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Risks Newsletter

Number 305 - 12 May 2007

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Hazards logo - warning sign Editor: Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Comments to the TUC at healthandsafety@tuc.org.uk

Risks is the TUC's weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 14,500 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 .

UNION NEWS OTHER NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS RESOURCES EVENTS AND COURSES USEFUL LINKS
UNION NEWS
Car union in offer to cancer families

Union leaders want to meet grieving families of men who died of cancer contracted while working at Southampton's Ford factory. The Transport and General Workers' Union (now part of Unite) has offered to support relatives if they take legal action. The move comes after an investigation by local paper the Daily Echo revealed 21 cases of oesophageal cancer among workers at the Swaythling factory - more than three times the number of cases investigated in an independent study commissioned by Ford. The motor giant carried out a health inquiry into six oesophageal cancer cases among paint shop workers between 1994 and 2005. The study - supported by the Medical Research Council and the Health and Safety Executive - found the cancer cluster was a coincidence and unrelated to the workplace. Ford has since consistently maintained that there is no link. However, the bereaved families were not satisfied with the findings and formed an action group to demand a second investigation. TGWU has commissioned its own expert to consider the report and is awaiting the conclusions. In a letter to group leader Julia Spencer, the union said it was 'anxious to assist the families of those who died and were TGWU members.' Ms Spencer welcomed the union support, adding: 'Things are moving slowly but they are moving forward. I'm in the process of contacting the other members of the action group to arrange a time and date for our first meeting.' TGWU regional representative Colin Lumber said: 'These fathers and husbands were all members of the union so we have a moral obligation to make sure any investigation into their deaths is appropriate.' Studies in the US, Canada and elsewhere have linked exposure to solvents and metalworking fluids in car plants to a heightened risk of oesophageal cancer. A worldwide 'zero cancer' campaign launched by unions last month, and using materials prepared by Hazards magazine, identified these exposures as top prevention priorities (Risks 300). A study last month concluded cancer risks related to metalworking fluid exposures in car plants had been systematically under-estimated due to inadequate research protocols (Risks 302).

UCATT demands better asbestos treatment

Construction union UCATT is demanding official approval for a drug experts say is the best treatment for people with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has indicated that it will advise that the chemotherapy drug Alimta should not be used. It is currently available throughout Scotland, but in most parts of England those wanting the treatment have to obtain it privately at a cost of at least £24,000. The NHS can provide the treatment for just £7,000, Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'It is sickening that NICE could even consider a postcode lottery on easing the suffering of people dying from a horribly painful disease, developed at work through no fault of their own.' He added: 'If mesothelioma was a disease of the chattering classes, rather than of manual workers, I am sure the decision would be different.' Nick Thatcher, professor of oncology at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust and Wythenshawe Hospital, described NICE's decision as 'crazy', adding: 'It's the only proven licensed treatment and isn't that expensive [for the NHS] - only £7,000 for the complete treatment course.' He said the treatment significantly increases life expectancy, alleviates pain that cannot be lessened by opiates, and helps with breathlessness. 'One in four people on Alimta survive two years and more, and generally have a good quality of life,' he said. 'They wouldn't have that with other chemotherapy that's cheaper and not as effective. In terms of social justice, to not treat an industrial disease is extraordinary, especially when the cost is pretty minimal.' Chris Knighton, founder of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, believes the decision leaves sufferers with a choice between inadequate treatment and hardship. She said: 'People have been contacting us who have remortgaged or sold their homes to pay.' Alimta is widely available throughout the European Union. NICE denied approval for the life-extending chemotherapy drug Alimta in June last year, subject to consultation that closed last month. Final guidance is due for publication in September. Study findings to be published in the June issue of the Annals of Oncology concluded Britain has the worst cancer survival rates out of five top European countries, and blamed a reluctance to provide drug treatments including Alimta that are routinely available elsewhere. The review of the availability of 67 new cancer drugs in 25 countries, funded by Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche, found that Britain languishes close to the bottom of the league, along with Poland, the Czech Republic, South Africa and New Zealand.

