42	Women workers

This is an excerpt from the TUC book "Hazards at Work: Organising for safe and healthy workplaces", the best-selling guide to health and safety at work. To buy a copy order here(if you are a safety representative on a TUC training course please speak to your tutor about getting a discounted copy).

BASIC FACTS ABOUT WOMEN WORKERS

A report from the European trade union institute in 2003, ‘The gender workplace gap in Europe’, drew attention to the fact that women's issues are often absent from health and safety policies, the hazards involved are either unknown or underestimated, and priorities are defined in male-dominated sectors and occupations. This failure to take account of women’s health issues in the workplace constitutes a barrier to effective policies on occupational health and equal opportunities. These weaknesses were confirmed by a report from the European Agency for Safety and Health later in 2003, which focused on improving gender sensitivity in risk assessments as a key way of addressing problems and making the approach more gender-sensitive. In 2006 a World Health Organisation report further reviewed the issues and highlighted the necessity to strengthen and put in place more and better programmes and practices to ensure women’s health and safety at work, while facilitating their access to economic and social equality.

In the UK, the TUC has identified that:

• more than a quarter of women have to lift or move heavy loads at work. Musculo-skeletal disorders associated with heavy lifting, awkward postures and repetitive tasks are by far the most commonly reported work-related illness
• stress is the second most commonly reported condition among working women but the source of the most concern
• one in five women said they were exposed to breathing fumes, dust or other harmful substances at work
• twice as many females as males reported suffering from work-related headache and eyestrain – an estimated 50,000 workers. Nearly three-quarters of these workers attributed the cause to the use of DSEs
• the highest rates for work-related skin diseases were in jobs like hairdressing and repetitive assembly – two occupations highly concentrated with women workers.

The TUC believes that women, who make up half the workforce, do not have their concerns about health and safety properly addressed:

• The law on occupational safety and health does not distinguish between women and men’s jobs other than in very specific areas. A gender-sensitive health and safety approach should replace the current gender-neutral system.
• Not enough account is taken of the physical differences between men and women that have an impact in the workplace.
• Women’s employment is concentrated in health, education, hotels and restaurants and the retail trade and in three major occupations – clerical/ secretarial, personal and protective services (such as catering and hairdressing) and sales. Their exposure to hazards reflects their jobs, so the health and safety problems facing men and women are different.
• Women face a double jeopardy because they often work a double shift of paid work and work in the home – and the one often compounds the other.
• Women’s risks at work have traditionally been ignored by the research community, so less is known about the work risks that women face.
• There is still inadequate research into, and consideration of, the specific health and safety issues that affect older women, and those going through the menopause.

The TUC is also concerned that:

• only about a quarter of employers make any attempt to seriously address problems raised by women workers
• employers often fail to include the health and safety concerns of women workers in the risk assessment process
• employers do not conduct specific risk assessments for pregnant workers or those who are breastfeeding, and
• in seven out of ten cases, employers fail to include women’s health and safety in their policy documents.

The TUC believes urgent action is needed to correct this gender imbalance. As a result, the TUC reestablished it’s Gender and Occupational Safety and Health group (G&OSH), which is focusing on a gender-sensitive approach to occupational health and safety and ensuring equal rights to protection for all workers. In 2008 the group produced a gender sensitivity checklist for safety representatives to use to test how well gender issues are addressed in the workplace. www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-14179-f0.pdf (See over for more information.)

 

 

LEGAL AND OTHER STANDARDS FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Women workers are meant to be protected by the same laws as other workers. See the following chapters in this book:

• SRSC Regulations 1977 – Chapter 3, with reference to safety representatives’ rights and consultation
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Chapter 12, dealing with the general duties of employers and employees under Sections 2–9. Generally, the employer has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees, women or men. Gender issues should be mainstreamed into the requirements for a health and safety policy
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (See box below for information on general risk assessments.)
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (See box overleaf for details of handling assessments)
• Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 for details of workstation assessments and standards (See Chapter 25 for more details)
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (See box below)  Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992 cover specific provisions for rest for pregnant workers (See box below)
• Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 require PPE to be suitable (See box below)

 

A model for making risk assessment more gender-sensitive

The TUC considers that risk assessment should take account of gender issues, differences and inequalities. Work, its organisation and the equipment used should be designed to match people, not the other way round. This principle is enshrined in EU legislation and enacted in Regulations in the UK. The legislation requires employers to carry out risk management based on risk assessment, and this can be divided into five stages:

• hazard identification
• risk assessment
• implementation of solutions
• monitoring
• review

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has developed suggestions for making this process more gender-sensitive and these are reproduced below [pdf]. The TUC agrees with this approach.

