Britain:
Don’t criminalise seafarers, says union
A union has warned against “a knee-jerk reaction”
blaming seafarers for maritime tragedies, when lack of resources,
understaffing and poor regulation and poor equipment could be
the root causes. Nautilus
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 22 December 2007
USA: Chemicals linked to nurse ill-health
A national survey of US nurses’ exposures to chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and radiation at work suggests there are links
between serious health problems such as cancer, asthma, miscarriages
and children’s birth defects and the duration and intensity
of these exposures. The survey, released online last week by the
Environmental Working Group and several other US academic, advocacy
and nursing organisations, found nurses confront daily low-level
but repeated exposures to mixtures of hazardous materials. EWG
news release • Nurses’
health: A survey on health and chemical exposures Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Union challenges M&S
on migrant workers
Migrant workers at a factory supplying meat to Marks & Spencer
are suffering exploitation in a drive to maximise profits, according
to a union report. Unite says that Polish staff at a factory in
south Wales providing M&S with red meat are employed on “zero
hours” contracts with no guaranteed number of hours, and
suffer “harsh and divisive” conditions. Unite
news release • Tell
M&S to stop the exploitation Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Police control suffers from
low staffing
Workers in police control centres and the public are being put
at risk as a result of staff shortages. A study for UNISON, the
union that represents civilian staff in the police, concluded
it could be only a matter of time before the chronic understaffing
and high pressure environment combine with dire consequences.
UNISON news release Hazards news, 22 December
2007
Pakistan: Cotton pickers suffer pesticide
poisoning
Pakistan's cotton-picking women are suffering pesticide poisoning
symptoms ranging from mild headaches and skin allergies to cancer,
a study has shown. The research by the Islamabad-based Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI), found that blood samples
of only 10 per cent of the female cotton pickers were clear of
pesticides after the harvesting season. Dawn
• SDPI
Research and News Bulletin, volume 14, number 3, 2007 Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Another Corus worker gets
deafness payout
A factory foreman who was exposed to excessive noise at work which
left him with severe hearing difficulties has been awarded undisclosed
compensation by his former employer, Corus. GMB member Martin
Bourne, 70, was employed as a mechanical foreman at the Corus
UK Llanwern Works in Newport, Gwent. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Cash van fines put guards
in danger
Security guards’ union GMB is calling for cash vans to be
exempted from parking rules to reduce the risks of violent robberies.
The union says cash vehicles get 10,000 parking fines in London’s
metropolitan police area in a single year, when they park the
vehicle near to delivery points to reduce the risk of attack.
GMB
news release Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Global:
Multinationals, toxic toys and toxic work
A spate of recalls of “toxic toys” exported from China
has given lots of emphasis to the risk to consumers, but is ignoring
the toxic risk at the companies exploiting cheap labour in the
country and supplying brand name multinationals. Anita Chan and
Jonathan Unger of the Australian National University’s Contemporary
China Centre commented: “No mention has been made of the
many hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers who labour under
dangerous conditions, making toys and many hundreds of other kinds
of export products.” YaleGlobal
Online • Australian
National University Contemporary China Centre Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Tragedy highlights deadly
teacher stress
Further evidence of the deadly stresses facing education staff
has emerged after another teacher suicide. Keith Waller, 35, an
experienced primary school teacher who was highly regarded by
colleagues, pupils and parents took his own life, after complaining
he felt “singled out” and placed under excessive scrutiny
after the school received a poor Ofsted report in 2006. East
Anglian Daily Times • Daily
Mail • Hazards guide to the deadly
dangers of overwork, including work-related
suicide Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Child’s heartache over
dad’s death
The heartbroken daughter of a casual labourer who fell to his
death after his boss cut corners to save cash has said all she
wants for Christmas is her father back. Iris Savage told Derby’s
Evening Telegraph newspaper the death of her son, Nathan had left
his seven-year-old daughter, Connie, devastated. Evening
Telegraph • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Australia:
Firefighters welcome cancer action
A firefighters’ union in Australia has welcomed an official
investigation of the cancer risks linked to the job. The government
in Australia Capital Territory (ACT) – Australia has a state
as well as federal government system - is to set up a working
group to investigate possible links between escalating cancer
rates among firefighters and their workplace. Canberra
Times • US
firefighters' union IAFF webpages on presumption laws in the
US and Canada • Global
union zero occupational cancer campaign Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Hats off for safety sanity
clause
Workplace campaigners have delivered a seasonal message to the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wishing the watchdog a merry
Christmas and a well resourced new year. Santa hat clad revellers
assembled last week outside HSE’s London HQ. Battersea
Crane Disaster Action Group news release • FACK
news release Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain:
Young workers told to ‘speak out’
Students taking on seasonal jobs over the Christmas break have
been warned to speak out against safety shy bosses, following
a 50 per cent increase in young worker deaths over the past year.
Denise Kitchener, chief executive of the Association of Personal
Injury Lawyers (APIL) said students should “speak up and
stay safe,” so that deaths and injuries can be avoided.
APIL news release [pdf] Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Don't let seasonal stress
strike your staff
Employers are being encouraged to keep an eye out for the signs
of stress in their staff during the busy pre-Christmas and New
Year periods. Safety professionals’ organisation IOSH says
those working in shops, pubs and restaurants particularly are
likely to be under greater pressure from the late pre-Christmas
shopping rush and New Year’s sales. IOSH
news release Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Fine after guard is crushed
to death
A South Yorkshire haulage firm has been fined £20,000 after
safety breaches led to the death of a security guard on its premises
more than two years ago. Insurers for E Pawson and Son Ltd are
also expected to make a substantial compensation payout to the
widow of nightwatchman John Cavill, aged 54, of Maltby, who was
crushed to death when a heavy metal gate at the company's staff
car park fell off its runners. Sheffield
Star Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Global: BP exhausts $1.6bn Texas claims
fund
London-based oil multinational BP has said it has spent all of
its $1.6 billion (about £0.8bn) fund for paying claims over
the refinery explosion in Texas and faces unknown costs for the
remaining claims. The company had already increased the size of
the fund twice as more claims were filed and settled. International
Herald Tribune • More
on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain:
Top asbestos campaign relaunches
A campaign group set up in memory of a Leeds mother who died of
an asbestos-related cancer has won charitable status. The June
Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund has now officially relaunched
itself as an independent charity.
June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund news
release and mesothelioma charter and website
• Asbestos
Victims Support Groups Forum UK Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Britain: Mental health is a workplace
issue
Stress is one of top workplace health problems – and it
comes with a big cost. A new policy paper published by the Sainsbury
Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) says mental ill health costs UK
employers more than £25bn a year. SCMH
news release • Mental health at work: Developing
the business case, Policy paper 8 [pdf] Hazards news, 22 December 2007
Thailand: Migrant
project reveals work dangers
Making Migrant Safety at Work Matter (MMSAWM) foundation volunteers
have produced safety materials in the Shan and Burmese languages
for agricultural and construction workers, to be distributed to
workers at outreach sessions where interviews and bodymapping
sessions are conducted. Bangkok
Post and related
story • Bodymapping
resources Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Train driver manslaughter
rap quashed
The Court of Appeal has quashed a train driver’s 17-year-old
conviction for manslaughter. ASLEF member Bob Morgan was convicted
on two counts of manslaughter on 3 September 1990; the union said
the original conviction had not taken into proper account that
the signal was defective and had been passed at danger on four
previous occasions by different drivers. ASLEF
news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Thailand: Migrant
project reveals work dangers
Making Migrant Safety at Work Matter (MMSAWM) foundation volunteers
have produced safety materials in the Shan and Burmese languages
for agricultural and construction workers, to be distributed to
workers at outreach sessions where interviews and bodymapping
sessions are conducted. Bangkok
Post and related
story • Bodymapping
resources Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Pilots call for air rage
summit
The government should convene a high level summit to address the
growing air rage problem, pilots’ union BALPA has said.
The number of incidents on British planes increased by more than
60 per cent last year. BALPA
news release • DfT
news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Union fears after new crane
incident
Construction union UCATT is calling for an urgent inquiry following
another dangerous incident involving a construction site crane.
The 11 December incident occurred in Forest Hill, south London,
when the jib of the crane collapsed, knocking over several concrete
pillars. UCATT
news release • BCDAG
news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Payout for security officer
injured in burglary
A University of Manchester security guard who suffered a broken
collar bone and finger during a burglary in a campus launderette,
has received a compensation payout of over £13,000. UNISON
member Gerard Darlington, 48, was working the night shift when
a report came in that there were noises heard in the launderette. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
South Africa: Strike puts mine safety
on agenda
A national strike by South Africa’s mineworkers has focused
the attention of government and mining firms on workplace safety.
Over 200,000 miners are believed to have been involved in the
action. Mining
Weekly • Business
Report and related item on South
Africa’s inadequate workplace compensation system Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Hub floors cement mill worker
A Unite member received compensation of £50,000 when he
was struck on the leg by a coupling hub. The 53-year-old member,
identified as Mr Earney, was employed as a mechanical craft worker
for Blue Circle Industries plc at their factory premises in Westbury,
Wiltshire. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Vibration permanently harms
man’s hands
A 24-year-old crack tester from Doncaster who says he was forced
out of his job after vibrating tools permanently damaged his hands
has received a £30,000 compensation settlement. Unite member
Dean Grice was employed by MSI Forks Ltd, a firm making forks
for forklift trucks, and developed vibration white finger and
carpal tunnel syndrome. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Dawson’s driver develops
diesel dermatitis
A delivery driver who developed irritant contact dermatitis when
diesel splashed on his hand is to receive £1,800 compensation.
Dawson Holdings plc employee William Smith, 54, was filling his
work van with diesel using a hand held nozzle, when diesel blew
back from the tank of the van and went directly onto his hands. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Ofsted inspection ‘led
to death’
A head teacher killed himself, with the action “triggered”
by fears over an Ofsted inspection of his primary school the following
day, a coroner has ruled. Jed Holmes was off work with stress
when he was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning at his flat;
he died on the eve of an Ofsted inspection in July 2007 at Hampton
Hargate Primary School, Peterborough. BBC
News Online • Hazards guide to the deadly
dangers of overwork, including work-related
suicide Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Italy: Steel deaths prompt strike
and safety call
Thousands of metalworkers downed tools and took to the streets
of Turin on 10 December to protest against work-related injuries,
after four workers died in a fire at a steel mill. The tragedy,
at a plant owned by German multinational ThyssenKrupp, caused
an outcry in Italy, which has a fatality rate above the European
Union average. Yahoo
Finance • IMF
news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain:
Work lung cancer risks are not declining
If you thought workplace exposure to the dust, fumes and chemicals
that cause lung cancer was a think of the past you’d be
wrong. An international study “suggests that exposure to
occupational lung carcinogens is still a problem, with such exposures
producing moderate to large increases in risk.”
F Veglia, P Vineis, K Overvad and others. Occupational exposures,
environmental tobacco smoke, and lung cancer, Epidemiology,
volume 18, number 6, pages 769-775, 2007 [abstract]
• Global
trade union occupational cancer/zero cancer campaign Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: More time plea for compensation
cases
The Scottish Law Commission is calling for people who are injured
in accidents to be given more time to claim compensation. The
commission recommended a five-year window of opportunity instead
of the current three-year limit in place throughout the UK.
Scottish Law Commission news release [pdf]
and report 207 [pdf]
• BBC
News Online Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: ICL blast inquiry details
announced
The details of a joint public inquiry into the ICL Stockline factory
blast in Glasgow have been announced by the Scottish and UK governments.
It will look into the circumstances leading up to the blast in
2004, consider health and safety issues and make recommendations.
Crown
Office and Procurator Fiscal Service announcement •
BBC News Online • Hazards
updates on the ILC/Stockline blast Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Scots get better protected
emergency staff
Health service union UNISON has welcomed the extension of Scotland’s
Emergency Workers Act to cover doctors, midwives and nurses in
the community, but said it is disappointed the opportunity had
not been taken to cover other public sector and NHS staff. UNISON
Scotland news release • Scottish
government news release Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: Firm pays for ignoring falls
warnings
A Liverpool construction company has been fined for failing to
implement safe systems for working at height despite repeated
official warnings. Maghull Construction Company Ltd was fined
£3,000 and ordered to pay £1,908 costs after pleading
guilty at Southport Magistrates court to breaches of the Work
at Height Regulations 2005. HSE
news release and falls
webpages Hazards news, 15 December 2007
China: Mine explosion kills 105
Chinese officials say 105 miners are now known to have died in
an explosion in a coal mine in Shanxi province in northern China
on 6 December. State media said the managers of the mine have
been arrested for causing the tragedy by mining a coal seam that
had not been authorised for production. China
government news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 15 December 2007
Britain: RMT angered by runaways exclusion
Rail union RMT is seeking urgent talks with Network Rail after
discovering it had been excluded from discussions on how to protect
track workers against runaway vehicles. RMT expressed “anger
and astonishment” at the failure to consult the union and
its safety reps. RMT
news release Hazards news, 8 December 2007
USA: Refinery blast risk is industry
wide
A survey by the United Steelworkers (USW) union has found the
conditions that led to the March 2005 explosion at BP’s
Texas City refinery are widespread throughout the refining sector
and that the industry is failing to learn from explosions and
near-misses. The union’s report, ‘Beyond Texas City:
The state of process safety in the unionised US oil refining industry’,
is based on the results of a 64-item survey sent to local unions
at 71 USW-represented refineries nine months following the Texas
City explosion. USW
news release • Beyond
Texas City – full report [pdf] More from Hazards
on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Unions make unsafe employers
pay
Trade union legal services continues to provide crucial support
for injured workers.
Pattinson and Brewer news releases on lorry
driver, home
carer and panel
beater settlements Thompsons Solicitors news releases on tomato
slip and hernia
settlements Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Ergo cabs follow union campaign
Rail firm Freightliner is improving train cabs after a campaign
by drivers’ union ASLEF. Union general secretary Keith Norman
says the company’s production director has given an assurance
the company is “more than happy to involve ASLEF as much
as possible in the ergonomics of any new cab design.” ASLEF
news release and Squash
campaign Hazards news, 8 December 2007
USA: Illness lays low 11 at pork plant
Eleven workers at a pork processing plant in Austin, Minnesota,
fell ill between last December and July with a neurological disorder
whose cause remains unknown, state health officials have said.
The condition afflicting five of the workers at Quality Pork Processors
Inc has been identified as a rare disease called chronic inflammatory
demyelinating polyneuropathy or CIDP, which normally strikes fewer
than two people per 100,000 - in this instance, it may have struck
11 out of about 100 people in a particular part of the plant,
state officials said.
Minnesota Department of Health news
release, webpage
and factsheet [pdf] Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: FBU demands action on firework
‘bombs’
Firefighters’ union FBU has called for an overhaul of the
regulations that cover the import, manufacture, transport and
storage of fireworks in the UK. The union was speaking out on
the first anniversary of the deaths of two firefighters in an
explosion at Marlie Farm in East Sussex on 3 December 2006. FBU
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Unions welcomes pleural plaques
move
Construction union UCATT have given a “cautious welcome”
to the UK government’s commitment to examine a recent decision
of the Law Lords that asbestos campaigners have labelled a “travesty
of justice” and “a disgrace”. UCATT
news release • Oldham
Chronicle Hazards news, 8 December 2007
South Africa: Massive strike for mine
safety
South Africa’s mining sector was hit on 4 December by its
biggest strike in two decades, as over half all the country’s
miners stayed home to protest at poor safety conditions. National
Union of Mineworkers spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka told a 40,000-strong
gathering of protesters that marched through central Johannesburg:
“If the big companies do not do anything to improve safety,
we will be back on the streets again; we will stop the mines with
a two- or three-month strike.” IRIN
news • NUM
news release Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Japan: Court rules man was worked
to death
A court in central Japan has ordered the government to pay compensation
to a woman who argued that her 30-year-old husband died from overwork
at Toyota Motor Corp, Japan's largest car maker. Hiroko Uchino
filed the suit after a local Labour Ministry office rejected applications
for workers’ compensation benefits she filed after the death
of her husband, Kenichi, said Hiroko Tamaki, a lawyer for the
plaintiff. Japan
Times • San
Francisco Chronicle • More
from Hazards on karoshi and karojisatsu Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: No one is safe from asbestos
A hairdresser and a theatre worker are among the latest victims
of asbestos. Carol Heaton, 60, died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma
after working in a hair salon for 33 years and theatre worker
Gloria Dawson, 69, was killed by a crumbling fire safety stage
curtain. Daily
Mail • The
Times Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Asbestos case settled in
four months
Former shipyard worker Charles Cochran, 67, has been awarded more
than £150,000 in compensation after developing the asbestos
cancer mesothelioma. This case was settled just four months after
the claim was made. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain:
Amazon lied about drug test
Internet giant Amazon wrongly branded a worker a druggie and fired
him, an employment tribunal has heard. Khalid Elkhader was awarded
£3,453 in compensation after managers at the firm’s
west of Scotland facility told him he had tested positive for
amphetamine and fired him – however, he was told a second
negative test was positive. Greenock
Telegraph • Impaired
thinking: The case for workplace drug and alcohol testing has
no substance, Hazards magazine, number 100, 2007 Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain:
HSE accused of inspection-by-phone
An inspection foreman has accused the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) of ignoring serious safety problems after it refused to
visit a dangerous workplace and took “telephone action”
instead. The source told trade paper Contract Journal that HSE
ignored his plea for a personal visit after he raised serious
concerns over health and safety standards at the structural steel
firm where he had worked. Contract
Journal • Just
who does HSE protect? Hazards magazine, number 100, 2007 Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Offshore safety on a 'knife-edge'
Safety is on a “knife-edge” in some parts of the North
Sea oil industry, MPs have been warned. The admission from Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) chief executive Geoffrey Podger followed
two platform fires and a damning report on offshore safety standards
in November 2007. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain:
Boss jailed after death cover-up attempt
Company boss Steven Christopher Smith from north Wales has been
jailed for two and a half years for manslaughter and perverting
the course of justice after the death of employee Paul Christopher
Alker, 33, in a workplace fall. Smith did not provide the right
harnesses, but after Mr Alker plunged to his death, he went out
and bought the safety equipment, put them on the roof, and blamed
Mr Alker for not using it. HSE
news release • Daily
Post Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Canada:
Asbestos epidemic ‘made in Canada’
A prominent Canadian politician has said the country deserves
international derision for imposing a made-in-Canada asbestos
disease epidemic on the rest of the world. In an opinion piece
in the National Post, Pat Martin, an MP with the New Democratic
Party, said the Canadian government’s backing for the industry
was “corporate welfare for corporate serial killers.” National
Post • NDP
news release Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Safety warning after fall
fine
Construction firms have warned that satisfactory edge protection
must be in place to prevent falls from height following the prosecution
of a Merseyside company after a site worker suffered serious injury.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued the advice as Copelare
Ltd was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,783
at Bootle Magistrates' Court after it admitted safety breaches. HSE
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain: Firm fined after horror accident
A company has been fined £50,000 after an employee fell
into a skip of broken glass and a 12-stone glass pane dropped
on him in a carbon copy of an earlier incident. Ricky Waters,
38, suffered a depressed skull fracture and was in a coma for
six days following the incident at the Vizor Tempered Glass works
in Port Talbot. HSE
news release • Evening
Post. Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Global: Shiftwork linked to cancer
Shiftwork has been recognised officially as a “probable”
cause of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC), the cancer arm of the World Health Organisation, has said
it will classify overnight shift work as a probable carcinogen
after evidence was considered by a meeting of experts; IARC experts
also ranked occupational exposure as a painter as carcinogenic
to humans and as a firefighter as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
IARC news release [pdf]
• Kurt Straif and others. Carcinogenicity of shift-work,
painting, and fire-fighting The
Lancet Oncology, volume 8, number 12, pages 1065-1066, December
2007 • Findings to be published by IARC next year, Shift-work,
painting and fire-fighting, IARC monograph, volume 98 •
Global
union zero cancer campaign Hazards news, 8 December 2007
Britain:
TUC says sort out work hazards not workers
Many employers have a healthier appetite for addressing their
employees’ diet, exercise and smoking habits than addressing
the work-related causes of ill-health, the TUC has said. In a
TUC submission to Dame Carol Black’s review of the health
of the working age population, the TUC says employers’ attempts
to encourage healthy living are most effective when they look
at how work can contribute to or cause lifestyle problems and
warns against employers moralising over lifestyle issues, like
drug and alcohol use. TUC
news release and full
response to the consultation • More
on the union approach to work and health issues Hazards news, 1 December 2007
USA:
Hilton caused housekeeper strains
California’s workplace safety regulator has charged that
the duties performed by housekeepers at a hotel - scrubbing, bed
making, vacuuming - violate the state's repetitive strain injury
rules. A citation issued to Hilton Los Angeles Airport hotel (LAX
Hilton) “confirmed what workers have been telling their
physicians and management at the LAX Hilton, that this work and
the workload are causing them pain and injury,” said Pamela
Vossenas, senior health and safety representative for the hotel
division of Unite Here. LA
Union news release • LA
Times Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Long hours working on the
rise again
A culture of working long hours is on the rise once more in the
UK after a decade of gradual decline, according to figures published
this week by the TUC. More than one in eight of the British workforce
now work more than 48 hours a week, the maximum allowed under
the law unless workers agree to waive that limit - HSE’s
enforcement database records just two successful prosecutions
for breaches of the 1998 Working Time Regulations. TUC
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 1 December 2007
South
Africa: Mines safety strike to go ahead
South African mine workers are set to proceed with a one-day nationwide
strike on 4 December in protest at poor safety in the country's
mines. About 240,000 workers may take part in the strike, the
first countrywide walkout by miners. NUM
statement • Mail
and Guardian • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Dirty ambulances spread deadly
infections
Dirty ambulances could help the spread of MRSA and other superbugs,
health service UNISON has warned. Ambulance crews report they
don't get time to check the vehicles, let alone clean them, said
UNISON, adding the vehicles are never deep cleaned. UNISON
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: UNISON lays down the law
on violence
UNISON has issued new guidelines showing how workers can use the
law to prevent assaults, convict offenders and sue employers for
compensation. UNISON in Scotland has identified a number of legal
avenues workers can use: Pursuing criminal prosecutions against
assailants - for assault or for harassment; suing employers or
assailants for civil damages; and using health and safety legislation
to make employers carry out proper risk assessments and take measures
to prevent attacks. UNISON
news release • Assaults
on staff: Legal action against violent service users, UNISON
Scotland briefing 169, November 2007. Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Site unions warns of bogus
self-employed dangers
Construction unions have warned the government about the dangers
of bogus self-employment. Workers miss out on holiday and sick
pay, industrial injury and disease benefits and other employment
rights. UCATT
news release Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Rail union warns against
dangerous cutbacks
Network Rail’s renewals contracts should be brought back
in-house, a move rail union RMT says could deliver efficiency
savings without undermining growth or compromising safety. Simply
squeezing budgets will only undermine safety as well as growth,
RMT said. RMT
news release • Network
Rail news release Hazards news, 1 December 2007
China:
Brutal attack on workers’ adviser
A worker from an employment advice centre in Shenzen, China, has
been brutally attacked. Global union federation ITUC has written
to the Shenzhen authorities to protest at the stabbing of Huang
Qingnan, a worker from a local labour advice and support centre.
ITUC
news release Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain:
TUC scathing on new safety laws review
The TUC has said the government should stop pandering to negligent
law-shy employers, and instead put its focus on protecting vulnerable
workers from illness and injury. The comments came after Chancellor
Alistair Darling this week launched a “major review”
of safety laws, “focusing on small and low risk businesses.”
BERR
news release and Improving
outcomes from health and safety: A call for evidence[pdf]
•
Alistair Darling’s speech to the CBI conference Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain:
Controversy over mental health measures
The government will treble the number of employment advisers in
GP surgeries and pilot a new £8m advice and support service
for smaller businesses as part of a new approach it says will
help people with stress and other mental health conditions find
and keep work. The drive to get people with mental health problems
off benefits and into work has been criticised by mental health
charity Mind. DWP
news release • Mind
news release Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain:
Study exposes cancer control complacency
A disastrous failure by chemical firms and the Health and Safety
Executive to control one of the best known workplace carcinogens
has been revealed by an HSE survey. HSE assessed occupational
exposures to the industrial chemical MbOCA, which can cause bladder
cancer and which has been linked to other cancers, and found controls
and personal protective equipment (PPE) were inadequate, training
was poor and exposure levels were unacceptable. HSE
publication alert • A survey of occupational exposure
to MbOCA in the polyurethane elastomer industry in Great Britain
2005-2006, HSE [pdf]
• Global
union occupational cancer/zero cancer campaign Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: CCA
slams ‘meaningless’ enforcement review
The Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) is calling on the
Health and Safety Commission (HSC) to undertake a new review of
the circumstances when its inspectors should prosecute. It says
the conclusions of the Health and Safety Executive’s review
of its prosecution policy are “meaningless” as crucial
evidence has been overlooked. CCA
news release and background papers Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Australia: Death of Bernie Banton,
asbestos hero
Bernie Banton, an Australian factory worker who became a nationwide
symbol for labour rights in Australia, died on 27 November after
suffering with asbestosis for years and more recently developing
the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Mr Banton, who was 61, fought
until the very end, managing this month to give court evidence
in a landmark compensation case from his hospital bed, as well
as delivering a petition to the government in the run-up to last
Saturday’s federal election pressing for and winning improved
drug treatments for mesothelioma sufferers. ACTU
condolence book • The
James Hardie scandal Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Fine for amusement park death
The former operators of an amusement park have been fined £95,000
and ordered to pay costs of £50,000 over the death of a
maintenance worker. Pleasureland Ltd had pleaded guilty to breaching
health and safety laws after the work fatality in the Southport
park in 2004. HSE
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Schools safety probe after
lathe injury
A safety review has started at all secondary schools in the in
Scotland’s Borders area after a teenage girl became entangled
in a lathe. Nadine Craig, a 14-year-old pupil at Galashiels Academy,
required hospital treatment for the neck injuries she received
when her scarf was caught in the machine and will be scarred for
life as a result. Daily
Record • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Guilty verdict on teen scaffolder
death
Site supervisor David Swindells Jr has been found guilty of safety
offences that contributed to the death of a teenage scaffolder.
Steven Burke died aged 17 in January 2003 when a sub-standard
scaffold collapsed - his employer 3D Scaffolding Ltd, main contractor
Mowlem plc and RAM Services Ltd had earlier pleaded guilty to
related safety offences. FACK
news release • Hazards
young workers’ webpages Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Global:
New biological threats at work
Workers in every type of work could be at risk from biological
agents, a new report has warned. The European Risk Observatory
(ERO) report, backed up by a practical factsheet, says despite
existing laws covering the issue, knowledge is still limited and
in many workplaces biological risks are poorly assessed and prevented.
European
Agency news release and factsheet on emerging biological risks
[pdf]
• Expert forecast on emerging biological risks related to
occupational safety and health [pdf]
• Read
more Hazards news, 1 December 2007
Britain: Call for tough action on
safety ‘crime wave’
There must be tougher enforcement action to tackle a workplace
health and safety “crime wave”, the TUC has said.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Evidence shows
the most effective way to change behaviour is strong enforcement
action, supported by advice and guidance.” TUC
news release • CCA
news release • FACK
news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Ukraine: A hundred feared dead in
mine blast
At least 90 miners died in an 18 November blast at a mine in Ukraine,
making it the worst mining accident in the nation's history, officials
say. The explosion, caused by a build-up of methane gas, occurred
more than 1,000m (3,280ft) below ground in the Zasiadko coalmine,
in Donetsk, East Ukraine. ITUC
news release • BBC
News Online and related
photographs Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Migrant worker misery is
a pub grub ingredient
Food and snacks eaten in pubs, canteens and on trains across the
country could have been prepared by migrant workers working in
“Dickensian sweatshop conditions”, a union is warning
clients and customers. Unite is concerned that young Polish workers,
some of whom are members of Unite, employed by salad and vegetable
preparation company Just Prepared are forced to work all day in
sodden clothing, cannot access toilets during a shift without
permission and at times work up to 16 hours a day. Unite
news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
New Zealand: Worker participation
key to improvements
“Involving workers in managing health and safety at work
is a key to improving our record in this area,” NZCTU secretary
Carol Beaumont has said. Her comments followed the release of
the New Zealand government’s Workplace Health and Safety
Strategy second progress report. NZCTU
news release • NZ
Department of Labour news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Launch of cyberspace solution
to cyberbullies
A teaching union has kicked off a major UK-wide campaign to combat
‘cyberbullying’ of teachers. NASUWT has create a new
online resource where teachers can support the campaign and tell
their cyberbullying story NASUWT
news release • Stop
Cyberbullying webpages Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Contractor threat to shipyard
safety
Contractors working at A&P Falmouth are undermining health
and safety and long standing agreements at the shipyard, the union
GMB has said. It is particularly concerned migrant workers employed
by contractors at the Cornish workplace could be vulnerable to
health and safety risks. GMB
news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Lack of safety at ports puts
lives at risk
Government ministers have received a broadside from a working
tugman over their failure to give sufficient priority to health
and safety in UK ports and harbours. Speaking at the 1st Annual
UK Ports and Shipping Conference, Unite member Richard Crease
said the union had serious concerns about safety. Unite
news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Port worker receives asbestos
settlement
A retired Port of London Authority (PLA) worker has received £23,500
compensation after being diagnosed with asbestos-related pleural
thickening. Unite secured the compensation for Terence O’Connell,
84, who worked for the PLA from 1937 until 1975, save for the
wartime years when he served in the RAF. Pattinson
& Brewer news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Drivers get slip up payouts
A bus driver and a lorry driver, both members of the union Unite,
have received compensation after slipping at work. London bus
driver Stephen Jacobs received £6,000 compensation after
falling on a wet floor after leaving a toilet at a terminus and
Simon Omer, an HGV driver with supermarket chain Sainsbury’s
received £5,250 after slipping and injuring his left knee.
Pattinson & Brewer news releases on the Jacobs
and the Omer
cases Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Six figure payout for job
ending injury
A Merseyside man whose life has been seriously impaired as a result
of a serious back injury at work has received a 250,000 payout
from Glen Dimplex Cooking. The 61-year-old Unite member from Prescot,
worked as a facilities engineer for the firm and sustained a serious
back injury when he fell down a damp sloping grass verge whilst
reading meters at one of the firm’s factory buildings. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: 'Tougher' work tests for
disabled
New incapacity benefit tests planned for next year mean fewer
sick and disabled people will qualify as being unable to work.
The new work capability assessment, which will cover the entire
UK, is being introduced alongside the employment support allowance
- which will replace incapacity benefits for new claimants from
next autumn. DWP
news release • Transformation
of the Personal Capability Assessment - Technical Working Group's
Phase 2 Evaluation Report Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Canada:
Asbestos exports on the increase
A major sales drive by Canada’s asbestos industry has seen
asbestos exports to some developing nations increase dramatically.
