Risks

issue no 36 -12 January 2002

Editor: Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Comments to Owen Tudor.

CONTENTS

Risks is the TUC’s weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 2,500 subscribers and 1,000 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 Privacy The TUC website lists future health and safety events in What’s On - new events are covered below.

ACTION

The small business of safety

Researchers in the UK, Spain, Sweden and Italy are to examine how union and workforce participation can improve safety in small firms. 'Participation in prevention in small enterprises: Identifying, evaluating and disseminating good practice' is a research project for the European TUC. TUC-backed UK researchers David Walters and Pete Kirby of South Bank University 'are asking unions and safety reps for examples of schemes of worker representation (and other representative structures) designed to raise health and safety standards in small workplaces.'

  • Send brief details of any schemes and your contact details to Peter Kirby by Friday 25 January 2002. For more information, see the project background document

Know any occupational health good practice?

The HSE is looking for examples of good practice in occupational health. An HSE action group (Skills PAG) is pushing forward the national occupational health strategy and is investigation the skills needed by various groups in society - schoolchildren, employers, occupational health professionals, for example. Claire Sullivan, TUC representative on the Skills PAG, says examples of good practice in occupational health might include 'employers with generally positive approaches to occupational health or could relate to specific workplace initiatives. We are looking for examples from all industrial sectors and from both small and large workplaces.' She says details of initiatives involving trade unions and partnership working would be particularly useful.

  • Examples of good occupational health practice should be emailed to Claire Sullivan

UNION NEWS

TGWU will not be gagged over safety at Manchester Airport

A furious Bill Morris, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, has hit back at a demand from Manchester Airport managing director David Teale that he refrain from commenting about safety concerns at the airport. Mr Morris’ comments came in the wake of a proposal by the airport board to cut safety and security costs by 30 per cent, with the loss of 200 jobs. After media coverage of the union’s safety concerns, David Teale wrote "in the circumstances, I should be grateful for your confirmation that you will not again make a statement of this nature." Mr. Morris said: "I am furious with this crude attempt at censorship. I will not be gagged.' He added: 'In the aftermath of September 11, everyone except the members of the Manchester Airport board agrees on the need for increased security not less… any reduction in security personnel will be seen not only as a callous disregard to passenger and employee safety, but also as an act of gross irresponsibility which the travelling public would never understand."

  • Earlier BBC coverage of strike ballot, and story about security breaches at British airports including Manchester

Everyone agrees to cut injuries in the food and drink sector

Unions, employers and the HSE have agreed injury reduction targets for the food and drink manufacturing industries. The safety watchdog, employers’ organisation the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and the main food industry trade unions, GMB, TGWU, USDAW and BFAWU, agreed a 'common strategy' to improve performance. The objectives of the revised common strategy include: To raise awareness of the need to improve safety performance - and the cost benefits in doing so; to concentrate on the 'priority' health and safety issues as set out in HSE's booklet A recipe for safety; and to promote the importance of effective health and safety management. The organisations began implementing the strategy in 1990, since when injuries have dropped by over 15 per cent and fatalities by over 40 per cent. GMB director of health and environment Nigel Bryson commented: 'In the past 10 years, significant improvements have been made in health and safety standards within the food and drink sector. Key to this has been the input of trade union safety representatives. The published strategy shows the determination of trade unions to continuously maintain this improvement.'

Call for bouncers in class

Teachers are calling for schools to bring in "bouncers" to take children out of class if they get out of control. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) says members came up with the idea after complaining about increasingly bad behaviour among pupils. The "behaviour support assistants" idea has been put to the Commons education select committee. NUT's John Bangs said: "The idea came from a group of teachers who had never been to a union meeting before but wanted to get together to discuss behaviour. They said they wanted someone to come in if a child became uncontrollable - to take them out for 10 to 15 minutes or even half an hour - just to cool down." The department for education has said the idea will be carefully considered. A spokesman said: "We want to tackle all barriers to raising standards and that includes disruptive behaviour.'