Union wins hearing damage payout

A worker from Goole, Humberside, who is suffering two debilitating health problems caused by exposure to excessive noise at work, has received a £4,000 compensation settlement. Malcolm Goddard, 60, a member of Unite's Amicus section, suffers from severe occupational deafness and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. In 1972 he went to work at a Corus rolling mill where daily noise exposures led to noise induced hearing problems. He now has difficulty hearing everyday conversations and the television. Mr Goddard said: 'The noise on site was deafening. Noise was transmitted from the machines used to roll the steel. There were two furnaces, underground hydraulics and a roughing mill.' He added: 'I received hearing protection in 1990 but it was only in 1995 that hearing protection became compulsory.' He said it wasn't until 2005 he realised he had a serious hearing problem. Bernard McAulay, the Yorkshire and Humberside regional secretary for Unite's Amicus section, commented: 'Noise is still one of the most underestimated workplace risks so we are very pleased with the outcome of this case. It demonstrates the value of trade union membership.' He added that the union 'seeks to protect and support people at work and helps secure compensation pay outs for its members when things go wrong.' Nikki Sharpe from Thompsons Solicitors said: 'Sadly Malcolm Goddard's employers did not provide him with suitable equipment to protect his hearing... He was exposed to seriously high levels of noise which over the years has seriously impaired his hearing.'

Poll reveals firefighters' safety fears

Firefighters' union FBU has called on the government to scrap plans to close 46 emergency call centres, saying the move could endanger the safety of its members and the general public. The call centres are to be replaced with nine state-of-the-art regional centres in England at a cost of £1 billion. There are similar plans in Scotland, with proposals to shift from eight brigade controls down to either three or one centre for the whole country. Ministers argue the changes would make the service more able to deal with major incidents such as natural disasters and terror attacks. But FBU says that the money would be better spent on frontline staff, training and equipment. It says a survey of almost 2,000 of its members showed almost every one believed the plans would damage the fire service's ability to respond to incidents. The nationwide poll of FBU members conducted by YouGov found 95 per cent of firefighters polled thought the proposed regional centre would damage the service's ability to respond to incidents, with 90 per cent believing it would also hit the safety of firefighters. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'Frontline crews want to see the £1 billion being wasted on this project being invested in more frontline fire services, better equipment and training. We fear the spiralling costs of this project will lead to cuts in frontline services and a worse service to the public.' He added: 'There must be a proper independent assessment of this entire project before it goes any further. The government must listen and think again.' An overwhelming 96 per cent of FBU members polled said the project should not go ahead.

Concern over immigration centre staff cuts

A private contractor's plan to slash staffing at a high profile immigration detention centre could jeopardise the safety of staff and detainees, the union GMB has warned. Serco announced this month that it plans to cut over 54 per cent of the staff working at the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire. The firm took over the removal centre contract on 25 April 2007 from GSL. GMB organiser Paul Campbell said: 'Serco has stated that the reason for the proposed redundancies is 'changes in work methods or organisation'. GMB has written to Serco advising that GMB London Region will totally oppose any reduction in manning levels and give them a deadline to rescind their proposals. We will make sure that the minister knows this too.' He added: 'GMB members have for too long been on the receiving end of daft policies that make their jobs harder or nigh on impossible. It seems that the government and the private contractors never learn the very obvious lessons that history tell us.' A GMB submission to the House of Lords Joint Committee on Human Rights prior to the Serco takeover warned: 'Your Committee may well be aware of the major incident at Yarl's Wood in February 2002 (Risks 120), prior to which our elected GMB representatives had raised issues with manning levels and health and safety implications, whether or not manning levels at that time in any way contributed to the incident was a matter for the Home Office's investigations following the incident and their conclusions.' The submission added: 'I would suggest that any reductions in manning levels could well effect our members' ability to maintain the current standards of treatment of detainees and their safety, and the ability of our members not only to carry out their security duties but the important issue of having sufficient time to respond to detainees' welfare matters and the current good practice of meaningful dialogue and concern.'

