Risks

issue no 19 - 15 September 2001

Risks is the TUC’s weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by 1800 subscribers and 1000 on the TUC website. To register to receive this bulletin every week, click here. Edited by Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Send views about this bulletin to Owen Tudor. Past issues are available. This edition also contains Useful links TUC courses for safety reps Disclaimer Privacy And there is a new service on the TUC website listing all future health and safety events: What’s On - in future only newly announced events, those coming up next week and very important events will be listed in Risks.

CONTENTS

FEATURE: An American tragedy

Terror strikes America's working families

The terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September took a massive toll on America's working families. A statement from AFL-CIO, the USA’s 13 million strong TUC, says that among the deaths resulting from the airliner crashes into New York's World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon outside Washington, DC, 'were unprecedented losses of emergency services workers and others. The fate of hundreds of workers remains unknown.' 'We mourn those who perished as they performed their work, whether in rescue efforts, in offices or on airplanes,' said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. 'Already union members have gone into action to assist the rescue efforts, and the AFL-CIO and our unions will do everything we can to assist the continued rescue operations and the medical care of those injured.' Harold A. Schaitberger, president of the firefighters’ union IAFF, said the devastating day of terror will "undoubtedly be the worst day for line-of-duty deaths in the 83-year history of the IAFF." Initial reports from New York fire officials say 300 firefighters and 85 city police officers who rushed to the World Trade Center may have died when the complex's twin towers collapsed. US unions report that more than 1,000 members, including restaurant, local and national government, communication and transport union members, were among those in the stricken buildings. The AFL-CIO and several unions have set up relief funds and some are collecting food and clothing to aid in rescue and recovery (see Action).

An injury to one is an injury to all

In the aftermath of the US terrorist atrocity, unions worldwide sent offers of help and messages of solidarity and condolence to their sister organisations in the US. In the UK, the TUC closed its 133rd annual congress when news of the tragedy became known. Congress president Bill Morris told delegates: 'The grief of the American people must be our grief, and their determination to uphold democratic values in the face of this assault must be our determination. Our solidarity and support for the American people have been communicated as well to the American Ambassador and to the President of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney.' Both the TUC and the employers’ organisation CBI backed the three minute silence on Friday 14 September, to honour the victims. TUC General Secretary, John Monks, said: 'No-one can fail to be moved at the unimaginable scale of death and destruction in the US. This three minute silence gives everyone a chance to show their respect for the victims and their families, to salute the bravery and sacrifices of the emergency services, and to express their opposition to the tactics of terror.'

Searching for survivors and surviving the search

On 13 September, two days after terrorist attacks devastated New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington DC, US government safety advisers announced an emergency response 'to ensure the safety of rescue workers and the public at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon disaster sites, and to protect the environment.' US Environmental Protection Agency head Christie Whitman said EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA - the US HSE) had been on the scene at the World Trade Center monitoring exposure to potentially contaminated dust and debris. A statement said EPA's primary concern was to ensure that 'rescue workers and the public are not exposed to elevated levels of asbestos, acidic gases or other contaminants from the debris.' Tests had found low levels of asbestos, EPA said, and levels of lead, asbestos and volatile organic compounds in air samples taken on Tuesday in Brooklyn, downwind from the World Trade Center site, 'were not detectable or not of concern.' Whitman added: "EPA is greatly relieved to have learned that there appears to be no significant levels of asbestos dust in the air in New York City." EPA says it is taking steps to ensure that response units implement appropriate engineering controls to minimize environmental hazards, such as water sprays and rinsing to prevent or minimise potential exposure and limit releases of potential contaminants beyond the debris site, and to ensure necessary protective equipment is available. A 1972 report in the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s journal said the lower 40 floors of the World Trade Center contained 5,000 tons of sprayed asbestos insulation.

