Some great news coming from our friends over in the UK. Trudie Dadd shared this update on May 4, 2024 on the United Kingdom Petition.
Photo: Courtesy of Unfiltered.
‘Alexandre LACOUDE, a pilot with the airline HOP!, completed on 2 October 2018, a declaration of occupational illness accompanied by an initial medical certificate dated 12 November 2018 reporting “worsening digestive, respiratory, nervous and vascular disorders linked to exposure to organophosphates (fume event and aerotoxic syndrome) in the workplace.”
The Tribunal Judiciaire de BORDEAUX, ruling by contradictory decision, delivered by disposition at the registry and at first instance,
NOTES the irregularity of the opinion issued by the Comité Régional de Reconnaissance des Maladies The Tribunal Judiciaire d'Occitanie,
DECLARES that there is no need to order the referral of the case to a new Comité Régional de Reconnaissance des Maladies the Court of First Instance,
DECLARES that there is a direct and essential link between Alexandre LACOUDE's pathology noted by initial medical certificate dated 12 November 2018, and his working conditions,
DECLARES that illness no. 185112448 presented by Alexandre LACOUDE must be recognised as being an occupational disease under the third paragraph of Article L.461-1 of the Social Security Code.
REFERS Alexandre LACOUDE to the services of the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie de la GIRONDE for the settlement of his rights,
ORDERS the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie de la GIRONDE to pay the costs.’
The full details including the Tribunal Judicial de Bordeaux documents and an English translation can be found here:
https://www.unfiltered.vip/the-court-case-of-pilot-lacoude.html
We hope an application for an ICD-10 code is now being processed to ensure the disease ‘Aerotoxic Syndrome’ is recognised worldwide:
‘Why is the ICD important?
The ICD is important because it provides a common language for recording, reporting and monitoring diseases. This allows the world to compare and share data in a consistent and standard way – between hospitals, regions and countries and over periods of time. It facilitates the collection and storage of data for analysis and evidence-based decision-making.’
https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/importance-of-icd
The other very important outcome required along with ICD-10 code is the official development of a standard worldwide medical protocol to enable medical professionals to help and support aircrew and passengers who suffer acute injury during or following exposure to fumes onboard aircraft when they present to hospital emergency departments; as well as ensuring those who suffer the long-term chronic health effects associated with Aerotoxic Syndrome receive the appropriate care, support, ongoing treatment and therapy required.
This is long overdue because to date, the only means of support, toxicological testing and information is from specialist practitioners such as those registered with the British Society of Ecological Medicine (U.K.):
https://www.bsem.org.uk/pages/14-practitioners
- As well as from those who have been injured themselves who have researched and have kindly shared this information with others.
Very few General Practitioners/Doctors are aware of Aerotoxic Syndrome or of the health outcomes associated with exposure to chemical mixtures containing organophosphates because Governments and their and respective Health Departments have failed to officially inform them.
This article was written by Bearnairdine Beaumont, an Aerotoxic Syndrome victim herself, on ICD-10 classification and was published in 2020:
https://www.academia.edu/43499675/Aerotoxic_Syndrome_and_ICD_Classification_Bearnairdine_Beaumont
The two links below contain the required information and known protocols to date:
International Medical & Laboratory Protocol:
https://www.unfiltered.vip/medical.html
A Medical Protocol published in 2023 and endorsed by the GCAQE:
The Air France Aircrew Union - UGICT-CGT PNC continue to be very concerned for the health and safety of their members as shown in this recent news bulletin:
Note - PN is the abbreviation for Personnel Navigant - Aircrew.
DGAC is the French Civil Aviation Authority.
Also, ‘seafarer’ is mentioned in the English translation of this bulletin, this is due to the translation being literal in relation to the term navigant, but Aircrew is meant:
https://www.unfiltered.vip/france-the-great-smoke--mirrors.html
‘ANSES mentioned in the Air France Aircrew Union bulletin, is the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety.