Seventy-five per cent of Canadian asbestos exports go to Asian
countries, the analysis shows; the top five regional markets are
India – which imported C$25,196,357 (£12,420,000)
worth of Canadian asbestos between January and August 2007, followed
by Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh. Canadian
asbestos: The naked truth, IBAS, November 2007 • New
International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) website Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain:
Concerns about new work capability tests
Disability, work policy and union organisations have warned changes
next year to the incapacity benefit system risk penalising and
harassing the sick and those with disabilities. The TUC said returning
the sick to work required cooperation, not coercion. Mind
news release • Disability
Alliance news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Corporate killers must face
mega-fines
Companies whose neglect results in deaths should face fines running
to hundreds of millions of pounds, government law advisers have
said. A corporate accountability group, however, has said the
Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) proposed penalties are still “simply
too low.” CCA
news release • Sentencing guidelines news release [pdf]
• Sentencing
guidelines website Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain:
Wimpey fined £300,000 over trench tragedy
George Wimpey (North East) Ltd has been fined £300,000 after
a trench collapse in which Neil Dunstan, 41, employed by a sub-contractor
was crushed to death. George Wimpey’s parent company, Taylor
Wimpey – Britain’s largest house builder - had a revenue
of £2,671.9 million in the first six months of 2007; its
first half profits before tax were £140.9 million. HSE
news release • Taylor
Wimpey Interim Results Statement 2007 • Northern
Echo Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain:
Inspector unearths more dust disease
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Andrea Robbins has
unearthed a second case of a stonemason suffering a potentially
fatal dust disease. Silica dust levels had previously been found
to be over 100 times than the current legal exposure limit. HSE
news release Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Oil firms ‘must improve
safety’
North Sea oil companies have been told that more must be done
to improve their offshore safety record. The instruction follows
a three-year investigation by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE). HSE
news release and related
reports • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Migrant workers killed in
van smash
Three migrant workers were killed and another eight workers hospitalised
in a head-on crash at Croft, near Skegness, at about 7am on Tuesday
13 November. The tragedy evoked memories a Valentine's Day 2006
car crash in which five migrant workers from Grantham, Lincolnshire,
were killed. Lincolnshire
Echo Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain: Cancer resource on YouTube
Top UK toxicologist Professor Vyvyan Howard has taken awareness
raising on occupational and environmental cancer out to the YouTube
generation. Two video clips warn that what you breathe, swallow
and touch at work and where you live can seriously affect your
chances of developing cancer – and this risk has increased
dramatically as a consequence of industrialisation. The
rise in cancer - Part 1 • The
rise in cancer - Part 2 • Global
union zero cancer campaign Hazards news, 24 November 2007
Britain:
What you don’t know is killing us
The government’s “work is good for you” push
is missing one inconvenient truth – a combination of job
insecurity, punitive sick leave policies, a failure to recognise
the extent of the country’s work-related health crisis and
a lack of official health and safety enforcement means for many
work is bad and getting worse. Dame
blast – To Hain and Black: What you don’t know is
killing us, Hazards magazine, October-December 2007 •
Hazards
work and health webpages • Working
for Health news release Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Global:
It’s about Hazards, geddit?
The latest issue of Hazards, the union safety reps’ quarterly,
is out now. It investigates how your safety is being threatened
at work by a lack of enforcement, and how your health isn’t
been given the priority it deserves, and there’s also advice
on why drug and alcohol tests are a bad habit employers should
in general give up, as well as lots of news and resources. Hazards magazine
• Contents
page • Subscription
details Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Vehicles at work can hurt
you
Whether you work in them, on them or by them, contact with vehicles
at work can really hurt you, a series of union compensation cases
show. GMB
news release • Pattinson & Brewer Solicitors news
releases on the Russell
Williams and Sekou
Hamidou Dembele settlements • Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Serious slip up at dangerous
food factory
A GMB member has been awarded compensation after being injured
at a London food factory. Production worker Dinsuta Kanji received
almost £13,000 compensation after being injured at Katsouris
Fresh Foods, owned by the giant Icelandic Bakkavör Group
- the firm has faced serious criticism of its safety standards
after a series of recent injuries. Pattinson
& Brewer news release Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Mexico:
Toxic dust ‘feet high’ in strike mine
Mexico's largest copper mine is awash with “serious health
and safety violations”, and needs a “massive cleanup
operation” before striking miners can return, a team of
top safety experts has found. The team found dangerous levels
of mineral dust and acid mist at Grupo Mexico’s Cananea
copper mine in Sonora, 30 miles south of the Arizona border. USW
news release • Miami
Herald • Health and safety report from Cananea, Mexico,
Copper Mine, MHSSN, November 2007 [pdf]
• MHSSN
website Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Increasing concern over offshore
employers
An offshore union leader has called for oil giant Shell to quit
the North Sea. Unite regional officer Graham Tran made the demand
after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation upheld
concerns raised by offshore unions over safety on Shell platforms.
Press
and Journal Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain:
Teacher’s testimony to asbestos dangers
A teacher who has developed the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as
a result of exposures in a school has issued an online video warning
about the dangers of the deadly fibre. Elizabeth Bradford was
informed after an inspection by her local authority employer she
had been exposed to asbestos, but it was white asbestos so there
wasn’t a problem. ATL
YouTube video clip • Also on YouTube: Mesothelioma:
The human face of an epidemic • Other
safety related videos on YouTube Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Cancer payouts offer little
comfort
The widow of a Unite member has been awarded a substantial compensation
payment after her husband died of an asbestos cancer caused by
exposures at work. David Hines from Birkenhead was 73 when he
died just two months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Cancer payout for asbestos
hug woman
A Devon woman who developed an incurable asbestos-related cancer
from hugging her father as a child has settled a damages claim.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD), which owned Devonport Dockyard
when Debbie Brewer's father worked there in the 1960s, settled
with a six-figure sum. BBC
News Online • Daily
Mail Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Global:
‘Obligation to act’ on work cancers
Urgent action must be taken to address the toll of workplace and
environmental cancers, a new report has concluded. Researchers
from the Lowell Center for Sustainable Development in the USA
who reviewed new evidence on cancer risks, said their findings
“demonstrate why environmental and occupational cancers
should be given serious consideration by policymakers, individuals,
and institutions concerned with cancer prevention.” Environmental and occupational causes of cancer: New Evidence,
2005-2007, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, 2007, executive
summary and full report [pdf]
• Toxic
Burdens Blog Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain:
Impaired thinking on work drugs tests
Britain’s employers have a big drug and alcohol problem
– they are wasting millions on testing and firing workers.
A new report in the trade union health and safety journal Hazards
says employer support and a healthier working environment would
provide a cheaper and more effective resolution to ‘impairment’
problems. Impaired
thinking: The case for workplace drug and alcohol tests has no
substance, Hazards, number 100, October-December
2007 • Hazards drug
and alcohol and workplace
testing webpages Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain:
UK gripped by ‘no compensation’ culture
The number of workplace personal injury claims are low and falling
fast, new research for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has
found. The study by researchers from the University of Warwick’s
School of Law has undermined the popular view that UK citizens
are engaging in a spiralling ‘compensation culture’
with ever increasing claims against allegedly negligent companies
and organisations. University
of Warwick news release • A survey of changes in
the volume and composition of claims for damages for occupational
injury or ill health resulting from the Management of Health and
Safety at Work and Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations
2003, RR593, HSE, 2007 [pdf] Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Workers need mental health
support
Family doctors need to do more to help people with mental health
problems make a productive return to work, a new report has concluded.
CIPD
news release Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain:
Courts protect wonga much better than workers
The courts disqualify company directors risking cash hundreds
of times more often than directors risking people’s health
and safety, a major study has found. Research for the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) published this week reported that since
the introduction of a director disqualification act in the mid-80s
only a handful of directors have been disqualified for breaching
health and safety laws compared to over 1,500 each year for breaches
of financial rules. University
of Warwick news release • A survey of the
use and effectiveness of the Company Directors Disqualification
Act 1986 as a legal sanction against directors convicted of health
and safety offences, RR597, HSE, 2007, summary
page and full report [pdf] Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Family hits out after death
fine
The family of a man crushed to death in an industrial incident
has expressed disappointment with the £30,000 fine levied
on the company. Michael Joyce, 51, was killed after climbing inside
a machine during his shift at the Freudenberg Technical Products
plant in North Tyneside, on 15 October 2005. News
Guardian Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: Port fined over youngster's
death
A port authority has been fined a total of £100,000 over
the death of a boy aged six, crushed by a giant paper roll. Harry
Palmer died when the unsecured reel of newsprint fell on him from
a forklift at Tilbury Docks in Essex. HSE
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Global:
Unions and enforcement are the safe option
Rigorous enforcement backed up by active unions is the best way
to deliver safety at work, a new World Health Organisation report
has concluded. ‘Employment conditions and health inequalities’
says contrary to the current fashion for deregulation, regulations
are not the problem. Employment conditions and health inequalities: Final report,
WHO, 2007 [pdf]
• The report is a contribution to the WHO
Commission on Social Determinants of Health Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Australia: Union treatment on return
to work
An Australian union body has created its own dedicated unit to
help injured workers back to work. The Victorian Trades Hall Council’s
(VTHC) Return to Work Unit was created “to challenge the
barriers that stop injured workers returning to full and meaningful
employment.” VTHC
news release • OHS
Reps website Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Australia: Campaigner wins asbestos
drug fight
Thousands of victims of asbestos cancer in Australia will be able
to get an expensive palliative care drug at next to no cost by
January or even sooner. Both major political parties promised
to subsidise the drug Alimta for sufferers of the asbestos-related
cancer mesothelioma after the government's drug advisory body
recommended that it be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,
which means it is available with most costs borne by the government.
The
Age • The
Daily Telegraph Hazards news, 17 November 2007
UAE: Seven die in Dubai bridge collapse
A bridge under construction in Dubai has collapsed, killing seven
workers and injuring 15, police have said. The bridge was being
built in Dubai Marina, a new development in the United Arab Emirates
city which is a regional business and tourism hub. BBC
News Online • Al
Jazeera Hazards news, 17 November 2007
Britain: RMT demands action on rail
runaways
Urgent action to stop the succession of runaways on Britain’s
railways has been demanded by Britain’s biggest rail union.
RMT said there have been 12runaways recorded since four rail workers
were killed by a runaway trailer at Tebay in Cumbria on 15 February
2004. RMT
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Global:
IUF calls for action on lung destroyer
A global union body is demanding urgent control measures on the
food flavouring diacetyl, a widely used chemical that can destroy
workers’ lungs. IUF, the international federation for foodworkers’
unions, says the ingredient in artificial butter flavours has
been shown to cause disabling and sometimes fatal illnesses in
exposed workers. IUF
news release • Food
Navigator Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Sweden:
Warning on ‘large risks with tiny particles’
Firms developing nanotechnologies must take a precautionary approach
to the sector to prevent environment and health risks, the Swedish
chemicals inspectorate said in a report released on 31 October.
“Companies should apply special precautions in the development
and use of nanomaterials,” Kemi said, because of the “rapid
development in this area and the great lack of knowledge about
risks.”
Kemi news
release and report [pdf]
• Hazards
nanotechnology news and resources Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Banish the office bullies
says TUC
The TUC is urging employers to protect their staff from victimisation
and harassment. To coincide with National Ban Bullying at Work
Day, 7 November, the TUC has produced a guide to help union safety
reps work with employers to create a new workplace culture where
bullying, intimidation and harassment is a thing of the past for
business.” TUC
news release • TUC
Bullying at work guidance for safety reps Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: NHS workloads are stressing
staff out
Overworked and overloaded health service workers are so stressed
six out of 10 say they have considered packing in their jobs in
the past year. A survey for health unions of just under 25,000
employees working throughout the NHS found that over half the
staff questioned (57 per cent) were working more than their contracted
hours and over four-fifths (84 per cent) said that their workload
had increased in the last year. TUC
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: UNISON calls for NHS assaults
register
Health service union UNISON wants a national system to record
all assaults on NHS staff. Karen Jennings, head of health for
UNISON, said: “If a national system for recording all assaults
on NHS staff was implemented, the results, though shocking, would
reveal the full extent of the problem.” UNISON
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Unions condemn ‘Dickensian’
health board
A health board in Scotland that discussed issuing sick staff final
written warnings has been condemned by unions. UNISON’s
Matt McLaughlin said the NHS Glasgow and Clyde approach was “disgraceful”,
adding: “It is clear from these proposals staff who are
injured at work or are terminally ill will be given final written
warnings and could be sacked.” UNISON
Scotland news release • STUC
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Your money or your life
The government is giving a greater priority to enforcing financial
regulations than ensuring the safety of UK workers, the union
representing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors has
warned. Responding to official HSE fatality statistics, Prospect
said it is unacceptable that the organisation responsible for
enforcing health and safety law has been facing year-on-year real
term cuts and dwindling staff numbers while the Financial Services
Authority (FSA) has seen a rise in both funding and staff over
the same period. Prospect
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Union delivers knock out
service
A worker knocked out by a flying crate has been awarded £9,500
compensation. Unite member Roger Loughran, 37, was employed as
a sweeper/driver by Onyx. He was loading bread crates, which were
left on a pavement, on to an open caged lorry when he was hit
in the face by a crate thrown by his work colleague. Pattinson
& Brewer Solicitors news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
South Africa: Mines safety strike
moves closer
A general safety strike across South Africa’s mining industry
is still on the cards this month, according to the National Union
of Mineworkers (NUM). The 300,000-member union has rejected a
mediated offer put forward by the Chamber of Mines to conduct
only shift strikes and says it intends to proceed with a one day
all out strike. NUM
news release • ICEM
alert Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Rigger gets broken wrist
payout
A ship’s rigger from Plymouth has been awarded £12,000
damages after breaking his wrist helping HMS Somerset to dock.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd
agreed the payment to Unite member Kevin Renyard, 44. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Settlement For severed finger
A Kent warehouse worker has received over £4,000 compensation
after losing the tip of his finger in an incident at work. Unite
member Keith Deehy was working for MBL Thamesmead when as he attempted
to close the roller shutter door of a vehicle it moved forward,
trapping his fingers and slicing off the top of his left middle
finger. Pattinson
& Brewer Solicitors news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Injured bus driver walks
away with ten grand
A bus driver from Walthamstow has secured £10,000 compensation
following injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. Unite
member Cenk Suleyman Ahmet was driving his double decker bus when
a driver approaching from the opposite direction, lost control
of his car and smashed into the bus. Pattinson
& Brewer Solicitors news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: FBU warning over firefighter
training
Inadequate training in basic firefighting skills has resulted
in a sharp increase in fatalities, firefighters’ union FBU
has said. The warning came in the wake of the Atherstone warehouse
fire that claimed the lives of four firefighters – this
brings to seven the number of firefighters who have perished in
the space of 11 months. FBU
news release • The
Guardian • BBC
News Online • The
Observer Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Outrage at ‘paltry’
bakery death fines
Campaigners have denounced “paltry” fines totalling
£33,500 imposed on two companies after the death of an agency
worker. Father-of-four Graham Meldrum, 40, died after being hit
by a faulty tail-lift on his truck at the former Allied Bakery
plant in Maryhill, Glasgow. STUC
news release • FACK
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Widow ‘disgusted’
by inquest verdict
The widow of a worker killed by a falling platform at Wembley
Stadium has said she is “disgusted” by a verdict of
accidental death at his inquest. Carpenter Patrick O'Sullivan,
54, died after a platform landed on him from more than 300ft while
he was working on the construction of the new Wembley Stadium
in January 2004. Harrow
Times Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Another tragedy at deadly
Corus plant
A 46-year-old contract worker has died in an incident at Corus's
Port Talbot works. Robert Gillard was operating a tipper truck
when the vehicle overturned; he was employed by international
contractor Multiserv. BBC
News Online • More
on Corus’ safety record Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Vicious mail van jacker jailed
A man who carried out a string of vicious assaults and ‘van
jackings’ on Royal Mail delivery vans along the east Kent
coast has been jailed. Paul Andrew Walker was sentenced to five
years for two of the three offences with the third to lie on file.
CWU
news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Company fined £20,000
for asbestos breach
Bedford magistrates have fined Galamast Ltd £20,000 for
exposing workers to asbestos. The prosecution comes as new figures
show record numbers are dying of asbestos cancers. HSE
news release• Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Nicaragua/USA: US payout awarded over
pesticide
A US jury has awarded a total of $3.3m (£1.58m) to six workers
who claim they were left sterile by a pesticide used at a banana
plantation in Nicaragua. The workers accused Dole and Standard
Fruit Co and Dow Chemical Co of concealing the dangers posed by
the pesticide, used in the 1970s. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 10 November 2007
Britain: Directors must be made to
be safe
Boardrooms must be compelled to take workplace health and safety
seriously, a new union-backed report has concluded. ‘Bringing
justice to the boardroom’, prepared for construction union
UCATT by the Centre for Corporate Accountability, says there has
been a “complete failure” of the voluntary approach
to reducing injuries and fatalities in the workplace. UCATT
news release and full report • CCA
news release and background
materials Hazards news, 3 November 2007
USA: Families demand work deaths justice
Widows, parents, children and other family members of victims
of workplace fatalities and occupational diseases in the USA are
demanding a ‘Family Bill of Rights’. It outlines 10
simple rights that should be afforded those left behind when a
worker dies on the job, including: Information on the role of
official agencies in investigating the death; notifying family
members of all meetings, hearings and other communication between
investigators and the employer and allowing participation in such
events; allowing family members the right to view all physical
evidence gathered as part of the accident investigation, and ensuring
that the evidence is secured from employer tampering; and involving
family members in the investigation process, such as allowing
them an opportunity to offer names of individuals who may have
useful evidence for the investigators.
Family Bill of Rights news release [pdf]
• The Family Bill of Rights can be downloaded from the USMWF
and Defending Science [pdf]
websites Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Directors publish voluntary
code
Company directors have published their own voluntary guidelines
to good boardroom safety practice. The Institute of Directors
(IoD) says the new guidance will remind directors it is their
responsibility to lead on health and safety and establish policies
and practices that make it an integral part of their culture and
values. HSE
news release and new
director leadership webpages Hazards news, 3 November 2007
France: Action call on work-related
cancers
The authorities in the French district of Seine-Saint-Denis, north-east
of Paris, have issued a call for national action on work-related
cancers. The petition’s sponsors, which includes unions
and high profile officials of public, health, research and safety
bodies, claim that a manual worker between the ages of 45 and
54 is at four times greater risk of dying from cancer than a same-age
top manager. ETUI-REHS
summary • Full
background and petition document (in French) • Global
union zero cancer campaign Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Unions want more than guidance
Unions have welcomed new guidance from the Institute of Directors
(IoD), but have said there should also be legal safety duties
on directors. TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson welcomed thte
guide, but said “we need a clear legal duty on directors”
and Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said: “Government
is right to say there is an obligation on employers but instead
of that being moral and ethical, in other words voluntary, it
should be compulsory and enshrined in law.” Unite
news release Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Global: Tell Canada to stop deadly
asbestos exports
A major petition to Canadian premier Stephen Harper by campaign
organisation RightsOnCanada is calling for an end to Canadian
support for asbestos exports and is attracting thousands of signatures.
Two of the country’s leading asbestos exporters this week
combined their marketing efforts to “maximise our sales
and minimise our costs,” said Simon Dupéré,
president of LAB Chrysotile, which operates two mines in Thetford,
Quebec. Sign
the RightsOnCanada petition for an end to Canada’s promotion
of asbestos trade Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain:
TUC dismay at rise in workplace ill-health
The TUC has expressed dismay at new official figures showing a
dramatic rise in work-related ill-health. Commenting on statistics
released this week by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) which
showed a 10 per cent upturn in health problems related to work,
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the figures were “very
disappointing.” TUC
news release • HSC/E
stats news release • HSE news
release and statistics
webpages Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Usdaw pledges to protect
shopworkers
Retail union Usdaw has pledged to protect its members from violence
after the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported a 50 per cent
increase in violence against shopworkers. The BRC’s annual
crime survey also revealed recorded threats of violence against
staff have more than doubled, the number of threats of violence
has increased by one third in the past year, and the number of
incidents per 100 stores has shot up by 18 per cent. Usdaw
news release • BRC
news release Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Metal firm pays for deafness
A worker who suffered serious hearing loss as a result of exposure
to noise in a metal extrusion firm has received a compensation
payout. GMB member Stuart Capell, aged 61, brought his claim after
realising that his hearing had become impaired after working at
Alcoa Extruded Products (UK) Ltd, of Banbury and received a £3,500
settlement. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Stress lays low Edinburgh’s
home helpers
Scores of home helpers in Edinburgh have been signed off sick
due to the stress of their jobs. An average of one in seven is
absent on any given day, with stress singled out as the predominant
cause. The
Scotsman Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Get TUC certified online!
Experienced union health and safety reps can sign up online for
TUC’s premier safety qualification, the TUC occupational
health certificate. TUC says the certificate course “will
help health and safety reps become better reps by building health
and safety organisation in the workplace; tackling welfare and
environmental issues; deepening and extending the capacities of
learners enabling them to access union health and safety posts
or higher education opportunities and by developing personal/study
skills, the ability to work collectively and generally improve
the confidence of learners to study at a higher level.”
Check
out the TUC website for further details Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Canada: Asbestos pushers face new
attack
Canada’s promotion of asbestos trade in the developing world
is turning into a major national controversy. National press coverage
has revealed the real-life circumstances of asbestos use in India,
Canada’s biggest asbestos client. Global
and Mail • Asbestos
abuse photofile Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain:
Workplace health project a costly flop
A multi-million pound government funded project designed to provide
advice on workplace health issues to small and medium-sized firms
is failing dramatically in achieving this goal, with almost 9
out of 10 calls received not workplace health-related. An Institution
for Employment Studies evaluation of Workplace Health Connect’s
(WHC) first 16 months in operation has found “the data demonstrates
that the adviceline is primarily of interest to employers as a
source of advice about safety related matters, although about
11 per cent of callers did ring with a specific health enquiry.”
Workplace Health Connect: July Progress report, HSE, published
online 30 October 2007 [pdf]
• Workplace
Health Connect • Hazards magazine work
and health webpages Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Australia: Minister apologises to
asbestos campaigner
Australia’s federal health minister Tony Abbott has phoned
anti-asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton to apologise for accusing
him of conducting a political stunt and suggesting he is “not
necessarily pure of heart”. Mr Banton, who has suffered
for years from asbestosis and was this year diagnosed with the
asbestos cancer mesothelioma, led a group this week trying to
present a petition to Mr Abbott calling for government subsidies
on a drug, Alimta, that treats the condition. ABC
News and TV
interview with Tony Abbott • CFMEU
news release • Sky
News coverage of the Abbott insult and apology Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Study shows safety specialists
cut accidents
The more firms invest in safety specialists, the safer they get,
new research suggests. The research commissioned by safety professionals’
organisation IOSH and carried out by Glasgow Caledonian University
researchers also found organisations where health and safety personnel
vet sub-contractors have an accident rate almost 60 per cent lower
than in those that don't. IOSH
news release•
Glasgow
Caledonian University RISC project • Hazardsunion
effect webpages Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Refinery blows one day after
HSE visit
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has started an investigation
into a fire at an oil refinery that saw flames shoot 100ft (30m)
into the air. HSE inspectors had been at the site on Tuesday,
the day before the fire, carrying out routine checks. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Global: BP gets record fine and probation
The US Department of Justice has fined UK-based oil multinational
BP a total of $373m (£182m), for breaking environmental
and safety rules and committing fraud. The fines include $50m
relating to the Texas refinery explosion in 2005 that killed 15
people and injured 180 more, with this penalty also including
three years probation. BP
news release • EPA
news release • The
Pump Handle • More
on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Six figure payout for devastating
injuries
A painter and decorator has received a settlement worth up to
£5m after safety failings led to an incident that left him
with brain damage. The High Court in London heard how Alan Miah,
45, from Luton, was left seriously injured after he fell through
scaffolding in October 2003. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Firms fined for asbestos
exposure email gaffe
Three Aberdeen firms were fined a total of £5,000 for causing
workers to be exposed to potentially life-threatening asbestos.
North Offshore, Jenkins and Marr and Universal Sodexho (Scotland)
admitted their part in the mistake which happened during renovations
of a sports club in the city. Press
and Journal Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: Butcher fined again for teen
mincer horror
A butcher's shop and its manager have been fined for an accident
in which 15-year-old Sam Ashworth lost part of his arm in a mincing
machine. The prosecution followed earlier fines for child labour
offences. BBC
News Online • Hazardsyoung
workers webpages Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Afghanistan: Women workers face deadly
risks
Women working in four wool and fur factories in Afghanistan as
dying as a result of the harsh, dusty work. Over 1,500 women work
in the factories in Herat city, where they separate fur from goats’
hair and weave sheep’s wool without protective gloves or
masks. IRIN
news Hazards news, 3 November 2007
Britain: New TUC website to support
Polish workers
The TUC has launched a new Polish language website to support
the increasing number of Polish workers in the UK. The website
- www.pracawbrytanii.org
- run by the TUC in partnership with Citizens Advice and Solidarnosc,
explains the rights workers can expect at work, including health
and safety, working time, holiday entitlement and sick pay. TUC
news release • TUC
website for Polish workers Hazards news, 27 October 2007
USA:
Beware of ‘good news’ on work injuries
Did incidents of workplace illness and injury in the US decline
last year? The US national union federation AFL-CIO says the figures
are misleading – they are flawed because they are based
on employer reports and come as a consequence of a change in the
reporting rules. AFL-CIO
Now Blog • The
Pump Handle Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Grass cutting caused vibration
injury
A council gardener has developed debilitating vibration white
finger (VWF) as a result of cutting grass with strimmers and mowers.
GMB member Robert Llewellyn received £3,000 compensation
from Cardiff County Council. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
South Africa: Mining union moves for
safety strike
South Africa’s main mining union is moving towards a national
safety strike. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) petitioned
South Africa’s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and
Arbitration (CCMA) to conduct a one-day strike. NUM
news release • ICEM
news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Minister backs union strains
campaign
Health and safety minister Lord McKenzie has added his weight
to a union bad backs prevention initiative. The minister joined
trade union safety representatives and experts from the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) on a London unionlearn course, to mark
the start of European Health and Safety Week. HSE
news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Italy: DHL forced to negotiate after
strike
Managers at DHL’s air cargo fleet operations in Italy have
promised to enter into talks with unions over safety after their
hand was forced by strike action. Workers at DHL’s Bergamo
hub went on strike on 10 October prompted by managers’ refusals
to discuss safety concerns following an accident that seriously
injured a worker; he was crushed by a 2000 kilogramme pallet that
fell from a forklift truck.
ITF news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Workplace visit leads to
costly slip up
A Birmingham woman who injured her back and knee after slipping
on vomit on the floor of a college nursery has received damages
of £8,500. The woman was on maternity leave from Birmingham’s
City College and was visiting her manager to finalise her return
to work. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Europe: Union dismay at EMF law delay
A European law intended to protect workers from possible health
risks caused by electromagnetic fields, is to be delayed for four
years. The TUC believes the MRI issue could have been dealt with
without shelving what was intended solely as a workplace health
and safety measure - electromagnetic radiation has been linked
to high rates of breast cancer in flight attendants and to cancers
and other health effects in other groups of workers, including
railway staff and microchip workers. The
Guardian • BBC
News Online • Trade
union cancer campaign Hazards news, 27 October 2007
China: Dozens die in shoe factory
fire
A fire erupted at an unlicensed shoe factory in Fujian province,
China, on 21 October, killing 37 people in the latest industrial
tragedy to hit the world's fourth largest economy, officials and
state media said. None of the 56 workers escaped unhurt; some
of the survivors are in a critical condition. China
Daily • The
Guardian • Special
Salt Lake Tribune series on health and safety in China, by
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Loretta Tofani Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Hospital trust fined for
asbestos blunders
A South London NHS trust has been fined after failing to take
proper precautions to manage asbestos in their buildings, resulting
in workers being exposed to asbestos dust. St George’s Healthcare
NHS Trust was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,432
at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, after it pleaded
guilty of breaching the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
2002. HSE
news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Contractors warned on asbestos
risks
A Preston building contractor has been fined after safety lapses
led to two workers from another company being exposed to asbestos.
Mustaq Bargit, trading as M and B Builders, was fined £10,000
and ordered to pay costs of £5,137.73 after being found
guilty at Preston Magistrates Court of safety offences. He had
allowed work on a construction site to take place without an asbestos
survey being completed. HSE
news release Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Australia:
Neglected toll of workplace cancers
There is no mention of cancer caused by occupational exposure
in Australia’s national cancer prevention plan - it is instead
focused on smoking, obesity and melanoma. Labouring under the
misapprehension that occupational cancer in a modern economy is
rare, or that occupational health and safety regulations protect
those exposed, governments have taken a hands-off approach as
1.5 million Australian workers are exposed to cancer-causing agents
every year. Sydney
Morning Herald • ACTU
zero cancer campaign • Global
trade union occupational cancer/zero cancer campaign •
Hazards
work cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Planes boycott by airline
staff
Some crew at a leading budget airline are refusing to fly part
of the company's fleet, saying poor air quality is putting them
and passengers at risk. Flybe staff raised the concerns about
the company's British Aerospace 146 fleet. BBC
News Online • Metro
• Toxic
Free Airlines • Aerotoxic
Association Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Firm fined after worker is
paralysed
FGF Limited has been fined £40,000 after an accident in
Leeds left one of its warehouse employees paralysed. Kelly Cookes,
32, was crushed when a pallet of insulation material fell on him,
leaving him with spinal injuries and no movement from the waist
down, unable to live his life independently. Yorkshire
Post Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Call for Scottish action
on work deaths
Campaign organisation Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK)
is to push for corporate safety crimes measures in Scotland that
go beyond those in the UK-wide Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Act, due to take effect in April next year. It says the
exclusion of explicit directors’ duties from this law was
“a huge disappointment”. FACK
news release • FACK
website Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain:
HSE faces nuclear inspector shortage
The government is so short of nuclear inspectors that the programme
of new reactors being planned may have to be put on hold, leaked
papers show. The business secretary, John Hutton, has warned Gordon
Brown that the government has only five inspectors working on
the design assessments of the three types of reactors being considered
for Britain, with an additional 35 inspectors are needed to be
in place within 16 months. The
Guardian • Hazards
enforcement webpages Hazards news, 27 October 2007
Britain: Rail union blast after detonator
discovery
Four detonators in an open metal box labelled “explosives”
were housed in a Tube station storage room normally used for keeping
liquids, rail union TSSA has said. The detonators were discovered
during a safety inspection by TSSA safety reps. TSSA
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Europe: ETUC goes on the strains offensive
Unions in Europe are being urged to join “a massive offensive”
against workplace strain injuries. John Monks, ETUC general secretary,
said: “We want to launch a mass trade union offensive focused
on work organisation to stem these rapidly-spreading work-related
illnesses.”
ETUC news release [pdf]
• Conference
papers Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Manslaughter charge over
teen death
The father of a teenager who fell to his death within a week of
starting work has welcomed a decision by the Crown Prosecution
Service to prosecute his employer for manslaughter and has thanked
his union GMB for its backing. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Payouts only ease financial
misery
Construction union UCATT has secured six figure payouts on behalf
of the families of two workers killed at work, but says cash is
no real recompense and can only ease the financial misery. In
May 2002 the two steeplejacks, Paul Wakefield and Craig Whelan,
were killed in a chimney fireball at the Metal Box plant in Bolton.
UCATT
news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Canada:
Dangerous bosses better off after fines
Unsafe employers in Ontario are making money by exploiting weaknesses
in a system supposed to penalise those with bad health and safety
records, union research has revealed. An Ontario Federation of
Labour (OFL) report criticises the Workplace Safety and Insurance
Board (WSIB) ‘experience rating’ system that adjusts
insurance premium rates based on an employer’s claims history.
OFL
news release • The perils of experience rating:
Exposed! [pdf] Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Viking Islay families fund
launched
Seafarers’ union Nautilus UK has launched a fund to provide
support to the families of three seafarers who died onboard a
standby vessel in the North Sea. The union says the initiative
is in response to inquiries from members who said they would like
to make donations to the families of Robert Ebertowski, Findlay
Macfayden and Robert O'Brien, who were killed whilst trying to
secure the anchor in a storage area onboard the emergency response
and rescue vessel Viking Islay. Nautilus
UK news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Firefighters are hurt then
robbed of payouts
Firefighters’ union FBU has warned it could take action
as a result of pension scheme changes that have seen injured and
sick firefighters pushed out of a job then denied an ill-health
pension. It says recent changes to the Firefighters Pension Scheme
(FPS) have already seen three firefighters in London lose out,
one after developing work-related hearing loss. FBU
news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Brazil:
Union leader murdered after safety probe
A leading Brazilian construction union leader was followed and
murdered after investigating poor safety standards on a site.
Aparecido Galvão, known as ‘China’, was president
of construction union CONTICOM and had previously received threats
from contractors. BWI
statement Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Asbestos payout after dad’s
death
The two daughters of a York man who died of the asbestos cancer
mesothelioma are to receive compensation. CWU member Leslie Kenneth
Bailey died on 23 March 2003, aged 48, having been diagnosed with
malignant mesothelioma in November 2002. Pattinson
& Brewer news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: Assaults on public service
staff increase
Assaults on Scotland's health and local government staff over
the last year have increased and require a better co-ordinated
response, public sector union UNISON has said. The union used
freedom of information requests to obtain figures from Scotland's
local authorities and health boards that show that the level of
violent attacks increased in the last year by over 2,000, bringing
the figure to 25,157 compared with last year’s total of
23,272. UNISON
Scotland news release • UNISON
news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
How unhealthy are the nation’s workers?
