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Number 511 - 25 June 2011

Risks
Asbestos - the hidden killer
 Hazards magazine
 Hazards at Work

Risks is the TUC's weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 18,000 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 TUC courses for safety reps Disclaimer and Privacy

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

Union News

UK union calls for global piracy offensive

UK seafarers' union Nautilus is calling on unions worldwide to prepare for an international boycott of high risk piracy areas. The union was commenting following fresh evidence that the threat to merchant ships and seafarers is increasing. The international campaign against piracy, Save our Seafarers (SOS), reported this week that 62 seafarers have died in the past four years as a direct result of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Nautilus says the deaths were the result of 'deliberate murder by pirates, suicide during the period of captivity, malnutrition and disease, drowning or heart failure.' The SOS campaign reports that during the same period, over 3,500 seafarers have been kidnapped, held hostage and subject to extreme trauma. Abuses include being used as human shields, hung by the ankles over the side of the ship, shut in the ship's freezer room, and having cable ties tightened round the genitals. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: 'The piracy problem needs sorting out now - and before it gets even worse than it presently is.' He added: 'Some governments appear to think that a certain amount of piracy can be tolerated. But that's not the view of Nautilus or its members and it's time to make a stand. That's why Nautilus was amongst those demanding that the ITF make urgent preparations for a global call for all seafarers to refuse to sail into the high risk areas.' Nautilus says it will shortly be submitting evidence to the House of Commons foreign affairs committee inquiry regarding the issue of piracy.

MPs echo union warning on coastguard plans


Unions are calling on the government to rethink a move to cut coastguard stations and jobs after the plans received withering criticism this week from an influential committee of MPs. The Commons transport committee report said the government plans raise 'serious safety concerns'. The government has proposed reducing the number of coastguard centres open 24 hours a day from 18 to three. Committee chair Louise Ellman, said the coastguard proposals were 'seriously flawed'. She added: 'We found little support for the current proposals and we have no confidence that... the coastguard will in future be able to respond to emergencies at sea as well as they do now, let alone in a more effective way.' PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka commented: 'This report could not be any clearer - the government got it wrong and needs to start again from scratch with the full involvement of staff. It's totally unacceptable that the issues - which are often by definition matters of life and death - have been treated in such a high-handed manner by ministers and management.' Steve Todd, national maritime secretary with the union RMT, said: "The committee quite rightly exposes the dangers to the UK coastline posed by the very damaging cutbacks and closures to coastguard centres.' As well as delivering a searing criticism of the plans on coastguard cutbacks, the report from MPs was also highly critical of the government's intention to axe Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) and the fire rescue cover provided by the Maritime Incident Report Group. The government's final proposals are due to be published later this summer.


Fatal firm hit by fine and family payout

A south Wales firm that faced criminal and civil court proceedings after the death of at work of a father of three was hit last week with a fines and compensation bill of £235,000. Unite member Paul Thorngate, 44, from Porth, was crushed to death when a metal rope gave way and sent 1,600lbs of aluminium car parts crashing down on top of him in November 2006. The components had been lifted by a ceiling-mounted crane and were due to be lowered into a furnace for heat treatment at Melloy Ltd, near Upper Boat. The rope supporting the load was frayed after it was installed incorrectly, causing it to rub against its casing. Last week, a union-backed compensation claim against Melloy on behalf of his children and his partner Jayne Beer was settled for £60,000. Two days earlier the firm was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £75,000 costs at Cardiff Crown Court, after pleading guilty to criminal breaches of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Paul's partner, Jayne Beer, said: 'Words cannot describe how much of a gap Paul's death has left in all our lives. He was a vibrant and fun-loving person and he was much-loved by friends, family and colleagues.' She added: 'He was dedicated to his job and worked hard to make sure his work was completed to the highest standard. If only his employers had had the same attitude and work ethic then perhaps in a different life Paul would still be with us today.' Unite regional secretary Andy Richards said: 'Mr Thorngate died needlessly because of Melloy Ltd's gross failure to make sure the equipment he was using was safe. Had the company involved the workers and the union in its safety discussion these health and safety breaches could have been spotted and resolved and Paul would still be with us today.'

