Former staff suffering from conditions including toxic mould syndrome and hundreds still living in mould-prone tents

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Four years after the Australian government was repeatedly warned the mould growing throughout Nauru’s regional processing centres was making people sick, refugee families, including young children, are still being forced to live under rotting canvas in Nauru.

At least 330 refugees and asylum seekers, including 36 children, still live in mould-prone tents on Nauru. Some tents and work buildings have previously been found to be “highly toxic”, with the level of mould measured at up to 76 times the normal, safe level.

At least a dozen former staff who have worked in the regional processing centre are understood to have developed conditions from exposure to mould and breathing the contaminated air in the buildings. The conditions include toxic mould syndrome, cognitive and neurological symptoms, chronic pain and chest infections.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Some tents and work buildings have been found to be toxic, with the level of mould measured at up to 76 times the normal, safe level.

A class action against the commonwealth government, for failing in its duty of care to those housed in its immigration centres, and those contracted to work there, is being considered by Australian law firms.

Thousands of refugees and staff may have been exposed to toxic mould. The health impacts could last years and any damages payout could run to millions of dollars, a source close to government told the Guardian.

A community of former staff – many suffering what they have termed “Nauru lung” – are in regular contact with each other, discussing doctors’ reports and legal avenues.

The department of home affairs rejects the allegations, telling the Guardian there had been “no cases of anyone developing health issues following exposure to mould at the Nauru RPC”.

A spokesman said the department had implemented a number of mould remediation practices at the Nauru RPC, and any problems identified had been “promptly rectified”.

“There is no health risk to anyone at the Nauru RPC relating to mould and the department strongly disputes any claim to the contrary.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mould growing on the inside of a tent on Nauru in 2018. Thousands of refugees and staff may have been exposed to toxic spores. Photograph: Supplied

The devastating health impacts of the mould have been well-known for years and consistently exposed by health reports to the Australian government and its contractors.

In December 2014, Biological Health Services (BHS) was commissioned by the then detention centre managers, Transfield Services (now Broadspectrum), to investigate the extent and hazards of the mould problem. The mould was everywhere throughout the centre and a “MAJOR risk to the health and safety of the occupants”, the BHS report said.

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“Both visual and multi-sensory observations (bulk visible mould and damp smells) showed that the scale of the mould contamination problem at Nauru is considered to be an enormous challenge. Mould was observed to be affecting almost all external and internal walls, ceilings and roofs of every tent used for accommodation at RPC2 and 3. Visible mould and mould odours were also present in many of the portable buildings on RPC1.”

BHS said the health dangers were most acute for refugees who had to live within the processing centres all the time.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest At least 330 refugees and asylum seekers, including 36 children, still live in mould-prone tents on Nauru.

“The tents in either RPC2 or RPC3 have very extensive (almost universal) visible mould inside and outside on tent surfaces affecting walls, ceilings and roofs. Bathroom, shower, recreation/gym, tents used for worship and mess hall areas are all affected. Staff are in the main fly-in, fly-out so exposure risks are intermittent while, for asylum seekers, exposure risks are persistent.”

BHS tested for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence, an internationally accepted measurement of safe levels of microbial growth.

Inside the health centre run by International Health and Medical Services, which is responsible for refugee health care on Nauru, the ATP level was 76 times the normal level. In other offices, the level was 64 times the normal range cut-off.

In and around the main administration tent, the ATP level was 58 times higher than normal.

And in tent 18, where asylum seekers were forced to live, the temperature was recorded as 43C and the ATP level was 57 times higher than normal.

BHS said it was unable to fully document the extent of the mould problem because the Australian Border Force would not allow its investigators to film inside the centre.

“There is a rigorous policy concerning the taking of digital photographs and video that impacted on this report, since a ‘video­-tour’ would have defined the scale and extent of the problem more completely.”

A class action against the commonwealth government is being considered by Australian law firms.

A report from Eronmor Indoor Environmental Consultancy found in 2015 the buildings refugees and asylum seekers were being forced to live in may not be safe for human habitation.

“Any rooms/buildings affected by ongoing moisture dampness issues, strong musty odours (generally associated with water damaged materials), or that have visible mould present may not be suitable for occupancy,” it said.

And a further report from Greencap, also in 2015, told the immigration department that Transfield’s “harm minimisation” approach would not work.

Transfield’s plan to tackle the mould was “highly unlikely to adequately rectify and prevent reoccurrence of the extensive moisture and mould issues” and “lacked an understanding in the fundamentals of accepted best practices”.

The plan would also expose residents and workers to further dangers, because it failed to address dangers to workers and occupants from remediation agents such as chlorine dioxide gas, hydrogen peroxide vapour and ozone gas.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Former staff are suffering from toxic mould syndrome, cognitive and neurological symptoms, chronic pain and chest infections.

A Senate inquiry found that there was “more than 10m square of visible mould growth in all tents”, failing to meet mould guidelines. The findings were acknowledged by the government.

Even the Australian Border Force’s own chief medical officer, then Dr John Brayley, warned mould was among a litany of problems in the regional processing centre, and that vital information was being kept hidden from him and the department.

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“Mould build-up continues to be a significant issue and current strategies are not enough … this is a health risk and needs a much more concerted effort,” he said.

As late as December 2016, the government conceded to the Australian National Audit Office – which criticised the department for failing to act on repeated warnings – “mould is a persistent issue at the Nauru RPC”.

A Comcare spokesman said the agency had been monitoring mould issues at the Nauru RPC, and had made inspections in 2014, 2015, and 2017.

“We are satisfied that reasonably practicable steps were taken to address problems with mould at the centre, and that the most recent site inspection in August 2017 found no significant issues.”

A contractor who lived in a water-damaged and mould-affected building made a complaint to Comcare in 2016. Its investigation found “ongoing measures were in place to deal with the problem of mould”.

Last year, the commonwealth government settled – without conceding liability – to a payout of $70m in damages to nearly 2,000 refugees and asylum seekers it illegally detained in dangerous and damaging conditions on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.