Hazards 104, October-December 2008

6-7 Poisoned! When workers developed the shakes and poor memory working for a South African manganese company, experts advised the job was to blame. So why did the company’s docs-for-hire suggest the symptoms were caused by alcohol, drugs or Aids? more

8-13 Where is the justice? The Health and Safety Executive is withering away. In the last five years it has lost more than 1 in 6 of its frontline inspectors, and there are more set to go. As enforcement falls out of fashion, Hazards warns workers could be paying with their lives. more

14-19 News in brief Alarm sounds on phone factories. Work asthma causes mental problems. Campaign targets worst chemicals. Nano material risks at work. Shock a flawed meso scheme. No-one is safe from asbestos. Insurers face asbestos flak. End asbestos ‘compensation limbo’. Most workers won’t blow the whistle. Lord Browne pleads ignorance. CPS failure on Lloyd killing. Too little action on vulnerable workers.

20-21 Souped-up safety reps Trade union safety reps mean fewer accidents and less sickness at work. That’s why TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson is calling for more reps with more rights – and a clampdown on the dangerous employers who try to get in their way. more

24-25 You big fat liars Oh, they say it’s because they care. They’ll weigh us, keep tabs on our bad habits and ask questions when we are sick. But when we fall short of perfection, the label us shirkers, sickos and slobs. Hazards questions whether all of this is really for our own good. more

26-27 Shaky practices There’s a lot of factors that can lead to a worker developing an occupational disease. Hazards looks at recent vibration and other compensation cases that show how poor management practices are usually the root cause.

28-33 What the unions say Strike threat wins rep’s job back. Tribunal win for post workers. Union victory for vicars. NUJ wins alcohol sacking case. Will IOC act before London 2012? Death charges call after tug sinking. Official probe into site deaths. Hazards Questionnaire. Journalists want to write off stress. Unions reduce long hours burden. Overwork is top work concern. Dark side of glittering bangles. Stamping out foot problems.

34-35 International news ‘Human sandbags’ drown at work. SA miners ‘dying like flies’. Experts slam work cancer ‘manslaughter’. Chemical reactions in Europe.

36-40 Resources Latest reviews, resources and a pin-up-at-work backpage Hazards ‘safety reps’ poster.