Community raises the alarm for safety

A union has demonstrated the safety protection unions can offer, even when the employer refuses formal union recognition. Workers in Betfred betting shops were concerned when the company switched off emergency alarms. Community contacted the company and made sure that these were switched straight back on. The problem was first brought to the union's attention in January, when a Community member working in a Betfred shop in the north west contacted the union, after she realised that her emergency alarm was not working. The union quickly contacted other branches and established that the problem was nationwide. Community sent out information and advice to members and spoke to the company to request that the alarms be switched back on immediately. The company acted within days and acknowledged that Community's intervention was in the best interests of the staff and that it added value to the company, says the union. Community organiser Sarah France, commented: 'It just goes to show the difference that being in a union can make, even without recognition by the company, and the impact that the union can have. We take the health and safety of our members very seriously.'

Unite calls for action on enforcement

A dramatic increase in workplace deaths shows the need for more resources for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and a reversal in the downward trend in enforcement, Britain's biggest union has said. Unite, the union formed this month from the merger of TGWU and Amicus, made the call after latest provisional figures showed workplace fatalities in the construction industry increased last year by over 30 per cent (Risks 301). Unite is concerned that this and enforcement trends - a new report for construction union UCATT has claimed that the proportion of deaths in the sector that were followed by a prosecution had fallen by nearly three quarters in the period from 1998 to 2004 (Risks 304) - show the safety watchdog is increasingly reluctant to take the necessary enforcement action after criminal safety breaches. HSE challenged the findings of the UCATT report when the story was picked up the BBC Radio 4's flagship Today programme, saying in a comment released to the press there was only a 'possible 10-15 per cent rise in fatal accidents', later defending this figure when challenged by Hazards magazine. However, HSE later conceded its own estimate was wrong and amended the press release online to say there was a 'possible 20-25 per cent risk in fatal accidents' in the construction sector, although the revised figures were not distributed to HSE's press list. Amicus and the Centre for Corporate Accountability, which prepared the report for UCATT, criticised HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger's defence of his organisation's enforcement record, which included a statement that 'this is not a police state'. They point out that his own memo last year commenting on the findings of an internal HSE audit conceded enforcement rates should be 'considerably greater' and warned that 'the implications of this need to concern us all.' Rob Miguel, health and safety officer with Unite's Amicus section, said: 'It seems though that HSE has written off over half those devastated families within these figures. For many years we have campaigned for increased enforcement for health and safety breaches, and despite HSE worries about a police state, they are more than concerned over the lack of enforcement themselves.'

Rail union slams lack of action on safety

Rail chiefs have failed to tackle a maintenance deficiency and shortcuts since the fatal train derailment at Grayrigg in Cumbria, rail union RMT has warned. The claim from the union's Cumbria branch of the RMT comes after press reports claimed police officers working on the February 23 accident investigation are said to have been amazed by the maintenance failings they found, and the culture of track maintenance short cuts and deficiencies (Risks 304). Craig Johnston, RMT North West vice president, said: 'Since Grayrigg, there has been no evidence of improvement. Everything is just the same as it was. We've had a culture of fragmentation and the bureaucracy gets in the way of this work.' He added that he stood by his union's claim that Network Rail struggled to clear a backlog of maintenance in Cumbria in the three weeks before Grayrigg and that maintenance had been cut by 30 per cent in the preceding year. Alan Johnson, chair of the Carlisle RMT branch, agreed, saying: 'There hasn't been any change.' He refused to blame individual maintenance teams for the Grayrigg derailment, but suggested that some privately employed contractors may be causing problems. He added: 'What we have now is contractors coming in who don't know what they're doing - it's rich pickings.' RMT general secretary Bob Crow this week called for a joint public inquiry into the Potters Bar crash which killed seven people five years ago and February's Grayrigg derailment, which killed one passenger. 'The alarming similarities between Potters Bar and Grayrigg underline the need for the industry to get to grips once and for all with the systemic engineering management problems that clearly still blight rail safety,' Bob Crow said. 'Establishing immediate causes is important, but an inquiry should be able to examine the adequacy of safety management systems and what RMT believes are the unacceptable risks still posed by the continued fragmentation of rail engineering.'