Worker crushed by red hot two tonne pole

A factory worker who was saved from being burnt alive when he was trapped by a filing cabinet as fires broke out around him has received compensation for his injuries. The GMB member from Kidderminster, whose name has not been released, was injured at Somers Forge Ltd in Halesowen. The 53-year-old works as a forge helper for the open die forgemasters. In August 2007 he was working beside a waist-height track and was waiting for a two and a half tonne metal pole to be lowered by a crane onto a wheeled trolley. The 16 foot pole had just come out of the forge and was red hot. As it was lowered it dropped from the crane and rolled off the trolley.The member, who has worked for the firm for 24 years, couldn't get out of the way in time and as the pole rolled towards him it hit a filing cabinet, pushing it towards him and pinning him to the track. The member was crushed against the track for several minutes as items around him started to burn. He was rescued by colleagues and despite not being burnt he suffered crush injuries to his left leg and his left shoulder was wrenched, leaving him with long term problems.He also suffered post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including nightmares and flashbacks.Following the incident he was forced to take nine months off work. At first his shoulder was so bad he was unable to lift a glass of water. He has received physiotherapy and has now been able to return to work but cannot do any heavy lifting. Lawyers brought in by GMB argued that the company was using poor lifting equipment and should have had safer procedures to move heavy and hot objects. Somers Forge admitted liability and settled the claim out of court for £25,000. GMB organiser Russell Farrington commented: 'The working practices involved in moving the pole to the trolley were obviously flawed and in a dangerous environment like a forge, where even small accidents can lead to serious injury, the safest possible processes should be adopted to avoid accidents from happening.'

Smoke alarms can't put out fires or rescue you

There is no substitute for the lifesaving role of properly resourced firefighters, the union FBU has said. The union was responding to a BBC 5 Live Breakfast investigation into smoke alarms, which confirmed they don't prevent fires, put them out or rescue people. FBU points out that nearly as many people die in fires with working smoke alarms than die in fires where they are absent. Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: 'We fully support the greater use of smoke alarms but it is a complete myth that people don't die in fires if there is a smoke alarm fitted and working. Smoke alarms also have a high failure rate, when they don't operate, because people do things like take the batteries out or they fail for technical reasons.' He added: 'Smoke alarms help save lives and reduce injuries. But they don't prevent fires, they don't put them out and they don't rescue you.' Nearly half of fire deaths in buildings in 2010 happened in a property with a working smoke alarm, according to figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast show.

The deaths accounted for 157 of the 340 people killed in UK property fires. The firefighters' leader commented: 'Smoke alarms are not and cannot be a replacement for firefighters. Too many fire services have used the fitting of smoke alarms to justify cuts to their local fire service, and these figures show why that is very wrong. We have highlighted for the last two years our concerns about increasing delays in the speed of fire service response times - how quickly we can get to an emergency. There is no doubt people are dying as a result of these delays, which are happening because of cuts in the service.' He added: 'It is critical to remember that firefighters rescue over 7,000 people every year from fires. Smoke alarms cannot do that.'

Other news

Victims made to pay in new offenders bill

Victims of occupational injuries or diseases will be unable to afford a compensation claim or will have to pay the legal costs as a result of a proposed law introduced this week by the government. The TUC says provisions in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to switch the cost on personal injury cases from those who negligence caused the problem to the victims will not deliver a saving to the government but 'will simply line the pockets of insurers.' The Bill will do away with Conditional Fee (CFA) or 'No Win No Fee' agreements. These currently allow all legal costs, including the solicitor's success fee, to be recovered from the negligent defendant. Under the proposed new law, the injury or disease victim will be expected to give up 25 per cent of their compensation to meet his or her legal costs, even in cases where the defendant has been grossly negligent. The draft law leaves open the possibility for victims who lose cases to be required to pay legal costs incurred by the employer. The changes have been criticised by unions and work injury and disease victims' advocates. TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson commented: 'This bill will mean that many workers who suffer an occupational injury or disease will no longer be able to afford to make claims against their employer or, if they do manage to fund a case, will find their damages reduced. It is a blatant assault on victims and will simply line the pockets of insurers.' Tony Whitston, chair of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups' Forum UK, said dying workers are being 'told that they must carry the risks of suing for compensation', adding 'isn't the risk of losing their lives enough?' He said the reality of the 'shameful attack' is only negligent firms and insurers will benefit from the government proposals. 'The fact is that many frail and terminally ill sufferers will no longer sue for compensation, fearing more uncertainty and stress of litigation,'he said. The union Unite said there were other damaging changes in the proposed law, estimating 650,000 people 'could be denied legal aid and advice to help them with housing, employment and immigration problems.'

