Risksissue no 106 - 17 May 2003 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Guest Editor: Owen Tudor CONTENTS
Risks is the TUC’s weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 7,000 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 Disclaimer and Privacy statement. The TUC website lists future health and safety events in What’s On - new events are covered below. UNION NEWSSafety reps call for tougher working time lawsTo coincide with the North East Focus on Europe Week, a Northern TUC survey of union safety representatives has suggested that regulations governing working time need immediate strengthening. The main issue, according to the TUC, is that British employers are able to exploit loopholes in the UK’s interpretation of the regulations. The survey found that long hours and stress were the main hazards faced by employees in workplaces across the North East. The UK is the only EU Member State that allows staff to opt out of the 48-hour limit, meaning that the UK still has the longest working week in the EU. Peter O’Brien, TUC regional officer, said: 'Our survey reaffirms that the EU has played a vital role in helping to deliver improvements to workplace health and safety in the North East. However, the current working time regulations in the UK fail to do justice to the aims of the initial Directive. The UK tops the European long hours league, and yet we trail our competitors in the productivity stakes. The TUC believes the solution is to work smarter not longer.'
Union condemns spring death toll on building sitesConstruction union UCATT is outraged at the recent deaths of fourteen building workers in six weeks - including six over the MayDay bank holiday weekend. General secretary George Brumwell said: 'These deaths are a stark reminder that despite a plethora of glossy policy statements and discussion documents, much more needs to be done to address the failures that have contributed to these tragedies. It has been well documented over many years that working at height and accidents related to moving machinery put construction workers at the greatest risk. Two thirds of these fatalities were as a result of these hazards, which shows that the lessons have still not been learnt'. The ages of the victims varied from 17 - Daniel Dennis, who fell through a roof light in North Wales on 8 April - to 65: Michael Davis died just days before retiring when he fell through a roof in Morden, South London on 31 March. The most recent fatality was Mark Walker who was electrocuted on 11 May while working at Milburn Gate House, Co Durham.
GMB acts to save funeral workers’ livesThe union which represents a large proportion of Britain’s funeral workers is raising health hazards affecting workers in the industry with employers after research showed that glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde and its aqueous solution Formalin, used world-wide for embalming, pose considerably greater problems to health and to the environment than is generally thought. 'The extraordinary thing is that nobody seems to be taking these risks very seriously,' said Dr Kit Barrow, leader of the research team. 'While there are health and safety regulations which apply where formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde or Formalin are used, even where they are properly enforced, they leave workers perilously close to the threshold of serious harm'. Outside funeral services, formaldehyde is used extensively in some areas of industry for the manufacture of adhesives and composite materials such as chipboard - the GMB also represents workers in the furniture and chipboard industries. However, those most at risk in Britain are funeral workers, as 75% of all bodies in Britain are embalmed. GMB national secretary Phil Davies said: 'the dangers of the use of aldehydes in embalming and industrial processes are just not acceptable.' The substances cause cancers of the nose, pharynx and lung and can also cause cough, chest tightness and heart arrhythmias. Effects of long-term exposure have been shown to include bronchitis, body tissue destruction, brain damage, lung damage and impaired co-ordination.
Four in five welfare workers suffer stress related illnessPCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union, has revealed that more than four fifths (82%) of workers in the Department of Work and Pensions have suffered ill health, including stress, as a result of pressure of work. And nearly three quarters (72%) have thought of resigning due to overwork and a lack of staff. Yet the Government is planning to cut staff in the Department by 20%. Frank Bonner, PCS national officer for the DWP said: "It’s astonishing that the Department for Work and Pensions are pressing ahead with these cuts when evidence suggests that the department is understaffed and that the public believe current staffing levels should be maintained.'
A police staff’s lot is not a happy one, says UNISONHalf of the police staff workforce do not feel valued by the police service and two thirds say stress levels have increased, according to the first independent national survey of police staff, released by UNISON. National officer for police staff, Ben Priestley, said: "The most worrying statistic is that half our members do not feel valued by their police force. This speaks volumes about the distance which the police service still needs to cover before it can claim it has an effective, efficient and integrated workforce.' The survey, by independent pollsters NOP, also found that 76% of members say workloads have increased; 66% say stress levels have grown; 49% do not feel supported by their manager in relation to workload pressures and 37% had been subjected to, or witnessed a colleague being subjected to racial harassment, homophobia or bullying
OTHER NEWSAsbestos kills one in fifty middle aged menShock new figures from the HSE show that Britain’s middle aged men are dying in ever increasing numbers from asbestos related diseases. The latest statistics on mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain show that between 1980 and 2000, 2,247 men aged between 45 and 60 died from mesothelioma, with probably another 4,500 dying from other asbestos-related diseases (chiefly lung cancer). That’s about 2% of the 351,000 men in that age group who died in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Since deaths from asbestos are increasing, the proportion of early deaths attributable to the fatal fibre is probably much higher, and will be especially high in the main risk groups which the statistics show are vehicle body builders, metal plate workers, plumbers and gas fitters, carpenters and electricians. Overall, 8,347 men died from mesothelioma in the last twenty years, and about another 1,300 women. TUC’s Owen Tudor said: 'more and more people are going to be attending asbestos linked funerals, and in some communities, asbestos is becoming the main cause of early deaths.'
