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Risksissue no 100 - 5 April 2003that difficult hundredth issue! |
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Editor: Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Comments to Owen Tudor News on Workers’ Memorial Day CONTENTS
Risks is the TUC’s weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 6,500 subscribers and 1,500 on the TUC website. To receive this bulletin every week, click here. Past issues are available. This edition contains Useful links TUC courses for safety reps Disclaimer and Privacy statement. The TUC website lists future health and safety events in What’s On - new events are covered below. International Workers Memorial Day, 28 AprilA new list of events is now available - check it out for an event near you. If there isn’t one, get organising fast, or if you know of one that isn’t on the list, let Hilda Palmer know what you’re doing. This year the theme is corporate accountability for workers’ health and safety. A background briefing on the 2003 theme is available on the page of the TUC website devoted to Workers’ Memorial Day. Order a poster from the TUC (single copies free) or bulk copies at a good price from Hazards. TUC general secretary elect Brendan Barber has issued a personal message. There is also a draft article for use by unions, and a factsheet on deaths at work. For comprehensive, global information on Workers’ Memorial Day 2003 news and resources, see the Hazards WMD webpages. ACTIONWhat do you think about drug and alcohol tests?An inquiry is looking at the use of drug and alcohol tests at work, and thinks you should be allowed some input. Although in some areas there are well-regulated procedures and an accepted rationale behind the testing of individuals - sport and prisons, for example - alcohol and drug testing in the workplace, is the subject of less regulation and more controversy. The Independent Inquiry into Alcohol and Drug Testing at Work, on which the TUC is represented, will gather, analyse, assess and review the evidence on all aspects of testing at work, drawing on written and oral evidence and studies. To gauge the extent of and attitudes to workplace testing, the Inquiry is carrying out a number of surveys - and this is where trade union safety reps and employees can have their input. Tell the Inquiry about your experiences of policies and practices.
FEATURERoving safety reps are workingThe interim report on the 2002 HSC worker safety adviser pilots is now available on the TUC website, and it shows that roving safety reps (called WSAs by the HSC) work. Workers in the 108 small workplaces covered by the pilots reported a more positive approach to health and safety; health and safety being taken more seriously or being given more importance; workers being encouraged to suggest ways of improving the working environment; and more open and regular discussions of health and safety. A TUC commentary on the interim report says: 'It is already clear that the WSA pilots have been a success - they have brought better health and safety standards and worker involvement to small firms that are often not reached by conventional means.' The TUC is looking to the Government to provide access for all workers to the improvements in health and safety that union safety reps can bring, with a significant injection of resources as the first step, so that the pilots can be rolled out nationwide. The HSC will consider the final report in May. Meanwhile, as reported in Risks 99, construction union UCATT just can’t wait, and has advertised six jobs for permanent WSAs across the country. General secretary George Brumwell said: 'These advisers will be unique. Because they will not be on any employer's payroll and because they will be in a team at arm's length from day to day union business, they will be independent and able to offer sound advice. If they are critical of us as a union, we will address that. I hope employers will have a similar, positive, attitude.'
UNION NEWSRisks: things have only got betterThe second annual Risks readers’ survey shows that the weekly online bulletin is more popular than ever, with 86% liking the current format and 90% liking the story lengths. The 346 respondents were mostly white, male union members aged between 41 and 50 who are active web users, with some degree of influence over purchasing power on health and safety. 62% are safety reps (and a further 9% hold some other union post - overall 91% are union members) but one in six readers are safety professionals. The major work sectors of respondents remain local government (18 per cent), manufacturing (14 per cent), 'other services' (14 per cent) and education (13 per cent) - unions best represented were UNISON (26%), Amicus (10%), TGWU (8%), GMB (7%), PCS (6%) and Prospect (6%). The report was written by Hazards magazine’s Jawad Qasrawi, and there will be another survey at the beginning of 2004.