The government has launched what it claims is the first ever review
of the health of the working-age population. Dame Carol Black,
the government’s national director for health and work,
launched the “call for evidence”; the intention is
to identify the action “government, business and the medical
profession should take to improve the health of working age people
and help more people who develop health problems to remain in
or quickly return to work.” DWP
news release • Call
for evidence: deadline for responses 7 November 2007 Why bad
work is not a good idea. Safety reps’ guide to occupational
health services Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Global:
ILO SafeWork’s online bookshelf
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has revised its online
health and safety resources to make them easier to access. The
SafeWork Bookshelf is a collection of key occupational health
and safety documents. ILO
SafeWork Bookshelf Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
Business says business is bad to workers
A top business organisation has urged companies to put the health
of the nation’s workforce on to the boardroom agenda, after
its research revealed “apathy” on the issue was damaging
both workers’ health and productivity. Business in the Community
(BITC) said its research has revealed that a third of workers
(31 per cent) feel their health is neglected at work, while six
in 10 (62 per cent) “don’t believe bosses consider
staff as assets worth investing in.” BITC
news release Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
‘Work while you’re sick’ is hurting firms
Pressure to stagger into work when sick is hurting workers and
damaging productivity, commitment levels and motivation, according
to research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Its
‘Quality of Working Life’ found 1 in 3 managers believe
a culture of not taking time off work for sickness exists in their
organisation. CMI
news release • Quality
of Working Life report, executive summary Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
Health workers may be due extra payouts
The British Medical Association (BMA) says an NHS work-related
injury and ill-health compensation scheme has been under-paying
some claimants. It is advising any member who has received compensation
for an injury at work since 1972 to check they are receiving their
full entitlement. BMA
news release • Guide
to the NHS Industry Benefits Scheme [pdf] Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain: HSE warning after vehicle
death
A major transport firm has received a six-figure fine after the
death of Derek Howe, 56, a Wirral lorry driver. TNT Logistics
UK Ltd was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,184.75
after pleading guilty at Manchester Crown Court to workplace safety
offences. HSE
news release and revamped
workplace transport webpages Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
Site employers quibble but don’t act
The construction group given responsibility by ministers to lead
a site safety drive after fatalities took a dramatic upturn has
admitted it cannot tackle the problem until it gets its own house
in order. Work and pensions secretary Peter Hain has charged the
health and safety task group of the construction industry’s
Strategic Forum, composed of the major players in the industry,
to come up with ideas to improve safety practices in the sector
by the end of 2007. Hazards
magazine news report Hazards news, 20 October 2007
Britain:
Losing the workplace cancer fight
Britain is seriously underestimating the risk of contracting cancer
at work, according to new research. A new study by Stirling University
has found the figure could be four times higher than the official
estimate and says HSE's recommendations for action range “from
complacent to non-existent.” Stirling
University/Hazards magazine news release • Rory O’Neill,
Simon Pickvance and Andrew Watterson. Burying the evidence:
How Great Britain is prolonging the occupational cancer epidemic,
International
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH),
volume 13, number 4, pages 432-440, October-December 2007 •
Hazards cancer
webpages and work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Mum wants action not compensation
The daughter and girlfriend of a steeplejack killed by a fireball
as he worked demolishing a 60-metre high chimney have received
£335,000 compensation in a UCATT-backed case. Father-of-one
Craig Whelan – whose mother, Linda, is a founder member
of Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) - was just 23 when
he died while working on the chimney at Carnaud Metal Box Plc's
Bolton factory in May 2002. FACK
news release Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Global link up to improve
shipbreaking
A delegation of Indian trade union officials arrived in Tyneside
this week to meet with union leaders and visit A&P Tyne, a
union organised shipbuilding and shipbreaking yard. The fact finding
visit, arranged by the GMB’s northern region, is part of
an international campaign to improve shipbreaking standards in
India. Thompsons
Solicitors news release • IMF
shipbreaking campaign • Hazards
shipbreaking webpages Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Attacked healthcare assistant
gets payout
A healthcare assistant injured trying to assist a colleague who
was being attacked by a patient, has received almost £5,000
in compensation. The unnamed UNISON member, aged 53, received
the payout from Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust as a result of the
thumb injury sustained in the incident at Kings Park Community
Hospital. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Golf clubbed worker get crime
payout
A council driver has received an £8,575 criminal injuries
payout after being attacked with a golf club. The award made to
Calderdale council worker William Roberts, a member of the union
Unite, was almost seven times the amount originally offered by
the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). John
Pickering and Partners news release Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Global: Mobile phones linked to brain
cancer
New research suggests mobile phone usage for more than a decade
greatly increases the risk of cancer. The study found that long-term
users – and the phones have become a required tool for many
workers - had double the chance of getting a malignant tumour
on the side of the brain where they held the handset.
Lennart Hardell and others. Long-term use of cellular phones
and brain tumours: increased risk associated with use for equal
to or greater than 10 years, Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, volume 64, pages 626-632, 2007 [abstract] Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Global: Work stress linked to heart
risk
People who go back to a stressful job after a heart attack are
more prone to a second attack than those whose work is not stressful.
Canadian researchers followed over 1,000 patients returning to
work and found those with job strain were twice as likely to fall
ill. JAMA
news release • Corine Aboa-Éboulé and
others. Job strain and risk of acute recurrent coronary heart
disease events, Journal of the American Medical Association,
volume 298, number 14, pages 1652-1660, 2007 [abstract]
• Hazards
worked to death webpages Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Stonemason develops deadly
silica disease
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned quarrying companies
and stonemasons of the risk from the potentially fatal disease
silicosis, if adequate measures to monitor and prevent exposure
to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are not in place. The alert
came after a quarry owner was fined for breaches of the COSHH
chemical control regulations and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases
and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) – he had
failed to notify the HSE of a reportable work disease, silicosis.
HSE
news release Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Director gets small fine
after fall death
A company director has escaped with a small fine after admitting
safety offences linked to the death of worker George Taylor, 29.
RTAL Ltd was fined £25,000 with £5,000 costs and managing
director Terry Green was fined £2,500 and costs of £500,
at Basildon Crown Court. HSE
news release Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Research proves health and
safety pays
A positive approach to health and safety not only helps businesses
attract quality employees, but also boosts sales and workforce
commitment. The research by the Institute for Employment Studies
and The Work Foundation for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
looked into UK business attitudes, intentions and performance
and their health and safety strategies. Work
and Enterprise Panel 2: Business survey, RR589, HSE •
Full report [pdf] Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Hospitality staff get flak
from smokers
One in 10 hospitality workers has suffered violence or verbal
abuse from customers flouting the smoking ban. A survey of more
than 5,000 hospitality workers, by recruitment website Caterer.com,
revealed workers had been hit, spat at, strangled and sexually
abused. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Seafarer’s overalls
caused wife’s cancer
A former seafarer whose wife died as a result of washing his asbestos
covered work overalls has received an out-of-court settlement
of £62,500 from British Rail. David Parker, who was employed
by British Rail Ferries on the SS Sarnia ship in 1966,took home
asbestos fibres on his clothing. Swindon
Advertiser Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Bullying at work guide for
safety reps
The TUC has published online guidance for safety representatives
on dealing with bullying at work. The new resource includes background
on the issue, an outline of the law covering bullying, advice
for safety reps on negotiating a policy and a sample survey form. Bullying
at work: Guidance for safety representatives Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Euroweek resources for safety
reps
The Health and Safety Executive has produced a new Euroweek resources
webpage aimed specifically at safety reps. The Europe-wide event
will run from 22-26 October and this year is on the theme of musculoskeletal
disorders. HSE
Euroweek musculoskeletal disorder resources for safety reps
• More
on workplace mapping techniques Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Global: Garment giant signs global
union deal
A groundbreaking international framework agreement designed to
promote decent work in the textiles, garments and footwear industries
has been signed in Inditex SA., the world’s second largest
clothing retailer and the sector’s global trade union, ITGLWF.
The agreement requires both sides to collaborate to ensure the
sustainable and long-term observance of all international labour
standards throughout the Inditex supply chain, including guaranteeing
satisfactory safety, health, working hours and environmental standards.
ITBLWF
news release and full
text of the agreement • Listing
of global framework agreements Hazards news, 13 October 2007
USA: Senate passes asbestos ban
After seven years of stalling the ‘Ban Asbestos in America
Act’ has been passed by the US Senate, bring a formal ban
on asbestos a major step closer. Senator
Patty Murray’s news release • Asbestos Disease
Awareness Organisation (ADAO) news release [pdf] Hazards news, 13 October 2007
USA:
Work linked to deadly autoimmune diseases
Occupational exposures in farming and industry may be linked to
higher death rates from systemic autoimmune diseases, a new study
has found. The conditions involve the immune system attacking
the body's own tissues, damaging organs. Science Daily.
LS Gold and others. Systemic autoimmune disease mortality
and occupational exposures, Arthritis & Rheumatism, volume
56, issue 10, pages 3189–3201, 2007 [abstract]
• More
on the diseases linked to work, including
the Hazards detective Hazards news, 13 October 2007
USA: Five die in tunnel blaze
Five workers who died after becoming trapped by a tunnel fire
at a hydroelectric power plant tried to fight the blaze, but the
fire extinguishers were the wrong type, one of the widows has
said. The workers died last week in an Xcel Energy plant in Georgetown,
Colorado.
Chemical Safety Board news release • The
Pump Handle Hazards news, 13 October 2007
Britain: Shopworkers call for attack
on violence
Retailers and shopworkers are calling on the government to insist
local authorities and police forces make retail crime a higher
priority. The move comes as new figures reveal an increase in
threats and acts of violence against shop staff. Usdaw
news release • BRC
news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
North America:
Cut lumber not safety
On 29 September 2007, the United Steelworkers union (USW) organised
a North America-wide “Cut lumber, not safety” day
of action at Home Depot stores in 150 cities. The action was in
support of more than 7,000 forestry workers in British Columbia
(BC), Canada, on strike against companies including Western Forest
Products, Interfor and Weyerhaeuser since 21 July USW
news release • BWI
news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Scots need protection from
cash van attacks
Scottish authorities must act to protect security workers transporting
cash, the union GMB has said. The union’s Scottish security
branch adds that the sentences for “career criminals”
who attack GMB members employed moving cash around the country
are too lenient, and that official action to tackle the problem
in Scotland falls short of that elsewhere in the UK. GMB
news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Ireland:
Watchdog to pursue 'trouble free' firms
Just because a firm does not report any accidents, doesn’t
mean accidents are not occurring there, Ireland’s safety
watchdog has said. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) says
companies with a history of not reporting or under-reporting workplace
accidents are about to come under additional scrutiny, in marked
contrast with the approach taken by Britain’s Health and
Safety Executive. HSA
news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: New move to resurrect roving
safety reps
Construction unions and contractors are calling for roving safety
reps to be brought back in a bid to cut death and accident rates
on sites. They claim the reps – which operated on sites
in a now defunct government backed worker safety adviser (WSA)
scheme - are the best way to spread the safety message among small
contractors. Contract
Journal • Hazards
roving reps news updates Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Dangerous directors must
be ‘personally liable’
Safety duties on company directors are the key to reducing serious
injuries and fatalities in the workplace, the union Unite has
said. Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Unite assistant
general secretary Tony Burke said: “We want to see included
in the corporate manslaughter law a secondary duty on directors
and senior managers, which means if they are directly responsible
for corporate manslaughter they too can be held liable, and if
necessary put behind bars.” Unite
news release • Hazard deadly business news
and resources Hazards news, 6 October 2007
France:
Survey confirms firm’s deadly stresses
A trade union survey has confirmed high levels of work-related
stress at a French car factory that has been hit by a series of
suicides. In recent months, five employees of the Peugeot Citroën
factory in Mulhouse, in the east of France, have killed themselves.
ETUI-REHS
news report • Hazards
webpages on work and suicide Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Worker floored by rubber
door
A hospital clerical officer who was injured when a large, heavy
door fell on top of her has been awarded damages of £5,350.
UNISON member Amy Whitcombe, 26, was working at the Princess of
Wales Hospital in Bridgend when the incident occurred. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Relatives step up asbestos
fight
A campaign set up in memory of Prospect member Roger Lowe is drawing
attention to the deadly dangers posed by asbestos exposure. The
daughters and wife of the dockyard electrical fitter, who died
aged 68 from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma in December
2005, have founded a support group in his name. Prospect
news release • Roger
Lowe Campaign Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Europe:
Getting to grips with strain injuries
Three simple letters - MSD – identify the leading cause
of occupational illness in Europe, according the European trade
union safety thinktank, REHS. Its new guide to musculoskeletal
disorders – MSDs – provides a “summary of the
current scientific knowledge of this complex group of pathologies,
examines the connection between MSD and changes in the organisation
of work and proposes ideas for a necessary trade union mobilisation
against this exploding health problem.” Musculoskeletal disorders. An ill-understood pandemic.Further
details and online order form Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Factory blast inquiry will
probe regulators
A public inquiry into the Stockline factory blast in Glasgow is
to be set up jointly by the Scottish and UK governments, it has
been announced. Secretary of state for work and pensions Peter
Hain said the ICL/Stockline families group had “made it
clear to me that they want to see the role that the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) played in regulating these premises prior
to the incident is fully investigated”, adding that “I
fully support them on this point.” Crown
Office and Procurator Fiscal Service news release •
DWP
news release • ICL/Stockline
campaign website Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: ICL inquiry welcomed by campaigners
Unions, safety experts and the ICL/Stockline families group have
welcomed the news there will be a full public inquiry into the
blast. STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: “Clearly,
we need to await the publication of the full remit of the inquiry
but as the families have said to Peter Hain, they need to know
why their loved ones died, why certain actions were not taken
to properly assess the condition of the buried pipework, and did
the Health and Safety Executive’s enforcement strategy and
lack of resources prevent adequate inspection of this company
and also many other small businesses where workers may be at risk.”
STUC news release • Universities
of Strathclyde and Stirling expert group news release •
Statement
from the ICL/Stockline families Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: New HSC chair wants boardroom
action
The new chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has called
for more board level engagement and ownership on health and safety
issues. Judith Hackitt - who has previously served time as a HSC
commissioner - has held top posts in chemical industry lobby groups,
including a stint as director general of the Chemical Industries
Association. HSE
news release and Judith
Hackitt profile Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Firm fined £100,000
after site death
Civil engineering and piling firm Dawson-Wam has been fined £100,000
after an employee died dismantling a piling rig. John Walsh was
killed in September 2002 when the auger drive unit of the rig
flew off its stand and struck him. Contract
Journal Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Small fine for acid rotted
ladder fall
A company has been fined £7,000 after its safety lapses
led to employee Gary Jaundrill being seriously injured and left
unable to work. Gazelle Steam Cleaning Services Ltd of Hutton,
Lancashire pleaded guilty at Macclesfield Magistrates' Court to
breaches of safety law and was ordered to pay the fine and £14,257
costs. HSE
news release Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Job dream fades as teen loses
fingers
Car-mad Sheffield teen Wade Savage may have to abandon his hopes
of becoming a mechanic after losing three fingers whilst working
at a holiday job. The 16-year-old was injured at Holdsworth Packaging
Ltd, where his work involved running general errands and assembling
cardboard boxes and where his hand was dragged into a machine.
Sheffield
Star • Hazards
young workers webpages Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: HSE warning after Romanian
loses leg
Employers must ensure all workers including migrants are informed
about safety procedures, the UK safety watchdog has said. The
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning came after a Romanian
worker, Nicolai Danut-Puiu, 38, lost his right leg at London recycling
firm, Ethos Recycling Limited. HSE
news release • Hazards
migrant workers webpages Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Global:
Global asbestos ban plan
Top international agencies are pushing forward with a plan for
a worldwide asbestos ban. The International Labour Organisation
(ILO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have prepared an
‘Outline for the development of national programmes for
elimination of asbestos-related diseases,’ which ILO says
“is a tool for increasing policy coherence for reducing
and finally phasing out the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing
materials.” ILO
publication alert • Outline for the development of national
programmes for elimination of asbestos-related diseases [pdf]
• ILO 2006 resolution on asbestos [pdf]
• WHO
position paper on elimination of asbestos related diseases[pdf] Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Pizza chef stabbed to death
A murder investigation has been launched after a pizza chef was
stabbed to death with his own kitchen knife in Clapham, south
London. In the UK, murders while working are not included in workplace
fatality figures, which also exclude deaths in road traffic accidents
while working and work deaths investigated by other enforcement
authorities, including the Civil Aviation Authority and the Marine
Standards Agency. This
is local London • US
NIOSH guidance on occupational violence Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Liverpool council workers
poorly protected
Workers at Liverpool City Council are not being provided the legally
required level of occupational health support, the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) has said. HSE has issued the local authority
with an improvement notice requiring it to improve occupational
health services for its 19,000 staff or face legal action. Liverpool
Daily Post • Hazards
guide to occupational health services Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: Smoke clears for bar staff
England’s smoking ban has led to healthier workplaces in
the hospitality industry, according to new research. In the first
report into the impact of the English ban, which was introduced
in July, scientists discovered firm evidence of its benefits. CRUK
news release • BBC
News Online • Hazards
smoking news and resources Hazards news, 6 October 2007
Britain: HSE union calls for ICL disaster
inquiry
The union representing staff in the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) has called for a public inquiry into the ICL/Stockline factory
explosion in Glasgow in May 2004 that killed nine workers and
seriously injured 40. Prospect
news release • BBC
News Online • ICL/Stockline
disaster website Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Vietnam: Dozens killed in bridge collapse
A section of a bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed
on 26 September, killing dozens of workers. Casualty figures are
uncertain, but some reports say up to 60 workers died and 150
were injured. The
Age • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Wide support for ICL/Stockline
inquiry
Unions and health and safety experts have backed a call by HSE
union Prospect for a full inquiry into the ILC/Stockline disaster.
STUC
news release • Statement
from the authors of the ICL/Disaster report Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Iraq:
Campaign aims to protect journalists
The global union for journalists and news safety leaders have
welcomed the launch of an Iraq-based campaign aiming to stem the
tide of violence against news media which has claimed the lives
of 226 journalists and media staff since the invasion of Iraq
in 2003. IFJ
news release • Iraqi
Media Safety Group Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: MPs back airport safety campaign
Local members of parliament have pledged their support for a union
safety campaign at Heathrow airport after it was revealed there
has been a sharp rise in injuries to workers handling heavy luggage.
Baggage handlers’ union Unite says there has been a 17 per
cent year on year increase in related injuries and wants the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) to take action to protect workers.
Unite
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Six figure payout for dental
nurse allergy
A dental nurse who had to pack in work after developing occupational
dermatitis has received a £200,000 payout. The 50-year-old
UNISON member, who has not been named, worked for the Central
Manchester Primary Care Trust and developed the debilitating skin
condition as a result of using latex gloves between 1980 and 2004.
Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Collapsing cab seat compo
payout
London Underground is to pay damages to a train driver who was
injured when his cab seat collapsed. Train drivers’ union
ASLEF secured the compensation for the unnamed member. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
India:
Deadly neglect in a Bangalore factory
An Indian garment worker who fell ill at work and had to wait
hours for permission to leave her workplace, died in hospital
later that day, the global union representing workers in the sector
has revealed. It says the tragedy bears a striking resemblance
to a incident that occurred at the same factory just three months
ago, in which a pregnant worker lost her baby after she gave birth
unassisted outside the factory gates after being denied assistance
when she went into labour during her shift. ITGLWF
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Airline cabins to be tested
for fumes
Pilots’ union BALPA has welcomed a government decision to
test the cabins of commercial jets for toxic fumes. The move comes
after a government-backed report called for an investigation into
whether pilots are being disorientated by poor quality air.
Statement from BALPA to the Committee on Toxicity [pdf]
• Committee on Toxicity update paper [pdf]
and webpages Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Three more die offshore
Three more workers have died in offshore, but none of these fatalities
will be included in the Health and Safety Executive’s occupational
fatality figures. The men died after an incident on a gas rig
standby vessel in the North Sea, Vroon Offshore Services, operators
of the Viking Islay, said. BBC
News Online and follow
up story Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Call to treat site deaths
as real crimes
Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) has called for the real
possibility of jail terms for employers after serious safety crimes
lead to a workplace death. The campaign group was commenting after
a site foreman and building company director from A & A Building
Services were fined a total of £20,000 on charges relating
to the death of worker Alex Hayden, 28, who was crushed by a truck.
Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK)
news release and website
• HSE
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Six figure fine after “avoidable”
death
A company has received a six figure fine after 20-year-old worker
Joshua Beswick was killed in a “totally avoidable”
incident at a building materials yard. Merseyside firm Grundy
and Co Excavations Ltd was fined £100,000 and ordered to
pay £9,034 costs at Warrington Crown Court after pleading
guilty to safety offences. HSE
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain:
Small fines for workplace crimes
Large fines for safety offences remain the exception, as recent
cases illustrate. Carole Ann Hible, trading as removal company
'Specialised Movers', received fines totalling £9,000 with
£4,335 costs after the death of an employee, with Market
Drayton Magistrates giving credit for her prompt guilty plea and
dealt with the case themselves, rather than in Crown Court where
higher penalties are available. HSE
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Australia: Unions call for strong
nano rules
Australia’s top union body has added its voice to that of
other campaigners concerned about the risks posed by the unregulated
development of a massive nanotechnology industry. ACTU national
safety officer Steve Mullins said: “By signing this declaration,
the ACTU is sending the clear message that profit at the expense
of workers lives will not be tolerated.”
ACTU news release [pdf]
and briefing
• ICTA Principles for Nanotechnologies [pdf]
• Hazards nanotechnology news
and resources Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Minister backs jail for health
worker abuse
The government is injecting £97 million into hospital security,
to help protect staff from intimidation and violence. The money,
which will be spread over four years, will ensure better security
in hospitals, including improved training for staff to deal with
aggressive behaviour. DH
news release • UNISON
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Government action on schools
bullying
Teaching unions have welcomed action by the government to tackle
bullying in England’s schools. The package of measures includes
an online cyberbullying campaign, new guidance and a short film
to help schools tackle bullies who use the internet or mobile
phones to bully other children or abuse their teachers. DCSF
news release • ATL
news release • NASUWT
news release • NUT
news release Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Stress at work resources
TUC’s Northern Region has made resources from its workplace
stress seminar available online. It says powerpoint presentations
on stress priorities for the public sector and a series of case
studies “will be of interest to all trade union safety reps”,
together with a workplace inspection tool. Stress
resources Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Health and safety and disability
equality
The Health and Safety Executive says it new ‘health and
safety for disabled people and their employers’ web resource
“promotes good practice in disability equality at work and
health and safety risk assessment.” HSE says the microsite
provides: An introduction to disability discrimination and health
and safety law; advice for people doing health and safety risk
assessments; advice for disabled people; and links to further
sources of information, including grants. HSE
safety and disability equality microsite Hazards news, 29 September 2007
Britain: Protect the health of health
workers
The government must do more to protect the health of the nation’s
health workers, delegates to TUC have agreed. A Society of Radiographers
(SOR) resolution carried at TUC’s annual congress expressed
“concern the negative effect that constant organisational
change, the threat of redundancy, vacancy freezes and working
in a target-driven environment is having on the health and welfare
of NHS employees.” SOR
news release • Unite
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
USA:
Industry obstructs cancer progress
Documents linking industrial chemicals to cancer are being kept
from the public gaze as a result of industry lobbying, a new report
has claimed. OMB Watch says its report, ‘An attack on cancer
research’, shows how industry has “repeatedly misused
the Data Quality Act (DQA) to suppress important cancer-related
information.” OMB
Watch news release • An attack on cancer research: Industry's
obstruction of the National Toxicology Program [pdf]
• Hazards occupational
cancer webpages and Work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Call for more physios to
help workers
Workplace strain injury victims are being let down by a shortage
of physiotherapists – yet most physio graduates are out
of work. Physio’s union CSP says just 24 per cent of physio
graduates who could be treating patients have a job. CSP
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Global: Steel giant signs on to safety
programme
The world’s largest steel company Arcelor Mittal and trade
unions representing its employees from over 20 countries have
announced a new and innovative approach to health and safety concerns
in the company. Meeting in Montreal at the International Metalworkers’
Federation’s (IMF) first world conference of Arcelor Mittal
and its trade unions, the company and the unions committed themselves
to a joint programme of education and training to raise health
and safety standards throughout the company. IMF
news release • USW
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Finger injury leads to payout
A poorly training packaging worker who suffered a serious finger
injury has been awarded a £5,500 payout in a union backed
case. Unite member Ian Brown, 25, suffered the injury when his
finger became trapped in a machine that had no protective guard
in place. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Canada:
Woodworkers in major safety strike
Woodworkers in Canada are entering the third month of a safety
strike and are seeking support from around the world. Over 7,000
loggers, sawmill workers and other employees of companies in the
rugged coastal forest sector of British Columbia went out on strike
on 21 July over safety, shift scheduling and hours of work and
contracting out.
Support the safety strike! BWI
alert – including a click-and-sent campaign letter to Home
Depot Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Photographer sues Met over
demo assault
A press photographer who was assaulted by police while covering
an anti-war protest outside parliament is pressing charges against
the Metropolitan Police. Acting on behalf of the photojournalist
and NUJ member Marc Vallée, law firm Hickman & Rose
has served papers on police commissioner Sir Ian Blair for “battery”
and breaches of the Human Rights Act, relating to freedom of expression
and assembly. NUJ
news page • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Australia: Work rights attack is hurting
safety
There has been an alarming growth in the number of workers whose
health and safety rights are at risk as a result of reforms introduced
by the Australian federal government, unions have warned. National
union federation ACTU says the Howard government’s poorly
resourced workers’ compensation and inspection scheme, Comcare,
it being pushed as a cut price, second class alternative to much
more comprehensive state-based systems. ACTU
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Murders of trade unionists
up 25 per cent
The number of trade unionists worldwide murdered for defending
workers’ rights increased by 25 per cent last year. In 2006,
144 trade unionists were murdered, while more than 800 suffered
beatings or torture, according to a worldwide survey by the International
Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). TUC
news release • ITUC
news release • Annual
Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Global:
Psychosocial risks and work-related stress
The World Health Organisation’s global occupational health
network (GOHNET) has in its latest newsletter turned its attention
to psychosocial risks and work-related stress. The document concentrates
on countries in economic transition and newly industrialised and
developing countries, but has a great deal of useful information
for anyone interested in these topics anywhere. WHO
occupational health webpages • Addressing psychosocial
risks and work-related stress in countries in economic transition,
in newly industrialized countries, and in developing countries,
GOHNET Newsletter [pdf] Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain:
CBI wants GP visits off the clock
Family doctors are costing business a billion pounds a year because
it is so hard to see them outside normal working hours, employers
have said – a claim which has been challenged forcefully
by the British Medical Association. The Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) said millions of staff were forced to take time
off work to visit GPs because they could not get evening or weekend
appointments. CBI
news release • BMA
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Global:
Safety goes down the YouTube
Once upon a time safety information came in warning signs and
“don’t do that” blame-the-worker posters, and
then came magazines, posters and websites. Now, with the emergence
of VideoOSH, health and safety has joined the YouTube generation.
VideoOSH
and full
playlist Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Hain vows to stop site deaths
surge
An action plan to cut workplace deaths and improve health and
safety standards has been agreed by representatives of the construction
industry and the trade unions. Secretary of state for work and
pensions Peter Hain convened the forum, which agreed measures
including encouraging worker involvement, ensuring all projects
include trades union and worker representatives and to take steps
to drive out the informal economy in the sector. DWP
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Global:
Mum’s job can affect the fetus
Workplace exposures in pregnancy can affect the health of the
fetus with workers in blue collar jobs at greatest risk, researchers
have found. The authors say the evidence suggests workplace exposures
may have negative effects on fetal development, but add more research
needs to be conducted on the reasons why the risk is elevated
in particular occupations.
Parvez Ahmed and Jouni JK Jaakkola. Maternal occupation and
adverse pregnancy outcomes: a Finnish population-based study,
Occupational Medicine, volume 57, Number 6, pages 417-423, 2007
[abstract]
• OHS
reps, issue 123, 13 September 2007 Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Recognition of union role
welcomed
Unions and safety campaigners have welcomed a commitment at the
construction safety forum to greater worker involvement. GMB national
health and safety officer, John McClean, said: “The DWP
are again to look at the role of worker safety advisers, effectively
roving safety reps, to evaluate how they can help in delivering
peer to peer safety information and improving health and safety
culture across the UK's building sites.” BBC
News Online • UCATT
news release Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Global:
Pesticides cause asthma in farmers
Exposure to several commonly used pesticides dramatically increases
the risk of asthma in farmers, new research suggests. This finding
stems from a study of nearly 20,000 farmers, which was presented
at the European Respiratory Society annual congress in Stockholm.
Pesticides associated With atopic and non-atopic asthma among
farmers in the Agricultural Health Study [abstract];
ERS congress presentation, 16 September 2007 • Daily
Mail Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain: Firms fined after worker's
death
Two Wiltshire companies have been fined after admitting safety
breaches which resulted in the death of a worker. TH White Installations
of Devizes and RF Stratton and Company, owners of Manor Farm,
Kingston Deverill, Wiltshire, were each fined £35,000 and
£8,000 costs. Bath
Chronicle • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 22 September 2007
USA: BP faces court over Texas blast
Executives of UK-based oil giant BP have given evidence in a state
court in Galveston, Texas, about the March 2005 blast in which
15 workers died and dozens were injured. However, former global
BP boss Lord Browne will not be required to give evidence, after
the company agreed to settle compensation cases with four injured
workers USW
news release • International
Herald Tribune • More
on BP’s safety record • See
excerpts of the trial online Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain:
Woman tells of asbestos disease nightmares
A 55-year-old woman from Retford, whose father and two brothers
died from asbestos related diseases, is taking legal action after
discovering she has the illness pleural plaques, associated with
asbestos exposure. Valerie Pask, 55, was diagnosed with the condition
in April 2006. Irwin
Mitchell news release • The
Mirror Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain:
Firms urged to give substance misuse support
Firms must do more to help staff struggling with drink and drug
misuse problems, a new report has recommended. Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development (CIPD) employer relations adviser,
Ben Willmott, said the firms that helped their staff had a good
success rate in getting them back to work - with 60 per cent staying
with the company after overcoming problems, but only half of the
employers quizzed gave access to counselling for workers fighting
dependencies on drink or drugs, with just 38 per cent offering
coordinated rehabilitation. CIPD
Managing drugs and alcohol misuse at work • People
Management magazine • Hazards
drugs and alcohol news and resources Hazards news, 22 September 2007
Britain:
Obstructed safety rep gets payout
A union safety rep on London’s Tube system who was prevented
from fulfilling his health and safety role by London Underground
has won thousands of pounds in compensation at an employment tribunal.
London Underground was found to have “wilfully and deliberately”
flouted health and safety law by refusing to allow Paul McCarthy,
47, to inspect four tube lines. ASLEF
news release Hazards news, 15 September 2007
South
Africa: Mining union may strike over deaths
South Africa's biggest mining union has said it may strike to
force mining companies to focus on the safety of workers, following
a spate of recent deaths at mines. Some 200 miners are killed
in accidents at South African mines every year, the National Union
of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary Frans Baleni said. Reuters
Africa Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Rig redundancies a safety
critical threat
Safety practices at the oil giant Shell’s North Sea operations
should be investigated by the authorities, offshore union Unite
has said. It has called on the UK’s Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) to probe safety standards at five North Sea energy platforms
operated by Royal Dutch Shell. ICEM
In-brief • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Somalia:
Unions campaign for media safety
Violence in Somalia has been escalating, the International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) has said, warning this has put enormous pressure
on journalists reporting on the conflict for both Somali news
organisations and international media. “Journalists themselves
have become targets,” said IFJ general secretary Aidan White
in a letter to Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations. IFJ
news release Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Genetic testing “must
be regulated”
Genetic testing by employers must be regulated, unions say. Gill
Dolbear, vice-president of radiographers’ union SOR told
delegates to TUC’s congress: “Without realistic and
enforceable controls, employers and insurers will rely on self-regulation.”
