Protecting people at work

86 Stress and job design

Congress notes with concern the rising tide of work-related stress, which affects all sectors of the workforce.

Congress supports the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) revised management standards for stress and calls on all affiliates to work with the HSE and employers to agree and implement standards of good management practice for preventing work-related stress. The HSE must be properly resourced to ensure effective enforcement of stress standards and safety representatives trained in risk assessment for stress.

However, Congress recognises that regulation and enforcement actions are the principal reasons why employers take measures to improve their health and safety practices and procedures. Therefore, Congress calls on the General Council to press for regulations and an Approved Code of Practice on stress, to be backed by a funded programme of HSE enforcement.

Congress also calls on the General Council to seek changes to the RIDDOR reporting system criteria in order that companies have to report absences from work due to stress.

Congress believes that work organisation and job design are critical to workers' health and well-being and calls on the General Council to campaign more widely for:

i) autonomy and control over the pace of work and the working environment; and

ii) an effective voice for workers in the decisions that affect the structure, content and loading of jobs.

Prospect

87 Second-hand smoking in the workplace

Whilst Congress welcomes the proposals contained in the White Paper and forthcoming Bill on public health aimed at ending smoking in the majority of workplaces and enclosed public places, it does not support the proposal to exempt smoking restrictions in pubs, clubs and private members' clubs that do not serve prepared food. A large percentage of performers work in such venues and the proposed exemption will undoubtedly seriously disadvantage them.

Congress believes there can be no good reason to protect most workers but still leave performers, bar staff and others in the leisure and hospitality sector exposed to risk. Many live music venues will be exempted under this proposal and many musicians who have to work in such places will suffer serious health damage in future years as a result. People who work to entertain and serve others deserve better than to choke on other people's poisonous smoke.

Congress therefore urges the General Council to put pressure on the Government to 'sound the trumpet' for clean air, drop the proposed exemptions, follow the Irish and Scottish model, and introduce comprehensive legislation that ends smoking in all workplaces and enclosed public places. This would be the most important advance in workplace health and safety and in public health for many years.

Musicians' Union

Amendment

Add at end of final paragraph: 'It would also recognise the fact that the harmful effects of tobacco inhalation are not limited to lung cancer. For example, exposure to other people's tobacco smoke can cause reduced lung function in people with no previous respiratory problems and can be especially dangerous to those with asthma.'

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

88 Fatigue at sea

Congress expresses its extreme concern at the large number of accidents around the UK coast involving ships in collision or running aground as a result of seafarer fatigue. The rate of such incidents indicates that excessive working hours and inadequate crewing levels are presenting a major threat to safety and having adverse effects on the health and welfare of seafarers.

Congress notes the existence of national, European and international regulations covering working hours and rest periods at sea and calls for the UK Government to police and enforce these rules on all UK registered ships and all foreign flag ships in UK waters.

Congress also demands effective international action to prevent unfair competition from different countries permitting ever lower ships' crew levels and urges the UK Government to secure such international measures urgently.

In addition, Congress also urges the UK Government to review the statutory safe manning certificate levels on UK ships, to increase the minimum numbers to allow for the significant extra workloads arising from the new security and other requirements.

National Union of Marine, Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers

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