A teacher is abused every seven minutesA survey of violence and disruption in the classroom has revealed a teacher faces abuse every seven minutes. The survey, conducted in teaching union NASUWT’s eastern region, is based on 287 responses. The union says in Cambridgeshire alone, 98 teachers reported abuse by pupils. Extrapolated across the region, NASUWT estimates an act of abuse occurs every seven minutes. Eamonn O’Kane, general secretary of NASUWT, said: 'This survey demonstrates a very worrying picture and highlights the necessity for teachers and schools to record incidents of abuse.' He added: 'The survey unfortunately confirms the findings of a similar exercise in the north west region (Risks 99) that these incidents of verbal and physical abuse reflect the national picture rather than localised problems. Teachers are entitled, like any other employee, not to be abused in the course of their work. Their employers have a duty to protect them from physical and verbal assaults.' NHS zero tolerance takes zero account of support staffGeneral union GMB has criticised the NHS 'zero tolerance' campaign on workplace violence. It says last week’s NAO report on violence in the NHS (Risks 99) showed ancillary and support staff receive low levels of support and training. Sharon Holder, GMB national officer for health, said: 'The support and training should include all support and ancillary staff because the report clearly identifies that anyone with direct interaction with patients is at risk. The porter, the clerical assistant and the person that serves tea are just as much at risk as others. To exclude them from the zero tolerance campaign puts them increasingly at risk of harm.' Kim Sunley of GMB’s safety department said: 'Far too often employers see violence as an acceptable part of the job, but for our members being abused and threatened is far from acceptable and must not be tolerated. This report shows the level of incidents going up instead of down.' OTHER NEWSWorker deaths downLatest official HSE workplace death data covering the first nine months of last year (2002-3) are now available online. They show that the number of workers killed from April to December last year was 161 (compared with 192 in the same nine months of 2001). The decline was evident in all sectors except agriculture, where there was an increase from 31 to 32. In construction, the number of deaths reduced from 59 to 49, and there were similar improvements from 55 deaths to 46 deaths in services, and from 37 to 30 in manufacturing. TUC’s Owen Tudor said: 'We mustn’t be complacent, because there are still four workers dying every week. But this is a positive sign, showing that the number of fatalities can be reduced - we need to keep up the pressure for better safety standards.' Site occupational health pilot scheme is go!Construction industry representatives have given the go ahead for an occupational health support pilot scheme. The HSC’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC), which involves HSE, unions and employers, will now set up an independent Action Forum, whose first task will be to raise funds of between £1-£1.3 million for the pilot. It will also 'determine the most suitable provider for the pilot and establish the project consortium.' It hopes the cash will come from both industry and government sources. HSE’s construction chief Kevin Myers said: 'The aim of the Occupational Health Support Pilot Scheme is to provide a framework of support for construction employers to employ best practice occupational health management activities to improve the control and management of occupational health risks and so improve, preserve and protect the health of their employees.' George Brumwell, general secretary of construction union UCATT, welcomed the pilot: 'I am delighted that the occupational health pilot has been agreed. UCATT has campaigned for many years to establish a credible occupational health scheme for the construction industry. The cases of industrial ill-health in our industry show why it is important that this pilot is successful and a permanent scheme is established.'