TUC raises skin problems

Employers are showing a 'shameful' lack of concern for the health of their employees, the TUC had said. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber spoke out following new advice from the official safety watchdog that thousands of workers are still affected by a painful skin conditions caused by coming into contact with harmful substances at work. Employees in healthcare, hairdressing, printing, cleaning, construction and catering are all suffering from dermatitis, as a result of their work, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned. The TUC leader said employers and government should be doing more to prevent the condition that has been around for years. He told Personnel Today: 'The UK's enforcement authorities must to do more to tackle this shameful lack of concern for employees' health and safety. The continued high incidence of dermatitis and other painful skin conditions is mainly down to a lack of safety awareness in many of the UK's small firms. The owners of small companies are often quite ignorant of the effects that the daily use of certain chemicals at work can have on individual employees.' Mr Barber added: 'Part of the problem is that the turnover of staff can be quite high, and sadly many employers are apt to see their employees as a somewhat disposable commodity.'

OTHER NEWS
BP faces further safety attacks

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has ordered BP to improve safety on its North Sea oil and gas installations, issuing 14 notices to the energy group in the past year. So far the stipulations in 10 of the notices have been met. Offshore union Unite said it was not surprised, given BP's safety record, that it had received so many improvement notices. Graham Tran, offshore officer with Unite's Amicus section, said: 'We have been saying for many years that BP has failed to take advantage of rising energy price to step up its investment in maintenance. We now want to see some hard action in this area.' BP announced this week it had appointed L Duane Wilson, a retired vice-president for refining and marketing at ConocoPhillips, to oversee its safety improvements after recent controversy about its refinery safety performance, including the March 2005 Texas City blast that killed 15 (Risks 302). An internal report concluded four BP executives should be sacked for failing to prevent the tragedy. The report, released by court order, also found that a fifth manager ignored 'serious warning signals' at the site. The revelations came just two days after the oil giant's chief executive, Lord Browne, resigned after it was revealed he had lied to a court on matters relating to his private life. TUC said last week it was 'almost surreal' that Browne should escape the courts and the sack following scathing reports implicating him in the Texas City blast, yet be forced to resign and possibly face prosecution for telling a 'white lie' to a court (Risks 304). The matter was a cause of considerable comment in the US after BP chair Peter Sutherland said it was 'a tragedy' that Browne 'should be compelled by his sense of honour to resign in these painful circumstances.' Houston Chronicle business columnist Loren Steffy commented: 'A tragedy? No, that would have been more than two years ago in Texas City. Where was Browne's sense of honour then?' US union federation AFL-CIO's reaction was summed up in a headline in its official AFL-CIO Now blog: 'Good riddance to BP exec'.

Firm shows contempt for safety and staff

A Hexham store has sunk to a new low in abusing both safety procedures and its staff in one alarming blow. Employees of the historic Robbs department store learned that they were being made redundant after responding to a fire alarm. Bosses deliberately set off the fire bell to clear the building of customers and get staff together in one place. At the designated fire point, the 140 members of staff were told the landmark store would be shutting in two weeks. Kroll, the administrator brought in by Robbs' owners Owen Owen, said that 'the closure of Robbs department store was due to become public knowledge before the end of the trading day.' The administrators said that management wanted 'to notify their colleagues of the situation before they found out through other means'. As a result, they determined that 'the most efficient and practical method of informing their colleagues of this business development was by using the fire alarm.' Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed it is investigating the circumstances of the incident. A spokesperson said: 'The Fire and Rescue Service did not attend Robbs department store on Wednesday morning but, due to the nature of the claims being made surrounding the use of a fire alarm, we will be investigating this matter. Although we haven't yet established the facts in this case, our advice is that fire alarms should only be used to alert people when there is a genuine emergency.' Robbs administrator Kroll faced angry criticism last year for claiming an 'obscene' £70 million in fees while acting as administrator for Turner and Newall, part of US bankruptcy-of-convenience firm Federal Mogul (Risks 274). Asbestos claimants, cancer sufferers and bereaved relatives received less than a quarter the compensation they might normally have expected.

