneys who do workers compensation cases. I have been through both systems and was not impressed by service organizations. However, I always recommend to get an SO. I just wish they would either have better organization or communication skills.