Risks

issue no 9 - 7 July 2001

Risks is the TUC’s weekly e-bulletin. Risks aims to keep safety reps and others informed about TUC, union and other health and safety news. Edited for the TUC by Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Send views about this bulletin to Owen Tudor. If you know anyone who might want to receive this or future issues, copy this to them or ask them to check out www.tuc.org.uk/risks/ where all issues are archived. To register to receive this bulletin every week, click here.

ACT NOW - Support overworked T&G members sacked at Dynatex - their rally takes place in Caernarfon on Saturday, 7 July.

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CONTENTS - click to see this week’s stories!

UNION NEWS

TUC wants partnership to end stress 'blame race'

Employers should work in partnership with unions to reduce workplace stress, the TUC has urged. Launching a joint TUC/CBI 'partnerships for prevention' brochure, TUC general secretary John Monks said: 'I do not want to join the ‘blame race’ over stress at work. I want to talk about partnership, because trade unions want to be part of the solution where stress is concerned, not part of the problem. Good management is the solution, and good management means working in partnership with unions.'

  • Creating partnerships for prevention: joining up health and safety, joint TUC/CBI brochure on how to establish partnerships in health and safety between unions and employers, featuring eight case studies. Order from the TUC for £25; £6 for unions and CBI members.

  • Resource: New guide from the UK National Work Stress Network.

UNISON slams HSE stress guide

UNISON has asked employers to bin the latest leaflet from the HSE on stress. The union says the HSE guide does nothing to help employees remove the causes of stress and instead encourages them to consider changing jobs. UNISON’s Hugh Robertson has written to all branches asking them to ensure that employers do not distribute the leaflet to their workforce. He warns: 'The employees leaflet is worse than useless. Apart from the fact that it does not give any indication of the causes of stress, much of the advice puts the responsibility for dealing with stress on the individual worker rather than the employer. It recommends things like watching your caffeine intake and learning relaxation techniques. Instead the leaflet should concentrate on how to remove the causes of stress.' UNISON had twice written to the HSE asking them to change the leaflet prior to publication.

  • Tackling work-related stress - a guide for employees, the free HSE leaflet [as pdf file]

Prison lecturer gets £65,000 for hostage trauma

Former prison education lecturer Phil Danielson, who was taken hostage by the notorious inmate Charles Bronson at Hull Prison, has been awarded a £65,000 out-of-court settlement by the Home Office for stress-related injuries. Mr Danielson, a member of the lecturers’ union NATFHE, was awarded the compensation for personal injury received on 1 February 1999 when he was taken hostage by Mr Bronson. Since the assault Mr Danielson has suffered from severe post-traumatic stress, and has been unable to resume full time work. The Home Office admitted a failure to protect Mr Danielson at work.

Lock workers’ union wins £1.3 million for member hit by car

A former lock worker, who was knocked down as she pushed her bicycle across a pelican crossing on her way to work in February 1995, has been awarded £1.3 million in compensation at the High Court in London. 50-year-old Jean Forrest’s case was funded by the National Union of Lock and Metal Workers. The settlement will help cover the costs of the 24-hour care she will require for the rest of her life. Most of the lock union’s 4,000 members work in lock factories in the Willenhall area. The award is 10 times the size of the union’s entire annual income and more than 400 times what a member would pay in union fees over a working lifetime.

Goalies’ union wins £20,000 for 'horrific' pitch marking burns

A goalkeeper has been awarded £20,000 damages after suffering "horrific" burns from pitch markings when he dived to make a save. Former Welsh International Andy Dibble, 36, was scarred for life by the hydrated lime pitch markings in a December 1998 League of Wales match. Dibble, who now plays for Stockport County and whose case was backed by his union, the PFA, did not realise how badly he was hurt until he took his shirt off after the game and discovered a four-inch wide strip of flesh had been burnt off from his shoulder to his hip. The injuries required skin grafts.

OTHER NEWS

Teesside company boss accused of manslaughter

A company boss was charged with workplace manslaughter and health and safety offences at a 3 July Teeside Crown Court hearing. John Elders, a former Tory councillor and owner of contracting company Factorycover Ltd, is accused of manslaughter, failing to make a risk assessment and failing to ensure the safety of employees, following the death of employee Robert Stanley Dawson in a May 2000 fall from a roof. The same charges have also been brought against his Hartlepool company. The case was adjourned until 18 September.

