Uniforms make employees ill

NATIONAL: An unnamed uniform supplier has been forced to take back 14,000 items of 'protective' clothing after employees of an energy company fell ill from wearing the apparel. Queensland headquartered Ergon Energy said as many as 178 staff suffered allergic reactions to the newly issued uniforms, with symptoms including rashes and vomiting.

The company's acting chief operating officer Peter Billing, who declined to reveal the name of the uniform supplier, said tests were still being carried out on the Chinese-manufactured garments.

Billing said the company had issued a notice to the supplier demanding an explanation and notifying it of Ergon's intention to withdraw the uniforms.