SOR
news release • Hazards
genetic screening web resources Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Global:
Corporations not that socially responsible
Fifteen years after blistering anti-sweatshop campaigns against
transnational corporations like Nike sparked the booming corporate
social responsibility (CSR) industry, there have been small improvements
in workplace health and safety in factories in the developing
world. But, according to a report by global safety rights expert
Garrett Brown, even the “modest gains” have been “undermined
by fatal flaws caused by conflicting demands of transnationals
on their global supply chains.” Occupational
Hazards • Maquiladora
Health and Safety Support Network Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain:
Site unions call for gangmaster controls
The government must extend the Gangmasters Licensing Act (GLA)
to the construction industry, delegates to the TUC congress have
decided. Construction unions say since the GLA came into force
in 2006 there has been a stream of rogue gangmasters who have
moved from agriculture into the construction industry. Unite
news release • TUC
and Hazards
migrant worker webpages Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Prime minister makes safety
commitment
A number of workplace safety concerns will be addressed, prime
minister Gordon Brown has told unions. Speaking at this week’s
TUC Congress in Brighton, the prime minister said: “No employer
should be allowed to impose unsafe or unacceptable conditions,”
adding “the price of a job should never be a substandard
wage or a dangerous workplace.” Full
text of prime minister Gordon Brown’s speech to the TUC
• Watch
Gordon Brown’s speech on Congress TV Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Campaign tells Hain to act
on site deaths
Cabinet minister Peter Hain has called for government and industry
to work together to reduce fatalities in the construction industry.
However, the Construction Safety Campaign is to protest outside
a 17 September construction safety forum called b Hain to make
known its “disgust at the government's killer cuts agenda.”
DWP
news release • Hazards
health and safety enforcement news and resources Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Firms fined after site worker
is paralysed
Two construction companies have been fined over £180,000
for serious health and safety offences, following an incident
which left a worker a paraplegic. Exeter firm Rokbuild Ltd was
fined £175,000 plus £26,733 costs at Winchester Crown
Court and RB Contractors of Winchester was fined £5,000
and £1,000 costs at the same hearing. HSE
news release Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Three gassed trying to keep
warm
Three men found dead in a storage container at a Kennet Island
development could have been gassed to death in just 18 minutes,
an inquest heard. Tilers Kirpal Singh, 30, his cousin Manjit Singh,
35, and 21-year-old Gurdeep Singh Deo had all inhaled fatal levels
of carbon monoxide from a petrol-run generator being used inside
the container to fuel two lamps, probably for heat and light.
Reading
Chronicle Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: First minister supports a
Stockline inquiry
Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond has given his support
for the “fullest possible” inquiry into the circumstances
of Scotland's worst industrial accident in a generation. He said:
“I think given the nature of the criminal proceedings, which
was a successful prosecution, but obviously meant that some of
the evidence was not required to surface in the course of the
proceedings, all are agreed that an inquiry in public is necessary.”
Scottish
parliament debate on ‘Stockline Factory (Judicial Public
Inquiry) • The
Herald • ICL/Stockline report
and news updates Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain:
Back to work push could be “dangerous”
Unions and health campaigners have warned that pushing injured
workers back into work too soon or without the necessary support
could exacerbate their problems. The warning comes after a new
report said people with conditions such as back pain and arthritis
need to stay in work as much as possible. The
Work Foundation news release • BBC
News Online • GMHC
news release [word] Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain:
Docs pressed to send sick to work
The government has given another push to its contentious “work
is good for you” campaign. Unions and health campaigners
have warned that pressure on GPs to get patients back into work
fails to take into account that it is good work and not just any
work that can be good for you. DWP
news release • Why
bad work is not a good idea • Safety
reps’ guide to occupational health services Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Injured jockey gets £85k
compensation
Jockey Andrew Ball has won an £85,000 payout for an injury
sustained when he was kicked y a horse and that put an end to
his career. Wiltshire
Gazette and Herald • Hazards
compensation webpages Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Scots smoke ban has 'improved
health'
A report that compared the exposure of barworkers to second-hand
smoke before and after Scotland’s March 2006 ban has found
a dramatic reduction in their exposures. The paper reports that
the salivary concentration of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine,
fell in non-smoking bar workers by 89 per cent, and even in smokers
it fell by 12 per cent. IOM
news release • Sean Semple and others. Bar workers’
exposure to second-hand smoke: The effect of Scottish smoke-free
legislation on occupational exposure, Annals
of Occupational Hygiene, advance publication, 12 September
2007 • Hazards smoking webpages Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Safety professionals need
to be regulated
The UK’s health and safety profession should be officially
regulated, according to the Institution of Occupational Safety
and Health (IOSH). It said regulating the profession was important
for raising standards and helping eliminate some of the “crazy”
stories that appear in the media. IOSH
news release and Get the best campaign guide [pdf] Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Britain: Farm workers get new qualification
A groundbreaking set of health and safety qualifications has been
designed for agricultural and horticultural workers, union reps,
supervisors and managers. Members can sign up for them through
agricultural and other colleges from this month, but study at
home with materials and online back-up. Landworker,
August/Sept 2007 • More
details on the Health and Safety Practices website Hazards news, 15 September 2007
Risks, Number 323, 15 September 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 8 September 2007
USA: Committee maps out deadly work
causes
A top US government committee has called for a national commitment
to stop occupational injuries and ill-health. US Representative
George Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee
marked Labor Day, 3 September, with the launch of a new interactive
online map that enables people to learn about many of the workplace
fatalities that have occurred in their own communities this year. US
House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor
news release. Interactive map of work fatalities Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Union ups school asbestos
campaign
Teaching union ATL is ramping up its awareness campaign on the
dangers posed by asbestos in school buildings. The union says
over 400 ATL members have so far signed its asbestos register,
to indicate they may have been exposed at work, and the number
on the register “is growing daily”. ATL
news report
Mesothelioma: The human face of an asbestos epidemic, YouTube
video
Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Trained union reps make work
work
Better trained, more effective union reps are good for workplaces,
the TUC has said, as the government prepares to give its response
to a consultation on facilities time for workplace reps. Personnel
Today • Hazards
briefing on union safety rep training Hazards news, 8 September 2007
USA: Mine tragedy was ‘an unnatural
disaster’
The coal mine collapse last month that killed six miners and three
more workers involved in a rescue attempt was ‘an unnatural
disaster’, a US commentator has said. The Mountain Eagle’s
Tom Bethell, in a 29 August editorial, said: “Robert Murray,
a mine owner obviously in need of clinical help, insisted from
day one that the August 6 cave-in at his Crandall Canyon Mine
in Utah was a natural disaster, triggered by an earthquake that
no one could have anticipated.” The
Pump Handle • Federal Register, volume 68, page 53041,
9 September 2003 [pdf]
• AFL-CIO
Now update on Senate hearings into the Crandall mine disaster Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Study reveals exploitation
of migrant workers
Thousands of Polish and Lithuanian workers are being exploited
at work in the UK, a new report commissioned by the TUC has revealed.
Since 2004 when 10 new states joined the EU, more than 475,000
Polish and Lithuanian workers have come to work in the UK. TUC
news release • Living and working in the
UK: Your rights[pdf]
• EU members? Migrant workers' challenges and opportunities
to trade unions: A Polish and Lithuanian case study[pdf]
• Hazards
vulnerable workers webpages Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: GMB to refuse refuse overload
Spiralling workloads and safety problems in Islington’s
domestic refuse and recycling programmes will not be tolerated,
the union GMB has said. The union says contractor Accord is attempting
to impose changes on domestic refuse crews, changes staff believe
will lead to a worse service for residents, increased workloads
and a “detrimental impact on health and safety.” GMB
news release Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Blast report slams ICL and
official oversight
The disaster at a Glasgow plastics factory was caused by years
of neglect by the company that ran it and by the government safety
watchdog meant to regulate it, according to a research report.
Eight experts from four universities have condemned ICL Plastics
and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to prevent
the gas explosion on 11 May 2004, which killed nine workers.
Universities of Strathclyde and Stirling news
release and ICL/Stockline
disaster website Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Mother in legal action over
inquiry delay
A grieving mother is taking legal action against Scotland’s
Lord Advocate over delays in mounting an inquiry into her partner's
death two years ago. Karen Thomson, 46, has been fighting for
more than two years to learn the facts surrounding the death of
her partner of eight years, Graham Meldrum. The
Herald Hazards news, 8 September 2007
USA: Massive asthma rate in Ground
Zero rescuers
A new health peril is hitting the estimated 40,000 rescue and
recovery workers who dug through the deadly rubble and toxic debris
at Ground Zero of New York’s World Trade Center. A survey
has found they are developing asthma at 12 times the normal rate
for adults. New
York City Department of Health news release • AFL-CIO
Now Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain:
Inspection cuts could cost lives
Proposals to limit on-the-spot safety inspections could result
in increased workplace deaths and injuries, the Institution of
Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has warned. Safety professionals’
organisation IOSH warns that a draft code of practice for regulators
proposes that random inspection should only be a small element
of a regulator’s programme, used to test its processes,
and recommends that regulators “allow or even encourage
economic progress and only intervene when there is a clear case
for protection.” IOSH
news release • Code of Practice for Regulators –
A Consultation, Cabinet Office: draft code [pdf] Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Rail firm admits Grayrigg
crash blame
The faulty points that caused a fatal crash in Cumbria should
have been inspected five days earlier, a rail industry report
has revealed. An 84-year-old woman was killed and 22 people injured
when the London to Glasgow Virgin Pendolino plunged off the track
at Grayrigg in February. Network
Rail news release and report summary [pdf] Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Developers fined over dumper
truck death
A construction company has been ordered to pay £43,715 in
fines and costs after one of its employees died on a Salisbury
building site in 2003. Castleway Developments Ltd admitted at
Salisbury Crown Court to failing to ensure the safety of its employees,
after 62-year-old George Rogers was killed when he was catapulted
from a dumper truck, which then ran over his body. Salisbury
Journal Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Australia: Ex-James Hardie boss in
criminal probe
The former managing director of James Hardie, Peter Macdonald,
has been revealed as the target of a criminal investigation over
compensation to asbestos victims. He is first to be named as being
investigated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
since it flagged a criminal investigation in February into the
scandal that cost Mr Macdonald his job. Sydney
Morning Herald • ASIC
James Hardie webpage Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: HSE warns HGV operators after
injury fine
Heavy goods vehicles operators risk a fine if they don’t
take safety seriously, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has
said. The warning came after Tow Law-based WE & I Wright Limited
was prosecuted and fined £4,000 with £2,500 costs
following an investigation into a serious injury sustained by
an employee who was crushed between reversing heavy goods vehicles. HSE
news release and workplace
transport webpages Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Bosses want ‘business
focused’ sick policing
Employers want their occupational health advisers to be more “business
focused” and proactive in managing sickness absence, according
to new research for the publication Employment Review. When 57
employers – with a combined workforce of 260,000 employees
– were asked about issues that arise when using their organisation's
occupational health teams, 26 per cent said occupational health
advisers should be more business focused; they said they should
avoid one-sided consultations giving only the employee's view. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 8 September 2007
USA: Work 'the biggest sleep robber'
Time spent at work is the single most important lifestyle factor
that impacts on sleep, a new study has reported. US researchers
found the more hours you work the less sleep you get. American
Academy of Sleep Medicine news release • Mathias Basner
and others. American Time Use Survey: Sleep time and its relationship
to waking activities, Sleep, volume 30, issue 9, pages 1,085-1,095,
2007 [abstract] Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Stress is top threat to workers
Stress is still seen as the biggest threat to the welfare of UK
workers, according to research by health benefits provider HSA.
More than four in 10 senior human resources professionals surveyed
singled out stress as the main health concern of the workforce. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain: Baggage handling firm picks
up a fine
A firm that last year failed in an employment tribunal bid to
wriggle out of an improvement notice issued because of inadequate
airport manual handling measures has now been fined for ignoring
a Health and Safety Executive manual handling notice. Manchester
Airport ground handling company Menzies Aviation (UK) Ltd pleaded
guilty to safety offences and to failing to comply with an improvement
notice. HSE
news release • HSE
back pain webpages Hazards news, 8 September 2007
Britain:
Safety reps mean action at work
Union safety reps make workplace safety campaigns effective, research
for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found. The study
looked at the involvement of safety reps in HSE’s better
backs campaign, examining the impact of the training and support
provided by Unite’s Amicus section. Hazards
news report, 1 September 2007 • Hazards
safety reps’ webpage • Hazards
union effect webpage Hazards news, 1 September 2007
USA: Tragedies spur calls for a union
voice
Non-union workers at the Utah mine where six miners died in a
6 August collapse and three workers were killed on 16 August in
the abortive rescue efforts have asked mining union UMWA to be
their representative in discussions with the company and the US
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). In a highly contentious
move, however, the official mines safety watchdog has turned down
the request. UMWA
news release • ICEM
In-Brief Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Action call as transport
violence spikes
Rail union RMT has call for more staff and zero tolerance of violent
crime as official figures this week revealed assaults on staff
on Britain's rail and Tube networks rose in 2006/07 by eight per
cent to 3,026 offences. RMT news release and One
strike vote news release • BTP
news release Hazards news, 1 September 2007
South Africa: Threats to inspectors
must end
Construction industry employers must allow labour inspectors onto
their construction sites to carry out inspections or face “the
full might of the law”, South Africa’s labour minister
has said. Membathisi Mdladlana called on employers to cooperate
after an inspector was threatened with death by an employer after
issuing a notice to stop dangerous work at a construction site. BuaNews Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: NUT lessons on school asbestos
Schools should conduct thorough asbestos surveys and headteachers,
governors and premises staff must have better knowledge of asbestos
management, teaching union NUT has said. The union’s briefing,
prepared after teachers and staff were placed at risk when asbestos
was disturbed at a Derby school and the city’s council was
prosecuted successfully in May, says visual inspections of schools
for a potential asbestos risk are not enough. NUT
health and safety briefings webpage • NUT briefing:
Asbestos – lessons to be learned report [word] Hazards news, 1 September 2007
China: ‘Comfort money’
after 181 miners die
The families of 181 miners presumed dead after two pits were flooded
on 17 August have each received 2,000 yuan (£132) in “comfort
money” from local officials. A team of officials paid 2,000
yuan to each bereaved family plus an additional 200 yuan (£13)
to each individual family member. Hong
Kong Standard • China
Labour Bulletin Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Bus drivers relieved at more
toilets
Bus drivers are relieved authorities have agreed to speed-up the
introduction of toilets along London's bus routes. Unite organiser,
Peter Kavanagh, said “significant extra resource”
had been agreed to combat what was “a very serious problem.”
This
is local London • TUC/Hazards
toilet breaks campaign Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Canada: Safety needles to become mandatory
It’s been a few years since the Service Employees International
Union began a national safer needles campaign in Canada to help
ensure the safety of its members, but the efforts of the union
are paying off. After years of pressuring Ontario’s provincial
government to implement a policy requiring the use of safety needles
in all of its hospitals, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long
Term Care has said safety needles will be mandatory in Ontario
hospitals by 1 September 2008. SEIU
news release and Safer
Needles Now campaign webpages Hazards
needlesticks webpages Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Talks start on lean working
Long-running industrial action by civil service union PCS over
the deskilling of work in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is being
suspended following the department’s agreement to hold what
the union termed “meaningful talks.” PCS says industrial
action being taken by members in processing offices in the dispute
over new ‘Lean’ working systems will be suspended
from 28 August up to 19 September. PCS
news release Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: ICL fined £400,000
over factory explosion
Two companies have been fined a total of £400,000 over the
explosion that destroyed the Stockline factory in Glasgow and
killed nine workers and injured 40 others. ICL Plastics and ICL
Tech had pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation,
admitting four offences that led to the explosion at their factory
on 11 May 2004. Hazards
ICL/Stockline disaster webpages Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Call for tougher laws after
fatal blast
Demands for tougher laws to enable company directors to be prosecuted
following fatal accidents resurfaced in the aftermath of the ICL/Stockline
trial. Trade unions and families of workers killed said the penalties
were insufficient and called for a public inquiry. STUC
news release • FACK
news release. Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Rewards for failure debate
dogs ex-BP boss
Disgraced former BP chief executive Lord Browne topped the executive
pension league in 2006 with a retirement package worth more than
£1m a year. He has also joined Riverstone Holdings, a US
private equity firm that invests in energy businesses, as a managing
partner based in London but operating globally. The
Guardian • Financial
Times • Find
out more on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Corporate code is ‘a
criminals’ charter’
Moves to slash red tape could weaken the Health and Safety Executive's
authority to inspect premises and tackle careless employers, ministers
have been warned. A draft Code of Practice for Regulators, which
will apply to the Health and Safety Commission and Executive and
will have the force of law, needs significant changes to avoid
being a ‘Charter for corporate criminals,’ the Centre
for Corporate Accountability (CCA) has told the Cabinet Office’s
Better Regulation Executive. CCA
news release • A Code of Practice for Regulators –
A Consultation, Cabinet Office: draft code [pdf]
and Better
Regulation Executive webpages Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Site firms angry after safety
summit bar
Major construction contractors say they are mystified as to why
they have been excluded from this month's government-convened
site safety summit. Trade paper Contract Journal says the biggest
players in construction have been told they are not invited to
the meeting organised by work and pensions secretary Peter Hain
for 17 September in London. Contract
Journal and related
editorial Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Australia: ‘Enslaved’
migrants pay with their lives
Conditions in remote Australian workplaces, where two foreigners
died within three days in June, are so harsh that a leading immigration
expert says they are “akin to slavery.” An investigation
has exposed blatant breaches of the 457 skilled visa scheme and
uncovered details of the deaths of the two workers in the Northern
Territory and Queensland, and of a third man north of Perth. The
Age news item and in-depth
report • Sydney
Morning Herald news report and ‘Dead
men working’ special video report Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Dangerous demolition firms
warned on risks
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned demolition companies
they must investigate risks prior to starting work or they could
invite tragedy and an appearance before the courts. The HSE statement
came after Central Demolition Limited of Bonnybridge, Scotland,
was fined £50,000 after pleading guilty to safety offences
relating to an incident in which employee Gideon Irvine, 44, died.
HSE
news release Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Poor safety systems cause
vehicle falls
Failings in safety management are responsible for most falls from
vehicles at work, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) boffins have
found. The Health and Safety Laboratory reviewed over 250 falls
from vehicles reported under the official reporting system RIDDOR
over the last five years.
Analysis of RIDDOR data 2000 to 2005 – Falls from vehicles,
HSL/2007/39 [pdf]
• Usdaw
briefing on the research and summary
of the main findings Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Council apologises for asbestos
failings
A County Durham council has been ordered to pay almost £26,000
for failing to warn staff that asbestos was present in one of
its leisure centres. Wear Valley District Council allowed staff
to work at Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Centre, despite being alerted
to the presence of asbestos. HSE
news release • Northern
Echo and related
editorial Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Asbestos blamed for man’s
death
A carpenter’s death was caused by his working exposure to
asbestos - even though no asbestos could be found in his lungs,
a Gloucester inquest has ruled. Coroner Alan Crickmore recorded
a verdict that Gerard Thorley died aged 69 from an industrial
disease. Gloucester
Citizen Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain:
TUC fringe on work and health, 10 September, Brighton
Radiographers’ union SOR has organised a fringe meeting
at this month’s TUC Congress in Brighton on the theme ‘Health,
work and well-being: Is the government doing enough?’ Speakers
include union national safety officers Kim Sunley of SOR and John
McClean of GMB, RCN nurse adviser Sharon Horan and Jane Ingham
of RCN’s Society of Occupational Health Nurses Forum.
SOR fringe meeting, 12.45pm-2.00pm, Monday 10 September, Keats
and Shelley Room, Library Terrace, Thistle Hotel, Kings Road,
Brighton. SOR fringe meeting flyer [pdf] Hazards news, 1 September 2007
Britain: Bus workers demand respect
and toilets
London’s bus workers took to the streets of the capital
on 23 August to demand proper toilet facilities on bus routes
and at their workplaces – and immediately won support from
the mayor of London. The workers, members of Unite, are threatening
a full strike ballot if Transport for London (TfL) and London’s
local authorities don’t unblock planning obstacles and speed
up action to provide facilities. Unite
news release • BBC
News Online • TUC/Hazards
toilet breaks campaign Hazards news, 25 August 2007
UK ‘lags behind’ on cancer
deaths
Cancer survival rates in the UK are trailing behind much of the
continent and in some cases struggling to stay ahead of eastern
European countries despite significantly more funding. A damning
online editorial published alongside the findings in the Lancet
Oncology medical journal suggests the cancer plans introduced
in England in 2000 and Scotland in 2001 are not working and that
remedying the problem would take a fundamental overhaul of NHS
services. BBC
News Online • Franco Berrino and others. Survival
for eight major cancers and all cancers combined for European
adults diagnosed in 1995–99: results of the EUROCARE-4 study,
Lancet
Oncology Online, published online 21 August 2007. DOI:10.1016/S1470-2045(07)70245-0
• Hazardsoccupational
cancer webpages and new Work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 25 August 2007
USA: Cintas
faces record fine after dryer death
US official safety watchdog OSHA has proposed fining work uniform
supplier Cintas Corp. $2.78 million (£1.4m) after a worker
in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was trapped in an operating industrial dryer
and died of trauma and heat injuries. Eleazar Torres Gomez, 46,
was killed in March when he fell into the dryer while clearing
a jam of wet laundry on a conveyor that carries laundry from the
washer into the dryer. OSHA
news release • UNITE
HERE news release and Uniform
justice! campaign Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Company films toilets on
the job
The union UNITE has told a firm it must remove CCTV cameras after
they were discovered filming workers in the factory's toilet blocks.
ThyssenKrupp Automotive (TKA) Tallent Chassis, in Newton Aycliffe,
County Durham, was accused of a “horrendous breach of employee
privacy.” Northern
Echo • Hazardsworkplace
privacy webpages and
toilet breaks webpages Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Saudi Arabia: Migrant domestics killed
by employers
The killing of two Indonesian domestic workers by their employers
in Saudi Arabia highlights the Saudi government’s ongoing
failure to hold employers accountable for serious abuses, campaign
group Human Rights Watch has said. The brutal beatings by these
employers also left two other Indonesian domestic workers critically
injured. Human
Rights Watch news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain:
Tube workers win on ill-health pensions
London Underground union RMT has won an agreement that guarantees
pension rights of Tube employees forced to leave their job through
ill-health. The deal, which involves companies covered by the
Transport for London (TfL) Pension Fund, came after RMT members
last month voted by a 15-to-1 margin to strike against moves that
would have dramatically affected qualification for ill-health
pensions. RMT
news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Mexico: Strike at deathtrap copper
pit
Deep drifts of powdery rock dust blocking exit routes, exposed
wiring and missing machine covers and fire extinguishers are some
of the sights that greet visitors to Mexico's largest copper mine.
About 3,000 miners at the Cananea copper pit, who laid down their
tools on 30 July in a strike partly over safety conditions, accuse
mine owner Grupo Mexico of not investing in maintenance despite
sky-high copper prices. International
Herald Tribune Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Second underground strike
in safety row
Staff on the Bakerloo Tube Line have gone on strike for the second
time in a row over safety. In July services were disrupted when
members of rail union RMT took part in the first 24-hour walk
out. RMT is protesting at changes it says will leave staff working
alone and vulnerable to assault as they move passengers from trains
at stations north of Queen's Park. RMT
news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Civil servants suffer from
overwork
Excessive workloads are forcing over half of full-time civil servants
to work excessive hours just to keep up, a study has found, with
many now working while sick. Research for the union PCS found
45.8 per cent of workers surveyed put in between 40 and 48 hours
and concluded 1 in 20 workers was breaking the working time regulations
– introduced as a health and safety measure - by working
over 49 hours per week. PCS
news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Site deaths head for six-year
high
Deaths on construction sites this year could top last year’s
five year high, new figures suggest. Construction union UCATT
said so far this year 29 site deaths have been reported - at the
current rate, moving into the more dangerous winter months, the
final death count risks topping last year's figure of 77. UCATT
news release • Contract
Journal Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Tory plan for red tape 'tax
cut'
Tory leader David Cameron is looking at plans to cut £14bn
in red tape and regulation for UK businesses – and some
safety measures are in the firing line. The plans have been put
forward by John Redwood - one of the most senior figures on the
Tory right and chair of the party’s Economic Competitiveness
Policy Group - who called them “a tax cut by any other name.”
TUC
news release • Conservative
Party Freeing Britain to compete webpages and Economic Competitive
Policy Group full report [pdf] Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Safety warning on Tory’s
red tape cuts
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called
on the Conservatives to “completely re-think” before
considering sweeping cuts to ‘red tape’, a move IOSH
says could reduce competitiveness and end up costing lives. The
safety professionals’ organisation said that it believes
repealing the Working Time Regulations could lead to “a
UK where worker-exploitation becomes rife.” IOSH
news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Stockline firms admit safety
charges
The operators of a Glasgow plastics factory where nine people
died in an explosion three years ago have pleaded guilty to health
and safety charges. ICL Tech Ltd and ICL Plastics admitted four
charges at the High Court in Glasgow last week. STUC
news release • FACK
news release • UNITE
news release • BBC News Online on the guilty
plea and the families’
statement Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Campaign pushes for crane
deaths justice
An official safety investigation into a crane collapse which killed
two almost a year ago should report soon so bereaved families
can pursue justice, campaigners have said. BCDAG
news release • Ceremonies to remember Michael Alexa
and Jonathan Cloke will be held at the crane collapse site on
Thessaly Rd on the first anniversary of the tragedy, 26 September,
from 7.30am-8am and 5.30pm–6pm Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Corus fined £125k for
latest safety breach
Steel giant Corus has been fined £125,000 after steelworker
David Jones suffered near fatal injuries when he fell into a pit
containing hot toxic chemicals. He suffered horrendous burns when
he fell feet first into an interceptor pit at Scunthorpe's Corus
works on 26 March 2005. HSE
news release • Find
out more about the Corus prosecution record Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Europe:
ETUC strains conference, 9-10 October, Brussels
More than one in three European workers suffers from work-related
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and the situation appears to
be getting worse. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
has decided to take action by hosting a joint ‘On the offensive
against MSDs’ conference with its health and safety research
arm, ETUI-REHS, in Brussels on 9 and 10 October 2007.
ETUC/ETUI-REHS MSD
conference, 9-10 October 2007, Brussels, Belgium Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Dairy fined £5,000
for broken arm
A dairy foods company has been fined £5,000 and ordered
to pay £3,599 costs after pleading guilty to breaching health
and safety regulations, following an accident that left an employee
off work for nearly a year. David Pennycook, 50, suffered two
breaks and severe muscle and ligament damage to his left arm at
Dairy Crest in Dagenham, London, in October 2005, after a milk
bottle filling machine started while his arm was inside an open
hatch. HSE
news release Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain:
Asbestos dumper gets his assets frozen
A Bradford man jailed in March for illegally dumping asbestos
and excavation waste has had his assets frozen in the first case
of its kind. The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), working with the
Environment Agency (EA), obtained restraint orders to freeze properties
belonging to 60-year-old William Reidy and related to the illegal
activities of his demolition business Space Making Development.
Assets
Recovery Agency news release • Telegraph
and Argus Hazards news, 25 August 2007
Britain: Musicians
make a noise on noise
Musicians are being urged to speak up to protect their hearing.
The Musicians’ Union (MU) is urging its union reps and members
to comment on a new guide on noise control in the music and entertainment
industry, which from April 2008 will be subject to the Noise at
Work Regulations 2006. MU
news release • Sound
Advice consultation webpage Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Zambia: Workplace
safety is ‘critical’
Success in any business largely depends on a safe and healthy
workforce, an editorial in the 12 August issue of the Times of
Zambia concludes. It says the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions
(ZCTU) is “dismayed that most employers in Zambia do not
pay attention to healthy and safety of employees” because
they “consider this to be a cost.” Times
of Zambia Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Attacked nurse gets £21,500
compensation
A staff nurse at Broadmoor Hospital has received a £21,500
payout following two assaults by a patient. Trade union UNISON
secured the compensation for Lucia Johnson, after she was assaulted
in December 2002 and July 2003. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 18 August 2007
USA: Latest disaster exposes lax mine
safety
Former US mine safety officials believe the work methods used
at a Utah mine where six miners have been trapped underground
for over a week were so dangerous that they question why federal
regulators approved them. The prospects for six coal miners, trapped
underground since the 6 August cave-in, look increasingly slim.
Salt
Lake City Tribune and story
update • The
Militant.
More on the union
safety effect Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Unions fears on workplace
violence
Assaults on workers dealing with the public have reached record
levels, unions are warning. They say anyone who serves the public
seems to be vulnerable to outbursts of anger. The
Guardian • Usdaw
Freedom from fear campaign Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Tesco pays out to injured
employees
Supermarket giant Tesco has had its safety approach called into
question after two workers were compensated for workplace injury.
The Unite members worked at a Tesco Distribution Centre in Purfleet,
Essex. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Sweden:
Criticism of new drive to slash sick leave
New official guidelines aimed at reducing sick leave in Sweden
have come under heavy criticism from a top government psychiatrist.
Jörgen Herlofson, who devised the criteria by which burnout
is defined by Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare, said
stress-related illnesses were not being taken seriously.
TT/The Local on the sick
leave changes and the related
criticism • Hazards sickness
absence webpages Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Somalia: IFJ condemns ‘savage’
killing of journalists
The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) has demanded
urgent international action to confront the targeting and killing
of journalists in Somalia following a brutal double attack in
which one media chief was shot dead and another killed only hours
later in a car bombing while returning from the funeral of the
first victim. IFJ
news release
Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Abusive gangmaster's licence
is revoked
A firm that failed to pay migrant agricultural workers for 35
days has had its licence revoked by the Gangmasters Licensing
Authority (GLA). The GLA said 40 Bulgarian workers had to scavenge
for food in the fields where they worked because Cornwall-based
Baltic Work Team Ltd had not paid them, placing the workers health
and welfare at risk. GLA news release [pdf]
• Unite
news release • TUC
news release Hazards vulnerable
workers webpages Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Canada:
Union bounty on violent thug
A Canadian union has posted a Can$2,000 (£940) reward for
information leading to the conviction of a man who carried out
a vicious assault on a transport worker. CAW, the union representing
TransLink transit operators in Vancouver, says the bus driver
was attacked on 26 July. CAW
news release Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Cancer increase highlights
work risks
A study by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the UK Association of
Cancer Registries (UKACR) has identified increases in a range
of cancers. The most common cancers identified in the new CRUK
figures have strong occupational links. Cancer
Research UK cancer statistics • Hazardsoccupational
cancer webpages and Work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 18 August 2007
China:
Many workers dead after bridge collapse
Dozens of people were killed and dozens injured when a bridge
collapsed this week while under construction in the town of Fenghuang,
in China's Hunan province. There were 123 workers on the bridge
removing scaffolding at the time of the incident, according to
the Chinese news agency Xinhua. Xinhua
• BBC
News Online Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Safety call for motorway
workers
Eighty per cent of roadworkers have been verbally or physically
abused by motorists, according to a new survey. The RAC Foundation
research found 40 per cent of workers are abused on either a daily
or weekly basis, and almost 80 per cent of ‘near misses’
recorded at roadworks in the last 12 months were due to poor driver
behaviour. RAC
Foundation news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Campaign welcomes progress
on crane safety
The Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group has welcomed progress
made at the industry-led Strategic Forum for Construction crane
safety summit in London and have called for good intentions to
be translated into real action. Group member Julia Brandreth,
who represented BCDAG at the summit, said. “One key area
we raised at the meeting is that there should be no victimisation
of workers who raise legitimate health and safety concerns or
refuse to operate hazardous equipment.” BCDAG
news release Hazards news, 18 August 2007
USA: Extra screen breaks are healthy
and productive
More frequent breaks from screen-based work reduce fatigue and
increase productivity, US government researchers have found. A
team from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) concluded: “These results provide further
converging evidence that supplementary breaks reliably minimise
discomfort and eyestrain without impairing productivity.”