Minister's snub to bereaved families

The government's health and safety minister has refused to meet with representatives of the families of people killed at work. Employment minister Chris Grayling, who pushed through unprecedented funding cuts to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and demanded a dramatic reduction in proactive enforcement by the safety watchdog, has rejected requests for a meeting from Families Against Corporate Killing (FACK), to hear their views about his workplace safety strategy. The group, which was founded by relatives of those killed at work, said in snubbing them the minister has exposed his intention to 'ease the burden on employers' without taking account of the far greater burden borne by families and the public purse as a result of criminal health and safety failings at work. FACK first wrote to Mr Grayling on 6 May to request an audience, arguing that 'there seems to have been no attempt to contact, involve or consult those harmed by work - injured and made ill - or the families of those killed by gross negligence.' In response the minister said that he regretted that 'diary commitments mean I am unable to meet with you at the current time'. He has found time for meetings with other organisations, including business groups - and told campaigners including FACK members who doorstepped him at the DWP HQ on Workers' Memorial Day 'my door is always open' (Risks 504). FACK founder Linzi Herbertson said: 'FACK families are utterly disgusted with Chris Grayling's refusal to meet with us about the effects of the cuts he is proposing to the already inadequate health and safety system which allowed people we love to be killed just for going to work.' She added that the minister was more interested in 'listening to the false accounting of the business lobby.'

Worker dies after fall from Shell oil rig

An experienced oil worker has died after he plunged from a North Sea oil rig. Lee Bertram, from Northumberland, fell from Shell's Brent Charlie platform - about 120 miles north east of Lerwick in Shetland - on 16 June. Grampian Police confirmed the 37-year-old worked for Aberdeen-based BIS Salamis and that he was working from ropes on the oil platform when he fell. He was pulled from the water after the alarm was raised by work colleagues. A Shell spokesperson said: 'Shell UK Limited can confirm that a man rescued from the North Sea after falling overboard from the Brent Charlie platform subsequently died on board the standby vessel Ocean Spey. The man was recovered from the water after workmates raised the alarm. Workers on the Shell-operated platform were called to muster when the alarm was raised.' She added: 'All personnel were accounted for and the relevant authorities have been notified.' A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. Unions have expressed concern at a deterioration in safety performance offshore (Risks 489). Major injuries offshore almost doubled from 106.3 per 100,000 in 2008/09 to 188 in 2009/10 (Risks 471), while spills of hydrocarbons were up from 61 to 85.

Shell ignored warnings before blast

Oil multinational Shell UK ignored safety warnings from its staff before a gas terminal blast that could have killed, a court has heard. The company was fined £1m plus £242,000 costs at Norwich Crown Court this week after admitted seven safety and pollution offences following the explosion and fire at the Bacton terminal in Norfolk in February 2008. The blast could have killed 10 people, according to prosecutor Andrew Marshall. The only reason there were no fatalities was because staff were changing shifts at the time, he added, something the company admitted in its own internal report. The prosecution was brought by the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. Shell admitted breaching two health and safety regulations and five areas of environmental legislation, including pollution prevention and control. Judge Martin Binning heard Shell managers had been warned several times by workers over the presence of high levels of North Sea condensate, a highly-flammable hydrocarbon. Shell UK had previously admitted not taking sufficient steps to protect staff and the public. Mr Marshall said: 'Management were sleepwalking into danger, no matter what was brought to their attention. What is not in doubt is that what took place could have been fatal for those in the vicinity of this lethal blast. The Crown estimates that 10 people could have been killed and that is not taking into account the injuries, serious injuries and further issues that can follow from such a situation.' Mr Marshall added: 'Plant personnel were swapping for the late shift and were out of the way. So it is only by good fortune that nobody was killed or hurt or that worse damage was suffered.' Corrosion in a water separation vessel used to cool plant systems meant the chemical balance reached an unsafe level. Basic errors, including temperature gauges being wrongly placed, were discovered by inspectors.