Employers have bad drug and alcohol habitsOnly half of all managers believe their organisation has or is developing a policy on drugs and alcohol, according to a new study. Despite this, over half support random drug and alcohol testing at work and over a quarter back instant dismissal after a positive drug test. The research, from the Chartered Management Institute and Priory Group, found one in five managers claim that alcohol misuse in their organisation has risen over the past few years and around one in six managers claim that drugs misuse has also increased. The survey found more than six in every 10 managers feel that it is the responsibility of employers to provide education on the effects of drugs and alcohol abuse, but only 19 per cent say that their organisation addresses the issue proactively. Over half of the managers questioned (55 per cent) support random drugs and alcohol testing in the workplace. One in three managers feel that random testing would be an invasion of privacy yet over a quarter (26 per cent) of managers want to see those tested positively for drugs dismissed instantly. In February, TUC called on employers to draw them up alcohol policies in consultation with unions, with an emphasis on confidentiality and assistance for workers with alcohol problems (Risks 94). Refinery worker crushed to deathA father-of-two has been crushed to death in an accident at an oil refinery. Alan David Smith, 35, from Kealby, died following the accident at the Conoco Phillips refinery at Killingholme, North-East Lincolnshire. A police spokesperson said the man was reported to have been hit by machinery on a rail track. Refinery manager Nick Spencer said the company is working with police and the HSE to establish the cause of the accident. The refinery was the scene of a massive explosion in April 2000, injuring two workers. HSE investigators finished an on-site investigation into the blast last year, but the report is still with their lawyers. Men killed by overhead cableTwo road workers were killed after a telescopic tower light clipped an overhead power cable carrying 20,000 volts, an inquest has heard. The hearing was told how the ground was sparking and small fires alight when the two workers were discovered at the base of the metal light, following the accident in January 2002. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death on workers Frederick Cook, 38, and his 33-year-old colleague John Crimmins, who both worked for Newcastle-based Hatton Traffic Management. The inquest heard how there were no safety measures, known as goalposts, on the site, to prevent the column hitting the cables. Kim Crimmins, the father of one of the dead men, said after the hearing he intended to campaign for better safety. 'Goal posts should be made law,' he said. 'I have heard nothing to reassure me that procedures have been tightened up since my son was killed.' Parliament debates workplace bullyingA House of Commons adjournment debate has considered the case for legislation on bullying at work. The debate, led by Bristol West MP Valerie Davey, heard MPs call for bullying at work to be outlawed. Davey told the Commons that at two recent meetings organised by Amicus-MSF 'not a single person… thought that the situation would be changed without legislation.' She added: 'There is a whole culture and ethos that has to be changed… good companies and workplaces operate dignity at work policies. Trade unions have produced such policies in detail, which are recognised by good companies as being important, but the individual has no clear remedy. In poor companies with no such policies, the need for a legal remedy is even stronger.' DTI minister Brian Wilson MP, replying for the government at the end of a debate, said it was not presently in favour of legislation but was willing to support measures short of legislation. Amicus-MSF’s Chris Ball commented that 'the government’s dislike of our proposals for a Dignity at Work Act is disappointing and it is good that the MPs are seemingly getting more interested.' He added that 'the underlying need for legislation is however likely to remain as long as there are employers who are unwilling to work seriously to eradicate bullying.' The problem may be getting worse, as bullying goes hi-tech. A study this week found one in six workers in the UK has been bullied via email. Rail safety chief oustedThe man responsible for rail safety has in effect been dismissed. Rail Safety boss Rod Muttrum was told he would have to reapply for the top job when responsibility for safety of the network was transferred to a new Rail Safety and Standards Board. The new organisation, which came into being on 1 April, is instead headed by Denis Tunnicliffe, former managing director London Underground. The Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited (RSSB) is a not-for profit company owned by the railway industry. Bob Crow, general secretary rail union RMT, questioned the suitability of Tunnicliffe for the top job, calling him 'the man who was responsible for the disastrous London Underground company plan which cost 6,000 jobs and laid the path towards the public-private partnership.'' Teachers 'living in fear of violence'Almost one in 10 secondary schools has caught children bringing guns to school, a survey suggests. Knives are even more commonplace, with more than 40 per cent of teachers saying pupils are carrying them, according to the education newspaper SecEd. Other violent children adopted everyday objects as weapons, such as chairs, cigarette lighters and tables. Staff are becoming increasingly concerned over the prevalence of weapons in the classroom, with 63 per cent of