Council safety experts axed despite deaths

A union has condemned a London council's decision to axe crucial workplace safety posts while still under investigation followed two fatalities in four months. Almost half of Camden Council's health and safety advisers are to go, with a team of nine health and safety experts pared back to just five. Young dad Ralph Kennedy, 24, was electrocuted on a Camden council housing estate in September last year. Council bosses came under fire when it emerged at the inquest last month that Mr Kennedy died because the earth wire on an external wall light had been cut, effectively disabling its safety mechanism (Risks 302). In January this year two-year-old Saurav Ghai was killed when a brick wall on top of him in the borough. Commenting on the loss of safety cover, Sarah Friday, health and safety officer of UNISON's Camden branch, said: 'The advisers' role is to oversee and make sure procedures are in place for safety checks to be carried out. Particularly at a time when the council is under investigation for two fatalities it seems inappropriate that they should be cutting back.' Speaking about Mr Kennedy's electrocution, Ms Friday labelled Mr Kennedy's death 'preventable', and pointed out a report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents carried out in Camden seven years ago warned: 'There are no procedures to control the design, use and maintenance of electrical systems.'

Site firms must communicate warns HSE

Contractors and sub-contractors on construction sites must talk to each other or risk prosecutions for the firm and serious injuries for their staff. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning followed the prosecution last week of three construction companies after an employee was very seriously injured. CJ Murfitt Ltd was fined £14,000, Potton Ltd £7000 and Shenley Carpentry Contractors Ltd £4,000. They were ordered to pay £8,588 in costs. The prosecutions arose following an incident on 12 January 2006 when worker Darius Griskevicius suffered serious injury after falling five metres into an unguarded stairwell in the block of the flats under construction. The risk presented by the work had been identified but the three companies failed to communicate and coordinate their activities effectively to ensure that the simple precautions needed were in place at all times. Investigating HSE inspector Sheena Mackinnon said: 'The precautions required are not difficult or costly. A great number of the incidents investigated by HSE show that where multiple contractors are involved it is a failure to properly manage and coordinate their actions, which underpin them. Good communications between the principal contractor and specialists contractors is the key to success.'

  • HSE news release. HSE issues a free Homebuilder Infonet every three months. Email HSE or call 01582 444323. An HSE Construction Health and Safety Awareness Officer is also available to provide advice. Home builders can contact Frances Kennedy on 01582 444323.
TUC backs call for action on epilepsy

The TUC is backing a campaign to end workplace discrimination against people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Action has criticised the outdated attitudes of those UK employers who continue to discriminate against people with epilepsy, as part of a campaign launched to mark National Epilepsy Week, which runs from 20-26 May. As figures show that unemployment rates among people with the condition are still unacceptably high, the epilepsy charity is demanding that company bosses confront their prejudices, and has issued new guidance for employers and employees including information on health and safety and disability discrimination issues. Simon Wigglesworth, Epilepsy Action's deputy chief executive, said: 'Unemployment among disabled people is double the national average, and our findings suggest that the picture is even bleaker for people with epilepsy.' He added: 'A lot of employers and their employees seem to fear the consequences of someone having a seizure at work. However, many people with epilepsy are completely seizure-free on medication, while others have their seizures well controlled. People whose seizures are uncontrolled could still be a valuable member of staff with just a few minor adjustments in the workplace.' The charity suggests simple modifications like allowing an employee to start and finish later than others if seizures occur a short time after waking; permitting an employee to work regular hours rather than shifts if seizures are aggravated by disrupted sleep patterns; and ensuring that all staff are educated about epilepsy. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: 'Trade unions support this campaign to challenge prejudice and correct ignorance - and to remind bosses that the law requires them not to discriminate.' Unite's Amicus section is also backing the campaign.