UNION NEWS

Under half the workforce looks forward to going to work

Only 49 per cent of the workforce looks forward to going to work on an average day in the UK, according to the first report from the British workplace representation and participation survey - the most extensive recent poll of workers and their attitudes to their job, trade unions and their employer. This compares to 66 per cent of the US workforce in a comparable study by Richard Freeman, one of the report’s authors. What workers want from workplace organisations, a report to the TUC’s Promoting Trade Unionism Task Group, also finds that one in 10 of the workforce (nine per cent) say they work very hard on jobs they do not enjoy and to which they do not look forward. The survey is a contribution to the TUC’s Reaching the missing millions report, which found that 'health and safety' is far and away the most common reason members 'consult and inform' their membership, and stressed the role that initiatives like Risks can play in revitalising the trade union movement.

Teachers are disabled by their jobs

Assaults, stress and workload have detrimental effects on the health of teachers, NASUWT has warned. Launching the results of its survey, Disability access for members in schools and colleges, Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of NASUWT, said: 'The NASUWT’s survey of members with disabilities reveals that 75 per cent of respondents have become disabled during the course of their employment. The types of disabilities suffered by these teachers suggest their health may have deteriorated due to classroom conditions including stress, assaults and workload related problems… it is alarming to find the majority of teachers surveyed said their school managers had failed to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to buildings, job content and timetables to help them carry out their jobs.' NASUWT says it will tell a government consultation on a disability code of practice for schools, the new codes must include specific rights for teachers with disabilities regardless of the size or type of school in which they are employed.

Guardian angel scheme needed to cut abuse

Union chiefs in Scotland are calling for a country-wide 'guardian angel' alarm system to protect health care workers from record levels of physical and verbal abuse. UNISON’s Jim Devine said the union wants the system, already piloted in West Lothian, to be operational throughout Scotland. The protection comes in the form of a sophisticated mobile phone which has an alarm linked to the workers' offices. In October last year mobile phones, pagers and panic buttons were issued to nurses, doctors and paramedics in England. The move was part of the NHS "zero tolerance" campaign and aimed to reduce the number of attacks on health workers by 20 per cent in the next year.

PCS plans to escalate strike to protect safety screens

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) says the indefinite strikes in Jobcentre Plus offices in Streatham and Brent will be extended nationwide if management fails to respond to safety concerns. Management is threatening to remove the safety screens the union says are essential to protect benefits staff (Risks 18). PCS served notice on management last week that it plans to ballot over 2,000 members in Benefits Agency and Employment Service offices throughout Britain, with the ballot scheduled to start Friday 14 September. John Stanley, a PCS union representative from the Streatham office, said: "We’re all for improving services to the public, but we don’t see that coming at the expense of our members’ health and safety. The public understands why screens have to be there and the vast majority doesn’t have any problem. If there was a suitable alternative to a physical barrier that ensured the safety of our members, we would consider it, but nobody has come up with one yet." PCS negotiator Eddie Spence said: "Our members have always made it clear to management that safety is an issue that cannot be compromised."

Union resolution

Congress only had time to agree one of the policy motions on safety reforms, safety education in schools, monitoring of racist violence in the workplace, ill-advised workplace drug and alcohol screening and maximum workplace temperatures before TUC President Bill Morris called the conference to an early close out of respect to the victims of the US terrorist attacks. The other motions will be considered by the General Council.

  • Health and safety motions are in chapter 8, Protecting people at work, of the General Council’s report to the 133rd Congress.

OTHER NEWS

Carpal tunnel, mesothelioma cases soar

Latest official figures show a dramatic increase in compensated cases of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome and the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) statistics for the quarter ending June 2001, released last week, show cases of newly diagnosed prescribed industrial diseases are up by a fifth on the same period last year. The Department for Work and Pensions adds: 'This was largely due to a 40 per cent increase in cases of A12 (carpal tunnel syndrome) and a 41 per cent increase in cases of D3 (diffuse mesothelioma).' There were around 17,000 new accident and prescribed disease claims to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in the second quarter of 2001. The number of newly diagnosed prescribed diseases increased by a fifth from the previous year, when the figures were unusually low, to 1,978. The Industrial Injuries Scheme provides non-contributory, no-fault government benefits for disablement caused by accidents at work or one of the listed prescribed industrial diseases.