HSE alert after shellfish diver deaths

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety alert after two shellfish divers died in separate incidents in inshore waters in Scotland. James Irvine, 42, disappeared in Largo Bay in the Forth Estuary on 24 March. His body was recovered the following day by an underwater search unit. On 11 June, Graeme Mackie, 31, who had been diving off the coast of Methil, also in the Forth Estuary, was pulled unconscious from the water. He was taken to shore by lifeboat and then flown to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where he later died. HSE says the incidents are still under investigation and the facts surrounding the deaths have yet to be established. It has however issued an alert to remind the industry of the 'essential aspects' of safe diving operations. HSE says its guidance makes clear that the minimum team size normally required when diving for shellfish is three - a supervisor, a working diver, and a standby diver. Additional people may be required to operate the boat and to assist in an emergency. The standby diver should be in immediate readiness to provide any assistance to the diver in the water. Chris Sherman, HSE's chief inspector of diving, said: 'Diving for shellfish can be a dangerous activity and needs to be carried out by competent and appropriately qualified divers. Suitable plans and procedures are key to the whole diving team conducting activities safely and reacting effectively in an emergency.' He added: 'Simple measures taken to ensure that the diver in trouble can communicate to the dive supervisor and that the diver is marked by a line and float, or by a line to an attendant on the dive boat, maximise the chance of a successful outcome to an emergency situation.'

Gas cylinder explosion kills worker

A London supplier of high pressure gas has been fined after an explosion killed a worker and severely injured a member of the public. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Oak Farm Gas Company Ltd, (trading as Mr Fizz), after the incident at a site in New Denham, Buckinghamshire. The firm specialises in the supply of high pressure carbon dioxide, nitrogen and gas mixtures for licensed trade drink dispensers. Uxbridge Magistrates' Court heard that Kerry Daly, 21, was employed at Mr Fizz solely to fill empty gas cylinders with various types of pure and mixed gas. The high pressure cylinders were normally brought to the workshop from customers' premises. On the 19 June 2009, Maurice Kelly, a 45-year-old driver, brought a gas cylinder to Mr Daly from an east London pub. As the valve fittings on the cylinder did not match those on the high pressure filling station, Mr Daly, who was working alone in the workshop, phoned a colleague to ask his advice. Though Mr Daly was advised not to fill the cylinder he still attempted to do so and the cylinder exploded. Mr Daly was severely injured and died later that evening from his injuries. Mr Kelly had his leg amputated below the knee and suffered injuries resulting in him losing some function in both hands. The HSE investigation showed the equipment at Mr Fizz's workshop was totally unsuitable for filling a low pressure gas cylinder. Mr Daly's training consisted solely of verbal instruction and there was no documentation of this, nor any written risk assessments. The company pleaded guilty to criminal safety breaches and was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £50,000.

MS 'needlessly' cuts careers short

Providing support for workers with multiple sclerosis (MS) would significantly reduce the annual welfare bill and prevent people from missing out on an average of 18 years of their working lives, according to a new report from The Work Foundation. 'Ready to work: Meeting the employment and career aspirations of people with multiple sclerosis' concludes that with greater employer awareness and more co-ordinated action, the majority of people with MS who are willing and able to work could be supported to do so. Lead author Stephen Bevan said: 'The UK is not doing enough to support people with MS to stay in work. At present, 44 per cent of people with MS retire early - many more than the European average of 35 per cent.' He added: 'Employees may not ask for assistance at work due to fear of discrimination and potential job loss, all the more so during difficult economic times - and such fears may not be unfounded. To get support, it is important for employees with MS to inform their employers early on; however, this self-advocacy must be met with a good understanding of the disease, particularly its unseen symptoms and fluctuating nature.' The report notes ability to work may be affected by physical symptoms such as fatigue and difficulties with writing, balance or walking, combined with cognitive symptoms affecting memory or concentration. It adds that because many symptoms can be invisible and can worsen or improve rapidly, MS can be a difficult condition for employers to understand.