It is a public administrative body reporting to the Ministries of Health, the Environment, Agriculture, Labour and Consumer Affairs.’
https://www.anses.fr/en/content/our-identity
ANSES - Health of flight crew members (2023)
‘For several years now,* flight crew members have been reporting symptoms believed to be associated with the potential contamination of aircraft cabin or cockpit air by various pollutants. These symptoms, which are highly varied and non-specific and include headaches and loss of balance, have been mentioned in several studies and grouped together under the term “aerotoxic syndrome”. ANSES’s expert appraisal confirms that the studies conducted to date do not, however, enable these symptoms to be assessed or their causes to be identified.’
https://www.anses.fr/en/content/health-flight-crew-members
*And for several years now, ANSES have done very little except continue with the same rhetoric and excuses. They have neither commissioned or conducted epidemiological research on those injured and have provided no help or support while continuing to deny the injuries caused.
ANSES in France is similar to the Committee on Toxicity (COT) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the U.K. in their approach and attitude to the problem of contaminated air in aircraft. They also use similar terminology; ‘Varied and non-specific symptoms’ being one of their favourites.
If they were to conduct proper epidemiological research, they could easily gather the necessary and required scientific information which would help them to understand why there are so many varied symptoms; which is due to the nature of the toxic chemicals involved and the numerous organs, systems, enzymes, proteins, hormones, hormonal pathways, DNA, cells and particular cell organelles within the human body which the chemicals target. It really is not that difficult.
Those who sit on the COT U.K. & FSA and the decision makers at ANSES in France are supposed to be those at the top of their profession and abreast of all scientific and medical research developments which clearly they aren’t; and yet these people advise on Government Policy which is very concerning.
The COT U.K. released a new Statement on Aircraft Cabin Air recently.
Sadly, nothing has changed. It’s similar to their previous work and is what we have now come to expect from them.
They are still using exposure limits which cannot apply to the unique environment onboard aircraft and which also cannot apply for exposure to chemicals in aircraft oil and hydraulic fluid, many of which are endocrine disrupting chemicals, cholinesterase inhibitors and chemicals which cause cytotoxic and genotoxic damage as these chemicals are known cause injury with repeated or prolonged low levels of exposure.
This latest COT statement displays nothing more than their (as well as the CAA’s and UK Government’s) continued support for and protection of the Aviation Industry as well as their continued contempt and flagrant disregard for the health and safety of pilots, cabin crew and passengers.
Note the acknowledgment at the bottom of the COT Statement - Brian Robert’s- CAA Continued Airworthiness - Avionics Engineer. (14 years at BAe Systems)
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/brian-roberts-a9143066
COT Statement:
https://cot.food.gov.uk/Statement%20on%20Aircraft%20Cabin%20Air%20Quality#overall-conclusion
However, the Tribunal Judiciaire de BORDEAUX ruling on pilot Alexandre Lacoude’s occupational disease ‘Aerotoxic Syndrome’ is a very important and significant development.
This ruling completely contradicts the recent COT Statement as well as the 2023 article from ANSES.
It shows that the truth on Aerotoxic Syndrome can no longer be suppressed and confirms there are still some good, honest and highly intelligent people working within our institutions and legal systems who can see though and beyond the smoke and mirrors created by our Governments and the Aviation Industry.
How our Governments (major investors in the Aviation Industry) will deal with this situation remains to be seen; but it gives those of us who have been injured and bereaved by Aerotoxic Syndrome hope that much needed change is forthcoming.
For more information visit:
Bearnairdine Beaumont who runs the Unfiltered website, recently gave an excellent interview on her own personal story of how Aerotoxic Syndrome affected her health and how it changed her life which you can read here:
https://unbekoming.substack.com/p/aerotoxic-syndrome?r=o6v0x&triedRedirect=true
Bearnairdine publishes articles regularly on her own Substack which you can subscribe to here:
And -
The GCAQE are holding a conference on Aircraft Cabin Air on 17th and 18th September 2024 at Imperial College London.
This may be of interest to those who hold senior positions within the Aviation Industry, Health Services and Government Departments for Transport and Health.
Tickets are available here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aircraft-cabin-air-conference-2024-tickets-782620217137
Thank you for your continued support.
Please keep signing and sharing our petition.
Many Thanks.