HSE to have 'double safety veto' on government Tube plans

The Health and Safety Executive will have a 'double safety veto' on any London Underground reorganisation, the government has pledged. Transport Secretary Stephen Byers told the Commons in a 4 July written reply that there were no plans for privatisation of the Tube, adding that the government’s £13 billion investment plan would not go ahead 'unless… HSE accept the new safety case for London Underground’s new structure and second, HSE accept the new safety case to be applied to the involvement of the private sector.'

£100,000 death fine for paper company

Smurfit UK Ltd has been fined £100,000 over the death of a worker at the Burnley Paper and Board Mill, Lancashire. The fatality took place on 26 January 2000, when a 29-year-old paper maker was killed while attempting to clean a paper machine. The machine was at full speed and no guards were provided. Andrew Porter, Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission's Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC) said: "My sympathies lie with the victim's young family and work colleagues. Had the machine in question been fitted with guarding set out in PABIAC's guidance, Making Paper Safely, it would not have been possible for anyone to reach the dangerous parts."

Docs call for better occupational health for patients

A new report from the British Medical Association says injuries are largely preventable, non-random events and not "accidents". Injury Prevention covers all age groups and the burden of deaths and illness due to injuries from any cause. It adds that the NHS should give more attention to prevention of injuries to health service employees: "The NHS should increase its commitment to health impact assessment and to enforcing health and safety legislation, especially by: encouraging systems for managing health at work; developing occupational health services and competencies; improving data on occupational disease and injury; promoting health and safety in the workplace."

Dad’s dusty overalls kill

A man who never worked with asbestos died of an asbestos cancer caused by exposure as a child to fibres from his father’s overalls. A York inquest heard how 54-year old John Dawson died of mesothelioma. His father Robert, who worked at a York carriageworks in the 1950s and 60s, used to shake off his dusty overalls in the back yard each day. Mr Dawson’s family is to seek compensation from British Railways Board. This is the second case of this type in York in recent months involving a family member of a carriageworker who developed an asbestos cancer.

INTERNATIONAL

New international guidelines on health and safety management

New International Labour Organisation guidelines on management systems for occupational health and safety have been published. The new guide was approved by the ILO Governing Body at its June 2001 session. TUC general secretary John Monks said: 'these guidelines are much better than BSi’s BS8800, because the ILO gives proper recognition to the role of trade unions and safety reps.' Last year an international union campaign organised by the ICFTU defeated an attempt by BSi to give their standard international status through ISO, the employer dominated International Standards Organisation (ISO). Instead, a tripartite group involving the TUC, CBI and HSE, drew up the draft which has now been adopted. John Monks added: 'these guidelines could have a huge impact internationally, especially if the WTO recognises them. They could be written into the supply chain, stopping undercutting on safety where public services are delivered privately and in trade deals with countries like China.'

The future of health and safety in Europe

A new publication from the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work highlights the main priorities on the development of a new Community Strategy on Safety and Health at Work, the basis of a future safety policy for the European Union. It covers issues including the quality of working life, the role of legislation, promoting preventive cultures, changing work patterns and monitoring of risks.

  • Quality of work - a future community strategy for safety and health at work[as pdf file]

SOUTH AFRICA: asbestos workers buried in mass graves

Hundreds of former employees of a British asbestos multinational were buried in unmarked mass graves after dying of industrial disease, according to South African media reports. TV network SABC said the graves were either destroyed or covered by mine dumps at some time prior to 1968. It adds that documents in its possession proved Cape plc had colluded with the apartheid government to continue its mining operations in South Africa from 1968. Compensation cases on behalf of victims of asbestos disease are due to be heard in the Royal Court of Justice, London, in April next year, although Cape plc has indicated there may be an out-of-court settlement before then.

Transport unions take on air rage

Civil aviation trade unions worldwide joined the 6 July special Day of Action 'to highlight the need for governments and the air transport industry to take action against disruptive passenger behaviour.' The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), co-ordinating the global campaign, says only half of airlines have policies on air rage, two-thirds provide no training in tackling disruptive passengers and fewer than one in five provide disruptive passenger training for ground crew. An air rage campaign handbook and model language for air rage legislation are available on the ITF website.