OTHER NEWS

London Underground fined for 'sacrificing safety'

London Underground Ltd (LUL) has been fined £225,000 and ordered to pay more than £15,600 costs for breaching safety standards for workers. Judge John Samuels QC accused the company of "sacrificing safety" in order to keep the trains running "at all costs". Blackfriars Court in London was told at an earlier hearing that track workers were put at risk of electrocution and several had suffered electric shocks. The judge said: "LUL, despite the lip service they paid to health and safety issues, fell lamentably short of the proper safety standards and, objectively, simply ignored their obligations in this respect.' At the earlier hearing, former Tube signals operations manager 'dangerous' David Elkington was fined for four safety law breaches (Risks 11).

Employers need to wake up on stress

One in five of the UK workforce says that stress is the single biggest barrier to improved productivity - and yet, hardly any employers believe them. Research commissioned by Investors in People UK (IiP) shows 'bosses are failing to appreciate the full impact of workplace stress on the bottom line.' It found nearly nine out of 10 bosses (89 per cent) still do not regard stress as having a significant negative impact on productivity. Employees on the other hand are quicker to make the connection, with over a fifth claiming stress is the single biggest barrier affecting their output. Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People UK, commented: 'It is time that employers started listening to their staff and watching out for the tell tale signs of stress. Stress is often a reflection of a company’s failure to support its staff rather than an indication of an individual’s weakness. It should be taken very seriously indeed.'

Battle takes battle to asbestos employer

Labour MP John Battle, the Leeds MP who represents many asbestos victims in Armley, told the Commons during a 10 January adjournment debate he called: 'if a company such as Federal Mogul has found a way of using administration and bankruptcy procedures to ditch its asbestos liabilities and to refuse to pay anything more to victims, that is a scandal that the government must address…it now means taking on the high-level, international corporate gamesmanship that continues the war of attrition against asbestos victims.' Trade and Industry Minister Melanie Johnson blamed the US compensation system for an asbestos compensation crisis which could see UK workers robbed of asbestos disease payouts - but she offered no proposals or support to the UK's beleaguered victims. She said US multinational Federal Mogul, owner of one-time UK asbestos giant Turner and Newall, is swamped by asbestos claims in the US that 'all drain money away from that available to pay people suffering from asbestos-related illnesses, both in the US and the UK.' The company is seeking 'protective bankruptcy' in the US, which means it can continue to make money while suspending all asbestos compensation payouts.

RESOURCES

Usdaw late night working safety guide

Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has issued safety guidance to members required to work late at night. British Retail Consortium figures show that one shopworker is attacked or threatened every minute of the shopping day. The union says extended trading hours have increased risk, adding that the move to 24/7 opening combined with reduced staffing levels for late-night trading and problems with drunken customers make things even worse. The guide includes case histories and action points.

US safety watchdog’s cold work tips

Working in cold environments can be dangerous, US safety watchdog OSHA is warning. It says more than 700 people die of hypothermia each year in the United States. To help protect workers in cold environments from trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia, an OSHA Cold Stress Card reminds employers and workers to recognise problems and take simple precautions.

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Work still the home of death and injury

The number of workplace injuries and deaths in the Australian state of Victoria has remained almost static over the past few years, prompting WorkCover Minister Bob Cameron to urge industry to "redouble" its efforts to make workplaces safer. WorkSafe figures for 2001 announced by the minister showed 31 people were killed and 3,711 seriously injured in Victorian workplaces. For the unions, Victorian Trades Hall Council building industry convenor Brian Boyd said the reduction of deaths in the construction industry from double digits in the 1990s was welcome, but "one death is one death too many."

Bangladesh: Unions want factory fire campaigner set free

The Bangladesh authorities have been asked to release a trade union leader arrested for campaigning in support of the victims of the Chowdhury factory fire, which killed 51 workers over a year ago. The Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) has written to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and to police chiefs, calling for the release of Lookman Hossain of the Narsingdi Tailoring Workers’ Union. 'It is shocking that far from seeking to bring law and order to the garment industry following the terrible Chowdhury tragedy, the authorities have instead responded by arresting a trade union leader who has campaigned on behalf of the victims,' said Neil Kearney, ITGLWF general secretary.