those who took part in the survey saying they are a problem. Eamonn O'Kane, general secretary of teaching union NASUWT, said: 'The government's attempts to tackle the problem with truancy sweeps and on-the-spot-fines for anti-social behaviour may alleviate the problem outside school, but steps must be taken to protect teachers in the classroom.' Gerald Imison of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said: 'Unfortunately, schools that try to tackle these issues often find inadequate support from their local authority or from the government.' The survey, based on 160 responses, found 28 per cent of teachers had been threatened with violence by a student and 6 per cent by a parent. Meanwhile, 15 per cent had been physically attacked by a student and 1 per cent by a parent. British reporter suspected of having killer bugA British TV journalist, in Brazil to cover the Brazilian Grand Prix, is in hospital after displaying symptoms consistent with the SARS virus, a condition which has already killed at least 79 people worldwide. The 42-year-old woman, who works for ITV, arrived in Sao Paulo from London after spending time in Malaysia and passing through Singapore. She is suspected of having contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which has affected over 2,000 worldwide, mostly in Asia. Sao Paulo health secretary Luiz Barradas Barata said she 'presented symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and fever and comes from a region where they have the disease.' He added the woman was in good condition and being treated as if she had flu. Nonetheless, health authorities are trying to contact people who have been in direct contact with her. Most at risk are people who have travelled to or had contact with people who have been to high risks countries - particularly Hong Kong and China - and health care workers treating affected patients. Unions CUPE and CAW in Canada, where seven people have so far died of SARS, have issued safety guidance for health care and other staff.
INTERNATIONALAustralia: Work stress linked to cancer deathAn Australian judge has accepted that a prison officer's job stress contributed to the cancer that killed him. Patricia Simpson brought the claim after her husband, an officer at Adelaide's maximum security Yatala Labour Prison for 21 years, died of colorectal cancer in 1998. Judge Peter McCusker, the deputy president of the South Australian Workers Compensation Tribunal, heard that Mr Simpson was distressed by riots, hostage situations and deaths in custody. He had also taken badly his loss of status in a restructure of positions in 1991, and had gone on stress leave two months before he died. In evidence, Royal Adelaide Hospital surgeon Brendon Coventry cited several studies that found 'recent life changes, and their perceptions, may have significance in the development of large bowel cancer.' In his ruling, Mr McCusker said 'on the balance of probabilities, employment contributed to the cancer that caused his death.' The ruling means Mrs Simpson will also be eligible for workers’ compensation payments. Europe: MEPs crack down on chromates in cementThe European Parliament voted this week to restrict the use of chromates in cement because they cause dermatitis in construction workers. MEPs proposed an amendment to the relevant Directive to say: 'Cement and cement-containing preparations may not be used or placed on the market, if they contain, when hydrated, more than 0.0002 per cent soluble chromium VI of the total dry weight of the cement' - tougher than the original recommendation, although with a derogation for operations where the cement won't come into contact with the skin. Commissioner Liikaanen immediately accepted the change, meaning it is virtually certain to become European law later this year. British Labour MEP David Bowe said in the debate: 'We have made substantial progress. The problem has been recognised and identified across the whole of Europe. Cement is a major cause of eczema for all workers in occupations involving the regular use of cement.' UCATT general secretary George Brumwell said: 'We welcome this proposed Directive, which when enacted will prevent many thousands of building workers developing allergic contact dermatitis, which is not only distressing and debilitating for the individual concerned, but forces many workers to leave a trade in which there is a shortage of skilled workers.' Unions will now press for implementation of the Directive's provisions in the UK.
Global: Journalists press for war safety
Norway: Recycling 'risks binmen's lungs'More recycling could be putting binmen at risk because dangerous emissions can build-up as rubbish sites in the bin. Scientists in Norway have found that organic waste separated out for recycling was causing problems as the fortnightly household garbage collections allowed it time to degrade and putrify. During the working week the respiratory tracts (windpipe) of the refuse collectors were much more inflamed than after they had rested for the weekend. The findings 'show clearly that respiratory tract inflammation increases in the refuse collectors over the course of the working week,' concluded the researchers. They say the findings, published in the European Respiratory Journal, could indicate a risk of serious health problems developing over the longer term. Author Wijnand Eduard, of the Norwegian Institute of Occupational Health, said 'our results indicate that there is a possibility of accelerated lung function decline in the long run and a risk of obstructive respiratory disease.' The risks may be lower in the UK, thanks to weekly rather than fortnightly refuse collections.