Putting work deaths under scrutiny

A new Work-Related Death Advice Service is to provide advice and assistance to families seeking justice after a work-related death. The Centre for Corporate Accountability says its initiative, the first of its kind in the UK, 'will provide free, independent and confidential advice to families on how to ensure that their relative’s death is adequately investigated and the evidence collected during the investigation is fully scrutinised by the prosecuting authorities.' Two corporate manslaughter investigations have been announced by the Metropolitan Police's serious crime group in the last week. The group is investigating the death of construction worker Marc Polden, 30, who was engulfed in a fireball on 23 August while working on a small house conversion job. It has also confirmed a probe into the death of a four year old Yasmin Ladjouzi, killed in a 11 August scaffold collapse, is a full corporate manslaughter inquiry.

  • Work-Related Death Advice Service: Contact David Bergman, CCA, tel: 020 7490 4494

Call to train up migrant workers

The construction industry skills chief has called for skills training for foreign labour on British building sites. Tony Merricks, chairman of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (in which unions are involved), wants new construction minister Brian Wilson to back a Europe-wide skills scheme to deal with the huge influx of foreign labour into the industry. The call comes in response to the number of migrant workers, particularly from Eastern Europe, now entering the UK and working on building sites. Bob Blackman, construction officer of the T&G union, said safety was an issue: "If they are on site and can't read or speak English, they are in a hazardous environment."

DTI says business should juggle not struggle

UK employers and their staff are to receive comprehensive government advice on the benefits of flexible working and how to improve their work-life balance. The DTI's Work-life Balance Campaign says Work-life balance: the business case illustrates how innovative companies have used policies to reduce absenteeism, boost productivity and reduce long hours, while Work-life balance: the essentials guide looks at the different solutions individuals have found to manage both their home life and demands at work. A Work and Parents Taskforce (including TUC member of the HSC Maureen Rooney , and TUC staff member Kay Carberry) is separately considering how parents of young children and their employers can be encouraged to consider flexible working patterns that suit them both and will report to ministers in November. A government-backed report from the Policy Study Institute says women who combine work with children are having a worse time now than a decade ago and are increasingly dissatisfied with the number of hours they are working, with working mums spending an additional two and a half hours a week at work compared to the early 1990s.The Industrial Society this week said workers with more choice over their working time feel less stressed and more able to balance home and work. An Industrial Society survey found that 75 per cent of voters would rather have complete control over their working hours than to work five hours less at fixed times.

  • Work-life balance: The business case and Work-life balance: The essentials guide are on the DTI work-life balance website or can be ordered on 0870 1502 500

  • Stop watching the clock - it’s time to get flexible, The Industrial Society tells employers

Wake-up call on shift work and heart disease

People who are routinely up all night working the late shift are more likely to show stress symptoms linked to deadly heart problems, Dutch researchers report. Investigators discovered more of the shift work group developed 'premature ventricular complexes' (PVC), a condition associated with extra heartbeats and an increased risk of death due to heart disease. Doctors measured changes in heartbeat and variations in heart rate in 49 employees working shifts, including nights, and 22 employees working normal day hours. All the employees were newly in post, and the measurements were taken between one week and two months after starting the new job and again after they had been in post for 12 months. "The incidence of PVC increased significantly in shift workers over the 1-year follow-up, compared with daytime workers," the researchers write in the September issue of the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study found that nearly half the shift workers experienced an increase in PVCs, while just more than one quarter of day-shift workers saw an increase. The authors suggest that working at night may be a chronic stressor for the body and that the increased frequency of early heartbeat patterns might be a factor in the higher risk of heart disease among shift workers.

INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRALIA: Occupational health and safety day, 31 October

Australian unions are calling for the 'reactivation' of health and safety at work. Unions backing this year's 31 October Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Day say: 'Healthy and safe work is not a 'favour' from your employer - employers have a legal duty to do make sure work is safe and healthy - it's not an 'optional extra'. Health and safety is a right not a privilege.' Unions add: 'This campaign is about unions, health and safety representatives and workers using their legal rights to improve health and safety on the job.' Unions are calling on workplace reps to insist on their rights to: Inspect the workplace often; involve all workers; stop dangerous work; refuse unhealthy conditions; and use a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN). It adds that reps can score their employer’s safety performance, from more than 8/10 meaning 'keep up the good work' down to a 'very poor' score of 1/10. Australia has a poor record in health and safety, with at least one workplace death every day.