Employers are failing older workers

Older employees are missing out of training and most say employers are failing to make the adjustments necessary to help them do their jobs, according to a new survey. However, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found workers of the age of 65 also reported better physical and mental health than their younger colleagues. CIPD says its findings highlight the need for employers to ensure they are managing the performance of all employees effectively, particularly before the phase out of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) in October. Across the sample of 2,000 employees, older workers were most likely to have noticed a decline in their physical ability to do their jobs, with 28 per cent saying their physical ability has declined a lot and 51 per cent saying their physical ability has declined a little. For those workers who felt their physical ability to do their job has declined as they got older, 76 per cent said their employer had not made any adjustments. Where employers had made adjustments, employees report that access to occupational health services (7 per cent), offering a reduction in hours (7 per cent) and flexible working (6 per cent) were the most common. The survey, however, found 91 per cent of workers aged 65 and above say their mental health is good or very good, compared to a survey average of 74 per cent. And 69 per cent of older workers report their physical health is good or very good compared to 64 per cent for workers across all age groups. CIPD diversity adviser, Dianah Worman, commented: 'The survey shoots down the myth that workers' ability to do their job suddenly declines after they hit 65. However, the survey does show that employers need to do more to provide reasonable adjustments for workers of all ages to enable them to carry on working in light of physical or mental health difficulties, or indeed caring responsibilities, either for children or for an ageing spouse or partner.'

Teacher wins bullying tribunal

A teacher who claimed her boss locked her in a cupboard at an exclusive private school has won an employment tribunal. Fiona Michie said she was bullied and threatened by her department head while working at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen. The art teacher said: 'It started as verbal aggression, and it got to the point where I was being locked behind a closed door, up to an hour and a half, an hour and threequarters at a time.' Ms Michie claimed she was forced to resign in early 2009 when nothing was done after she was locked in a storeroom. She told the tribunal it was head of department Andrew Hopps who locked her in a store cupboard and shouted at her. In November 2009 - after her resignation - he sent her an apology, which tribunal judges described as 'half hearted'. The tribunal report said school headteacher Hugh Ouston failed to carry out proper disciplinary procedures, trying instead 'to smooth the matter over with a minimum of fuss.' The case is now expected to proceed to a remedy hearing, where compensation can be determined.

Sick former sportsman was unfairly sacking

A former sportsman has been awarded compensation totalling nearly £195,000 under disability discrimination legislation after he was sacked from his job, which meant he was denied access to his company's private health insurance scheme. The man, identified as Mr W, was dismissed after having to take long periods off work due to the effects of injuries received during his sporting career. The tribunal found that it was unreasonable for the company to sack Mr W because the dismissal meant the loss of his private health insurance. Bridge McFarland partner and head of employment Richard Parnell said 'it seems that no-one at the company considered the effect that dismissal would have on Mr W's health and medical insurances, which were a contractual benefit of his employment. Not only were his benefits cut off, but Mr W was held liable by a hospital to pay for an operation that had been promised under the scheme.' He added: 'We argued at the tribunal that, when he was dismissed, Mr W was disadvantaged in comparison to an able-bodied employee by having his insurance benefits withdrawn. The tribunal agreed and found that there was an implied term in his contract of employment that he would not be dismissed while incapacitated for work and therefore in need of the scheme's benefits.' The tribunal awarded compensation of just under £195,000 to Mr W to reflect his loss of health and medical insurance benefits, loss of pension entitlements and injury to feelings.

International News

Australia: Dock union wins radiation testing

The Australian authorities have bowed to a dock union's demand that imported Japanese cars are screened for radiation. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) this week screened 800 cars arriving from Japan. This batch test for radiation followed months of campaigning by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to ensure Japanese cargo and cars are screened, following concerns that the Fukushima nuclear disaster (Risks 508) had led to widespread contamination. In early May, cars arriving in Chile from Japan were found to be contaminated with radiation. ARPANSA refused initially to commit to scanning cargo, but changed its position this week after long-running talks with MUA officials. 'This is a win for workers, and also a win for the Australian public,' said MUA assistant national secretary Warren Smith. 'Any risk of radiation is too big a risk to take. Workers and consumers come into direct contact with these cars - the government watchdog must ensure there is no health and safety risk. The Australian public has a right to know if there is a radiation threat.' Ports Australia and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) supported the union's push for radiation testing. 'We know from the tragedy in Japan that people are feeling the effects of radiation hundreds of kilometres away from the destroyed nuclear plant. We can't take the risk of contaminating workers,' said MUA's Warren Smith. MUA wants to see radiation screening for all Japanese cargo entering Australia.