USA: NY bars will someday agree with smoking banThe patrons of New York City’s newly smoke free bars and restaurants have had little good to say about the move - but may actually end up liking the change, research suggests. In a California survey, most bar-goers said they supported and complied with a similar law two years after it went into effect. While 60 per cent approved of the law three months after it went into effect, that number increased to 66 per cent at the eight-month point and reached 73 per cent about 2.5 years after the law was in place. 'As people grew accustomed to smoke-free bars they absolutely realised that smoke-free bars are so much more enjoyable,' said Colleen Stevens, co-author of the study, published in the April edition of the American Journal of Public Health. They are also far healthier. Heart attacks in Helena, Montana, fell dramatically when smoking in public places was banned for six months last year. Professor Stanton Glantz, from the University of California at San Francisco, told the American College of Cardiology the number of hospital admissions dropped to fewer than four a month - a fall of nearly 60 per cent.
RESOURCESInternational Workers Memorial Day 2003, 28 April
EVENTS AND COURSESTUC COURSES FOR SAFETY REPS - APRIL TO JULY 2003:Midlands, North, Scotland, South East and East Anglia, South West, Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside Only newly announced events, events next week and very important events will be listed here in future. But there is a comprehensive listing of health and safety events on the TUC website - bookmark it for easy reference! TUC courses for safety reps on passive smokingAs part of a Europe-wide TUC project on passive smoking at work, the TUC is piloting some new courses for safety reps. Course details and an application form are available on the TUC website. The courses are designed to help safety reps to: share experiences about smoking at work and passive smoking; identify the health effects from passive smoking; find out about legal standards and collective bargaining agreements on the protection of workers from passive smoking; identify steps that employers should take to meet the needs of non-smokers and smokers; and negotiate policies that protect workers from passive smoking. The two-day pilot courses, designed by Peter Kirby, are being held in: Dundee (2 and 9 June), Exeter and Solihull (both 30 June and 7 July), Liverpool (4 and 11 July), Putney (7 and 14 July), Sheffield (11 and 18 July) and Newcastle-on-Tyne (18 and 25 July). ‘Don’t choke on the smoke’ conference, 9 AprilThe TUC, anti-smoking campaigners Action on Smoking and Health and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health are holding a national conference at Congress House to call for the implementation of the long overdue Approved Code of Practice on passive smoking. Registration costs £30 for trade unionists. TUC deputy general secretary Frances O’Grady, National Asthma Campaign chief Donna Covey, former BMA chair Sir Alexander Macara will join MP Barry Sheerman, Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen and Lord Faulkner of Worcester. There will be examples of good practice and a review of the civil, criminal and disability law. More news on union approaches to workplace smoking. Hazards Conference, 5-7 SeptemberThe Hazards Conference will be in London. Margaret Sharkey at the London Hazards Centre is the co-ordinator of the London end of the organisation. You can contact her via e-mail at margaret@lhc.org.uk or on 020 7794 5999. European Week for Health and Safety at Work, 13-19 OctoberThe theme for the Week in 2003 will be ‘dangerous substances’ (EU Agency press release). The TUC will be stressing the hierarchy of control, and especially the need for substitutes and general toxic use reduction strategies. Key hazards dealt with will include asbestos, asthmagens and solvents. Future years’ themes have also now been decided. USEFUL LINKSVisit the TUC http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/ website pages on health and safety. See what’s on offer from TUC Publications and What’s On in health and safety.Subscribe to Hazards magazine, supported by the TUC as a key source of information for union safety reps.What’s new in the HSC/E and the European Agency.HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA. Tel: 01787 881165; fax: 01787 313995. |
Newsletter (4,900 words) issued 7 Apr 2003