Court tells insurers to pay Turner and Newall asbestos victimsAsbestos victims suing Turner and Newall for compensation have won a major victory in the High Court. The Royal and Sun Alliance insurance firm a Lloyd's of London syndicate were told to compensate the former employees of the firm which has been placed in administration by its asbestos-hit US parent company. They had said that a policy clause excluding cover for pneumoconiosis, known as asbestosis when caused by asbestos, also applied to other diseases resulting from contact with the material. But the insurers are to seek leave to appeal. TUC’s Owen Tudor said: 'the insurers should show some moral fibre over the fatal fibre that is killing these victims. They should put up and pay up, not drag the case out while waiting for the claimants to die.' Tobacco-funded research on passive smoking slammedCampaigners and authorities including the TUC have attacked a report partly funded by the tobacco industry which concluded that passive smoking might not increase the risk of heart disease and lung cancer by as much as has been claimed. The study in the British Medical Journal said the link between these conditions and exposure to second-hand smoke could be much weaker than generally believed. Previous research has suggested that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke could increase the risk of heart disease by 30%. The BMA criticised the study because it only re-analysed a small part of data from a study that was dropped by its original funders, the American Cancer Society. TUC general secretary elect Brendan Barber said: "Like much tobacco-funded research, this only looked at factors causing overestimates, ignoring any under-reporting. It's not conclusive, just one more imperfect study, which doesn't change the overwhelming evidence that passive smoking kills. There is an overwhelming case for controlling smoking at work and giving workers and consumers real choice.' Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "It would be wrong to be swayed by one flawed study funded by the tobacco industry. There is overwhelming evidence, built up over decades, that passive smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease, as well as triggering asthma attacks.' Amanda Sandford from ASH said: "The authors appear to be deliberately downplaying the findings to suit their tobacco paymasters. We would urge policy makers not to be swayed by this study but to respect the reputable science that has already shown passive smoking to be a killer."
Police rooftop chases: unsafe then, unsafe nowThe HSE case against the Metropolitan Police was being heard in the Old Bailey this week, and Commissioner Sir John Stevens recounted an episode from his early career when he decided not to chase suspects onto a roof. The trial follows the death of PC Kulwant Sidhu and injuries to PC Mark Berwick after they fell through the roofs of two separate buildings while chasing suspects. On Thursday Sir John told the court he had been awarded 27 commendations for outstanding bravery or detective work. He received one of them after chasing four suspects in 1965 when he saw them getting out of a car doorway outside a nightclub in Goodge Street, London with hatchets, crowbars and knives. Sir John said he followed them up a ladder in the club and saw them go across and down through the roof. "I decided I was just not going to go any further." Current Commissioner Sir John Stevens and his predecessor Lord Condon have both pleaded not guilty to four charges under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act. Lord Condon told the court he "cannot make the workplace safe" for officers because the workplace included every street and building. Officers were trained not to go on roofs, said Lord Condon, unless it was necessary. The trial continues. Nurse’s back pain compensation upheldAn NHS Trust has failed in a bid to overturn a damages award of over £400,000 for a nurse whose career was ended by a crippling back injury. Angela Knott won the award when the High Court last October (Risks 76) ruled that Newham Healthcare NHS Trust had failed to make adequate arrangements to protect nurses when they had to lift patients. The health trust appealed, claiming that Mrs Knott's condition was caused by a fall in the bath and a degenerative spine condition unrelated to her work at the hospital. The Court of Appeal ruled that the two main events involving lifting heavy patients which caused Mrs Knott's condition happened at Newham and the trust was wholly responsible. Doctors want overtime to stop as doctor diesNHS consultantshave been urged to stop doing unpaid overtime by their trade union. The British Medical Association has advised senior hospital doctors to ensure they are not working more than 48 hours a week. It urges consultants to request a review with mangers "if it is felt that they are working excessively beyond the reasonable requirements of the job". According to the BMA, three out of four NHS consultants work more than 50 hours per week. Meanwhile, a coroner has criticised the hours worked by a paediatric consultant who was found dead in a toilet at Southampton General Hospital. Dr Sid Watkins died after he apparently injected himself with the drug Fentanyl to help him cope with his workload. The inquest heard that he often worked more than 100 hours per week.
