Sawmill Workers Service for former workers exposed to PCP
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Former sawmill workers exposed to PCP to get access to a special support service that is designed to assess their health needs
The special support service for former sawmill workers exposed to PCP (pentachlorophenol) is designed to assess the health needs of former sawmill workers who were exposed to PCP at sawmills from the 1950s to 1980s, and to help them access services to support wellness.
About the suport service for sawmill workers exposed to PCP
The service aims to help people stay healthy by promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing modifiable risk factors, and supporting the early detection of diseases.
The Sawmill Workers Service was announced on 23 June 2010 and includes:
- Information and advice for doctors, other health practitioners, and patients about historical exposure to PCP and subsequent health risks
- A free annual health check provided by a doctor
- Access to health promotion initiatives such as programmes to reduce cancer risk
- Counselling and other primary mental health services, and
- A service to help people access other social services that they are entitled to.
- As on 31 March 2017, there are 875 eligible people enrolled in the special support service.
Eligibility for the service
Eligibility for the service is on the basis that an individual worked in a place at a time when exposure is likely to have occurred. People are eligible if they:
- Worked in a sawmill where PCP was used, and
- Worked in jobs that used PCP chemicals or if they came into contact with PCP baths/tanks or if they worked with timber that was still wet from the PCP treatment process, and
- Worked in these jobs for at least one year, and
- Are eligible to use publicly funded health services in New Zealand (eg, New Zealand citizens).
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