Traci Galinsky and others. Supplementary breaks and stretching
exercises for data entry operators: A follow-up field study,
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, volume 50, issue 7, pages
519–527, 2007 [abstract] Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain: Young farmworker killed by
power lines
Young workers are continuing to face deadly risks while working.
Farmworker Edward Andrew Pybus, 21, died after being electrocuted
when the combine harvester he was driving clipped power lines.
Northern
Echo • Hazards
young workers’ webpages Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Asia:
Asbestos plague reaches Asia
As asbestos markets shrink in Europe, the cancer-causing product
is finding new markets in developing countries. A new report,
‘Killing the future: Asbestos use in Asia’, warns
that although major international agencies agree that exposure
to asbestos is deadly, the consumption of white asbestos (chrysotile)
is increasing throughout Asia. IBAS news release [pdf]
• Killing the future: Asbestos
use in Asia, IBAS, 2007 [pdf]
• Further
information Hazards news, 18 August 2007
Britain:
Hazards says union organisation is the solution
The latest issue of the award-winning Hazards magazine
– the only union-supported magazine written especially for
union reps and health and safety activists – is out now.
It points to new evidence showing the “union effect”
on safety is even more pronounced that previously thought - making
the case for wide-ranging new rights for union safety reps clearer
still. A factsheet on unions and occupational health services
gives safety reps pointers on the cover you should have by law,
and how to make OHS work for workers. A photofile on Palestine
reveals how workplace health and safety is suffering as a consequence
of the Israeli occupation and an economic crisis. Hazards, Number
99, July/September 2007 •
See covers of recent issues • Subscribe
online or contact the subscription hotline by email or phone
on 0114 201 4265 Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain:
Unite calls for more honest offshore statistics
Health and safety statistics for the offshore oil and gas sector
from all sources should be combined and released “in a more
open, honest fashion” as the current system is obscuring
most fatalities, offshore union Unite has said. The union say
HSE statistics show just two fatalities in the sector in 2006/07,
but the 11 deaths reported to other UK agencies go unmentioned.
Unite
news release • HSE
news release • Offshore
safety statistics bulletin 2006/07 Hazards news, 11 August 2007
USA:
Authorities accept firefighter heart risks
Firefighters are dying heart attacks and other cardiovascular
conditions caused by their work and that could be prevented, the
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
has concluded. A new alert from the official US workplace health
research body says sudden cardiac death represents the most common
cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, killing about 45 firefighters
each year. NIOSH
news release • NIOSH
Alert: Preventing firefighter fatalities due to heart attacks
and other sudden cardiovascular events Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: TUC wants a crackdown on
rogue agencies
Rogue employment agencies are ignoring safety, minimum wage and
employment laws without much fear of getting caught, the TUC has
warned. It is calling on the government to look at new ways of
finally bringing rogue employment agencies to task. TUC
news release • BERR
employment agency standards webpages
Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Poor staffing led to immigration
centre problems
The union GMB has warned that understaffing in Britain’s
immigration centres is contributing to disturbances and escapes
of detainees, putting staff, detainees and the public at risk. GMB
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 11 August 2007
USA: Boss
used homeless to remove asbestos
A US contractor who hired homeless men to remove asbestos without
proper protective gear has been sentenced to 21 months in prison.
John Edward Callahan, 56, had pleaded guilty earlier this year
to a Clean Air Act violation – but because he doesn’t
have the resources was not fined or required to pay for medical
monitoring and treatment of the men he'd exposed to asbestos.
Roanoke
Times Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Workers protest at damaging
hours changes
Factory workers held a demonstration outside their workplace on
31 July, angered by plans to introduce “family unfriendly”
and potentially unsafe shift patterns. Supported by members of
Unite’s TGWU section, workers from the Hilton Food Group
plc in Huntingdon protested outside of the premises against the
plans to extend their shifts by five hours per day, because they
believe the move would have a negative impact on their family
life and on workplace safety. Unite
news release • Peterborough
Today Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Probe call into 'plane poisoning'
A union is demanding an investigation into suspected toxic gas
poisoning of an airline cabin crew. Two Flybe crew members reportedly
collapsed and became violently ill on a flight between Birmingham
and George Best Belfast City Airport. BBC
News Online • Toxic
Free Airlines • Aerotoxic
Association Hazards news, 11 August 2007
USA:
Two jailed after fatal site plunge
A Brooklyn judge has sentenced the two owners of a construction
company to the maximum penalty of six months in prison for causing
the death of a worker who was not equipped with a safety harness
when he fell from a scaffold. The federal Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) had cited the firm as recently
as March 2007 for defective scaffolding at another New York work
site - and that the defendants have ignored the $34,000 (£17,000)
fine. NY
Daily News Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Safety dangers in ticket
office cull
A cull of ticket offices by London Underground is to be more extensive
than first thought, leading to increasing passenger frustration
and more stress and assault problems for staff and service users.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “For our members they
mean more lone working, more ticket disputes, more assaults and
more stress.” RMT
news release Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Somalia: Under-fire journalists get
safety training
Somali journalists are learning how to survive the job in a politically
unstable and dangerous conflict zone. The International News Safety
Institute (INSI) and the National Union of Somali Journalists
(NUSOJ) coordinated the safety training workshop - the first-ever
for Somali journalists.
INSI Somali training briefing [pdf]•
INSI
website
Britain:
Campaigners push for crane safety
Safety campaigners are calling for sweeping new measures to address
the problems that have led to a spate of crane tragedies. The
Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group (BCDAG) joined key industry
figures at a 9 August Construction Confederation/Strategic Forum
crane “summit” in central London, where it launched
its own crane safety manifesto. BCDAG
news release and Crane
Safety Manifesto • FACK
news release Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain:
Cost-cutting accident boss jailed
A “cunning” businessman whose cost-cutting and “callous”
disregard for safety led to a near fatal accident involving one
of his workers has been jailed for six months and ordered to pay
£90,000 compensation to the victim. Shah Nawaz Pola had
denied being responsible for a Bradford building site where Slovakian
worker Dusan Dudi suffered what were thought to be non-survivable
injuries when he was struck by a concrete lintel. Yorkshire
Post • Telegraph
and Argus Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Frozen food firm’s
double injury fine
A major frozen food firm in Wales with a turnover of £23m
has been ordered to pay £33,000 in fines and costs after
two forklift truck drivers were badly injured in separate incidents.
Wrexham-based Pann Krisp said it had “learned lessons”
after it admitted two breaches of safety rules relating to the
July 2005 injuries. HSE
new release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Make the punishment fit the
crime
Safety professionals’ organisation IOSH has said last week’s
£121.5 million fine for British Airways for illegally fixing
fuel surcharges provides a stark contrast to the fines handed
out by the courts for health and safety offences. The combined
fines total for all safety convictions secured by HSE in 2005/06
was less than a fifth the fine incurred by BA for the single breach
of financial rules. IOSH
news release Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Cameraman's death was 'unlawful'
A coroner has recorded a verdict of unlawful killing on a television
cameraman killed in Iraq. Paul Douglas, 48, was killed when a
car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near the centre of Baghdad on
29 May 2006. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Hain announces construction
summit date
Peter Hain, secretary of state for work and pensions, has announced
the date of the safety forum on construction fatalities as 17
September. The forum was arranged following a 28 per cent rise
in construction deaths last year, with deaths rising from 60 to
77 according to figures from the Health and Safety Executive.
Contract
Journal Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain:
Official guide says “stop if hazardous”
A new HSE construction “task card” advises site staff
to “Think First, Act Safe, Stop if Hazardous and Keep Safe.”
It is rare for HSE to be so explicit on the stop work issue, although
section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act places a clear
legal duty on workers to take care not to put themselves at risk,
and the Employment Rights Act makes in an offence for an employer
to victimise a worker for leaving or refusing to return to the
job where there is a serious and imminent danger.
HSE webpage on Achieving
Behavioural Change (ABC) and the Task Card [pdf]
• Hazards
magazine victimisation webpages Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Australia:
Court backs union safety notice
A state government department in Victoria, Australia, that ignored
an improvement notice issued by a union safety rep has been successfully
prosecuted. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
had ignored a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) issued by the
safety rep. More
•
VTHC news release • Hazardssafety
notices and safety
reps webpages Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain: Asthma risk for nurses and
cleaners
Nurses and cleaners are much more likely as people with other
jobs to develop asthma, according to a new study. The study found
that conditions in the workplace may be causing up to 25 per cent
of new asthma cases in the developed world. ETUI-HESA
news report • Manolis Kogevinas and others. Exposure
to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma: an international
prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II), The Lancet,
volume 370, number 9584, pages 336-341, 28 July 2007
[abstract
– requires registration] Hazards news, 11 August 2007
Britain:
Cash-starved HSE fails to probe major injuries
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is failing to investigate
hundreds of the most serious workplace accidents every year because
of a lack of resources, safety campaigners have found. Figures
obtained by the trade union-backed safety magazine Hazards show
that an increasing number of major injuries which should according
to HSE rules require investigation are overlooked because of “inadequate
resources”. What
gorilla? Rising deaths, enforcement scandal, consultation farce,
useless statistics, Hazards magazine, Number 99,
2007 • Hazardsenforcement
webpages Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Global:
Asbestos pushers dealt serious blows
LAB Chrysotile Inc started bankruptcy proceedings on 25 July,
a move that should see the closure of Canada’s last asbestos
mine. The end of asbestos mining in Quebec could have a dramatic
knock-on effect for the industry worldwide; the Quebec-based Chrysotile
Institute, the global asbestos industry’s main lobbying
organisation is financed by the Canadian industry and money from
the federal Canadian and provincial Quebec governments. Earth
Times • ADAO
news release and website Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain:
Work deaths fall out continues
Work fatality figures released last week and described by TUC
as “dreadful” have led to more calls for extra resources
for the beleaguered Health and Safety Executive. Prospect negotiations
officer Mike Macdonald said HSE “cannot meet its public
expectations to advise, inspect and enforce workplace health and
safety so that Britain’s 28 million workers have confidence
they will not be injured or killed at work.” Prospect
news release Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Global:
Nanotech needs strong oversight says coalition
A strong, comprehensive oversight of nanotechnology and its products
is urgently required, a broad international coalition of consumer,
public health, environmental, trade union and civil society organisations
spanning six continents has said. A new statement, ‘Principles
for the oversight of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials’,
warns that nanomaterials already in use may pose significant health,
safety, and environmental hazards.
International Center for Technology Assessment news release. Principles for the oversight of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials[pdf]
• Hazardsnanotechnology
webpages Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain:
Enforcement reduces deaths says site union
Construction union UCATT is demanding that Britain’s safety
watchdog learn a lesson from its Irish counterpart when it comes
to construction safety. The union has also called for top Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) bosses, who announced last week a massive
hike in construction deaths, to “consider their positions”.
UCATT news release Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Global: Union safety alert after live
news deaths
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called for
more attention to safety in media coverage of breaking news events
following the tragic collision of two news media helicopters in
the United States that left two journalists and two pilots dead.
The accident happened as five rival television networks were using
helicopters to cover a police chase in Arizona. IFJ
news release Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Give us toilets or prepare
for a sitdown strike!
London's bus workers are to stage a series of protests at key
London transport and local government offices on Thursday 23 August
to protest at the lack of toilet facilities. The campaign has
taken a new turn with the capital's bus workers, all members of
the TGWU section of Unite, threatening a full strike ballot if
Transport for London (TfL) and London's local authorities don't
act. Unite
news release • TUC/Hazards
toilet breaks campaign Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Finland: SAK says get tough on safety
crimes
Finland’s largest union confederation wants longer jail
terms possible for workplace safety crimes. SAK says penalties
should be comparable with those in force for environmental and
economic crimes. Trade
Union News from Finland Hazards news, 4 August 2007
New Solutions special issue
The new issue of New Solutions, a US-based international journal
on environmental and occupational health policy, focuses on women’s
occupational health. Papers look at how policy, prejudice and
practice combine to place women at risk at work and in the wider
community. There are contributions from some of the top experts
on workplace health and gender, including Professor Karen Messing,
author of ‘One-eyed science: Occupational health and women
workers.’ New
Solutions, Special issue: Women's occupational health,
volume 17, number 1-2, 2007 • Hazards
webpages on women and work hazards Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Airport security staff need
protection
Airport operators are being told to do more to protect their security
staff from assaults by passengers. The demand from civil aviation
union Unite-TGWU came after a meeting of BAA shop stewards where
concerns about assaults were raised. Unite
news release Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Canada: Payouts for smelter cancer
deaths
The families of 10 former workers at a Canadian smelter and who
killed by occupational cancers are eligible for compensation,
the body responsible for payouts has ruled. The Quebec workplace
accident commission determined the workers in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean,
Quebec, Alcan smelter were exposed to dangerous levels of carcinogens
which ultimately led to cancer. CAW
news release • CBC
News Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Strike looms after rail safety
‘betrayal’
More than 100 train guards, revenue protection inspectors and
retail staff at 'One' railway in north Essex are to strike on
18 and 20 August after a safety-related sacking. Guards based
at Colchester and Clacton, revenue protection inspectors based
at Colchester and retail workers between Chelmsford and Manningtree,
all members of the union RMT, voted by 83 to one to strike. RMT
news release Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Europe:
Excellent work cancer campaign resources
The European trade union safety thinktank HESA has published an
excellent online occupational cancer resource. HESA says it is
safe to say that cancer is now the main cause of ‘death
by working conditions’ in Europe, adding this cancer epidemic
is part of a major health and safety challenge facing workers.
HESA
occupational cancers webpages • Hazards
cancer webpages and work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Upped work rate caused clerk's
strain injury
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has paid out almost £500,000
after an RAF computer clerk developed a chronic repetitive strain
injury caused by an increased work rate. A total of £484,000
in compensation and legal costs was awarded following the onset
of the condition in the hand of the unnamed employee. Birmingham
Post Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Global: Stressful jobs cause depression
Having a high pressure job doubles the risk of depression and
anxiety in young adults, UK researchers have warned. A study of
972 32-year-olds found 45 per cent of new cases of depression
and anxiety were attributable to stressful work.
Maria Melchior and others. Work
stress precipitates depression and anxiety in young, working women
and men, Psychological Medicine, volume 37, issue 8, pages
1119-1129, 2007 Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Australia: Office printers 'are health
risk'
An office laser printer can damage lungs in much the same way
as smoke particles from cigarettes, a team of Australian scientists
has found. An investigation of a range of printer models showed
that almost a third emit potentially dangerous levels of toner
into the air. Environmental
Science & Technology Online Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Royal Mail manager charged
after road death
The driver of a Royal Mail lorry who was arrested after a road
accident which killed a father-of-five was a manager not employed
to drive heavy goods vehicles. Phil Edmonds, 46, was bailed by
police until October after being arrested on suspicion of causing
death by careless driving; the office worker was driving the Royal
Mail lorry during a postal strike Labournet Hazards news, 4 August 2007
Britain: Action on “absurd”
sacking of injured worker
Around 100 catering staff at Virgin West Coast’s Manchester
Piccadilly depot have mounted a third day of strike action in
support of an unfairly sacked colleague. RMT is demanding the
re-instatement of Rachel Tombling, who sustained injuries when
her head hit a computer screen in an on-board shop when her train
experienced rough riding - but was sacked when the company claimed
she had wilfully damaging it. RMT
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
USA: Industrial brakes caused steelworker
cancers
The families of three former Bethlehem Steel workers have been
awarded $3.97 million (£1.93m) in an asbestos settlement.
The former steelworkers had sued General Electric in Baltimore
Circuit Court over exposures from asbestos-lined industrial brakes
used in cranes and other equipment at the mill. Channel
13 Baltimore Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Nestlé pays out for
tennis elbow cases
Nestlé UK Ltd has paid compensation to four workers at
the coffee making giant's site at Burton on Trent after each of
them developed tennis elbow – mirroring the experiences
of workers at another of the company’s plants in Brazil.
Steven Davis, received £11,000, a colleague £4,000
and two other workers undisclosed sums after developing the occupational
strain injury. IUF
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: CWU action on mail strains
Postal union CWU has launched a new guide to tackle the high rates
of workplace strains suffered by mail delivery staff. It says
musculoskeletal injuries in Royal Mail are running at over 10
times the rate for workplaces overall. CWU news release • CWU
safe working on delivery guide [pdf] Hazards news, 28 July 2007
France: Renault could face courts
over suicides
Car maker Renault could face prosecution for the suicides of three
workers at its technical centre in Paris, after the French Work
Inspectorate submitted the findings of its investigation to the
public prosecutor. Three employees at the company's state-of-the-art
Technocentre killed themselves between October 2006 and February
2007. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Union backs MPs call on port
safety
Recommendations of a government committee that would make ports
safer places to work have been welcomed by a union. Top union
members at the TGWU section of Unite - the union's docks and waterways
national committee - backed MPs on the Transport Select Committee
who urged ministers to establish a statutory safety inspectorate
for ports and to make the Port Marine Safety Code compulsory.
Unite
TGWU news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Cyber-bullying ‘rife’
in UK business
One in five UK workers has been bullied by email, new research
has found. An independent online survey of over 1,000 workers
for the Unite-Amicus led Dignity at Work Partnership found a fifth
of respondents have been bullied by email in their current or
previous jobs, and 6.2 per cent have been bullied via a text message.
Unite
Amicus news release and Dignity
at work project Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Safety reps briefed about
floods
TUC is urging union safety reps to be on their mettle as the recent
floods will not only cost the economy billions of pounds, they
will also have a major and sometimes devastating impact on the
lives, and the work, of hundreds of thousands of people. It has
published a new guide for safety reps on coping with health and
safety problems arising from flooding at work. Health
and safety in flooded areas: TUC guide for safety reps Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Brazil: Factory protest against deadly
speed-up
Trade unionists in Brazil are calling for an official inquiry
into safety standards at a multinational food giant after the
death of a worker. Representatives of the national foodworkers’
union CONTAC, the national union centre CUT and global union federation
IUF’s Latin America office joined workers at a rally outside
a Cargill poultry processing plant to demanding justice for 29-year-old
Marcos Antônio Pedro. IUF
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Urgent action call as deaths
soar
Deaths at work are at a five year high, new figures from the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) show. Statistics for 2006/07 released
on 26 July show 241 workers died, up 11 per cent from 217 deaths
in 2005/06. HSE
2006/07 statistics report • TUC
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: DWP pushes for construction
deaths action
The union representing inspectors and specialists in the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) has welcomed the creation of an industry-wide
forum to target rising deaths in the construction industry. Prospect
said the announcement from Peter Hain, secretary of state for
work and pensions, follows calls from Prospect, construction union
UCATT and Michael Clapham MP, chair of the all-party parliamentary
group on occupational health and safety, for urgent action on
construction deaths. DWP
news release • Prospect
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Corporate killing law finally
passed
The long awaited corporate killing law is to take effect next
year. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber gave the law a qualified
welcome, saying: “Even though unions wanted the bill to
make individual directors personally liable for safety breaches
and penalties against employers committing safety crimes to be
tougher, we hope it will mean the start of a change in the safety
culture at the top of the UK's companies and organisations.”
Ministry
of Justice news release • TUC
news release • Details
of the new Act Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Let-off for directors takes
shine off new law
Unions and campaign groups have given a lukewarm welcome to the
new corporate killing law, saying the omission of explicit legal
duties on and penalties for company directors is a major flaw.
Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction union UCATT, said
it was “a hollow victory.” UCATT
news release • Unite-Amicus
news release • FACK
news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain:
BP boss survives safety scandals unscathed
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
said it will fine London-based multinational BP $92,000 (£44,700)
for new safety breaches at its Texas City refinery. The company’s
recently unseated global boss whose cost cutting programme was
blamed for some of the company’s poor safety performance,
meanwhile, has been given the plumb post of Tate Gallery trustee
by Gordon Brown. OSHA
news release • BBC News Online on the BP
fine and on Lord
Browne’s new trustee role • More
news on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Canada: Smoke, fire and Lou Gehrig's
disease
At least seven out of 10,500 full-time firefighters in the Canadian
province of Ontario have recently developed Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, an incurable and fatal
neurodegenerative condition, investigations have found. Statistically,
only one or two people in 100,000 get the disease. Globe
and Mail Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Firm fined over slurry pit
death
An animal rendering firm has been fined £650,000 after employee
Glynn Thompson, 45, died when he fell into a pit of offal. John
Pointon and Sons of Cheddleton, Staffordshire, was convicted at
Stafford Crown Court on four counts of breaching health and safety
laws; director Carl Pointon was cleared of manslaughter charges
in May.
BBC News Online on the
fine and the director
cleared of manslaughter Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain:
Workers living in fear under 'brutal' Amazon
Amazon workers are living in fear of heavy-handed bosses, a Scottish
employment expert has warned. Jim McCourt has spoken out about
the random body searches and ongoing drug tests he says are commonplace
in the factory which ships out books, CDs and DVDs across Scotland.
Greenock
Telegraph • Hazards news and resources on workplace
drug tests and other
work privacy issues Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: Asbestos victim gets £160,000
payout
A roofer who worked with asbestos for over 20 years has been awarded
over £160,000 in compensation. Jim Kingshott, 57, of Shoreham-by-Sea
received the settlement after he developed the asbestos cancer
mesothelioma. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 28 July 2007
Britain: HSE move will ‘haemorrhage
key expertise’
Plans to relocate the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE)
policy division will damage its ability to advise Whitehall, fail
to produce promised savings and risks haemorrhaging key expertise
within the safety organisation, HSE unions have warned. Prospect
and PCS members protested outside HSE’s London HQ on 17
July. Prospect
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Bogus self-employment a threat
to Olympic safety
A drive to cut the London Olympic construction costs is threatening
to suck in large numbers of “bogus self-employed”
migrant workers, leading to widespread tax avoidance, heightened
safety risks and blocked work opportunities for local people,
ministers have been told. UCATT
news release • TUC
CoVE news report • Financial
Times Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: ‘One’ rail workers
to ballot over safety
Some I00 guards, revenue protection inspectors and retail staff
at ‘One’ railway in north Essex are to vote on strike
action on a safety issue. The RMT members are angry at the dismissal
of a guard and the company’s failure to support other members
involved in an incident with a fare evader. RMT
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Proper enforcement needed
on danger trucks
Spot checks on trucks by an official agency that found widespread,
serious safety problems only “touched the tip of the iceberg”,
a union has warned. Ron Webb, national secretary for transport
with the TGWU section of Unite, said the checks by vehicle licensing
agency VOSA were welcome but added that spot checks on there own
were no substitute for consistent enforcement by properly resourced
teams of inspectors. Unite
news release • VOSA
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Security guard no-go on no-go
areas
Security officers’ union GMB has warned Glasgow city council
and Strathclyde Police to act swiftly to change bylaws so security
vans can have safe access to a city centre street. The Group 4
Securicor (G4S) vans are barred from the Argyle Street pedestrian
precinct, leaving workers vulnerable to attack when delivering
and collecting cash. GMB
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Union rep bullied, harassed
then sacked
A GMB shop steward who complained she was bullied and harassed
at work as a result of her trade union activities has now been
fired. Wendy Ford was sacked last week from the Gateshead Remploy
factory. GMB
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Alarm at increase in attacks
on ships
Seafarers’ union Nautilus UK has voiced concern at new figures
showing a sharp increase in the rate of piracy and armed attacks
on shipping over the past three months. Figures released by the
ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) show the number of attacks
was up by 37 per cent in the second quarter compared with the
same period in 2006. Nautilus
UK news release • IMB
news report Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Waste collection anger directed
at workers Public anger at the switch by over 100 councils to fortnightly
waste collections is leading to a massive increase in attacks
on refuse workers, the union GMB has said. GMB
news release Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Miner compensation delays
criticised
A Government department has been accused of delaying compensation
to ex-miners whose health suffered as a result of working down
pits because of “significant weaknesses” in planning
the payouts. A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) also
identified additional costs to the two schemes, which have so
far paid out £3.6 billion to 575,000 claimants for an occupational
lung disease (430,000 cases of Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease
settled by 31 March) and for vibration white finger (145,000 VWF
claims settled). NAO
news release • Coal Health Compensation Schemes:
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, HC 608 2006-2007,
18 July 2007, executive
summary and full report [pdf] Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain:
Scheme reveals official blindspot on work health
The National Audit Office report on the coal health compensation
schemes has cast serious doubt on Great Britain’s official
occupational disease estimates. The government’s original,
wildly inaccurate, forecast was that there would be a total of
218,000 vibration white finger (VWF) and chronic obstructive airways
disease claims under the scheme, but the final claims total was
over three times higher, at 760,000. Self-reported Work-related Illness and workplace injuries
in 2005/06: Results from the Labour Force Survey[pdf]
• Coal
Health Compensation Schemes and headline
statistics Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain:
Corroded pipe led to Stockline blast
Nine workers at Glasgow’s Stockline plastic factory died
after petroleum gas ignited in a pipe which had corroded over
years. The revelation at the High Court in Glasgow came as the
companies that owned Stockline prepare to face four charges brought
under the Health and Safety at Work Act. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Accountant’s visits
led to asbestos cancer
A chartered accountant died as a result of exposure to asbestos,
an inquest has heard. Raymond Dunn, 73, died on 9 May this year
after developing pneumonia as a result of the asbestos cancer
mesothelioma; he contracted the condition even though he had visited
a factory's offices only a couple of days a year – more
than 50 years ago. Blackpool
Gazette Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: High price paid for cheap
clothes
Workers in Bangladesh making clothes for some of Britain's best-known
high street brands, including Asda, Tesco and Primark, are enduring
long hours, low wages and dangerous working conditions, a union
leader has claimed. Nazma Akter, president of the United Garment
Workers Federation and general secretary of the Awaj Foundation,
a local organisation which fights for workers' rights, said that
long hours, bad working conditions, poverty and the overcrowded
and insanitary conditions in which garment workers are forced
to live made them susceptible to illness. The
Guardian Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Firm warns of fake crane
parts risk
UK contractors must be on their guard over counterfeit tower crane
sections, a leading manufacturer has warned. While there have
long been rumours regarding fake parts and bad practice, the issuing
of two technical notes by the manufacturer has renewed safety
concerns across the industry. Contract Journal Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain: Firm fined £3,000 for
arm injury
A firm has been fined more than £3,000 after one of its
workers was injured when his arm was caught in an industrial cutting
machine. Bury St Edmunds-based Petlife International admitted
two health and safety offences. East
Anglian Daily Times Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Australia:
Concern at new ABC breast cancer case
Australian journalists' union MEAA wants broadcaster ABC to extend
its cancer cluster investigation to other Brisbane sites after
yet another breast cancer diagnosis for a Toowong studio former
employee. Media union MEAA Queensland secretary, David Waters,
called for a register of past and present employees for health
monitoring purposes, adding: “There is universal concern
amongst ABC Brisbane employees about this cancer cluster…
Yes, we have seen 15 cases of breast cancer since 1994 but all
staff are concerned about cancer and that extends to men.” Sydney
Morning Herald • Work
cancer prevention kit Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Australia: Church shareholder challenges
safety sackings
An Australian church is calling for an investigation after claims
an energy company fired two subcontractors who raised safety concerns.
The Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania is a significant
shareholder in power industry giant Woodside Energy, owner of
the Port Campbell gas plant where two workers were sacked, allegedly
after reporting safety incidents. The
Age • ABC
News • Christian
Today • ABC
Radio audio report Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Canada:
Support for asbestos, but not for victims
The Canadian government spends millions promoting its asbestos
exports, but isn’t so forthcoming when it comes to its own
victims of asbestos disease. Almost 1,000 of the 1,500 people
in Ontario who developed the asbestos cancer mesothelioma between
1980 and 2002 weren't compensated, according to a new research
paper, which says this allowed the province's Workplace Safety
and Insurance Board to shortchange victims of the disease, and
taxpayers, out of hundreds of millions of dollars. The
Global and Mail • James T Brophy, Margaret Keith, Jenny
Schieman. Canada’s asbestos legacy at home and abroad,
IJOEH, volume 13, pages 236-243, 2007 [pdf] Hazards news, 21 July 2007
South
Africa: Unenforced laws leave work unsafe
Lenient, poorly enforced occupational safety laws are allowing
companies to get away with inadequate safety measures, the Southern
African Institute for Occupational Hygiene has said. Deon van
Vuuren, the institute's president, said most firms did not carry
out risk assessments every two years, as required by law, because
government inspections rarely took place. Business
Report Hazards news, 21 July 2007
Britain:
Female shipyard worker fired unfairly
A young woman who developed arthritis as a result of physically
demanding, repetitive work in a shipyard was unfairly dismissed,
a tribunal has ruled. Louise Brooks, 31, was sacked by A&P
Falmouth four years after being diagnosed. Unite-TGWU
news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
USA: Study on black lung spots growing
problem
Black lung, the archetypal occupational disease that blighted
a past working generation, is re-emerging an official US report
has found. Noting “hot spots” of advanced black lung
disease in eastern Kentucky and south western Virginia, the report
says there are troubling “gaps” in efforts to control
dust in coal mines. Courier-Journal
• Courier-Journal
Black Lung special reports Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Derailment highlights private
contract risks
Rail unions have said London Underground maintenance contracts
must be taken back in-house or there could be more serious safety
incidents. The call came after a Central Line Tube train derailed,
reportedly due to a “bale of material” that fell on
the tracks from an underground storeroom.
RMT news releases on its earlier
warnings and on taking
maintenance back in house Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Bakerloo staff to strike
for safety
Around 150 train operators and station staff on London Underground’s
Bakerloo line have voted to strike for 24 hours from 10pm on 19
July in a safety dispute over lone working. The RMT members returned
a 94.5 per cent vote in favour of strike action after Tube bosses
attempted to impose changes under which station staff are expected
to “detrain” passengers at certain stations while
working alone. RMT
news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Nepal: Child workers face extreme
hazards
Tens of thousands of Nepalese children are being employed in some
of the most hazardous of all jobs, according to new research.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says Nepal has 2.6
million child labourers employed in hazardous work and a new report
from Concern-Nepal has found that children are employed in dozens
of dangerous work areas, with work as a mechanic deemed to be
the most risky.
IRIN Asia, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Concern-Nepal Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Progress on baggage handling
risks
Union leaders at Heathrow say they believe a solution to baggage
handling safety and staffing problems is possible ahead of the
busy summer period. Local union officials say a combination of
fast-tracked redundancies ahead of the move to Terminal 5 and
the training demands involved in preparing for the new terminal
operation have caused the current staff shortage. Unite-TGWU
news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
India/Britain: GMB action call on
shipbreaking risks
India’s shipbreaking yards are exposing workers to horrific
conditions with hardly any safety measures, a UK union delegation
has found. After returning from a fact-finding mission to shipbreaking
yards in Mumbai, GMB national secretary for shipbuilding Keith
Hazlewood said there “were no safety provisions”,
adding: “I had never seen anything like the conditions the
shipbreakers were having to work in.” GMB
news release • IMF
shipbreaking webpages Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Union warning on chemicals
law
The European chemicals law being phased in over the next 11 years
must not be allowed to undermine existing workplace safety regulations,
a union has warned. A briefing from Unite’s Amicus section
on the REACH regulations on chemical evaluation and registration
says the union’s “primary concern… will be for
the health and safety of people at work,” adding the law
is primarily concerned with environmental risks “with workplace
effects of chemicals being a secondary consideration.” Unite-Amicus
REACH briefing Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Canada:
Cancer society wants asbestos stopped
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) has called for an end to Canada’s
export of asbestos and believes the federal government should
stop blocking international efforts to curb the trade in the dangerous
mineral. Although asbestos is internationally recognised as one
of the worst cancer-causing materials ever to have been in widespread
use, the society's decision is controversial because it undermines
the national government’s long-standing contention that
chrysotile (white) asbestos can be used safely and should be promoted.
Canadian
Cancer Society news release • James T Brophy, Margaret
Keith, Jenny Schieman. Canada’s asbestos legacy at home
and abroad, IJOEH, volume 13, pages 236-243, 2007 [pdf]
• Hazards
asbestos webpages Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Groundsman gets payout for
lost limb
A Kent groundsman has secured an undisclosed compensation payout
after losing a limb in an accident at work. UNISON member Roger
Adams, from Dartford, Kent, who works as a groundsman for North
West Kent College, was using a tractor mower to cut grass in October
2003 when the mower became blocked. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: MPs back shopwork respect
campaign
MPs are rushing to sign up to a retail union campaign to tackle
an epidemic of verbal and physical abuse aimed at Britain's shopworkers.