Jobs top cause of stress, says SamaritansNew stress research by MORI to mark the start of Samaritans Week shows, among other things, Britain is smoking, drinking and slobbing out to cope with high daily stress levels. Samaritans, the emotional support charity, published the results to mark the start of its awareness and fundraising week, from 17-24 May. The research shows that one in five people in Great Britain experiences stress on a daily basis and that the emotional consequences are severe, with a quarter of people who are stressed feeling isolated by it, nearly half feeling depressed or down, and one in eight believing they have nowhere to turn. The Stressed Out survey found that the biggest cause of stress was jobs, followed by money, family and health. Chief Executive of Samaritans, Simon Armson, said, "We would urge people to try to deal with stress as positively as they can rather than ignoring it, or turning to alcohol or smoking. If feelings are bottled up or ignored, they can lead to more severe emotional distress in the long run.' TUC’s Owen Tudor said: 'tackling stress is better than coping. Workers need to get together in a union to make sure their bosses behave better and prevent the risks of stress at source.'
INTERNATIONALEurope: Launch for October week on dangerous substancesThe first pan-European campaign to reduce the risks of chemicals, biological agents and other dangerous substances at work - hazards that affect around a quarter of the EU's 150 million employees - was launched by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work on 13 May at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Cancers, asthma and neuro-psychiatric problems are just some of the illnesses that can be caused by the 100,000 chemicals marketed in the EU, as well as biological agents. 'Dangerous substances contribute significantly to the 350 million days lost through occupational ill health in the EU and to the seven million people suffering from occupational illnesses,' said Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs. Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the Agency added: "Dangerous substances need to be handled with care - this is the key message of our 2003 campaign. In many cases safe substitutes for dangerous substances do exist, for instance to replace organic solvents. If this is not possible, exposure can be eliminated or reduced through efficient control measures.' According to research, 21% of EU employees are exposed to known or suspected carcinogens, such as benzene (in fuel) and crystalline silica (construction materials), while 22% of workers inhale fumes and vapours for at a least a quarter of their working time, including organic solvents, wood dust and welding fumes. In addition, 16% of employees handle or come into contact with dyes, pesticides, Chromium VI (via wet cement) and other dangerous substances for similar periods, either directly or through contaminated surfaces and production processes. Sectors most at risk range from construction and agriculture to printing, cleaning, health care and automotive mechanics.
South Africa: Unions call for train safetySouth Africa’s TUC, Cosatu, has threatened a strike in the Western Cape if the government and Metrorail fail to improve the safety of commuters on trains. The labour federation blamed the government and Metrorail for allowing criminals to "operate on trains with impunity". "It is this negligence from the government that saw 15-year-old Robyn Jansen being robbed and thrown from a moving train," said the Cosatu provincial secretary. Jansen spent a week recuperating in a Cape Town Hospital after the ordeal. "The family of this young girl should get an explanation from the government why they have ignored rail transport," Cosatu said. "If government refuses to fix the problems, we will strike to defend the interest and safety of working families who use railway transport."
US: Unions call for action on TBAmerican public sector union the AFSCME has urged the Secretary of State for Labor Elaine Chao to complete and issue a final rule on occupational exposure to Tuberculosis (TB). AFSCME and other unions petitioned for a TB standard in 1993, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its proposed standard in 1997. Action on the rule has been unreasonably delayed, says the union, resulting in preventable cases of tuberculosis among workers. Union president Gerald McEntee said that 'The Agency has done all of the work that is required to issue a rule. A final rule will provide needed protection against tuberculosis, SARS, and other diseases.'
US: Employers urged to pay up for worker protectionUS unions, led by the AFL-CIO (America’s TUC) have urged the Occupatiuonal Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a proposed rule clarifying an employer's responsibility to pay for safety equipment. In their joint letter, union leaders say: 'It is primarily low‑wage, immigrant workers who speak little English, working in some of the country's most hazardous industries, such as meatpacking and poultry plants, who are at the greatest risk and most need this rule. Meatpacking remains the most dangerous of manufacturing jobs, with the highest rate of injury and illness. Nearly one in four meatpacking workers is injured on the job each year.' Unions claim that in proposing the payment for PPE rule, OSHA stated its belief that a rule clearly requiring employers to pay for safety equipment "will better protect employees from work‑related illness, injury, and death." The agency found that a rule requiring employer payment for protective equipment would prevent over 47,000 injuries and seven fatalities each year.
EVENTS AND COURSESTUC courses for safety repsCOURSES FOR APRIL TO JULY 2003:Midlands, North, Scotland, South East and East Anglia, South West, Wales 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! Law enforcement and corporate accountability, 7 JulyGovernment ministers, MPs from all main political parties, trade unions, employer organisations, bereaved families and the Health and Safety Executive are all speaking at the TUC-Centre for Corporate Accountability 3rd joint conference on 'Law enforcement and corporate accountability.' Speakers include: Rt. Hon. Nick Brown MP, minister for work; Brendan Barber, TUC; Janet Asherson, CBI; Anne Jones, Simon Jones Memorial Campaign; Neal Stone, HSE; Lord Falconer; Home Office minister; Patricia Peters, Institute of Directors; Tony Lloyd MP, chair, TU group of Labour MPs; Ross Cranston QC MP, former Solicitor General; and many more…
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 (3,600 words) issued 19 May 2003
