Dr. Jörg HEDTMANN from „BG-Verkehr“ (Berufsgenossenschaft Verkehr = Employer’s Liability Insurance AssociationTraffic) explains his understanding of the general "doctrine" concerning fume events.
He had his big appearance at the 10th meeting of „Commercial Airline Pilots“ to show how the responsible „BG-Verkehr“ views and interprets the problem of fume events. So far nothing new: Fume events are generally recognized as occupational accidents, if smells could be detected. BUT:
"But we don't recognize long-term consequences ... because we can't adequatley recognize the connection at the moment. It has not been proven by sufficient scientific evidence and the doctrine still leans in a different direction : To not give any recognition to occupational diseases anyway".
HEDTMANN's statement - see and hear it at minute 34’ in the video recording on YouTube.
So now we wanted to know which (scientific) names Dr. HEDTMANN associates with the "doctrine", and received an answer from him via their media spokeswoman:
"With the term 'general doctrine' I by no means referred to published findings on the causal connection between fume events and chronic ill-health consequences, but ... to the current state of science. This means that we use the classic model of dose-response relationships as a basis for assessing known or assumed effects. In connection with the undercutting of all limit values, chronic ill-health damage of the type described is therefore not plausible as a result of the so far known effects ... So far I am not aware of any published, citable and generally accepted research results that would cast doubt on this."
Now we want to know from him exactly which limit values (or their undercutting) he means by that. EASA, for example, has found around 200 potential hazardous substances in one of its studies, but has only investigated or measured around 20 in more detail. We are again eagerly awaiting the answer from BG Verkehr.