They joined Usdaw members at Westminster this week to add their
support to an Usdaw campaign to reduce the 10,000 physical assaults
on shop staff every year and what the union describes as the “endless
torrent of vicious verbal abuse aimed at retail staff by a minority
of out of control shoppers.” Usdaw news release and Freedom
from fear campaign Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Campaigners win asbestos
drug fight
NHS drugs advisers have reversed their proposal to block a drug
for people with an asbestos-related cancer after a high profile
campaign by asbestos groups and unions. Chair of the Asbestos
Victims Support Groups' Forum, Tony Whitston, said: “We
would like to thank all those who have campaigned for this treatment
for mesothelioma, a disease caused almost exclusively by asbestos
exposure and which was, and is, entirely preventable.” NICE
decision • Hazards
asbestos webpages Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Payouts at last for T&N
asbestos victims
A six-year block on asbestos disease payouts from the notorious
asbestos manufacturer Turner & Newall (T&N) had ended,
with the first settlements coming through. Unite’s Amicus
section says its members are at last receiving compensation from
the defunct asbestos company more than six years after their claims
were first lodged. Unite-Amicus
news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Bosses jailed over worker's
death
Two businessmen have been jailed for the manslaughter of a worker
who was crushed to death at a concrete plant. Technician Christopher
Meachen, 28, was killed at the Concrete Company at Costessey,
Norfolk, in November 2005. Norfolk
Constabulary news release • Norwich
Evening News
Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Fate of work deaths law in
the balance
The fate of a bill to allow companies to be prosecuted where gross
negligence leads to the death of employees or members of the public
is in the balance after the Lords voted for a fourth time to extend
its scope to include deaths in custody. The corporate manslaughter
and corporate homicide bill could fall if it does not become law
by 19 July. House
of Lords debate on the Bill, 9 July 2007 • Parliament
website tracking progress on the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate
Homicide Bill Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: HSE deaths data refusal under
investigation
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) refusal to provide
information on deceased workers is to be reviewed by the Information
Commissioner. The official freedom of information watchdog will
determine whether HSE’s refusal to provide the Centre for
Corporate Accountability (CCA) the names of individuals who have
died at work is in breach of the Freedom of information Act (FoIA).
CCA
news release • CCA
is seeking financial support – find out more Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Retired driver gets skin rash payout
A retired machine driver has successfully claimed compensation
for an uncomfortable work-related skin rash that could easily
have been prevented. James Quinn, 68, from Leeds, was employed
with Mone Brothers Civil Engineering Limited from 1985 to 2004
and was required to fill up machines and this meant he came into
contact with diesel, hydraulic and engine oils, along with lubricant
grease on a daily basis. Irwin
Mitchell Solicitors news release Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Organ removal inquiry net
widens
More families could be affected by the removal, apparently without
consent, of body parts from nuclear plant workers. An inquiry
has now commenced into the removal of human tissue from workers
at Sellafield in Cumbria for medical tests since the 1960s, with
the inquiry scope widened to include the Atomic Weapons Establishment
in Berkshire and the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) at Harwell
in Oxfordshire. Statement
by Michael Redfern QC • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Pupils screened after TB
outbreak
More than 200 pupils at a Flintshire secondary school are being
tested for TB after a member of staff was diagnosed with the infection.
Last month, TUC published an online briefing for safety reps,
outlining occupational infection risks posed by TB. BBC
News Online • Hazards
infections webpages Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: New chairs for workplace
health bodies
Former chemical industry lobbyist Judith Hackitt is to succeed
Bill Callaghan as chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC)
on 1 October 2007. Dr Keith Palmer will take up the post of chair
of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) on 18 January
2008. HSE
news release • DWP news releases on the IIAC
and HSC
appointments Hazards news, 14 July 2007
Britain: Government backs shops violence
campaign
Retail union Usdaw has welcomed government support for its ‘Freedom
from fear’ campaign to combat the physical and verbal abuse
aimed at Britain’s shopworkers. Usdaw
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
USA:
Watchdog ordered to release exposure database
The US government’s workplace safety watchdog has wrongfully
withheld data documenting years of toxic exposures to workers
and its own inspectors, according to a federal court ruling. As
a result, the world's largest compendium of measurements of occupational
exposures to toxic substances - more than 2 million analyses conducted
during some 75,000 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) workplace inspections since 1979 - should now be available
to researchers and policymakers. PEER
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: GMB defends traffic wardens
The public needs to change its attitude to traffic wardens who
face abuse and violence for doing a public service, the union
GMB has said. Commenting after a London traffic warden suffered
a serious head injury in an attack last week, GMB organiser Gary
Carter said: “TV programmes and comedians who ridicule and
demonise people who are going about their ordinary jobs enforcing
public policy on our highways give rise to these extreme reactions
that cause harm to others.” GMB
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Enforcers back ‘popular’
smoking ban
The local authority health and safety enforcement staff policing
England’s new smoking ban could need protection in carrying
out their duties, public sector union UNISON has said. UNISON
news release • CIEH
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Italy:
McDonald’s fires safety campaigner
A trade unionist has been fired from a Rome outlet of the global
fast food giant McDonald’s after raising safety concerns.
Global foodworkers’ union federation IUF says the union
representative, employed at the unit for 16 years, “had
denounced the inadequate kitchen ventilation, intolerable psychological
pressure on employees and the lack of training, especially on
health and safety, which have resulted in many incidents.”
IUF
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Rail strike suspended after
talks progress
Strike action by maintenance workers in Cumbria whose bonuses
were withheld over the fatal Grayrigg crash was suspended this
week following progress in talks between Network Rail and the
union RMT. RMT
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Firm fails in bid to block
injury payout
The firm operating the Newcastle metro system has failed in a
bid to block an injury payout to metro train driver. An appeal
by transport executive organisation NEXUS at Newcastle Upon Tyne
Law Courts was rejected, and the company must now pay the £7,300
damages it owes the metro train driver, who was injured following
the failure of an overhead line.
Thompsons Solicitors news releases on the Richardson
case Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Rail firm pays for safety
slip up
Chiltern Railways has been ordered to pay compensation of £10,000
to PCS member Richard Wilmot after he broke his right shoulder
on the station concourse as he approached the ticket barrier at
Marylebone station. He slipped on a wet floor – the company
had not repaired a leaking roof.
Thompsons Solicitors news releases on the Wilmot
case Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Global: BBC's Gaza correspondent released
BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been released by kidnappers
in the Gaza Strip after 114 days in captivity. Global journalists’
unions federation IFJ says worldwide at least 29 journalists are
being held by kidnappers.
BBC News
Online and story
update • IFJ
news release • INSI
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
China: Mine boss jailed for killing
journalist
Seven men have been jailed over the beating to death of a journalist
outside an illegal coal mine in China. The head of the mine, Hou
Zhenrun, was jailed for life for ordering the attack that killed
reporter Lan Chengzhang outside the mine in Shanxi province; five
men were given sentences of between five to 15 years in jail for
carrying out the attack, while another man received a year sentence
for harbouring the suspects. IFJ
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain:
Business wants regulated workplaces
A government push for less workplace regulation and enforcement
is the opposite of what works and what businesses want, two new
reports suggest. Findings of an 18-month inquiry published this
week by Tomorrow’s Company, a group of prominent corporate
leaders, calls for more, and better, regulation to reward environmentally
and socially responsible companies and a report published on 4
July by The Work Foundation, concluded “re-regulation”
and not deregulation that had led to the positive changes to the
labour market without any credible evidence of damage to economic
performance, while unemployment had remained relatively low. Tomorrow’s
Company news release • Tomorrow's
global company: Challenges and choices – executive summary
[pdf]
• The Work Foundation news
release • 7 out of 10: Labour Under Labour 1997-2007
[pdf]
• The case for safety regulation and enforcement - Hazards
enforcement webpages Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Brown names new employment
team
Prime minister Gordon Brown has named Peter Hain as the new secretary
of state for work and pensions, replacing John Hutton. As the
cabinet minister overseeing the Department of Work and Pensions
(DWP), Hain’s responsibilities will include the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) and reform of the benefits system. Lord
McKenzie keeps his job as health and safety minister in DWP. DWP
ministerial team Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Child, 2, injured in unsafe
factory
A two-year-old child was injured by a conveyor belt in a King’s
Lynn factory. Bel-Shrimp Ltd was fined a total of £5,000
with £4,300 costs, and its director Eric Oughton was fined
£400 with £100 costs at Kings Lynn Magistrates Court.
HSE
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: AGM revolt over Tesco “deathtraps”
Tesco faced an unprecedented revolt at its annual general meeting
(AGM) over the poor employment conditions facing workers in the
developing world that supply its supermarkets with everything
from cheap clothing to fruit. In some cases workers were employed
in “deathtrap” factories, the shareholder protesters
said. War
on Want news release and report, Fashion Victims [pdf] Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Whiteboard projector safety
fears
Interactive whiteboards, now a common feature in UK schools, may
pose a threat to the eyesight of teachers and children. A whistleblower
from the whiteboard industry itself has pressed the authorities
to investigate potential problems and wants printed warnings alongside
all screens because of the light projected onto them. BBC
News Online • Becta
whiteboard safety advice • National
Whiteboard Network guide Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain:
Pesticide wipes out worker’s memory
A pesticide-affected local authority groundsman went missing overnight
and was discovered by a colleague wandering in a park the following
day with no memory of what had happened. Andrew McKeith’s
employer, Macclesfield Borough Council, was fined a total of £6,000
and ordered to pay £3,747 costs after pleading guilty to
two HSE charges at Macclesfield Magistrates Court. HSE
news release • Macclesfield
Express and related
report Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: More work cancers than officials
admit
Occupational cancers are killing more people that published official
estimates, new figures show. Research commissioned by the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) and presented to an HSE-organised seminar
last month concluded six cancers alone were responsible for 7,380
deaths a year. HSE’s current estimate for all occupational
cancers, published on its website, is 23 per cent lower, putting
the figure for all workplace cancers at just 6,000 deaths a year.
Risks
314, 7 July 2007 • Hazards work
and cancer webpages Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Plea to end crane collapse
deaths now
Activists lobbied a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) event in
Battersea Park last month in protest at deaths caused by collapsing
cranes. The Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group - formed after
23-year-old Michael Alexa was crushed to death by a falling crane
in Battersea last September. Enfield
Independent • Battersea
Crane Disaster Action Group Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: B&Q fined over fork lift
crash
A Leicester DIY store has been fined £80,000 and ordered
to pay £150,000 costs after an employee was hit by a forklift
truck. The man was working at a B&Q store in the city when
he was forced to dive out the way of a customer's car and into
the path of the truck. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Albania:
Chrome miners strike over safety
A month-long strike by 660 chromium miners in Albania escalated
late last month as 30 of the striking miners began a hunger strike.
Neither the mine and smelter management nor the Albanian government
officials have acted to address the grievances on pay and the
“abhorrent” safety conditions - health and safety
concerns were highlighted tragically on 5 June when two mineworkers,
Hysni Lezni and Avni Duriçi were killed 1,000 metres underground
in Deco Metal's chromium mine. ICEM
news release Hazards news, 7 July 2007
Britain: Use the ban to help staff
quit urges TUC
TUC is urging employers not to make life difficult for smokers
by banning them from cigarette breaks, but to use the change in
the law as an opportunity to help their staff get healthier and
quit the habit. From Sunday 1 July all enclosed workplaces have
to be smoke-free as England catches up with the rest of Britain,
and the TUC is concerned that in the rush to make sure that all
the no smoking signs are up and smoking rooms shut down, employers
may have forgotten about the best interests of their staff. TUC
news release • Hazards
smoking webpages Hazards news, 30 June 2007
USA: Call for three strikes policy for safety crimes
In the wake of an unprecedented 29 construction-related deaths
in New York City over the last year, contractors and union leaders
joined forces in mid-May to urge passage of a tough three-strikes-and-out
penalty system that would ban repeat offenders from obtaining
building permits for five years. The penalty is part of a comprehensive
set of construction industry reforms sought by the groups that
includes strengthened safety laws in an effort to protect the
public and city construction workers. Contractor
magazine Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Migrant workers need extra
help staying safe
Problems with language and a poor understanding of the culture
in British workplaces means that migrant workers may need extra
help from employers and unions to stay safe at work, the TUC is
warning. A TUC migrant worker safety guide says that some rogue
employers are likely to be cutting corners and risking the health
of their migrant workforce. TUC
news release • Safety and migrant workers:
A practical guide for safety representatives[pdf]
• Hazards
migrant workers webpages Hazards news, 30 June 2007
USA:
Firm douses site safety protesters
At first, the images seem like documentaries from the US civil
rights marches in the 1960s. But they’re not: The video
clips filmed in June 2007 show construction workers peacefully
protesting about poor working conditions - when they are suddenly
and repeatedly assaulted with high-pressure water from a water
truck. AFL-CIO
Now • Building
Justice campaign
Britain: Schools action call on high
tech harassment
Teaching union NASUWT is calling on the government to take urgent
action on “cyber-bullying” of teaching and other school
staff. The union pressed its case at a meeting of the DfES Cyber
Bullying Task Group. NASUWT
news release Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Strike vote over rail ‘bonus
scapegoating’
Network Rail workers being “scapegoated” over the
Grayrigg accident in Cumbria are set to strike for 24 hours from
on Friday 6 July. Rail infrastructure operator Network Rail cut
bonuses after the Grayrigg derailment in which one elderly woman
died and several other passengers were seriously injured. RMT
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Usdaw attack on shopwork
violence
Retail union Usdaw is stepping up its ‘Freedom from fear’
campaign, which has already won significant safety improvements
for thousands of staff. The union says this year’s ‘Respect
for Shopworkers Day’, on 11 July, will raise awareness of
violence and intimidation of staff with customers, employers,
local councils, politicians, the police and shopworkers themselves.
Usdaw
news release, campaign
pack and Freedom
from fear webpages Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Lords urged to deliver asbestos
justice
A legal bid backed by the union Unite is seeking to secure compensation
for people with the asbestos related condition pleural plaques.
The case being considered by the Lords started on 25 June and
follows a Court of Appeal ruling last year, which overturned a
decision by the High Court in 2005 which said pleural plaques
should continue to receive compensation. Amicus
news release Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Global: Media unions call for release
of journalist
Journalists’ union NUJ has renewed its call for the immediate
release of kidnapped BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston after
an online video showed him wearing an explosives belt to deter
rescue attempts. NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “This
is a deeply troubling development and we are urging Alan’s
captors to let him go immediately, unharmed in any way.”
NUJ
Alan Johnston news releases Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Bosses 'failing on staff
health'
Almost a third of employers are failing to recognise the need
to create a healthy workplace, an Investors in People (IIP) survey
has found. According to the study of 900 firms, 31 per cent of
bosses wrongly think healthy working just means that their staff
eat the right food during the day. IIP
news release • BBC
News Online • Hazards
work and health webpages Hazards news, 30 June 2007
France:
Second car firm linked to suicides
A second French car firm has had oppressive management practices
linked to worker suicides. CGT trade union representatives at
the Mulhouse site of Peugeot-Citroën in eastern France have
denounced management's practice of sending “guilt-inducing”
letters to workers on sick leave, a practice the union says is
unacceptable, particularly in the light of the suicide of four
workers at the site over the last two months. ETUI-REHS
news report Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain:
Report criticises HSE ‘complacency’ on cancer
Work-related cancers will claim thousands of lives each year for
a further working generation as a result of the “shocking
complacency” of the government’s health and safety
watchdog, a new report is warning. ‘Burying the evidence’
says the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has neither the resources
nor the strategy to tackle the workplace carcinogen exposures
killing at least 12,000 people each year. Cancer
Prevention Coalition news release and full report, Burying
the evidence: How the UK is prolonging the occupational cancer
epidemic • HSE
news release Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Hospital reforms drove manager to suicide
The NHS has been urged to consider the impact of reforms on staff,
after a despairing hospital manager Morag Wilson, 32, threw herself
to her death from a motorway bridge. An inquest heard that Ms
Wilson, head of dietetics at the hospital, had been facing huge
pressure at work because of government reforms under the Agenda
for Change review. The
Guardian • Hazards
worked to death webpages Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Government to act on work
abuse evidence
The government wants unions, businesses and workers to pass on
reports of abuse of vulnerable workers, and has said it will act
on this evidence. The call came at the first meeting of the Vulnerable
Worker Enforcement Forum, launched on 1 June to crack down on
abuses of workplace rights. DTI
news release • Personnel
Today • Email
your evidence of poor employment practices to the Vulnerable
Worker Enforcement Forum Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: HSC urged to act on directors’
safety duties
The failure of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) to press
the government to change the law and introduce safety duties on
company directors is being challenged by the Centre for Corporate
Accountability (CCA). In a letter to HSC chair Bill Callaghan,
the safety charity argues that HSC must follow through its December
2005 decision to support a change in the law and introduce safety
duties on company directors. CCA
news release • Text of the letter to the HSC
chair [pdf] Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Firm fined £2,600 after
teen injures spine
A joinery firm has been convicted of safety offences after apprentice
Brett Lawden, 19, fell through an unprotected stairwell on a building
site. Cumbrian firm K and M Joinery Ltd was fined £2,600
and ordered to pay £1,395 costs by magistrates at Penrith
after pleading guilty to a breach of the work at height regulations HSE
news release • Hazards
young workers news and resources Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Builder hit with fine for
horrific accident
A carpenter was left paralysed after breaking his spine when he
fell off an unsecured ladder on a building site. John Greig, 47,
lost all feeling in his lower body and has been told he will never
walk again following the incident in Llanishen, Cardiff, in January
2005; his employer admitted a safety breach and was fined £6,000
with £5,000 costs. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Britain: Report warns of London rail
privatisation dangers
Complex and fragmented arrangements for running the privatised
‘London Rail’ franchise will make it more difficult
to manage safely, with potentially disastrous consequences, according
to a leading rail safety expert. Many of the operational and safety
problems identified in a study of the plans, by expert Peter Rayner,
would not exist if the franchise was to be run directly by London
Underground. RMT
news release and briefing Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Australia: Temporary migrant jobs
prove fatal
Australia’s federal government is continuing to ignore warnings
over the abuse of temporary migrant workers, despite reports that
three overseas workers have died at work in recent weeks say unions.
Construction union CFMEU and national union federation ACTU have
highlighted the deaths of three migrant workers in the last month.
ACTU
news release • Sydney
Morning Herald • ABC
News Hazards news, 30 June 2007
Burying the evidence - How the UK
is prolonging the occupational cancer epidemic
The UK authorities are failing to acknowledge or deal effectively
with an epidemic of work-related cancers. The government’s
Health and Safety Executive is underestimating the exposed population,
the risks faced as a result of those exposures and the potential
for prevention.Hazards
report, 25 June 2007•Cancer
Prevention Coalition news release Hazards news, 25 June 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Firms should not panic over
flu pandemic
The TUC is warning against an over-reaction from firms on the
flu pandemic threat, saying some employers are panicking and taking
pointless and disruptive measures. Guidance for employers and
unions published by TUC gives advice on how workplaces could best
prepare for a possible UK outbreak. TUC
news release and flu pandemic guidance [pdf]
• Hazards
infections webpages Hazards news, 23 June 2007
USA: Outrage at work cancer report
delay
A Minnesota state senator and the United Steelworkers union have
called for investigations into a state Health Department delay
in releasing information about deadly cancers in Iron Range miners.
Bob Bratulich, director of District 11 of the United Steelworkers,
said: “It is unconscionable, unethical, and probably criminal
for a public agency to withhold information about a potential
health risk to workers.” Workday
Minnesota • Mankato
Press Press Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: College survey spots bad
management
A union survey has found the majority of staff at a UK university
are suffering stress as a result of management bullying. Lecturers’
union UCU undertook the survey after Leeds Metropolitan University’s
human resources department refused to investigate the problem.
UCU
news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Harassed worker secures
settlement
A building attendant who suffered from bullying and harassment
at work has been awarded damages. Shaun Kernon, 38, will receive
the undisclosed out-of-court settlement from his employer, Gateshead
Council. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Modern miner gets deafness
payout
A miner and GMB member whose hearing was severely damaged working
for just 11 years in modern coal mines has received a £4,500
payout. UK Coal Ltd is to pay the damages to former employee David
Burns, 49. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Australia:
Another suicide linked to top firm
The family and friends of Leon Dousset, a line technician at Australian
communications giant Telstra who killed himself, believe increasing
performance targets and plans to install satellite tracking in
his work van drove him to suicide. The allegations follow the
suicide of Telstra call centre worker Sally Sandic in January.
Daily
Telegraph • Hazards
worked to death webpages • Details
of the Australian work suicides report Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Bring Lloyd's killers to
justice, says NUJ
The delay in bringing to justice the killers of Terry Lloyd is
unacceptable, journalists’ union NUJ has said. NUJ general
secretary Jeremy Dear called for “less prevarication and
more action” after the government admitted it had not taken
any action to prosecute soldiers responsible for the death of
NUJ member Terry Lloyd in Iraq in 2003. NUJ
news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Vigil for BBC captive's 100th
day
Thousands of BBC staff and union members around the world observed
a vigil on 20 June marking 100 days since the kidnapping of Gaza
correspondent Alan Johnston. Johnston was the only Western reporter
permanently based in Gaza, and his abduction has triggered appeals
for his release from lawmakers and rights groups around the world.
IFJ
news release, NUJ
news release and Alan
poster Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Union push for pleural plaques
payouts
As a bid gets underway to persuade the Law Lords to reverse a
Court of Appeal decision last year to deny compensation to people
with pleural plaques caused by asbestos exposures, around 200
construction workers from all over the UK will assemble outside
parliament. To coincide with the start of the House of Lords case
on 25 June, the demonstrators - including thermal insulation engineers,
welders and fabricators - will urge the Lords to restore compensation
for sufferers of pleural plaques. GMB
news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Payout after asbestos destroys kidney
An asbestos exposed worker who developed a serious kidney disease
is thought to be the first in the country to win compensation
for the condition. Ex-motor mechanic Graham Mansfield, 67, has
been awarded £135,000 after losing the use of his right
kidney to retroperitoneal fibrosis, a rare condition which causes
damage to the kidneys and other organs. Irwin
Mitchell Solicitors news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
South Africa: Asbestos victims face
poverty
Even after being paid compensation, South Africa’s asbestos
disease victims remain desperately poor and many have already
exhausted their once-off lump sum compensation, according to a
study by the Asbestos Relief Trust (ART). The fund was set up
after South African investment holding company Gencor and British
multinational Cape settled litigation for damages by paying R587.5
million (£41.7m at the 2007 exchange rate). Business
Report Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: TUC welcomes sickness absence
task force
The TUC has welcomed a new task force, charged with finding practical
solutions to workplace sickness absence. DWP minister Lord McKenzie
announced this new vocational rehabilitation task group to help
ill or injured people stay in or return to work, and called on
employers to do more to support their employees. DWP
news release • Hazards
work sickness news and resources Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Global: ITF celebrates victory for
fishing crews
Global seafarers’ union federation ITF has warmly welcomed
a vote at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to adopt
the Work in Fishing Convention, after a lengthy campaign by ITF
and its affiliated unions. The vote at ILO’s congress saw
437 in favour of the convention, two against, and 22 abstentions.
ITF
news release • ILO
news release and resources Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Safety rules change urged
after teen death
An MP wants changes in health and safety rules on building sites
after two companies were fined following the electrocution death
of a 19-year-old. Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd said lessons should
be learned from the death of Miall Roberts three years ago; the
teenager was killed in 2004 by 11,000 volts of electricity while
laying concrete foundations, when a boom hit an overhead cable. HSE
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Small fine for mangled hand
A company has been fined £4,600 after an employee's hand
was crushed in an inadequately guarded industrial mangle. Steven
Lord was left with long-term injuries after his right hand was
drawn in between two rollers of a rinse mangle while he was working
at Bowling Finishing Services Ltd in Nelson, Lancashire. HSE
news release Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Pilots poisoned by toxic
cabin air
Toxic fumes on planes are poisoning pilots and rendering them
unable to fly safely, say pilots, who are campaigning for “aerotoxic
syndrome” to be recognised as a disease. Two official investigations
are being opened after concerns that highly toxic fuel contaminants
are leaking into cabin air supply on commercial airliners in flight.
Toxic
Free Airlines news release • Toxic
Free Airlines • Aerotoxic
Association • UNSW
aerotoxic syndrome webpages Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines –
YouTube clip
Britain: Motorway blaze crash firefighter
dies
Fire service union FBU has said it is “devastated”
at the death of another Hertfordshire firefighter, hit by a car
as he tackled a fire in a vehicle on a motorway. Paul Mallaghan,
46, was putting out the fire in a Saab car on the A1(M) near Stevenage
when the crash happened; the same Stevenage watch had previously
lost firefighters Jeff Wornham and Mike Miller in a flat fire
on 2 February 2005 2006. FBU
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 23 June 2007
USA: Nine firefighters killed in warehouse
fire
Nine firefighters died while tackling a furniture warehouse blaze
in Charleston, South Carolina. BBC
News Online • ABC
News Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Top EU court backs UK safety
law
The European Union's top court has dismissed charges that Britain
broke EU laws by limiting how far companies need to go in ensuring
the health and safety of their employees. The European Commission
had argued in the European Court of Justice that a British regulation
saying employers must ensure the health and safety of workers
only “so far as is reasonably practicable” did not
fully comply with EU rules.
ECJ news release [pdf]
• HSE
news release • European
Commission news release • Case
C127-05 European Commission v United Kingdom Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain: Crane collapse firm get safety
notice
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served a prohibition
notice on the owners of the crane that collapsed in Croydon earlier
this month. Select Plant Hire Company Ltd, the Kent-based company
that owned the tower crane and which is part of construction giant
Laing O'Rourke, has been served a notice banning them from erecting
cranes without properly trained staff. HSE
news release • Battersea
Crane Disaster Action Group Hazards news, 23 June 2007
Britain:
Support the push for an end to crane deaths
The Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group (BCDAG) has launched
a petition to the prime minister calling for an end to crane-related
disasters. BCDAG wants to get 2,000 online signatures on its ‘Stop
Crane Deaths’ petition, hopefully well before a 31 May 2008
deadline. Sign
up to the Stop Crane Deaths petition Hazards news, 23 June 2007
USA:
Bullets, bombs and nuclear power plants Unlike gunfire, emissions from a nuclear plant cannot be
heard, tasted, seen or sensed as they are released. Twenty-four
hours a day, a nuclear power plant, quietly running, gives off
some 200-plus radioactive isotopes that fall to earth at various
rates, depending upon their weight and size and the wind direction. San
Francisco Bayview Hazards news , 19 June 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 16 June 2007
Global: TUC wants Beijing improvements
not scapegoats
Firms producing official merchandise for the Beijing Olympics
must be made to observe basic employment rights, the TUC has said.
The call came after the Beijing Olympics Organising Committee
indicated it intended to cancel contracts with four Chinese factories
suspected of abusing workers' rights for the production of licensed
goods bearing the Olympic logo. TUC
news release • Unite
news release Hazards news , 16 June 2007
China: Report shows Olympic level
exploitation
The evidence of poor employment practices came in research published
by the Playfair Alliance, which includes the TUC, Labour Behind
the Label, international union bodies and campaign groups. It
found evidence of children as young as 12 producing Olympic merchandise.
The same report, 'No medal for the Olympics' also uncovered adults
earning 14p per hour - half the legal minimum wage in China -
with some working up to 15 hours per day, seven days a week. Playfair
2008 news release • ITUC
news release • ITGLWF
news release No medal for the Olympics on labour rights report [pdf]
•
Playfair Alliance and campaign statement [pdf]
• Clean
Clothes Campaign • Labour
Behind the Label Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Talks after workplace death
walkout
Workers at Aberthaw power station construction project in the
Vale of Glamorgan have raised safety fears with management after
the death of a 49-year-old worker on site, where union Unite had
been pressing for weeks for improved first aid as the job went
round-the-clock. BBC
News Online Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Jarvis pays for knee injury
Construction firm Jarvis is to pay £8,000 damages to a rail
worker injured as a result of safety breaches. RMT member Eric
Barker tripped over a brake handle at a York depot in October
2004, sustaining knee injuries that required several weeks off
work. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: RMT ballots over 'bonus scapegoating'
Network Rail workers being scapegoated over the Grayrigg accident
in Cumbria are being balloted on strike action, rail union RMT
has said. Ballot papers have been sent to 119 Network Rail staff
employed in the area that includes the site of the Grayrigg crash
and who have had their £400 bonus withheld. RMT
news release Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Taxi leaders welcome smoking
ban
Leaders of England's taxi drivers have welcomed the complete ban
on smoking in taxis and private hire vehicles which comes into
effect at the end of this month. Taxi driver Jim Kelly, who chairs
the cab trade committee of Unite’s TGWU section. “For
us, this is primarily a workplace health issue,” adding:
“Like other workers, taxi drivers are entitled to do their
job without being at risk of cancer and other deadly diseases
from cigarette smoke.” Unite
news release • Hazards
smoking news and resources Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Global: UK union attacks Mittal over
Kazakh safety
Arcelor Mittal’s safety performance at its Kazakhstan coalmines
is a stain on the UK, one of Britain’s leading trade unions
has said. The condemnation from Unite came after revelations that
90 miners had been killed in Mittal’s operations in Kazakhstan
since 2004. The
Times • The
Sunday Times Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain:
Payout ‘will give me time with my family’
A woman who contracted a terminal asbestos-related cancer by hugging
her dockyard worker father says she will use a compensation payout
to spend quality time with her family. Plymouth mother-of-three
Debbie Brewer, 47, has received an interim compensation amount
of £25,000 from the Ministry of Defence, which admitted
liability in February. Plymouth
Herald • Mesothelioma
and me, Debbie Brewer’s website • Hazards
asbestos news and resource • Action
Mesothelioma Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain:
Unhealthy bosses bad for site workers
Disinterested and unconcerned site bosses are risking the health
of construction workers, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) backed
study has found. And contrary to ‘macho’ stereotypes
about workers in the construction industry, site workers –
unlike many site managers - are very concerned about their health
and working conditions. IES
news release • Constructing Better Health Pilot:
Final Evaluation Report, HSE Research Report RR565 [pdf]
• Hazards
work and health webpages Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain:
It’s bad jobs that make us sick, says PCS
Attacks on driving examiners, job cuts leading to increased workloads
and stressful work conditions are the true story behind sickness
absence in the Department for Transport (DfT) and its agencies,
the union PCS has said. Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary,
said: “Job cuts resulting in increasing workloads combined
with an unacceptable rise in attacks on driving examiners is the
real story here.” PCS
news release • NAO
news release • Hazards
sickness webpages Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Britain takes lead on journalist safety
The British government has challenged the international community
to end impunity for the killers of journalists and other media
professionals. In an answer to questions in parliament, the Foreign
Office also reaffirmed that the deliberate killing of a journalist
in conflict is a war crime. INSI
news release and website Hazards news , 16 June 2007
UK/USA: BP explosion report ‘toned down’
BP’s internal investigator admitted in sworn testimony that
his final draft report on the UK company’s management responsibility
for the 2005 Texas refinery explosion was toned down. The admission
came less than a week after another contract worker died at the
Texas City plant. Financial
Times • Boston
Herald • Hazards
BP safety webpages Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Poor training led to disfiguring
injuries
A Rotherham man has been awarded £15,000 in an out-of-court
settlement after suffering a serious workplace injury to his face
which has resulted in permanent disfigurement. Sean Blanchard,
35, a married father of two wo had been employed by Avery Berkel
based in Sheffield for 16 years, had not been properly trained
for the job. Irwin
Mitchell solicitors news release • Hazards
compensation news and resources Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Firm fined after forklift
worker is paralysed
A Berwick upon Tweed firm has been fined £20,000 after employee
Steven Rogers, 29, was paralysed in a forklift truck incident.
Silvery Tweed Cereals Ltd was fined and ordered to pay costs of
£5,397 at Berwick upon Tweed Magistrates' Court after pleading
guilty to breaching workplace safety laws. HSE
news release Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: House manufacturer fined
£65,000 for death
A Birmingham firm manufacturing new build homes has been fined
£65,000 after employee Philip Macken was crushed by a machine.