ACTION

Give generously to help the union effort in New York and DC

The AFL-CIO has established a fund for donations to its union charity that will be channelling resources to the rescue effort and to the families of the victims. Resident John Sweeney said: 'One way to contribute to disaster relief efforts in these communities is through the Union Community Fund, labor's charity. The Union Community Fund is putting together a Relief Fund to give aide and support to our brothers and sisters in these communities. The Union Community Fund will coordinate this response with New York City and Washington, DC labor councils, local labor disaster efforts and local community organizations on the ground in these communities that know how to practically and quickly get our contributions to working families. '

HSC consults on dangerous chemicals packaging and labelling

The HSC is proposing extensive changes to the classification and labelling of dangerous chemicals. A Consultative Document says the new 'CHIP3' regulations are intended to ensure people at work and home are properly informed about the dangers of chemicals to their health and the environment. It says CHIP 3 would introduce changes including: extension of the Regs to environmental effects, pesticides and biocides; a new warning for chemicals that might cause allergic reactions; and more stringent duties to provide safety datasheets. The new regulations will be phased in from Spring 2002.

  • Union comments should be sent to Owen Tudor by 8 November

  • The Consultative Document, Proposals for new amending Regulations about the Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Chemicals: CHIP 3 ref. CD 171, is free from HSE Books or the HSE website

EVENTS

Only newly announced events, events next week and very important events will be listed here in future. But there is a comprehensive listing of health and safety events on the TUC website - bookmark it for easy reference!

Workshop on lone working, Swindon, 22 September

Organised by the TUC South West Women's Committee. Speakers include UNISON national health and safety officer Hope Daley, local MP Julia Drown, South West TUC’s Margaret Petts and Nicole Vazquez from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Further details from South West TUC, Church House, Church Road, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7BD. Tel: 0117 947 0521. Fax: 0117 947 0523. Registration form to download, fill in and return.

Seeking justice, ACTSA event, 26 September

A benefit evening of music, poetry and visual art in support of South African mining communities, particularly those devastated by UK asbestos multinational Cape plc. All proceeds will be split equally between Action for Southern Africa - ACTSA, the UK campaigning organisation that has highlighted the case - and the cost of purchasing essential diagnostic x-ray equipment for use in the affected communities. 7pm for 7.30pm start, St James' Church, Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0EA. Places at the event are limited and must be booked in advance. Contact Cyrus Bulsara, ACTSA.

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, and the HSE’s newsletter (in pdf format).

International Road Transport Action Day, 15 October

International Transport Workers’ Federation international union day of action. ITF says that as a result of deregulation in the industry, road transport unions worldwide are confronting deteriorating working conditions, including dangerously excessive working hours. On the day of action unions will again promote the message that Fatigue Kills. The aim is 'to build a mass organising campaign to unite road transport workers for the struggles ahead.' More information from Mac Urata, ITF, or from the ITF website.

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.

3rd International Railway Workers' Action Day, 26 March

International Transport Workers’ Federation international union day of action, theme rail safety. More information from Mac Urata, ITF, or on the railways section of the ITF website.

Workers' Memorial Day 2002, 28 April

TUC is planning to highlight occupational health, including access to occupational health services, and rehabilitation. Ask your union for details of Workers’ Memorial Day events or organise your own. Hazards magazine round up of Workers’ Memorial Day resources.

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.

USEFUL LINKS

Visit the TUC health and safety website or the main TUC website pages on health and safety. See what’s on offer from TUC Publications and What’s On in health and safety.

Find out about TUC courses for safety reps from September to December:

Wales Scotland East Midlands West Midlands

Southern and Eastern (plus COSHH Essentials courses)

South West North West Northern Yorkshire and Humberside

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.

Disclaimer

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Newsletter (4,000 words) issued 15 Sep 2001

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