Global: Gerdau workers hold minute of silence

Workers at Spanish steel multinational Gerdau have walked out after the latest death at a company plant. On 17 June at around 4 am, Raúl Gutiérrez Gonzalez, 40, was killed in the Gerdau plant in Reinosa, Spain. Workers at the plant responded with a 24-hour strike as a mark of respect to their colleague. They also demanded an investigation into the cause of the fatality and safety improvements at work. Less than a year ago another Gerdau worker was killed in the Gerdau plant in Basauri, Spain (Risks 476). After the latest fatality, the Gerdau Workers' World Council called for a minute's silence on 20 June at all Gerdau plants worldwide, in memory of Raúl Gutierrez Gonzalez and all those killed at work. The council is also demanding the creation within the company of a Joint International Committee on Health and Safety. A meeting of the union network in October 2010 expressed concern at the company's practice of 'hiding' accidents by putting workers back on the job before they are able to do their work (Risks 478).

Global: Project links safety with business survival

Safety professionals' organisations in the US and UK have joined forced to 'raise awareness of the ways health and safety can secure the future of businesses, making them more sustainable for the future.' The Center for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS) was launched last week in Chicago and was created by the UK-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). IOSH president Steve Granger explained: 'Sustainability is now firmly placed on the corporate agenda, and, in fact, we view the protection of the workforce as a key part of what it involves. Achieving high standards for health and safety reduces unnecessary wastage of resources in terms of staff turnover and health, as well as damage or loss to physical assets.' The president of Illinois-based ASSE, Darryl C Hill, said: 'The case to be made for safety and health as an integral part of organisational sustainability is a compelling one. Every year more than two million people die worldwide from occupational accidents or work-related diseases, and there are several millions more cases of non-fatal occupational accidents and diseases - yet, work safety and health play a relatively small role in defining business sustainability today. We need to act now.' The groups say the new centre 'will provide new insights into the measurement, management, and impact of safety and health sustainability, with the goal of being a recognised thought leader for sustainability and corporate social responsibility. It is also a stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - a network-based organisation that pioneered the world's most widely used sustainability reporting framework.'

Global: Hotels told to disclose harassment rules

Hotel operators worldwide are being asked to show they are taking serious measures to protect staff from sexual harassment at work. IUF, the global union federation for sector, has written to major international hotel chains including Intercontinental, Wyndham Hotels, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt, Rezidor, Starwood, Carlson Hotels, and Melia to highlight the vulnerable situation of hotel housekeepers. IUF says the predominantly female and migrant workforce is often employed on precarious contracts and routinely face indecent exposure and other 'indignities' from male guests. Often they are too scared to speak out when harassment occurs for fear of losing their jobs as a result. To assess their approach on this issue, IUF is asking hotel chains if they have an anti-sexual harassment policy in place for their hotels. Where there are policies, IUF asks if guests are made aware of this policy, and informed that harassment of staff will not be tolerated. It also wants the chains to reveal if they have sexual harassment awareness training programmes in place for staff and the procedures in place to support a member of staff reporting harassment. The global union federation says it will publish responses as they become available. 'We also encourage unions to integrate the necessary programmes and procedures into their collective bargaining with employers in the sector,' says IUF.

Events and Courses

TUC courses for safety reps

COURSES FOR JANUARY 2011 TO MARCH 2011

'We didn't vote to die at work' meeting, Manchester, 12 July

The latest in a series of 'We didn't vote to die at work' campaign meetings will take place in Manchester on the evening of 12 July. Organised by the Hazards Campaign and Families Against Corporate Killers, the event will be chaired by bakers' union general secretary Ronnie Draper and will include contributions from campaigners and union and academic experts. The meeting will examine the impact of government cuts and ongoing plans to deregulate health and safety. It will also consider how to fight back.

'We didn't vote to die at work' meeting, 6.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester, 12 July [meeting flyer].

We didn't vote to die at work facebook group and webpage. Campaign resources: T-shirts - Adult sizes s, m, l, xl, xxl, xxxl: £6 (UK postage free), Child (ages 5-13): £4. Posters 'Job killer' and 'We didn't vote to die at work' (free). Details from the Hazards Campaign, Windrush Millennium Centre, 70 Alexandra Road, Manchester M16 7WD, UK. See the latest We didn't vote to die at work poster.

Useful Links

  • Visit the TUC 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 (5,900 words) issued 24 Jun 2011

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