Not the case. Plenty of LACs go other places.
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Not the case. Plenty of LACs go other places.
Would that be working with the Regt ect?
You will not work with the Regt as an LAC.
I know this can be an upsetting topic but can I ask why Iv heard about so many armourers suffering from Luekemia? I recently lost my grandfather to the disease so it's still something that hot on my mind as I can see what it can cause. Is there a link between the trade and the illness or just coincidence?
sorry for the change of topic.
sorry for the change of topic.
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Do you have a source mate? That is very interesting information.
I was diagnosed with Leukemia (AML) this time last year & have had chemo.so far this year alone 4 other ex plumbers have been diagnosed/had chemo & last year alone about 10 other armourers died from leukemia & cancer,five of them (including 2 good friends of mine) in March/April alone.
We're nearly all about the same age (mid 40-50's) & my leukemia specialist says that it's too high a number for the geographical group to be normal.In fact a sample of my bone marrow has gone off to be studied as the's 'oddities' in it which mean my leukemia will return & I need a bone marrow transplant
My leukemia's currently in remission after 2 sessions of chemo,currently it's on hold at the moment until the leukemia returns due to me getting Shingles which affected my blood & platelet counts so it'd be dangerous for me to have more chemo.
jkgilly,
Don't be suprised if you end up in the ESA (Bomb Dump) after trade training until you get to SAC,as that's where most of the guys on my mech course ended up way back when we had real jets....lol
So is there still this worry for plumbers or is it more based around gulf war 1 ect?
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You have obviously given this some thought...is there any commonality between you all? Same posting, same jet, same substance handled? (OF4?) etc...
Can't really answer that,as we're nearly all in our 40's/50's now (I'm 47) & some served in the gulf but some didn't.
Health & Safety was in it's infancy back in the 80's,heck it was 1990 at Bruggen before COSH said we had to store POL's outside the bays away from the buildings.
Seems to be,we talked about it when I asked for info on what we used for my pension claim.We came up with chemicals like Strip 440/Tric & MEK being some of the main contributors.I gather that MEK is that dangerous the's a claims company in England that deal purely with MEK claims!
http://www.thompsons.law.co.uk/workplace-illnesses-and-diseases/mek-poisoning-compensation-claim.htm
Other things like Cadmium Corrosion on the Tonka's,the hydraulic fluid we used on the Nimrod loading jacks being carcinogenic & the lack of knowledge/PPE at the time.
Some lads did EOD on 5131 & disposed of old WW1 mustard gas shells wearing just an NBC top,gloves & S10 resi.Although we all seem to be mostly EOD/Tonka/Nimrod plumbers.
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Scary - Most of us second and third line techies basically bathed in MEK, Trich etc in the 80s and 90s.
+
Change that to 60's 70's as well. As a leckie - MEK was away of life - it cleaned everything without leaving a residue so was our favourite way of cleaning Firewire connections so that you didn't get a false warning from a tracking path to ground. Demanded it by the gallon. Trich was the same, used to clean everything else. How many of you have had a lung full of Methyl Bromide - very lethal stuff, doesn't kill you immediately but will turn you into a vegetable and slowly kill you of liver and kidney failure if you are left in a closed room with it as one poor drunk found out in 1989 (not RAF I may add). Industry use includes soil sterilisation and pest control ! Only outlawed about 6 -7 years ago!
Wishing you all the best for your recovery Spike and great to hear you're currently in remission. Thoughts with armourers suffering with this at the moment. All the best Spike!
John Lloyd
Warrant Officer
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The Armourer's facebook community have a roll of honour for those now drinking with St Barbara, The number of my contemporaries who joined mid 70's to mid 80's that have shrugged off this mortal coil is significantly greater than the number of people I know who have departed in my Civvie Guise.
The number of them that have had the big 'C' is significant, as Spike says, last year was quite a cull. Other trades may have a similar toll, but how many other trades keep in contact with their mates from 30 years ago?
The concern of the Armourer's community was so great that we now have our own RAFA Branch No 1366 to offer support to members and to consolidate information as to service generated conditions.
The trade is likely to be at no greater risk than others, the conditions of the 70's and 80's are utterly different to the conditions of today. I doubt you will be cleaning paint off your hands with MEK, or washing down equipment with liberal application of trich, strip or undilluted aircraft cleaning compound.
Still rather have been an Armourer than an ancil ;-)
The number of them that have had the big 'C' is significant, as Spike says, last year was quite a cull. Other trades may have a similar toll, but how many other trades keep in contact with their mates from 30 years ago?
The concern of the Armourer's community was so great that we now have our own RAFA Branch No 1366 to offer support to members and to consolidate information as to service generated conditions.
The trade is likely to be at no greater risk than others, the conditions of the 70's and 80's are utterly different to the conditions of today. I doubt you will be cleaning paint off your hands with MEK, or washing down equipment with liberal application of trich, strip or undilluted aircraft cleaning compound.
Still rather have been an Armourer than an ancil ;-)
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You'll love it.
When you march down the hill, it'll be pitch black. When you march up the hill, it'll be pitch black. Move quickly and they'll never catch you.
When you march down the hill, it'll be pitch black. When you march up the hill, it'll be pitch black. Move quickly and they'll never catch you.
Good luck!
Trade is a strong word