Space 4 Limited, the timber frame manufacturing subsidiary of
house building giant Persimmon Homes, was fined £65,000
with costs of £60,000 at Birmingham Crown Court following
a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE
news release Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Butcher fined after schoolboy
loses arm
The owners and manager of a butcher’s shop where a 15-year-old
boy lost his arm have been fined for illegally employing a child.
Sam Ashworth’s arm became trapped in a mincer at Fitton’s
butchers where he was employed as a Saturday worker. Oldham
Chronicle • Hazards
young workers news and resources Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Faults led to factory death
A factory worker killed by faulty machinery at Freudenberg Technical
Products in North Tyneside, lay undiscovered for up to 24 hours,
an inquest has heard. Colleagues told how Michael Joyce, 51, was
on an early shift and may have climbed inside the machine after
it became jammed. Newcastle
Evening Chronicle • HSE
prosecutions history database Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: TUC tuberculosis briefing
for reps
TUC has produced an online briefing for safety reps, outlining
occupational infection risks posed by tuberculosis (TB). The guide
outlines the law and provides a prevention checklist for safety
reps, covering notification of risks, provision of infection control
advice, routine and post exposure screening and vaccination. TUC
says where workers are at higher risk, “consideration should
be given to prevention through immunisation for those not yet
vaccinated.” Tuberculosis
– a TUC briefing for safety representatives •
Hazards
infections webpages Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: National stress conference,
10 November, Birmingham
The UK National Work Stress Network's 2007 conference will be
on the theme of 'Enforcing the stress management standards.' National
Work Stress Network conference Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Australia:
Substance abuse tests of ‘minimal’ use
An Australian union body has welcomed a new report by a federal
government agency that concludes workplace drug and alcohol tests
are of little use. Brian Boyd, secretary of the Victorian Trades
Hall Council (VTHC), said the report’s finding that “the
advantages of implementing testing regimes for the general working
population could be quite minimal” is “an overdue
piece of commonsense research”. Hazards news, 16 June 2007, See
full story and links
Global:
Move to end to child labour on farms
A new high powered partnership to eliminate child labour in agriculture
was announced this week. Launched during the 2007 International
Labour Conference in Geneva, the partnership brings together UN,
industry and union groups, including the global farm and agriculture
union federation, IUF. IUF
news release and president’s
speech • ILO
news release, video
and transcript and child
labour webpages Hazards news , 16 June 2007
USA: Workers locked in burning store
The owner of a New York supermarket has been accused of violating
city codes after a blaze in which firefighters rescued five workers
who had been locked inside the store and were found in the basement,
huddled, crying and blackened by smoke. The fire, which firefighters
said appeared to have been started by a propane torch, erupted
as the five workers, all believed to be immigrants, were renovating
the Met Foods supermarket in Queens. New
York Times Hazards news , 16 June 2007
Britain: Warning on London Olympics
site risks
The construction union UCATT has warned the construction of the
Olympic Park and venues for the 2012 games could end in tragedy
unless workers are given proper employment rights. The
Guardian Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Thailand: Workers win cotton lung
payouts
An 11-year campaign for compensation for Thai mill workers suffering
‘cotton lung’ has ended in success. The 37 female
workers all suffer from byssinosis, caused by inhaling cotton
dust. Thai
Labour Campaign and background
on the case Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Tesco protest highlights
risk to migrants
GMB members employed by Bakkavör, a Tesco supplier the union
says operates unsafely, staged a demonstration outside the supermarket
giant’s London HQ. The union said the protest followed the
failure of both Tesco and Bakkavör to take action on a health
and safety warning issued by GMB in March. GMB
news release • Hazards
migrants webpage Hazards news, 9 June 2007
France:
Renault suicides cause concern
Three suicides in six months at a French car multinational’s
research centre have highlighted concerns about the intolerable
workplace stress facing overworked staff. The latest suicide at
Renault’s Technocentre followed two deaths in autumn 2006.
Vincent Neveu, the CGT union official covering the group’s
engineering and white collar workers, said: “One figure
probably sums up the situation for staff at this plant better
than anything: the management itself has said that every employee
‘donates’ an average of 40 days’ leave entitlement
each year to the company as they are unable to meet their targets
in the time available.” ITUC
spotlight interview • Hazards
worked to death webpages Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Unite demands protection
for agency workers
The government has been handed a damning union dossier revealing
the abuse and misuse of agency and temporary workers by firms
that are household names. An in-depth survey conducted by Unite’s
Amicus section across manufacturing, finance, construction and
the graphical and media industries found what the union describes
as systematic abuse of agency workers amongst some of the UK's
best known names. Amicus
news release Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Scarred worker gets compensation
payout
A Royal Mail worker who suffered multiple injuries and scarring
in a loading bay fall has received a £15,000 compensation
payout. Michael Cleary, 48, a member of Unite’s Amicus section,
was standing on a scissor lift at Cardiff Mail Centre when he
slipped into a gap between the bridge flap and a TNT lorry, sustaining
injuries to his knee, back, chest and groin. Thompsons
Solicitors news release • Hazards
compensation webpage Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Powertrain workers in legal
victory
More than 20 former Powertrain workers struck down by work-related
breathing difficulties have won the fight to lodge industrial
disease benefit claims. The workers, members of the TGWU section
of Unite, triumphed in a long-running battle to allow sufferers
of extrinsic allergic alveolitis - EAA, also known as hypersensitivity
pneumonitis - to lodge disability claims. Birmingham
Mail • Hazards
compensation webpage Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain:
Union anger at snub for safety reps
The TUC has expressed anger and bewilderment after the Health
and Safety Commission (HSC) this week decided there will be no
new rights for union safety reps. Commenting on the decision,
which was opposed by union commissioners on HSC, a TUC spokesperson
said: “We fail to understand how this decision could be
made in the face of overwhelming support for change expressed
by respondents to the recent consultation exercise, but whatever
the decision, this issue will not go away.” Worker Involvement - Outcome of discussions with Social Partners
- HSC/07/47, paper to HSC meeting, 5 June 2007 [pdf].
Has failure by your employer to consult on risk assessments or
to respond to a safety rep let to injury, ill-health, near miss
or other problem in your workplace? Tell
TUC, in confidence
Are you worth new rights? Hazards
magazine found reps save lives and cash • Hazards
safety reps’ webpages Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Schools weapons searches
introduced
Schools in England now have the power to search pupils for weapons.
The education secretary, Alan Johnson, defended the controversial
new rights which allow school staff to search pupils for knives
without consent, insisting they were “sensible measures.”
NASUWT
news release Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Veteran pleasure boat skipper
killed in attack
A Thames riverboat skipper has been murdered at work on his last
day before retiring. Two City bankers were charged with murdering
the pleasure boat captain, who died after an attack on the evening
of 2 June by a group of drunken passengers. RMT
news release • The
Guardian Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Ministers target employer
abuse of workers
Some of London's vulnerable workers are to be targeted by a government
pilot scheme that aims to uncover abuses by employers and to offer
protection. The scheme, launched on 1 June by Jim Fitzpatrick,
the employment minister, will focus on groups such as cleaners,
security guards, and caretakers who are not getting their full
employment rights. DTI
news release • Hazards
migrants webpages Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Call for gangmaster protection
on sites
Construction unions are calling on MPs to back Labour MP Jim Sheridan's
bid to extend the Gangmasters Licensing Act to the construction
industry. TGWU
news release Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: More crane incidents spell
danger
Concerns about crane safety have been heightened after more serious
incidents. Terry Duxbury, founder of the United Crane Operators'
Association, said: “Something radical has to happen with
the training and we have to learn from incidents at home and abroad.”
Contract
Journal • Battersea
Crane Disaster Action Group Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Europe: New EU chemical law takes
effect (slowly)
Legislation requiring the safety testing of tens of thousands
of chemicals has come into effect across the European Union (EU).
The new European Directive on the Registration, Evaluation and
Authorisation of CHemicals (REACH) came into force on 1 June;
its requirements will be phased in between now and 2018. European
Commission
news release • European Commission
REACH webpages • European
Chemicals Agency. Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Hospital fined for asbestos
risk to staff
A hospital trust has been fined more than £7,000 after admitting
three charges of exposing staff to asbestos. Two workers were
put at risk during the incident at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton,
North Yorkshire, in 2004. Northern
Echo • Hazards
asbestos webpages Hazards news, 9 June 2007
USA: Second implicated BP boss goes
The head of BP's refining operations has quit to take up a job
in Canada, ending a persistent clamour for his resignation since
a fatal explosion ripped through the oil company's Texas City
plant in 2005. John Manzoni’s resignation came just a month
after the confidential BP ‘Bonse’ report was made
public that accused him of failing to perform his duties in the
run-up to the explosion and of engaging in a “simply not
acceptable” standoff with a colleague. The
Guardian • More
news on BP's safety record Hazards news, 9 June 2007
France: Brain tumour link to pesticides
Agricultural workers exposed to high levels of pesticides have
a raised risk of brain tumours, research suggests. All agricultural
workers exposed to pesticides had a slightly elevated brain tumour
risk, the French study found, but the paper published online by
the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine reported the
risk was more than doubled for those exposed to the highest levels.
Dorothée Provost and others. Brain tumours and exposure
to pesticides: a case-control study in, southwestern France,
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, published online 30 May
2007; doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.028100 [abstract]
• BBC
News Online • Hazards
cancer webpages Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain: Staff mental illness 'increasing'
Mental illness is now the second largest reason for UK workers
taking time off, a report suggests, headed only by musculoskeletal
disorders. A study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD) found an increasing amount of sickness leave
is due to depression or stress. CIPD
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Australia: New charter to protect
workers
A new charter of workplace rights that sets out baseline health
and safety and compensation standards has been launched by Australian
national union federation ACTU. ACTU president Sharan Burrow said:
“The health and safety of Australian workers is of paramount
importance to the ACTU and the union movement and this charter
spells out a decent set of minimum standards for workplace rights
that can work in all workplaces across Australia.” ACTU
news release • ACTU occupational health and safety
workplace rights charter [pdf]
• ABC
News Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Europe: EU-wide campaign to end strains
A European Union-wide campaign to tackle workplace strains has
been launched by the European Commission. Up to a quarter of the
workforce suffers with back pain, the commision said, and the
situation risks worsening with the aging of the workforce. European
Agency news release, Euroweek
2007 webpages and infopack Hazards news, 9 June 2007
Britain:
Newsquest journalists ‘not safe in their hands’
A multinational media giant making soaring profits is slashing
jobs at its Scottish titles and putting its staff at risk, journalists’
union NUJ has warned. Newsquest - the British arm of the US conglomerate
Gannett – has made brutal job cuts and has ripped up agreements.
NUJ
news release • Sign
the petition online Hazards news, 2 June 2007
USA: Toyota
puts health on the line
Workers at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, gather on
Wednesdays between shifts to shape a battle plan. The United Auto
Workers union (UAW) has launched a big new push to organise the
plant, amid concerns about lower pay, outsourcing of jobs and
the treatment of injured workers. UAW Toyota
campaign Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: TUC enquiry into vulnerable
workers
Top business and community leaders have joined a TUC commission
to investigate vulnerable working in the UK. The Commission on
Vulnerable Employment (CoVE), will investigate the extent of workplace
exploitation and consider improvements to the enforcement regime
and legal protection available for vulnerable staff. TUC
news release • TUC
Commission on Vulnerable Employment • Hazards
migrant workers’ webpages Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Europe:
Migrants get worse jobs
A report last week from the Dublin-based Eurofound thinktank said
Europe’s migrant workers are more likely than non-migrants
to suffer unhealthy conditions at work, to work longer hours,
and to perform shift work, night work, and weekend work. Eurofound
news release • Employment
and working conditions of migrant workers Eurofound, May 2007
•
Hazards migrant workers’ webpages Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Banana firm shows need for
action
Unions say revelations that a leading supplier of fair trade fruit
has exploited Eastern European migrant workers in the UK proves
the case for improved employment protection for vulnerable workers.
Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, said: “It
is remarkable that now concerned GPs are reporting the health
impact of these exploitative working conditions on their patients.”
BBC
News Online • TUC
news release • Hazards migrant
workers’ webpages Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: MPs support union on Thames
safety
Maritime union RMT has welcomed a report by MPs which recommends
the introduction of a contentious new boatmaster’s licence
be suspended. The union has called on the government to act on
the recommendation of the Transport Select Committee. RMT
news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Australia:
Qantas in chrome cancer payout
Australian airline Qantas could face tens of millions of dollars
in compensation after a dying aircraft maintenance worker was
awarded almost Aus$1 million (£0.41m) for lung cancer he
contracted after working for the airline. Sheet metal worker Philip
Johnson, who worked at the airline's Sydney Airport base between
1971 and 1991, was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, the
condition deemed to have been caused by the inhalation of hexavalent
chromium, a known cause of occupational cancer. The
Daily Telegraph • Global
union cancer campaign Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Shipyard worker in £1m
asbestos payout
A former Tyneside shipyard worker has been awarded almost £1m
damages after developing a deadly asbestos-related lung cancer.
GMB member Raymond Shanks, 59, sued Newcastle-based Swan Hunter,
where he worked as an electrician for four years from 1965. GMB
news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Asbestos cancer from nuclear
sub work
A former electrician's mate who worked on the UK's first nuclear
submarine has been awarded a six-figure sum in cancer compensation.
Ken McDonald, 67, developed mesothelioma after being exposed to
asbestos while working at Vickers shipyard in Barrow. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: RMT warning on rail smash
‘scapegoating’
Rail union RMT has warned that Network Rail could face industrial
action if workers are denied bonus payments over the Grayrigg
accident in Cumbria in which an elderly passenger died. Network
Rail said it had cut the annual bonuses paid to its senior executives
after it took the blame for the fatal crash in Cumbria earlier
this year - however, the infrastructure operator also cut staff
bonuses to all employees, with those working in the vicinity of
Grayrigg hit hardest. RMT
news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
South Africa: Poisoned worker fights
for justice
A brain-damaged factory worker who was poisoned by toxic manganese
fumes has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights
Commission after his company attempted to fire him “via
the back door.” The complaint has been lodged on behalf
of Brian Anderson, a 51-year-old foreman at the Assmang ferromanganese
smelter at Cato Ridge who was diagnosed with manganism - a crippling,
job-related neurological sickness which causes Parkinson’s
disease type symptoms - in January 2006. Independent
Online Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Redundant worker receives
ligament support
A GMB member has secured substantial compensation in a case settled
on the court steps. The damages were agreed following an incident
at work which left Mark Stewart with a ruptured knee ligament;
the injury affected his future working capacity and he was made
redundant by the firm on 27 May. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
China:
Mining safety clampdown a sham
A high profile government commitment to make China’s negligent
mine employers pay for their crimes is having little impact in
reality. An investigation by China’s top legal watchdog,
the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), into the treatment of
officials involved in mining disasters revealed 95.6 per cent
of all officials charged with dereliction of duty or abuse of
power were either given a suspended sentence or received no punishment
at all. China
Labour Bulletin Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Europe: New study links pesticides
to Parkinson's
Exposure to pesticides could lead to an increased risk of contracting
Parkinson's disease with the risks substantially higher in those
occupationally exposed, a study has found. Those who had been
exposed to high levels of pesticides, such as farmers, were 1.41
times as likely to be affected, according to the findings.
• Finlay Dick and others. Environmental risk factors
for Parkinson’s disease and Parkinsonism: the Geoparkinson
study; Occupational and Environmental Medicine, published
online 30 May 2007; doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.027003 [abstract]
• Do you know of anyone who might have developed parkinsonism
that could have been caused by workplace exposure to pesticides,
organic solvents or heavy metals, for example manganese? Hazards
magazine would like to hear details, in confidence Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Switzerland: Magnetic fields linked
to rail cancers
Railway workers exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields
have an elevated risk of certain blood cancers, new study findings
suggest. In a study of more than 20,000 Swiss railway workers
who were followed for 30 years, researchers found that certain
workers' risk of myeloid leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma climbed
in tandem with their exposure to these fields, with train drivers
most at risk.
Dr Martiin Röösli and others. Leukaemia, brain tumours
and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: cohort
of Swiss railway employees, Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, published online 24 May 2007; doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.030270
[abstract]
• Hazards
prevent work cancer kit Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Doctor gets ‘industrial’
asbestos cancer
Hospital consultant Andrew Lawson was diagnosed with the asbestos
cancer pulmonary mesothelioma three weeks ago, a condition increasingly
reported in hospital workers. Writing in the Times, he said: “It
seems that there may have been a lot of asbestos in the tunnels
at Guy’s hospital where I spent six years training,”
adding: “One wonders how many of my contemporaries will
get the same disease?” The
Times Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Oil firm is fined for 'foreseeable'
death
An oil company has been fined £110,000 after a Scottish
worker was killed on a drilling ship in the North Sea. Derrick
Love, 34, from Tayside, died instantly when he was hit by a heavy
piece of equipment, known as a mandrel unit, while working on
MSV Seawell in the Shell Gannet Field 100 miles off the coast
of Aberdeen. HSE
news release Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: No inquest into fireball
death
The mother of a steeplejack who died in a chimney inferno has
been told there will be no inquest into her son's death. Craig
Whelan, 23, was working inside a metal chimney at the Carnaud
Metal Box plant in Westhoughton, Bolton, when there was an explosion.
Manchester
Evening News • Families
Against Corporate Killers (Fack) Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Rogue tunnellers undermine
safety
Construction sites are under threat from rogue companies lacking
the proper equipment or insurance, an industry insider has warned.
John Kevin Lennon, managing director of civil engineering and
tunnel contractor JKL Leeds, said he is increasingly concerned
that firms are winning work to connect new developments to sewers
via a tunnel with a timber heading even though they lack the correct
insurance, equipment, experience and personal protective equipment
(PPE) for workers. Contract
Journal Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Global:
Workers are damaged by job cuts
Workplace restructuring and job losses have a serious effect on
the health and well-being of workers, a top academic has concluded.
In a paper for Australia’s National Research Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Professor Michael Quinlan
said international evidence has linked downsizing and organisational
restructuring to poorer mental health outcomes, bullying, and
other forms of occupational violence and concluded that regulators,
employers and unions have failed to respond adequately to “substantial
if not compelling evidence that downsizing and organisational
restructuring pose a serious risk the physical and mental health
and wellbeing of workers.”
• Michael Quinlan. Organisational restructuring/ downsizing,
OHS regulation and worker health and wellbeing, National
Research Centre for OHS Regulation, Working Paper 52, 2007
[pdf]
•
OHS Reps newsletter Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Britain: Work stress ‘harms
nurses' sex lives’
Most nurses suffer stress-related ill-health and almost half feel
their sex lives are damaged by the emotional stress of their job,
a poll suggests. Nursing Times magazine surveyed almost 2,000
nurses, and found 70 per cent said they suffered from physical
or mental health problems linked to work-related stress, 44 per
cent said their sex life was suffering as a result and a quarter
said they had started drinking more. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Australia:
Caring hurts nurses’ feet
Nurses could face an ‘epidemic’ of foot problems,
a podiatric researcher has warned. Queensland University of Technology
lecturer Lloyd Reed said foot problems are widespread among Australian
nurses and are likely to worsen as the nursing workforce ages
and spends more time on its feet. NSW
Nurses’ Association • Standing
hazards news and resources Hazards news, 2 June 2007
Hazards,
the union health and safety magazine
A magazine supported by unions, providing resources for grassroots
safety reps and costing next to nothing sounds like a big ask.
And it is - that’s why worldwide Hazards magazine is unique.
Hazards
magazine • Subscription
details • Telephone 0114 201 4265 or email Hazards
• Try
the Hazards health and safety crossword Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain:
Radiographers map out work problems
Radiographers’ union SoR is urging its members to start
mapping their work-related aches and pains. A new guidance document
from the healthcare union is encouraging its safety representatives
to take up body mapping. Body mapping: A resource for SoR health and safety representatives
[pdf] • Hazards workplace
tools and do-it-yourself
health and safety studies webpages Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Japan: Work stress payouts hit new
record
A record 205 individuals qualified for workers' compensation insurance
in the 2006 fiscal year after being diagnosed with depression
and other psychological disorders brought about by work-related
stress, Japan’s health ministry has said. The figure is
61 per cent up on the previous year. International
Herald Tribune • Hazards
worked to death webpages Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Snitch plans could create
“grave dangers”
A plan to require council staff, charity workers and doctors to
tip off police about anyone they believe could commit a violent
crime could leave staff in “grave danger,” the union
GMB has warned. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 26 May 2007
China: Workplace deaths spur official
action
The Chinese authorities have launched a crackdown on deadly accidents
in mines, factories and building sites, with demands that officials
and managers do more to stem the tide of injury and death accompanying
the nation's economic boom. Inspectors will seek to correct safety
lapses in the most lethal industries, including mines, metals,
chemicals and construction, said the office of the State Council.
The
Standard Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Unions set the limit on work
temperature
As the Met Office continues to promise scorching summer temperatures,
unions are getting in early with some cool advice. Train drivers
union ASLEF is advising its members to refuse on safety grounds
to work in train cabs where the heat levels rise above 27°C;
teaching union NUT is calling for a lower temperature ceiling,
a new guide advising “that 26°C should be the absolute
maximum temperature in which teachers should be expected to work,
other than for very short periods.” ASLEF
news release • High
classroom temperatures NUT health and safety briefing
[pdf] Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain:
NUT pushes asbestos action in schools
Teaching union NUT is calling for action to remove asbestos from
schools. The NUT circular says: “The purpose of this guidance
is to support the work of divisions and associations in terms
of seeking to bring about the removal of asbestos from all schools
which contain it.” NUT
health and safety factsheets Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Unite tribunal victory for
agency workers
Thousands of agency workers will now be entitled to greater employment
rights following a tribunal win by the union Unite. The case pursued
by the union’s TGWU section ended in victory when an Employment
Appeals Tribunal (EAT) ruled in favour of a group of Polish workers
in the food processing industry, saying they should be considered
employees rather than self-employed. Unite
news release Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Ministers warned of cyberbullying
distress
A five day cyberbullying reporting scheme introduced by teaching
union NASUWT has identified how it is taking a serious toll on
teachers’ self-esteem and even health. NASUWT
news release Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain:
Union report diagnoses a sick hospital
A GMB health and safety inspection report has revealed administration
and clerical staff working at an award winning hospital are being
made sick by “unacceptable conditions.” The report,
which has been submitted to hospital bosses, says staff at Queen's
Hospital in Romford, part of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge
Hospitals NHS Trust, are suffering from dry skin, dry and cracked
lips, dry and gritty eyes, tiredness and headaches. GMB
news release • Hazards
workstation safety assessments guide Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Work killing law under threat
A political stalemate risks jeopardising passage of Britain’s
corporate killing law, as a final deadline for agreement draws
close. On 22 May, the proposed law received a serious setback
when the government was defeated in the Lords over plans to exclude
prisons from its Corporate Manslaughter Bill. BBC
News Online • Hazards
deadly business webpages Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Brown told to act on workplace
safety
Gordon Brown must act to improve workplace health and safety when
he becomes Labour leader and prime minister, a leading union safety
adviser has said. Dave Feickert says safety improvements in Britain
have stalled, enforcement is being undermined and the important
additional contribution that could be played by union safety reps
is being ignored. Compass
Online Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Firms want work pain solutions
on hand
Workers should be able to get medical treatment close to workplaces
as part of a major attack on sickness absence levels, according
to employer groups. A news report on the Personnel Today website
says manufacturers’ body EEF has urged the government to
pump resources into getting people back to work quickly. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Driver contracts killer bug
working abroad
A lorry driver from Warrington who had been working across France
and Spain, was admitted to hospital on his return to the UK after
contracting Legionnaires’ disease whilst working abroad.
Philip Barlow, 43, had arrived back in the UK on 28 September
2006 after working for the company Trial-Out delivering frozen
foods on the continent. Irwin
Mitchell news release Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Iraq: Call for safety audit of Iraqi
airports
Global transport union federation ITF is demanding a safety audit
be carried out at two Iraqi airports following reports that poor
safety measures are putting workers’ lives in jeopardy.
ITF
news release Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Safety officers back smarter
working
Safety officers’ organisation IOSH has joined TUC, employers’
organisations, charities and firms in backing Work Wise UK, a
five-year initiative aiming to bring about a fundamental change
in working practices in the UK. IOSH said it is supporting Work
Wise UK because of the occupational health benefits of the widespread
adoption of these new smarter working practices. IOSH
news release • Work
Wise UK webpage Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Young worker in ladder fall
horror
A teenage worker fell 20 feet to his death from a ladder which
a health and safety inspector described as the worst he had ever
seen. Peter Evans, aged 18, fell head first onto a concrete patio
and died the next day from extensive head injuries. The
Bolton News • Hazards
young workers news and resources Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Cancers killed rubber worker
A 43-year-old man who inhaled dangerous chemicals whilst working
in the rubber industry died from a form of cancer only usually
seen in pensioners, an inquest has heard. Timothy Kirkby died
at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary on 20 July last year; he had cancer
in a kidney and in his bladder and urethra. Burton
Mail • Global
union prevent cancer campaign Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain:
Last push for asbestos drug approval
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is soon
to announce its recommendation on NHS availability of the mesothelioma
drug Alimta; it is anticipated that NICE will say authorisation
should be refused. Michael Clapham MP has introduced an early
day motion (EDM) calling on NICE to rethink its approach and on
the government to “acknowledge that, in this case, she has
a wider social responsibility that goes beyond the NICE definition
of cost-effectiveness.” Check
to see if your MP is signed up to Mesothelioma and access to Alimta,
EDM 2848 • Find
your MP - you just need to know your postcode Hazards news, 26 May 2007
Britain: Chain gangs working on the
railways
Serving prisoners are being used to carry out “heavy lifting”
maintenance work on Britain's railways, Network Rail has confirmed.
Union boss Bob Crow reacted angrily, accusing the firm of deviousness
and likening the practice to the US chain gangs of the 1950s.
RMT
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 19 May 2007
South
Africa: Move to intensify inspections at work
South African workplaces need more and better inspections and
greater input from unions if their poor safety record is to be
improved, the country’s top labour official has said. Department
of Labour director general Vanguard Mkosana warned employers that
the department is to intensify inspections of workplace law compliance
throughout the year. South
Africa Department of Labour news release • Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain: Bosses and HSE must do better
Employers and the government's own safety watchdog should do more
to support health and safety representatives, unions in the south
west of England have warned. The alert comes after a survey of
unions conducted by Hazards magazine concluded the top problem
facing union safety reps is getting employers to act on safety
concerns. Bath
Chronicle • Safety
repressed: Safety reps save lives and cash, so why doesn't HSE
give them more time?, Hazards magazine, issue 97, 2007 •
Hazards
safety reps webpages Hazards news, 19 May 2007
South Africa: Benzene ‘harms
refinery staff’
A study at a fuel refinery in South Africa has found that benzene
in petroleum causes high levels of DNA damage in refinery workers,
distribution workers, tank drivers and office staff alike. The
Wits School of Public Health study found that continued exposure
of workers to the known workplace carcinogen reduced the ability
of their bodies to repair the damage to DNA, the body’s
genetic code. Business
Day • Hazards
cancer prevention news and resources Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: UNISON action call on work
smoking
With fewer than 50 days to go until England introduces a ban on
smoking in public places, public sector union UNISON is offering
advice to employers on how best to go about it. UNISON
news release • Hazards
smoking webpages Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Global:
Moves to tackle toxic wood boards
Wood-based boards that can lead to workplace exposures to a mix
of two known carcinogens pose an unacceptable risk, campaigners
have warned. Australian construction union CFMEU says it may consider
a ban on imports of MDF - medium density fibreboard – because
of concerns about formaldehyde risks, while California legislators
have introduced laws limiting the amount of the toxin in the boards.
CFMEU
construction safety newsletter - [pdf]
• US
formaldehyde-free campaign • Hazards/Global
union cancer prevention campaign Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Schools failing to take safety
seriously
Teaching union NASUWT has written to the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) and the National Governors Association (NGA) highlighting
serious concerns about the apparent failure of some schools to
take health and safety issues seriously. NASUWT
news release Hazards news, 19 May 2007
USA: Move towards workplace gene screen
ban
A bill that would prohibit genetic discrimination against people,
for instance not hiring or insuring someone predisposed to a given
illness, has won overwhelming approval in the US House of Representatives.
The measure now goes to the Senate, which has consistently supported
this type of legislation.
Genetic non-discrimination in employment: A comparison of Title
II Provisions in S. 358 and H.R. 493, 110th Congress, 2 May 2007
[pdf]
• US
National Human Genome Research Institute • Hazards
genetic screening webpages Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Fines for school asbestos
blunders
Derby City Council has been fined £50,000 with costs of
£20,000 after admitting asbestos safety breaches. The Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution followed an incident when
a Mickleover school was closed for several weeks after asbestos
was disturbed during window replacement work, exposing staff and
pupils; both the council and the contractor were aware of the
presence of asbestos, but failed to take appropriate precautions BBC
News Online Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain:
Directors consult on directors’ duties
Top bosses organisation the Institute of Directors (IoD) has launched
a consultation on new guidance spelling out the safety role of
company directors. In parallel with this process, TUC and unions
are continuing their campaign for new legally binding safety duties
on company directors. Directors'
Duties on Health and Safety at Work - A public consultation by
the Institute of Directors • Draft IoD guidance [pdf] Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain:
Balfour Beatty machine mended with string
Rail track manufacturer Balfour Beatty Rail Track Systems has
been fined £6,000 for not maintaining machinery. The firm
admitted the charge at Ilkeston Magistrates' Court. The court
heard powerful machinery used to transport sheets of steel had
been adapted using a piece of string. Nottingham
Evening Post Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Costa
Rica: Support Costa Rica’s banana workers!
Two workers employed on a banana plantation supplying the multinational
Chiquita have been fired after raising serious safety concerns.
The sackings came after an incident where field workers employed
by Compañia Bananera Atlántica Limitada (COBAL),
a Chiquita subsidiary, on the Coyol plantation in Costa Rica,
were sprayed with a highly toxic pesticide and poisoned. Take action! Email Marco
Latouche, Director of Labour Relations, Chiquita Brands
International, copying your letter to Banana
Link • A draft
letter is on the Banana
Link website Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Haulage firm fined after
driver is crushed
A haulage firm has been fined £30,000 for failing to protect
an employee who was killed while unloading heavy steel beams.
Nicholas McKellar, 45, was crushed when one of the beams, weighing
almost 1000kg, fell on him in October 2005. Glasgow
Herald Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Company fined over worker's
death
An electrical contractor has been fined £100,000 after an
employee died when he was electrocuted while fitting wiring in
a building society refurbishment. Barry Martin, 28, suffered a
shock to the head when a colleague mistakenly turned on the power
in June 2003. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Firm pays for ignoring enforcement
notices
A defunct construction firm has been fined £6,000 after
failing to comply with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) improvement
notices. Harry Kindred (Newcastle) Ltd, which is now in receivership,
pleaded guilty to four breaches of health and safety law. Risks
306, 19 May 2007 Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Police withdraw bikes after
death crash
Scottish police forces have taken a number of motorcycles out
of service after the death of an officer in a crash in England.
Merseyside Police motorcyclist David Shreeve was crushed under
a lorry after falling from his Honda ST 1300A; an inquest found
he crashed after his bike began shaking violently as he reached
about 110mph. ACPO
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Cameron u-turn on construction
law
Conservative leader David Cameron has done a u-turn on his opposition
to regulations that could play a key role in improving health
and safety in the construction industry. The move came after his
Early Day Motion calling for the Construction (Design Management)
(CDM) Regulations 2007 to be annulled attracted just 12 signatures
from MPs. IOSH
news release Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: New NHS workplace health
resources
Businesses in five areas across the country are to benefit from
NHS advice and support to improve the physical, mental and social
well-being of their staff, health minister Rosie Winterton has
said. The five new demonstration projects located in Yorkshire,
Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, London and Hampshire, will share
£10m of capital funding to provide better quality occupational
health services for local businesses. Department
of Health news release • Hazards
work and health webpages Hazards news, 19 May 2007
Britain: Car union in offer to cancer
families
Union leaders want to meet grieving families of men who died of
cancer contracted while working at Southampton's Ford factory.