Italy: Police called in to tackle smokers

Concerned by poor results in the battle against smoking, Italy's Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia has announced tougher measures for inconsiderate smokers. 'Those who defy the smoking bans will have to face stiff fines," he said in a television interview. Under the new measures, Italians who ignore smoking bans in places like cinemas, hospitals, offices, schools, bus and airports, will risk fines ranging from 25 to 250 euros (£15 to £150). "The fine will be doubled if the violation takes place in the presence of pregnant women or children up to 12 years old," according to a ministry statement. Failing to enforce smoking bans will mean even stiffer fines, ranging from 200 to 2,000 euros (up to £1,240). In order to have the ban respected, the health ministry has asked for police help. In case of a violation, any citizen will be entitled to call the local carabinieri, who will fine the transgressor.

New Zealand: Safety rep plan will mean safer workplaces

A forthcoming occupational health and safety law in New Zealand will provide for trained, elected health and safety representatives to work with employers to make their own workplaces safer. "Young workers will be better protected under new workplace health and safety law," said Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson. "The death of a 14-year-old worker in Taranaki is a tragic beginning to our working year, which highlights the need for better health and safety law." He added: "The changes to the law will mean workers, including young workers, are much more involved in ensuring their own workplace safety."

New Zealand: Fears for ears

A quarter of New Zealand's workers are exposed to noise levels which could harm their hearing, New Zealand’s official safety watchdog has said. The Occupational Safety and Health service (OSH) announced it is now reviewing the guidelines that advise employers and employees how to manage noise in the workplace. "Approximately one in four engineers will suffer a noise induced hearing loss by the end of their working lives," said Frank Darby, OSH senior health policy adviser. "Information on the effect of noise on hearing, and ways to prevent hearing loss has been widely available in New Zealand since about 1963. Yet our findings indicate that this knowledge is not always being applied.' He added that the official rules on the management and assessment of work-related noise risks and occupational deafness were being revamped.

Northern Ireland: Unions condemn violent attacks

Transport and health unions in Northern Ireland have called for action to stop escalating violence at work. Amicus, representing train drivers, has said it is disgusted at recent attacks. Stephen Faulkner of Amicus said it was the responsibility of the rail and bus company Translink and the community to bring these incidents to an end. The ambulance workers' union, Unison, has deferred a decision on strike action for two months over recent attacks on paramedics. Shop stewards from across Northern Ireland met in Derry to discuss the recent attacks. Unison spokesperson Tom Herrington said they now wanted a meeting with the chief constable to discuss a "zero tolerance" approach to people who attack health service workers.

USA: Courts put disability laws out of reach of injury victims

The US Supreme Court has made it harder for millions of workers with painful wrist injuries, bad backs or similar impairments to qualify for protection under disability discrimination law. As long as they can brush their teeth and wash their faces in the morning, these employees are probably not disabled, the high court said unanimously, even if they suffer pain when typing on a computer or lifting a box at work. Another category of workers who are likely to be affected by the ruling is those who claim on-the-job stress. Business lawyers welcomed the outcome and predicted it will shield employers from being sued or forced to make special arrangements for the growing number of employees with carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive stress injuries. Union confederation AFL-CIO estimates that almost 1.5 million workers have developed RSI in the year since President Bush rescinded a workplace ergonomics standard.

USA: Phillips Petroleum pays millions for deadly violations

Phillips Petroleum is to pay over $2.1m (£1.3m) following safety violations that killed one worker and injured 69 in a September 2000 explosion. The settlement also requires the Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, which now owns and operates the Houston Chemical Complex in Pasadena, Texas, to hire dedicated safety and health consultants to ensure compliance with OSHA's process safety management standards. US Secretary of Labor Elaine L.Chao said the settlement 'does mean that Phillips and Chevron employees will be working in safer environments and it signals this administration's commitment to crack down on workplace safety violations."