Bar staff 'should wear ear plugs'

Campaigners have attacked the music and entertainment industry for not preparing measures to protect the hearing of bar and club workers. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) said staff working where loud music was played should get earplugs. A poll of 200 businesses showed that over half of employers have no plans to make hearing protection available - despite new laws coming in next year. Under the new rules, firms have to ensure staff are protected where noise exceeds 85 decibels. Most clubs and some pubs and bars will exceed this, but the music and entertainment industry has been given an exemption until next April. The RNID poll found that 68 per cent of employers were unaware they had to comply with the law and 55 per cent had no plans to make hearing protection available. Emma Harrison, head of campaigns at the RNID, said: 'Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss and if properly implemented these regulations will save the hearing of literally hundreds of thousands of people in the music and entertainment industries. If they are ignored or implemented half-heartedly employers could face a wave of compensation claims for staff.' She added that there were ear plugs available which blocked out background noise but will still enable staff behind the bar to take drinks orders. 'We are not trying to stop people enjoying themselves, just protect the hearing of staff.'

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Canada: Farmworker rights just a first step

A campaign for farmworker safety in the Canadian province of British Columbia has secured important new legal rights. Unions however say farmworkers are still treated like second-class citizens, and are demanding a comprehensive reform of employment protection in agriculture. Pressure for the new law increased after three migrant workers were killed in a March vehicle smash (Risks 298). The van, designed to carry 10, was packed with 17 workers. Seats had been replaced with wooden benches. The changes announced last week included the recruitment of six extra official safety inspectors, tougher inspections and penalties for unsafe transportation of farm workers and a prohibition on growers using unlicensed labour contractors. The licences of contractors who repeatedly violate WorkSafeBC or Motor Vehicle Act regulations would be suspended, said regulators. BC Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said the law was an important first step, but said more must be done to ensure agricultural workers are really safe and properly protected by employment standards. He said: 'This tragedy has shone a light once again on the exploitation of farmworkers by their employers, who have subsidised their profits by reducing safety and employment standards.' He added: 'The agriculture industry can't wash their hands of their responsibility by just pointing the finger at labour contractors.'



Canada: Ontario tackles firefighting cancers

Firefighters deserve compensation for fire-related illnesses and the Ontario government is working to ensure they get the help they need, provincial premier Dalton McGuinty has said. The Ontario premier was speaking on the introduction of a new bill that would make it easier for firefighters suffering work-related cancers and other disorders to receive compensation. 'Firefighters and their families make sacrifices every day to keep Ontarians safe,' said McGuinty. 'We're working to make sure these brave men and women get the support they need and deserve if they get sick.' The proposed amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act in Canada's most populous province would allow the government to make regulations affecting Ontario's firefighters that would identify eight types of cancer as presumed to be work-related and would include heart attacks as presumed to be work-related if they occur within 24 hours of a fire. The provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Nova Scotia already compensate firefighter deaths from cancers. The new Ontario law, when passed, would cover brain, bladder, kidney, colorectal, ureter and oesophageal cancers and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukaemia.

