British Man Suing US Army After Exposure to Deadly Chemicals

David Wright Paterson worked at Dulmen Tower Barracks in Coesfeld, Germany (Picture: SWNS).

A British man is suing the US Army over claims he and his UK workmates were exposed to deadly chemicals at a German military base.

David Wright Paterson, 57, claims he was exposed to carcinogenic cadmium with no protective wear for almost two weeks and was not made aware of the risks.

He was working at Dulmen Tower Barracks in Coesfeld, Germany, when he was tasked with inspecting 50 boxes of military equipment.

Mr Wright Paterson said he and his colleagues were offered no protective wear before carrying out the high-risk work.

He said: "On inspecting, I noticed they were covered in a white talcum like dust.”

"The carcinogenic is cadmium. The metal is pretty safe on its own, you can touch it but the boxes had been sprayed with formaldehyde. The two had mixed and created a toxic cadmium bloom.”

Mr Wright Paterson claims he was only informed of the dangerous material 11 months after carrying out the work.

"On March 21 this year I received a letter on my desk to notify me that the chemical was dangerous and carcinogenic," he explained, "This was 11 months on from us cleaning the equipment.”

Months after completing the work, Mr Wright Paterson and his colleagues all tested positive for high levels of cadmium in their blood.

However, Mr Wright Paterson and his colleagues were exposed to counts of 1.2, 1.3 and 1.8, which is dangerously high.

According to Mr Wright Paterson, his superiors at the US base were notified but they denied responsibility and provided no help with medical checks.

He then claims he was forced to spend £150 of his own money on blood tests.

Mr Wright Paterson was employed at the time by UK contractor M&E, who provide staff for engineering and military work.

During a US Army press conference in Germany yesterday, Colonel Sean Hunt Kuester said: "In May 2017, equipment covered in cadmium was brought into the Tower Barracks.

"In June, some equipment was cleaned incorrectly. This was done by eight employees in one department.

"However the mistake was only discovered in March 2018."

The Colonel also said that the toxic dust was "poisonous and also dangerous for the environment".

M&E have been approached for comment.