Steelpoort, Mpumalanga — An inquiry into the alleged mass poisoning of workers at a Swiss-owned vanadium mine in Mpumalanga continues on Tuesday.

But the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says the inquiry is a mockery, because the union has yet to receive the affected workers' medical records from Vanadium Technologies (Vantech) in Steelpoort to prepare its case.

"We asked for the workers' consent to get the medical records.they have signed consent forms but the company and the government have not given us anything," said NUM spokesman Moferefere Lekorotsoana on Monday.

"This will make the inquiry a complete mockery," he added.

The first round of the inquiry was held in October and was postponed for the NUM to study new documents presented by Vantech and also for the department of minerals and energy affairs to decide which witnesses should be called to testify.

The US$25 million mine owned by Swiss company Xstrata is accused of overexposing miners to vanadium pentoxide and other dangerous chemicals that have caused asthma, cancer and chemical bronchitis.

The department accused Vantech in June this year of exposing workers to 31 times more vanadium pentoxide than was allowed after investigating the allegations.

The department then called the hearings to determine if the mine violated mining laws and regulations and should face criminal charges.

The NUM has recorded that mine management dismissed 120 workers on medical grounds since 1995 and that a further 160 workers had been diagnosed with chemical bronchitis and occupational asthma between January 1995 and October 1998.

Inquiry head and departmental chief mines inspector Rory McLoughlin said five Vantech officials and eight current as well as ex-workers would testify in the inquiry that is expected to end on Friday next week.

McLoughlin said the department would ask Vantech for the medical records of workers expected to testify.

Vantech management has vehemently denied that workers were overexposed to chemicals.

Mine manager Chris Smith was not available for comment but said earlier that the mine had always had an independent occupational hygienist to monitor the work environment.

Smith also said that workers wore protective equipment.

An independent toxicologist from the National Centre of Occupational Health, Professor Tony Cantrell, was the only person who testified in the inquiry in October.

He described the dangers associated with exposure to chemicals. - African Eye News Service