As there are gender differences in a variety of broader issues relating to work circumstances, such as sexual harassment, discrimination, involvement in decision-making in the workplace, and conflicts between work and home life, a holistic approach to risk prevention is needed. Another aim is to identify less obvious hazards and health problems that are more common for female workers.

Key issues for gender-sensitive risk assessment

• having a positive commitment and taking gender issues seriously
• looking at the real working situation
• involving all workers, women and men, at all stages
• avoiding making prior assumptions about what the hazards are and who is at risk

The TUC G&OSH Checklist includes the following points to be included when checking employer's risk assessments:

• are risk assessments carried out and implemented by the employer?
• if so, do risk assessments take account of sex and gender differences?
• are women as well as men consulted about risk assessments?
• are reproductive health risks to both men and women adequately assessed?
• are risk assessments relating to expectant, new and nursing mothers (and the unborn or breastfeeding child) carried out properly and in good time?
• do employers provide a private space for breastfeeding mothers to express milk, and also provide a safe and hygienic place for the milk to be stored?
• are any special reproductive health concerns of women and men such as work-related issues relating to fertility, prostate cancer, menstruation, menopause, breast cancer or hysterectomy adequately addressed?
• are risks of violence – including concerns about working alone on site or late into the evening, and access to safe parking – or work-related stress to women and men adequately addressed through risk assessment?
• are sex and gender differences taken into account in COSHH and manual handling risk assessments and in assessments of postural problems including prolonged standing or sitting? The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has developed suggestions for making this process more gender-sensitive http://osha.europa.eu/publications/factsheets/43/facts- 43_en.pdf and these are reproduced below.

 

Step 1: Hazard identification

For example, include gender by:

• considering hazards prevalent in both male- and female-dominated jobs
• looking for health hazards as well as safety hazards
• asking both female and male workers what problems they have in their work, in a structured way
• avoiding making initial assumptions about what may be trivial
• considering the entire workforce, e.g. cleaners, receptionists
• not forgetting part-time, temporary or agency workers and those on sick leave at the time of the assessment
• encouraging women to report issues that they think may affect their safety and health at work, as well as health problems that may be related to work
• looking at and asking about wider work and health issues

Step 2: Risk assessment

For example, include gender by:

• looking at the real jobs being done and the real work context
• not making assumptions about exposure based purely on job description or title
• being careful about gender bias in prioritising risks according to high, medium and low
• involving female workers in risk assessment. Consider using health circles and risk-mapping methods. Participative ergonomics and stress interventions can offer some methods
• making sure those doing the assessments have sufficient information and training about gender issues in occupational safety and health (OSH)
• making sure instruments and tools used for assessment include issues relevant to both male and female workers. If they do not, adapt them
• informing any external assessors that they should take a gender-sensitive approach, and checking that they are able to do this
• paying attention to gender issues when the OSH implications of any changes planned in the workplace are looked at.

For example, for stress include:

• home - work interface, and both men’s and women’s work schedules
• career development
• harassment
• emotional 'stressors'
• unplanned interruptions and doing several tasks at once

For example, for reproductive health:

• include both male and female reproductive risks
• look at all areas of reproductive health, not just pregnancy

For example, for musculo-skeletal disorders:

• look critically at ‘light work’. How much static muscle effort is involved? Does the job involve significant standing? What loads are really handled in practice and how often?

Step 3: Implementation of solutions

For example, include gender by:

• aiming to eliminate risks at source, to provide a safe and healthy workplace for all workers. This includes risks to reproductive health
• paying attention to diverse populations and adapting work and preventive measures to workers. For example, selection of protective equipment according to individual needs, suitable for women and ‘non-average’ men
• involving female workers in the decision-making and implementation of solutions
• making sure female workers as well as male are provided with OSH information and training relevant to the jobs they do and their working conditions and health effects. Ensure part-time, temporary and agency workers are included

Steps 4 and 5: Monitoring and review

For example, include gender by:

• making sure female workers participate in monitoring and review processes
• being aware of new information about genderrelated occupational health issues

Health surveillance can be part of both risk assessment and monitoring:

• include surveillance relevant to jobs of both male and female workers
• take care about making assumptions, for example, based on job title, about whom to include in monitoring activities

Accident records are an important part of both risk assessment and monitoring:

• encourage the recording of occupational health issues as well as accidents

The full guide to making risk assessments more gender sensitive and other excellent resources can be found on the European Agency’s women and health at work web resource pages at

WHAT CAN SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES DO?

There are a number of positive steps that safety representatives can take to ensure that women workers are treated equally in any workplace. Examples of measures that can be taken include:

Membership awareness

Use posters and leaflets to bring up the issue of women’s health and safety with members, and take the opportunity of discussing it with them to see if they think that there are any problems. Safety representatives should report their concerns and those of their members to management in writing. Use Chapter 7 above for ideas on how you can make sure that management gets things done.

