Hazards issue 99 July-September 2007

Contents

4-5 What gorilla? The resource-starved Health and Safety Executive can’t even investigate many extremely serious work injuries. It doesn’t know how many people are suffering and dying from cancer and other work diseases. Fatality rates have increased dramatically. And HSE doesn’t seem to see anything is wrong. more

6-7 Discounting cancers New reports have confirmed HSE’s estimates of occupational cancer risks fall way short. Hazards says the watchdog should get its act together before another working generation pay with their lives. more

8-17 News in brief Airline in chrome cancer payout. Magnetic fields cause rail cancers. Brain tumour link to pesticides. Studies under-estimate cancer risks. Campaigners win asbestos drug. Union appeal on pleural plaques. Asbestos destroys man’s kidney. Cancer hurts whole families. Staggered start for new chemicals law. Pesticide wipes out worker’s memory. Pesticides linked to Parkinson’s again. TUC presses for Beijing improvements. Plea to end crane collapse deaths. Whiteboard projector safety fears. ‘Voluntary’ nano checks wrong. Nuke worker organ removal probe widens. Work pressures lead to suicide. Workers are damaged by job cuts. Unhealthy bosses bad for site workers.

centrepages OHS SOS A decent occupational health service (OHS) can troubleshoot health problems and can help rehabilitate the sick or injured and accommodate those with disabilities. But OHS are rare and good ones rarer still. Hazards spells out how to get the service you deserve. more

20-21 Palestine Israeli occupation and an economic crisis in Palestine mean the jobs that do exist tend to be poorly paid, unsafe and insecure. Hazards reporter Jawad Qasrawi looks at the struggle for decent, safe work in a country under siege. more

22-23 Corporate criminals Fate of work deaths law in the balance. Bosses jailed over worker’s death. Britain is soft on deadly directors. Businessmen behaving badly.

24-29 What the unions say TUC relief at real sickness action. Modern miner gets deafness payout. EU-wide campaign to end strains. Hazards questionnaire. Abuse tests of ‘minimal’ use. Cut out toxic wood boards. BP explosion report ‘toned down’. What price on your life? Action on vulnerable workers. Tribunal victory for agency workers. AGM revolt over Tesco ‘deathtraps’. Migrant workers need help staying safe.

30-31 International news China jailings for safety crimes. Australian unions push safety charter. Poisoned workers fight for justice. US exposure database must be released.

32-33 Resources Latest resources online and in print.

34-35 TUC guidance Latest from TUC on the flu pandemic and TB.