I worked the BP oil spill building hesco barriers in the Guard. I highly doubt their issues are from the oil. Not saying it wasn't but this was a very short event. Weeks to a couple of months at best. I know there were PPE protocols. Were they wearing it at all times? Probably not. It is Louisiana. Hot as hell. From the pics I don't see anybody wearing basic PPE but I do recall many workers were wearing it. This is also one of the most unhealthy places on the planet. Poor diet, little to no exercise. Are those factors? Of course they are. Add aging of 13 years ago and many of them are not healthy oil spill or no oil spill.
BP told many of its cleanup workers that they did not need to wear breathing protection because the toxic components of the oil had evaporated or were broken down in the waves, according to the company’s safety briefings. Despite receiving advice from the federal government to conduct biological monitoring by measuring toxins in the cleanup workers’ blood, skin or urine, BP didn’t collect evidence that could have shown whether toxins contained in the oil had entered workers’ bloodstreams, according to plaintiffs’ attorneys.