France: Chemical firm liable for kidney cancers

The world's third largest animal feed supplement producer has been found liable for kidney cancers suffered by its staff. A social security tribunal in Moulin, France ruled in April that Adisseo had been grossly negligent and ordered the company to pay out compensation of 50,000 to 60,000 euros (£34,000-41,000) to each of nine current or former workers suffering from kidney cancer. All the men had been employed in the plant's vitamin A production shop, which had used the mutagen and carcinogen Chloracetal C5 since 1982. The tribunal found that 'despite knowing that Chloracetal C5 was a mutagen in 1990, Adisseo France failed to show that it had really improved protection for its employees'. The tribunal ruling added: 'Many cases of kidney cancer were diagnosed among the site's employees from 1984 onwards... Twenty-two cases were found, including several deaths.' The ruling concluded: 'The disease resulted from Adisseo France's breaches of duty' with the company as a result deemed to be 'grossly negligent'. The tribunal found that Adisseo had not taken 'the necessary measures despite being aware of the danger', and doubled the amount of pension payable to the victims. Kidney cancer has a relatively good survival rate. As most estimates of the workplace cancer toll are based on deaths, it is effectively overlooked in many occupational cancer rate calculations. In January 2003, France's Ministries of Health and Labour instigated an investigation into the cancer cluster at the plant.

USA: Lung ailment linked to Trade Center collapse

A clinical study has made a clear link between World Trade Center dust and serious and sometimes fatal diseases. US doctors have found that the number of New York City rescue and recovery workers with a rare type of lung-scarring condition soared in the year after the trade center collapsed in the 11 September 2001 attack. Doctors from the Fire Department and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that 13 firefighters and emergency medical service workers with the department developed sarcoidosis, a debilitating illness in which the lungs and other organs develop inflammation that produces lumps of cells, called granulomas. The illness can be controlled with drugs, but in some cases it gets progressively worse and can be fatal. The nine authors of the study ? including Dr David J Prezant, deputy chief medical officer of the Fire Department and a member of the faculty at Albert Einstein ? calculated an incidence rate in the first year after the collapse of 86 cases per 100,000 workers. That is more than five times higher than the 15 per 100,000 rate for Firefighter Department workers in the 15 years before the trade center collapsed. After the initial surge in disease rates after 9/11, the number of cases of sarcoidosis and similar illnesses dropped, according to the study, published in the May edition of the journal Chest. However, it remained higher than normal for several more years. In all, doctors found 26 cases of sarcoidosis in the five years after 9/11, an amount surpassing the combined total for the previous 15 years. None of the stricken Fire Department employees have died. Five are on permanent disability and five others are being reviewed for disability. Of the 26 workers who have the illness, 24 said they never smoked tobacco, and the other two were described as ex-smokers. Other papers have suggested a link between sarcoidosis-type disease and silica exposure at work.

  • Gabriel Izbicki and others. World Trade Center 'Sarcoid-like' Granulomatous Pulmonary Disease in New York City Fire Department rescue workers, Chest, volume 131, pages 1414-1423, 2007 [abstract]. New York Times.
  • Workplace Alberta crystalline silica factsheet [pdf].
RESOURCES
Excess baggage

A book based on groundbreaking research on the working conditions of airport check-in workers in two countries - Canada and Switzerland - concludes behind the glamour is a job made barely survivable by changes in work organisation that have de-skilled, disempowered, and ultimately demoralised workers. Ellen Rosskam, the author of 'Excess baggage: Levelling the load and changing the workplace' explores the psychological distress, physical pain from musculoskeletal disorders, strain, and violence that check-in workers experience. Workers describe in their own words a job perceived to be 'safe,' 'clean,' 'glamour girl' work, but which is in reality comparable to industrial workplaces that require heavy manual lifting, obligingly performed in skirts, dresses, and pretty little shoes. Rosskam concludes the situation of these workers will only improve if there is worker involvement in organisational decision-making and argues a collective voice is critical. The book has attracted high praise from key figures in the field. Ingo Marowsky, the aviation secretary of global transport union federation ITF, said it 'presents a dramatic picture of pain among this group of workers, which affects their lives beyond the workplace.' He added: 'This book should be mandatory reading for both industry management and trade unions, to reformulate check-in working policies in order to provide healthier and safer workstations.'

EVENTS AND COURSES
TUC courses for safety reps

COURSES FOR SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2007

USEFUL LINKS

Newsletter (6,200 words) issued 11 May 2007

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