Mystery surrounds Cammell Laird contamination

Feb 12 2008

MYSTERY still surrounds why three workmen on board a ship moored in Birkenhead fell ill and needed to undergo unpleasant decontamination.

They are back on the NV Clansman, an 85- metre vessel under- going an annual over- haul in Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, on Sunday.

Fears were raised that they had contacted a noxious chemical and decontamination tents were set up outside casualty at Arrowe Park Hospital to isolate and treat the men.

A spokesman for ship owners Caledonian McBrayne said: “It’s still not established what caused their symptoms but we do know they’re OK now.

“They were given a precautionary decontamination treatment as we had no idea what the cause could have been and that’s as it should be.

“They have had sever- al tests. Until we get the results, we won’t know what caused the problem.”

“However, no-one else on board has suffered any illness and it was quite simply an isolated incident - it’s very odd but these things can happen.”

Police and firefighters were both called to the initial incident but were only needed to offer advice.

The three men were carrying out a routine diesel transfer when the accident took place.

NV Clansman will remain in dock for the last two weeks of a three week stint in which it is undergoing a fuel conversion.