Strain injuries in Europe’s clothing industry

The European Trade Union Technical Bureau for Health and Safety (TUTB) has published a report on strain injuries in the clothing industry. The European Trade Union Confederaton (ETUC) and TUTB mounted a European campaign in 1997 to put the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders at the top of the European workplace health and safety policy agenda. The latest report adds to an array of publications produced by the TUTB to support this Europe-wide campaign.

JAPAN: Ombudsman pursues employers who work you to death

A new 'karoshi' Ombudsman, with powers to investigate allegations of overwork in Japanese workplaces, has been swamped with enquiries since the service was launched on 12 June. Karoshi - death from overwork - has been recognised as a major occupational health problem. The Ombudsman has issued 100 cards seeking details of abused workers' conditions since the Karoshi Ombudsman service began on 12 June. When a card is returned, a lawyer is appointed and a meeting is set up with the affected worker. Experts from the Ombudsman’s office then attempt to mediate a solution with the worker’s employer. If these discussions do not lead to a resolution of an overwork problem, the Ombudsman can resort to the courts. Press reports say the Ombudsman’s office will from August start to file criminal complaints against employers.

ACTION

Support overworked T&G members sacked at Dynatex

Workers at a car parts plant in Wales have been fired after attempting to defend safety standards. In April, Transport and General Workers’ Union (T&G) members at Friction Dynamic Ltd - also known as Dynamex - in Caernarfon, went on strike for one week. The strike was related to a dispute over health and safety conditions, impossible work targets and attempts to break existing agreements. On 29 June, 87 members were issued with dismissal notices. Bill Morris, T&G general secretary said: "These dismissals demonstrate the inadequacies of the current law to give protection to workers engaged in lawful industrial action." The official T&G dispute has TUC and international union support.

Jobs at European trade union safety bureau

The European Trade Union Technical Bureau for Health and Safety is seeking applications for two posts. The first is a permanent post as a researcher in chemical substances, acting as a union-side expert in European discussions on the issue. The second is a temporary (two-year) post as a researcher on chemicals and the environment. Application deadline for each post is 1 October.

EVENTS

European Work Hazards Conference, Vienna, 21-23 September

A worker-sympathetic Europe-wide conference for academics, safety professionals, union reps and shopfloor workers. Conference details. To express an interest, e-mail the delegation co-ordinators for England and Wales (Caroline Bedale) or for Scotland (Jim Swan).

European week, 15-22 October

European Health and Safety Week 2001 will have the theme 'Success is no accident'. The TUC is backing the week and will be preparing resources to help safety reps in workplace inspections, investigations and reporting. Details from the European Agency, including factsheets on accident prevention.

Law enforcement and corporate accountability, 21 November

The TUC is teaming up with the Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) for a joint conference to be held at Congress House in London, sponsored by Russell Jones & Walker. Registration costs £25 (£5 unwaged). Details and a downloadable registration form.

Stress, 1 December

National Work Stress Network Conference, NASUWT Hillscourt Conference Centre, Birmingham. This year the theme is 'Revitalising safety and action on workplace stress.' Contact: Ian Draper.

Women, work and health 3rd international congress, 2-5 June

The 3rd international congress will take place in Stockholm in 2002, and registration before 1 March 2002 costs £164 including VAT (not too bad for three days) - but hotel costs for single rooms range from £78 to £184 a night. President of LO Sweden Wanja Lundby-Wedin will be making the keynote address, and we are keen to ensure a bigger trade union presence than at previous events. Details and registration forms.

European Week of Health and Safety 2002: 14-21 October

Next year’s week will take place in Britain from 14 October, on the theme of stress.

LINKS

Visit the TUC health and safety website or the main TUC website pages on health and safety.

Subscribe to Hazards magazine, supported by the TUC as a key source of information for union safety reps.

See what’s on offer from TUC Publications.

Find out about TUC courses for safety reps:

Wales - September-December 2001

Scotland - September-December 2001

East Midlands - September-December 2001

West Midlands - September-December 2001

Southern and Eastern - NEW! - September-December 2001

South West - September-December 2001

North West - September-December 2001

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.

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Newsletter (3,000 words) issued 7 Jul 2001

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