Chromium-6 in the tROM re-integration project in Tilburg:
working conditions and responsibilities.
To improve their employment prospects,
between 2004 and 2012 about 800 Tilburg locals had to participate
in the tROM re-integration project.
Among other things, that involved restoring museum trains.
Most tROM participants felt forced to participate in the project,
to keep their unemployment benefit.
Some of the participants, mentors and others present
may have been exposed to the dangerous chemical chromium-6.
This was contained in old layers of paint on the trains.
Sanding and cleaning with compressed air can release chromium-6 particles.
Chromium-6 can enter the human body if the particles are inhaled or swallowed.
Research shows that tROM participants and their mentors
may have fallen ill or may still fall ill due to contact with chromium-6.
That depends, in part, on how long people worked in the dust,
how much dust they breathed in and how much chromium-6 was in the dust.
Participants weren't sufficiently informed about how to work safely with chromium-6.
They weren't offered any medical testing, either.
There weren't always overalls and good facemasks available,
and no one checked on whether these were being used.
The care tROM participants received didn't comply with regulations.
The City of Tilburg, as the employer, was responsible for tROM work safety.
The city could have known that chromium-6 is harmful to one's health.
Participants, mentors and others involved didn't know
that there was chromium-6 in the paint on the trains.
The Railway Museum and NedTrain owned the trains.
NedTrain knew that the paint contained chromium-6
and did not inform the city.
If this has harmed anyone's health,
the City of Tilburg, NedTrain and possibly other parties
could be held responsible.
tROM participants and mentors who were exposed to chromium-6 and fall ill
may be paid damages.
Want to know more? www.rivm.nl/chroom-6-en-carc.