USA: Mobile medical unit to care for WTC recovery workers

A new mobile medical unit will track the health of workers cleaning up in the vicinity of the World Trade Center site. The "World Trade Center Mobile Medical Monitoring Unit" will provide medical examinations for workers, focusing on respiratory and other health problems they may face. Organisers say they want to help non-English speaking workers in particular to get medical help. The unit is being run by the union-backed New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems at Queens College and the Latin American Workers' Project. The current number of declared dead and missing in the New York tragedy has held at 2,893 for three days. An NYPD chief says that number may drop further, but that the tally is very close to being final. Authorities are investigating allegations that hundreds of illegal immigrants were plucked off street corners to scrub potentially toxic dust near the disaster site - without giving the workers safety training or protective equipment.

  • New York Daily News story on migrants

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!

HSE textiles open meeting, 16 January

Interested in health and safety in the modern textiles industry? Then call in to Leeds Town Hall where the HSC is to hold the second open meeting of its Textiles Industry Advisory Committee (TEXIAC) on Wednesday, 16 January. HSE says: 'It could be lively - members of the public, especially those involved in the textiles industry, are invited to attend and contribute to the discussion.' Topics to be covered include a new model safety audit package for the textiles industry, an initiative to help injured workers back into work, and the impact on the textile industry of HSC’s Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy. If you want to attend email Anne Rayner, phone 0113 283 4354 or write to Textiles Sector Group, HSE, Marshalls Mill, Marshall Street, Leeds, LS11 9YJ.

Clydebank asbestos seminar, 18 January

The seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss the campaigning needs of the year ahead. Speakers will provide an overview of the current legal situation in asbestos litigation, focusing on the Clydeside Action on Asbestos Petition, the insolvency of Federal Mogul (parent company of Turner and Newall) and the consequences of the Fairchild decision. The meeting will be chaired by Des McNulty MSP, and speakers include: Bill Speirs, general secretary STUC; Professor Andrew Watterson, University of Stirling; Frank Maguire, solicitor advocate; Duncan McNeil MSP; and Pauline McNeill MSP. Clydebank Town Hall, Friday 18 January 2002, 10.00am-12.30pm. For more information, see the meeting leaflet or email Tommy Gorman

About time: TUC conference on working time, 5 February

A TUC conference in London for trade unionists, employers, HR and personnel professionals, academics and policy makers.Keynote speakers: Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and John Monks, TUC General Secretary. The conference will be chaired by Sheena MacDonald. Application form in text and pdf versions. Union members wishing to attend this conference, please contact your head offices which are co-ordinating numbers from each union due to the limited number of places available for this conference.

Stop insurers robbing asbestos victims meeting, 8 February

Asbestos victims face debilitating and often deadly disease - and recent moves are robbing them of their compensation as well as their health. Turner and Newall, once Britain’s biggest asbestos company, is insolvent. And a compensation appeal, the Fairchild judgement, could mean many thousands more workers will not be compensated. A public meeting to discuss the crisis has been called by the Bradford, Cheshire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham and Greater Manchester asbestos support groups. Tony Lloyd MP, who worked at T&N, will be speaking, along with trade unionists, campaigners and solicitors who are petitioning the House of Lords. The meeting will discuss a possible lobby of parliament and other action to get justice for asbestos victims. Friday 8 February 2002, 7-9pm, Friends Meeting House, Manchester. For more information see the meeting leaflet and briefing, telephone 0161 953 4037 or email Tony Whitston

HSC Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances open meeting, 14 February

The ACDS advises the HSC on issues like gas safety, major hazards (eg chemical plants), flammable substances (eg petrol) and explosives. The TUC has four representatives on this tripartite Committee (government-unions-employers). Its first open meeting will take place at HSE headquarters, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS from 10.30am on Thursday, 14 February and will include presentations on the work of ACDS and the policy issues it deals with, plus the opportunity to ask members and officials questions. To register for a place, contact Tarla Patel at or at the above address.

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.

Hazards 2002, National Hazards Conference, 6-8 September

The National Hazards Conference will be held in Manchester for the second year running. Further details from Greater Manchester Hazards Centre. There is a financial appeal to keep registration costs down, backed by the TUC.

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.

TUC courses for safety reps

January to March:

South East Wales South West North West East Midlands West Midlands Scotland

For details of courses in the Northern, Yorkshire and Humberside regions, contact the TUC Regional Education Officer

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.

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Newsletter (4,000 words) issued 12 Jan 2002

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