Surveys and inspections

Safety representatives could conduct a survey to find out what health and safety problems members have. It is important that all members are consulted, including part-time workers, temporary workers and so on. There should not be assumptions about what hazards are deemed to be ‘trivial’ or ‘important’. Surveys, body mapping, risk mapping and so on can be done on a confidential basis as some members may be reluctant to contribute otherwise. Safety representatives can use their routine inspections or undertake special inspections to speak to women and men about health and safety problems that they face at work.

Risk assessment

Employers should consult and work with trade union safety representatives to: identify hazards; assess the risks; implement solutions; review and monitor. Using the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work guidelines above, it is important that safety representatives ensure that the employer carries out the risk assessment process in a gender-sensitive way.

Health and safety policy and procedure

Safety representatives can put pressure on the employer so that gender sensitivity is promoted in all aspects of OHS management. For example:

• reviewing safety policies, specifically including a commitment to gender mainstreaming
• ensuring that occupational health services and competent people will take a gender-sensitive approach
• providing relevant training and information on gender issues regarding health and safety risks to risk assessors, managers and supervisors, safety committees, etc.
• linking OHS into workplace equality actions
• ensuring that women are actively involved in health and safety strategies and action
• deciding whether a special action plan is needed for women’s health and safety

TUC Gender & Occupational Safety and Health group

The conventional gender-neutral approach is inadequate to deal with the specific health and safety problems that women experience. The re-convened TUC Gender and Occupations Safety and Health (G&OSH) group is working to produce more advice for unions and safety representatives on gendersensitivity in workplace health and safety, especially risk assessments and preventative measures. The group also promotes a wider perspective, such as including gender issues in employer policies and management practices.

The first publication is the gender sensitivity checklist that enables safety representatives to check how well their employer treats gender-sensitivity. The checklist covers seven principal areas that are specifically related to gender sensitive issues:

• the employer's workplace agreement or policy
• the representative's own union policy
• health and safety management
• safety representatives and equality representatives
• risk assessment and prevention
• sickness absence management and investigation
• reporting and monitoring procedures

The checklist is intended to be a work in progress, not a final document, capable of being developed and added to as circumstances change. The group still wants to hear from all representatives and activists, and particularly from women safety representatives about their experience of gendersensitive issues, their views, suggestions for improvement or additions to the checklist. Hope Daley, the national Health and Safety Officer of UNISON, convenes the group. She can be emailed at h.daley@unison.co.uk.

In March 2009 the TUC Women's Conference unanimously passed a motion recognising the importance of gender equality in health and safety, and welcoming the G&OSH Checklist. Conference called on the TUC to continue to develop gender-sensitivity awareness among affiliate unions by integrating the checklist into teaching materials and training courses, promoting its use by unions and securing the endorsement of the HSE. The conference also called for a specific health, safety and welfare day to be held; better research to be conducted and more guidance issued; better training for GPs and the medical profession; and guidance and training for trade union officials. Download the checklist and its associated user guidance from www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-14179-f0.cfm and the user guidance from www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc- 14178-f0.cfm

FURTHER INFORMATION (in alphabetical order)

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/43 http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/ for all OSHA fact sheets

European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education and Health and Safety

Publications on women’s health

HSE priced and free publications

• For all the latest documents containing general standards and guidance, go to the HSE web page:
• HSE Diversity web pages
• Detailed guidance on the law concerning new and expectant mothers is provided on the HSE website
• Alternatively, obtain a free copy of the latest HSE Books catalogue, CAT 34, by telephoning 01787 881165

Hazards magazine website

Excellent news and resources on the women and work Hazards web resource page

International Labour Organisation (see Section 6.4 for contact details)

News and resources on gender issues

ILO Gender Equality campaign 2008-2009

International Trade Union Confederation

Resources: Health and Safety – Women Pay Dearly

Labour Research Department (see Section 6.2 for contact details)

• Women’s Health and Safety – An LRD Guide £4.75

TUC (see Section 6.1 for contact details)

• The TUC women’s health and safety web page
• TUC Gender Sensitivity Checklist
• Restoring the Balance: Women’s Health and Safety at Work
• Essential information for safety representatives.Keep up to date on health and safety by reading Risks, the TUC’s weekly e-bulletin for safety representatives

Trade union information

• Many unions provide guidance for and about women workers. The website addresses of all trade unions are on the TUC website
• Hazards magazine has listed the health and safety pages of most trade unions
• Contact your union or visit your union’s website to find out if it produces any guidance on or for women workers. For example, USDAW has produced a Pregnancy Risk Assessment Checklist
• Unite's Guide to Women’s resources and handbook

Women’s Environmental Network

Information, resources and networking on health and the environment

World Health Organisation

WHO report Gender Equality, Work and Health.

Copyright © Trades Union Congress 2008