The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) has offered to
support relatives if they take legal action, after an investigation
by local paper the Daily Echo revealed 21 cases of oesophageal
cancer among workers at the Swaythling factory - more than three
times the number of cases investigated in an independent study
commissioned by Ford. Daily
Echo • Work
Cancer Prevention Kit, including guide to combating
the top
10 workplace cancer concerns Hazards news, 12 May 2007
USA: Lung
ailment linked to Trade Center collapse
A clinical study has made a clear link between World Trade Center
dust and serious and sometimes fatal diseases. US doctors have
found that the number of New York City rescue and recovery workers
with a rare type of lung-scarring condition soared in the year
after the trade center collapsed in the 11 September 2001 attack,
with workers developing sarcoidosis, a debilitating illness in
which the lungs and other organs develop inflammation that produces
lumps of cells, called granulomas.
Gabriel Izbicki and others. World Trade Center “Sarcoid-like”
Granulomatous Pulmonary Disease in New York City Fire Department
rescue workers, Chest, volume 131, pages 1414-1423, 2007
[abstract]
Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: UCATT demands better asbestos
treatment
Construction union UCATT is demanding official approval for a
drug experts say is the best treatment for people with the asbestos
cancer mesothelioma. The National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE) has indicated that it will advise that the chemotherapy
drug Alimta should not be used The
Observer • Daily
Mail • Action
Mesothelioma Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Union wins hearing damage
payout
A worker from Goole, Humberside, who is suffering two debilitating
health problems caused by exposure to excessive noise at work
has received a £4,000 compensation settlement. Malcolm Goddard,
60, a member of Unite’s Amicus section and former Corus
employee, suffers from severe occupational deafness and tinnitus,
a ringing in the ears. Thompsons
Solicitors news release Hazards news, 12 May 2007
France:
Chemical firm liable for kidney cancers
The world’s third largest animal feed supplement producer
has been found liable for kidney cancers suffered by its staff.
A social security tribunal in Moulin, France ruled in April that
Adisseo had been grossly negligent and ordered the company to
pay out compensation of 50,000 to 60,000 euros (£34,000-41,000)
to each of nine current or former workers suffering from kidney
cancer. ETUI-REHS
news report Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Poll reveals firefighters’
safety fears
Firefighters’ union FBU has called on the government to
scrap plans to close 46 emergency call centres, saying the move
could endanger the safety of its members and the general public.
BBC
News Online Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Concern over immigration
centre staff cuts
A private contractor’s plan to slash staffing at a high
profile immigration detention centre could jeopardise the safety
of staff and detainees, the union GMB has warned. Serco announced
this month that it plans to cut over 54 per cent of the staff
working at the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire.
GMB
news release Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Community raises the alarm
for safety
A union has demonstrated the safety protection unions can offer,
even when the employer refuses formal union recognition. Workers
in Betfred betting shops were concerned when the company switched
off emergency alarms’ Community contacted the company and
made sure that these were switched straight back on. Community
news release and betting
shop campaign • Hazards
organising news and resources Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain:
Unite calls for action on enforcement
A dramatic increase in workplace deaths shows the need for more
resources for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and a reversal
in the downward trend in enforcement, Britain’s biggest
union has said. Unite, the union formed this month from the merger
of TGWU and Amicus, made the call after latest provisional figures
showed workplace fatalities in the construction industry increased
last year by over 30 per cent, a figure it suggests HSE has attempted
to cover up. Amicus
news release • CCA
news release including text of the HSE internal memo •
HSE
news release • Hazards
enforcement webpages and ‘HSE
is broke’ feature which first revealed HSE chief executive
Geoffrey Podger’s concern about the prosecutions shortfall Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Rail union slams lack of
action on safety
Rail chiefs have failed to tackle a maintenance deficiency and
shortcuts since the fatal train derailment at Grayrigg in Cumbria,
rail union RMT has warned. The
Cumberland News • RMT
news release Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Canada: Ontario tackles firefighting cancers
Firefighters deserve compensation for fire-related illnesses and
the Ontario government is working to ensure they get the help
they need, provincial premier Dalton McGuinty has said. The proposed
amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act in Canada’s
most populous province would allow the government to make regulations
affecting Ontario's firefighters that would identify eight types
of cancer as presumed to be work-related and would include heart
attacks as presumed to be work-related if they occur within 24
hours of a fire. Ontario
Office of the Premier news release • Hazards
cancer prevention resources Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: TUC raises skin problems
Employers are showing a “shameful” lack of concern
for the health of their employees, the TUC had said. TUC general
secretary Brendan Barber spoke out following new advice from the
official safety watchdog that thousands of workers are still affected
by a painful skin conditions caused by coming into contact with
harmful substances at work. Personnel
Today Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Canada:
Farmworker rights just a first step
A campaign for farmworker safety in the Canadian province of British
Columbia has secured important new legal rights. Unions however
say farmworkers are still treated like second class citizens,
and are demanding a comprehensive reform of employment protection
in agriculture. BC
Ministry of Labour news release • BC
Federation of Labour news release Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: BP faces further safety attacks
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has ordered BP to improve
safety on its North Sea oil and gas installations, issuing 14
notices to the energy group in the past year. So far the stipulations
in 10 of the notices have been met. Offshore union Unite said
it was not surprised, given BP's safety record, that it had received
so many improvement notices. The
Guardian Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Global:
Good riddance to Lord Browne
When BP chair Peter Sutherland said it was “a tragedy”
that BP boss Lord Browne – implicated in the 15 deaths at
the March 2005 Texas City explosion - “should be compelled
by his sense of honour to resign in these painful circumstances,”
it caused considerable comment in the US. Houston Chronicle business
columnist Loren Steffy said: “A tragedy? No, that would
have been more than two years ago in Texas City. Where was Browne’s
sense of honour then?”
BP news releases on
Houston Chronicle • Confined
Space@TPH • AFL-CIO
Now • Hazards
webpages on BP’s safety record Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Firm shows contempt for safety
and staff
A Hexham store has sunk to a new low in abusing both safety procedures
and its staff in one alarming blow. Employees of the historic
Robbs department store learned that they were being made redundant
after responding to a fire alarm. BBC
News Online Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Council safety experts axed
despite deaths
A union has condemned a London council’s decision to axe
crucial workplace safety posts while still under investigation
followed two fatalities in four months. Almost half of Camden
Council's health and safety advisers are to go, with a team of
nine health and safety experts pared back to just five. Tottenham
Journal • Hazards
deadly business webpages Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Site firms must communicate
warns HSE
Contractors and sub-contractors on construction sites must talk
to each other or risk prosecutions for the firm and serious injuries
for their staff. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warning
followed the prosecution last week of three construction companies
after an employee was very seriously injured. HSE
news release Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: TUC backs call for action
on epilepsy
The TUC is backing a campaign to end workplace discrimination
against people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Action has criticised the
outdated attitudes of those UK employers who continue to discriminate
against people with epilepsy, as part of a campaign launched to
mark National Epilepsy Week, which runs from 20-26 May. National
Epilepsy Week, 20-26 May Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Britain: Bar staff 'should wear ear
plugs'
Campaigners have attacked the music and entertainment industry
for not preparing measures to protect the hearing of bar and club
workers. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People RNID) said
staff working where loud music was played should get ear plugs.
RNID
news release • BBC
News Online Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Global:
Excess baggage in civil aviation
A book based on groundbreaking research on the working conditions
of airport check-in workers in two countries – Canada and
Switzerland - concludes behind the glamour is a job made barely
survivable by changes in work organisation that have de-skilled,
disempowered, and ultimately demoralised workers. Ellen Rosskam,
the author of ‘Excess baggage: Levelling the load and changing
the workplace’ explores the psychological distress, physical
pain from musculoskeletal disorders, strain, and violence that
check-in workers experience. Excess baggage: Leveling the load and changing the workplace,
Ellen Rosskam. Baywood
Publishing Company, Inc. Hazards news, 12 May 2007
Global:
Unions say ‘Don’t work with killer chemicals’
Union organisations are demanding an end to the lax safety procedures
that mean millions of workers are being routinely and needlessly
exposed to industrial quantities of deadly substances, with many
thousands dying each year as a result. Workers are being advised
against working with unfamiliar workplace substances, unless a
full assessment of the risks has been undertaken and safe working
practices are in place. Hazards news, 27 April 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 21 April 2007
Global:
Groups reject ‘voluntary’ nano checks
The environmental and occupational risks posed by exposure to
nano products must not be subject to only voluntary controls,
a broad-based coalition has warned. The national and international
trade union and civil society groups last week issued a joint
public statement condemning efforts by DuPont Chemical Company
and the influential US Environmental Defense (ED, formerly Environmental
Defense Fund) to promote a voluntary “risk assessment”
framework for nanotechnology. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
IUF news
release and full text of letter [pdf]
• Hazards
nanotech webpages
Britain:
HSE union asks ‘who will enforce new rules?’
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) union Prospect has raised serious
questions about the resource-depleted watchdog’s ability
to enforce the new construction safety regulations. It says HSE,
the body responsible for inspecting workplaces, is already reeling
from massive job cuts and faces a further drive to find 15 per
cent cost savings over the next three years. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
Hazards
enforcement webpages
USA:
Unions win action on cement health risks
A union legal challenge has won stricter controls on cancer and
other risks posed by a constituent of portland cement. The ubiquitous
site material, which contains hexavalent chromium (chrome 6),
a known carcinogen and powerful allergen, had been excluded from
the official chrome 6 standard. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
BCTD news
release and full text of the settlement agreement [pdf]
• AFL-CIO
Now • Hazards
cancer webpages
Britain:
Corporate killing action call
Trades unionists have accused Scotland’s political parties
of a lack of action on corporate killing. STUC general secretary
Grahame Smith said levels of workplace injuries and deaths continued
to be unacceptable, and backed the Scottish launch of Families
Against Corporate Killers (Fack). Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
Fack
website• Hazards
deadly business webpages
Nicaragua/USA:
Pesticide company settles sterility case
A Southern California chemical company has agreed to pay $300,000
(£150,000) to Nicaraguan field workers who filed a lawsuit
alleging one of the firm's pesticides caused them to become sterile.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs announced the settlement with Amvac
Chemical Corp during a 15 April rally in Chinandega, Nicaragua.
Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
Inquiry into nuclear staff body parts removal
An independent investigation has been ordered by the government
after union discovered that nuclear workers who died in the 1960s
and 1970s had parts of their bodies removed for medical examination
without the knowledge or permission of their families. The inquiry,
to be led by Michael Redfern QC, was announced by trade and industry
secretary Alistair Darling in the Commons on 18 April. Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
School bosses must pay for safety breaches
School bosses must pay where they fail to observe legal safety
duties, teaching union NASUWT has said. Commenting on the publication
of two NASUWT survey reports on health and safety in schools and
colleges, the union’s general secretary Chris Keates said
they “confirm that too many employers are flouting their
legal responsibilities to protect the health, safety and welfare
of staff.” Risks 302, 21 April 2007
USA:
Work cancer studies underestimate real risks
A study of cancer risk in workers exposed to metalworking fluids
suggests common study approaches systematically under-estimate
the true extent of the problem. Harvard University researchers
say failure to take adequate account of the time lag between exposure
and development of an occupational cancer – the latency
period – means a significant proportion of work-related
cancers can be missed. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
Hazards work and cancer webpages
and Work
cancer prevention kit • IMF
cancer webpages
Britain:
Councils must ensure sites are safe
Construction union UCATT has urged councils to improve safety
on major construction and regeneration schemes, after the inquest
into the death of scaffolder Ralph “Barney” Kennedy
who was electrocuted in September 2006. Tony O’Brien, secretary
of the Construction Safety Campaign, which joined family members
outside a St Pancras Magistrate’s Court inquest this week
into Barney Kennedy’s death, which returned an open verdict
on 17 April, said: “Barney’s death is another statistic
in the year where we see a massive 30 per cent increase in the
numbers of construction workers killed at work - up from 59 to
78.” Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
Joint bid to combat abuse of Tesco staff
Retail union Usdaw and Tesco have joined forces to combat abusive
shoppers. Under the initiative, posters will be put up in every
store warning abusive customers that staff have the right to work
in a safe environment. Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
Childhood exposure caused asbestos disease
A woman exposed to asbestos when she played as a child in the
basement of a London council flat has received a six-figure payout
after developing the incurable cancer mesothelioma. As a teenager
Cheryl Marsh, 49, played in the boiler rooms in the basement of
her parent's council flat in the Brecknock Estate, Islington. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
Hazards
asbestos webpages
Britain:
Ignore HSE enforcement notice and pay
A company director and a building firm have become the latest
to receive safety penalties for ignoring HSE enforcement notices.
Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Australia:
Safety suffers after government attack
Industrial relations reforms in Australia have resulted in widespread
breaches of occupational health and safety law, official figures
shows. Almost a third (30 per cent) of all Australian Workplace
Agreements (AWAs) – individual contracts introduced by the
right-wing Howard government in a bid to undermine unions –
allow workers no rest breaks during their scheduled hours of work.
Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
BP investors turn on Browne over pay package
BP investors have approved a pay report which guarantees a multi-million
pound payout to beleaguered chief executive Lord Browne –
despite a substantial shareholders’ revolt over a string
of safety and environmental blunders which had lead to deaths
and an enormous financial and reputational cost to the company.
Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
Find out more
about BP’s safety record.
China:
Labourers dying in race for Olympic deadline
Labourers from poor rural areas of China, some in their teens
and often lacking the most basic safety equipment, are working
seven day weeks for less than £20 to complete the facilities
for next year's Beijing Olympics. Six workers were killed late
last month on an Olympics project, the construction of a subway
tunnel, with the state-owned company accused of attempting a cover
up. Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
Working flat out and feeling fed up
Millions of UK workers are likely to be suffering from depression
and panic attacks because they are so stressed out by their jobs.
This is one of the key findings of the latest 24-7 survey - a
national research project conducted by the Work Life Balance Centre
and the universities of Keele, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Risks 302, 21 April 2007
Britain:
Seminar on the US 9/11 attacks, London, 24 April
Jonathan Bennett was in New York City when the World Trade Center
was attacked on 11 September 2001; he was there when the federal,
state and city governments reassured New Yorkers that the air
was fit to breathe and that it was business as usual. Now, Jonathan
Bennett is in the UK and will tell Londoners at a lunchtime seminar
on 24 April what was really in the air in the hours, days and
weeks after the buildings were destroyed. Risks 302, 21 April 2007 •
NYCOSH website
LATEST NEWS
Hazards
news , 7 April 2007
Britain:
Union concern as work deaths soar
A dramatic increase in workplace fatalities has led to a union
call for more safety reps and for harsher penalties on deadly
employers. The call comes after Risks revealed last week that
124 workers had died in the six months from April to September
2006. Risks 301, 7 April 2007 •
Hazards deadly
business and enforcement
webpages
USA:
OSHA digs a hole for its deregulation push
A US law designed to make removal of protective legislation easier
has instead proven that safety laws do in fact save lives. A US
Department of Labor safety watchdog OSHA evaluation of the impact
of the construction standard on excavations and found it had “reduced
deaths from approximately 90 per year to 70 per year” while
“overall construction industry activity when adjusted for
inflation has increased 20 per cent,” said assistant secretary
of labor for OSHA Edwin G Foulke Jr.
Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain: HSE ‘failure’ on consultation angers unions
The decision by the government’s safety watchdog not to
recommend a duty on employers to consult with safety reps has
been condemned by the unions TGWU and Amicus. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
• Hazardsenforcementwebpages
Australia:
Asbestos cancer deaths under-estimated
A deadly asbestos cancer sparked by exposure to asbestos will
strike far more Australians and peak years later than first predicted,
a new report has concluded. The study by Dr Mark Clements, from
the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, predicts
that 6,430 cases of the fatal disease would be recorded over that
period, and it won't peak until as late as 2017. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Australia:
Suicide blamed on job burnout
The family of a young Australian call centre worker wants to sue
telecommunications giant Telstra for allegedly contributing to
her suicide. Sally Sandic, 21, took her life in January this year
after months of mounting pressure on staff at a Telstra facility.
Risks 301, 7 April 2007 •
Hazards worked
to death webpages and details of the Australian
work suicides report
Britain: English employers should go smoke-free soon
With just under three months to go before all public places and
workplaces in England must become smoke-free, the TUC is urging
employers to get their act together and introduce smoking bans
into their shops, factories, offices, restaurants and bars. Risks 301, 7 April 2007 •
Hazards smoking
news and resources
Britain:
Payout for artist after slip in pigeon poop
A London artist has secured £20,000 compensation following
injuries sustained when she fell on wet pigeon excrement whilst
walking under a railway bridge in Battersea in May 2003. Lois
Matcham, aged 64, secured the damages with the support of her
union UNISON, despite the injury not being work-related and her
being a retired member. Risks 301, 7 April 2007 •
Hazards compensation
webpages
Britain:
Teachers get heated over class temperature
Teachers are demanding the right to walk out of classrooms if
the temperature exceeds 27 degrees celcius, claiming that staff
are risking “dizziness, fainting, or even heat cramps”
during the summer term. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Global:
What are you doing on 28 April?
Workers’ Memorial Day, the 28 April event each year when
workers worldwide remember those killed, maimed and sickened by
their jobs and resolve to fight for safer, healthier workplaces,
is drawing close. TUC is urging workers everywhere to participate
in related activities. Unions in over 100 countries will mark
Workers’ Memorial Day this year, highlighting both the enforcement
theme and a cancer prevention theme. Global activities and resources
Hazards 28
April homepage, country
listings, background
and images
Britain:
Cyber bullying threat to teachers
Teachers are calling for much tougher restrictions to protect
staff from “cyber bullying” by pupils. The Association
of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has warned of the distress caused
to teachers by anonymous, malicious comments on websites. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
Dockers win asbestos appeal
Hundreds of former dock workers can sue the government for compensation
for asbestos-related illnesses, thanks to court victory. The Court
of Appeal upheld a High Court test case decision last year that
the government is liable to compensate former dock workers. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
More asbestos deaths as dangers remain
Workers are continuing to be killed by asbestos exposures –
but employers continue to take deadly risks putting a new generation
in danger. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
Network Rail fined £4m for Paddington crash
Network Rail has fined £4m after a court found it responsible
for a catalogue of failures that resulted in the Paddington rail
crash, which left 31 people dead and 400 injured. In court, Mr
Justice Bean said: “The fine must be a constant and lasting
reminder to the management of the company and to others involved
in the railways of the paramount importance of safety and to prompt
attention to any identifiable risk.” Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
Train bosses should pay for Paddington
Unions have described the £4m imposed on Network Rail after
its safety blunders contributed to the 1999 Paddington rail crash
as “an insult”, with the penalty for crimes committed
by a now defunct private company Railtrack being paid from the
public purse. ASLEF general secretary Keith Norman called for
the fines imposed on Network Rail to be taken from the bonuses
of senior managers. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
Unions press for action on Buncefield lessons
Unions have welcomed a report identifying many safety improvements
that need to be made at UK oil storage sites. The Buncefield Major
Incident Investigation Board’s report into the December
2005 explosion highlights the need for many safety improvements,
particularly relating to training, fatigue, shifts and working
hours. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
Two fined just £12,000 for deadly crimes
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded businesses
of the need to take precautions at all times when working below
overhead power lines. The warning came after a Southport company
and a self employed Kirkby man were fined a total of £12,000
and ordered to pay costs of £5,245 after pleading guilty
to three criminal charges brought by the HSE following the electrocution
of 48-year-old Robert Davies. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
Britain:
UNISON wants an end to NHS overwork and violence
The majority of UK health workers are working unpaid overtime
the annual NHS staff survey has revealed. And despite a range
of initiatives from health trusts and the Department of Health
around a third of health workers are experiencing violence or
abuse from patients. Risks 301, 7 April 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 4 April 2007
Shusssssh. Don’t mention the “e” word The top dog at the UK’s workplace safety watchdog
has said flexibility and partnership are its new watch words –
but has downplayed the Health and Safety Executive’s enforcement
role. Geoffrey Podger, chief executive of HSE, told the Institute
of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) conference on 28 March:
“If we are going to ensure the world of work is as safe
and as sustainable as possible, then we need to be flexible enough
to respond effectively to the challenges as they arise.”
His comments came on the heels of new HSE statistics revealing
a sharp upturn in workplace fatalities. Hazards 4 April 2007
• HSE
News release
USA:
Regulation by litigation is the new order
Legal action is becoming the major factor forcing safety action
in the US as the official safety watchdog is revealed increasingly
to have little appetite for the job. The claim, by Professor David
Michaels of the George Washington University School of Public
Health and previously a top US occupational health expert in the
Clinton administration, comes after a report on the BP Texas City
refinery blast by the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which censured
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for its
failure to inspect refineries or require safety improvements.
Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
Hazards BP safety news and resources
• Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain:
Union legal protection pays off
Unions continue to offer the best free legal support around, representing
thousands of members suffering as a result of poor workplace health
and safety standards. Risks 300, 31 March 2007
China:
Safety drive for deadly small mines
The United Nations has launched a project to improve safety for
China’s coal miners, who average 13 deaths a day working
in one of the world's deadliest jobs. The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) said the US$14.4 million (£7.3m) plan will
train and educate miners in five provinces where numerous fires,
floods and other disasters strike mines every year despite repeated
government promises to improve safety. Hazards
work cancer webpages
Britain:
RMT will fight to protect train guards
Secret plans to remove “safety-critical” guards from
busy commuter trains across London just before the 2012 Olympics
will be fought “all the way”, rail union RMT has said.
Risks 300, 31 March 2007
Britain:
Report tracks history of rail safety problems
Safety problems involving Network Rail and its subcontractors
were increasing in the year before the Cumbria derailment in February
in which one passenger died, rail union TSSA has said. Risks 300, 31 March 2007
Britain:
Dramatic rise in workplace fatalities There has been a dramatic rise in workplace fatalities
at work, official figures show. Statistics for the six months
up to the end of September last year released this week by the
Health and Safety Executive show 124 workers died in the six month
period, compared to 212 in all of 2005/06 - if the same trend
continued until the reporting year ends this month, it would push
the fatalities figure to a five year high of 248 deaths, up 17
per cent on last year. Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
HSE
fatal injury statistics update and tables • Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain:
Government ‘failing’ on nano safety
The UK government has failed to fund adequate research into potential
health risks posed by nanotechnology, a report by its leading
scientific advisers has warned. The Council for Science and Technology’s
(CST) ‘Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies Review’ bemoans
a “lack of progress on research into toxicology, health
and environmental effects of nanomaterials.” Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
Hazards
nanotechnology webpages • FoE
Australia nanotechnology project
Canada:
Firefighter won final cancer battle
A Toronto fire captain who died of work-related colon cancer this
month was laid to rest last week with full honours. Gary Allen
Wilson, 48, was found to have died in the line of duty after the
Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) declared his cancer to
be related to the chemicals and smoke he was exposed to on the
job. Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
Hazards
work cancer webpages
Britain:
Poor site management leads to fines
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies that
they risk enforcement action where site safety is poorly managed.
The warning followed the prosecution at Nottingham Crown Court
of Bau GmBH, of Angelburg in Germany and Re-Construction UK Ltd
of Quebec Quay in Liverpool. Risks 300, 31 March 2007
Britain:
BP under pressure to link board pay to safety
BP faces an April showdown with its shareholders over the failure
of the oil giant to link the pay of its London-based global board
to health and safety performance. The Local Authority Pension
Fund Forum (LAPFF), an investment body whose members own 1.2 per
cent of the group's shares, plans to vote against the company's
remuneration report at BP’s annual meeting on 12 April.
Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
Hazards BP
safety news and resources
Britain:
New review of the working nation’s health
The government has announced a comprehensive review of the health
of the working age population, which it says will assess current
health levels and provide a benchmark against which to measure
future workplace health improvements. Work and pensions secretary
John Hutton said the review will increase understanding of the
beneficial link between work and health, and help identify where
the greatest improvements can be made to the health of those who
are in or want to return to work. Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
Hazards work and health webpages
Britain:
Safety survives as a council enforcement priority
Health and safety will remain one of the top regulatory priorities
for local authorities, a government backed review has concluded.
The final report of the Rogers Review, released as part of the
Chancellor’s budget statement and accepted by the government,
has set five priorities for local authority regulatory services.
Risks 300, 31 March 2007
Britain:
Action call on cash van attacks
Security sector union GMB has called for attacks on cash in transit
staff to be re-classified as an attack on a person rather than
a business crime. Risks 300, 31 March 2007
New
IOSH occupational health toolkit
IOSH, the organisation for safety professionals – safety
officers to you and me – has produced a new, free, online
occupational health toolkit. IOSH says this new resource “brings
together information, guidance, factsheets, case studies, training
materials, presentations and more to help you tackle occupational
health problems.” Risks 300, 31 March 2007 •
IOSH
occupational health toolkit
Britain:
Union warns hummus action could spread
Changes to production methods after a salmonella in hummus scare
could place workers at additional risk in an already unsafe firm,
a union has warned. GMB officer Tahir Bhatti commented: “Bakkavör
managers are putting production for the main supermarkets ahead
of their legal duty to protect the health and safety of their
workers.” Risks 299, 24 March 2007 •Hazards
migrant workers webpages
USA:
Unions wear down Bush in protective gear victory
The Bush administration has said it will issue by November a final
rule telling employers they must not charge for personal protective
equipment (PPE). The action follows a lawsuit filed by national
union federation AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers
(UFCW) in January this year to force implementation of the eight-year
delayed rule. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Unions demand rethink on safety reps’ rights
Proposals from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that safety
reps should have no new consultation rights despite such measures
being supporting overwhelmingly in a national consultation have
led to union consternation and the deferral of a final decision.
A TUC spokesperson said: “We urge the HSC to respect the
views of those employers, safety representatives and safety professionals
who responded to the consultation exercise and implement the proposed
changes as soon as possible.” Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Russia:
Mine disaster prompts safety action
The Russian prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov, has called for tougher
safety measures after one of the country's worst mine accidents
in a generation. It appears most of the Ulyanovskaya mine's management
was underground at the time of the explosion, which left a reported
106 people dead. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Outrage at “embarrassing” HSE slap in the face for
reps
Unions and campaigners have expressed outrage at what they see
as a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) attempt to ignore the findings
of last year’s consultation on worker involvement. Amicus
is calling for complaints about the HSE recommendations to be
made directly to HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger, and adds:
“What is most insulting is the slap in the face to safety
reps, who each day make it their life to improve the working environment,
helping work colleagues and their employers to ensure people go
home safe.” Risks 299, 24 March 2007
France:
Few workers protected from major health risks
A major survey of French workplaces has revealed few workers are
adequately protected from from the risks posed by carcinogenic,
mutagenic or reprotoxic substances (CMR agents) – in general,
substances that carry a cancer or reproductive health risk. Inspections
at 2,000 firms found only 40 per cent of workplaces using CMR
agents - nearly half of all the firms visited were using these
substances - had carried out the necessary risk assessment. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Probe traces BP Texas blast blame back to London
The final official report into the Texas City disaster, which
killed 15 people and injured a further 180, has accused top BP
bosses of ignoring warnings that a disaster was imminent. The
US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's (CSB) report
concluded that cost cuts mandated by the company's London headquarters
contributed to the tragedy and the BP board knew of the problems
in Texas but did “too little and too late”. Risks 299, 24 March 2007 •
Hazards webpages
on BP’s safety record
Extraterrestrial:
Lunar dust 'may harm astronauts'
Scientists are investigating the possible threat posed to astronauts
by inhaling lunar dust. A study suggests the smallest particles
in lunar dust might be cause lung scarring and other health effects,
if comparisons with dust-related exposures and ill-health on Earth
apply. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Denmark:
Union study exposes work cancer tragedy
A trade union study has identified high levels of occupational
cancers in construction workers in Denmark and has prompted immediate
government action. Danish Confederation of Construction Workers
Unions (BAT-Cartel) researchers analysed found a range of jobs
had a statistically significant risk for a range of cancers, many
associated with asbestos exposure. Risks 299, 24 March 2007 •
Hazards
occupational cancer webpages
Britain:
Firm fined after driver is crushed
Barnsley firm E J Lidster and Sons has been fined £70,000
after one of its drivers was fatally injured by a falling excavator
as he tried to load it onto a lorry. John Ferneyhough, 48, from
Bolton-on-Dearne, died on 24 September 2004 while trying to lift
the excavator using a poorly maintained lorry-mounted crane. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Family’s payout fight after shredder death
The family of a recycling plant foreman who died when he was pulled
through a paper shredder in front of his teenage son have launched
a High Court battle for more than £400,000 compensation.
Father-of-three Kevin Arnup, 36, was working alongside his son
Jason at the MW White Ltd recycling plant in Station Road, Ketteringham,
near Norwich. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Pair jailed for asbestos crimes
Two demolition men from Bradford have been jailed for asbestos-related
crimes – but another repeat offender has escaped with community
service for a second time. William Reidy, 59, who had previous
convictions for similar offences, was sentenced at Bradford Crown
Court to 16 months in prison for depositing asbestos waste in
contravention of environmental and special waste laws and his
foreman, 61-year-old Leonard Imeson, was jailed for four months.
Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
No-one is safe from asbestos
Over three decades of warnings from unions and campaigners that
use of asbestos would lead to a disease epidemic have been proven
tragically correct. Hundreds of cases are emerging of people developing
asbestos related cancer after very short or low level exposures
– including the children and grandchildren of exposed workers
and, increasingly, younger people. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
Conservative bid to scupper construction law
Conservative leader David Cameron is spearheading an assault on
new health and safety regulations, designed to enhance worker
protection and encourage practical solutions to good health and
safety management. The assault takes the form of a one sentence
Early Day Motion calling for the new Construction Design and Management
(CDM) Regulations 2007 to be annulled. Risks 299, 24 March 2007
Britain:
You can help TUC win on penalties!
The TUC is urging all union reps and campaigners to back a proposal
for more serious safety penalties on dangerous employers. The
call comes in response to a Labour Party 'Labourspace' online
competition to find the best work-related campaigning issue. VOTING IS EASY! Back the TUC
'Give safety some teeth' campaign and vote
for serious safety penalties • Background
on the campaign
Australia:
Rights reform “biggest threat since asbestos”
A safety institute has slammed employment rights reforms in Australia
which it says are doing “undeniable” damage to workplace
health and safety. Victorian Safety Institute of Australia (SIA)
vice-president Kevin Jones said that the Liberal government’s
‘WorkChoices’ reforms, which drastically curtailed
union and employment rights at work, pose the “biggest threat
to the safety of Australian workers since asbestos.” Risks 299, 24 March 2007
LATEST NEWS
Hazards
news , 17 March 2007
Britain:
Large rise in site deaths linked to safety cuts
A dramatic rise in deaths in the construction industry must shame
the government into reversing cuts in the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE), the unions UCATT, PCS and Prospect have said. Latest figures
reveal that 74 people have died on building sites already this
year, an increase of 14 per cent on the 2005/06 figure of 59 deaths
– and the figure could rise as the reporting year only ends
on 31 March. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain:
Unions 'encouraged' by response on language training
A government minister’s positive reaction to safety and
other concerns raised by the TUC, unions and safety groups about
proposed changes to funding for courses in English for Speakers
of Other Languages (ESOL) has been welcomed by campaigners. However,
lecturers’ union UCU said the training should be required
rather than just encouraged by the government. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Britain:
Union fights gloomy work plan
Communications union CWU is fighting another attempt to alter
the clocks in a move that would see early morning workers spending
months in near perpetual gloom. Less than nine months after failing
in an attempt to alter the clocks in the UK, Tory MP Tim Yeo has
launched the ‘Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill’ in the
House of Commons, repeating the same proposals. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Canada:
Van deaths highlight farm safety problems
A highway smash this month in British Columbia that killed three
farmworkers and injured five others highlights the need for improved
safety laws, unions have said. This van, packed with 17 farm workers,
flipped on the Trans-Canada highway, killing three female workers
- the van had been designed for 10 people, but the regular seats
had been replaced with wooden benches, and not all of the passengers
were wearing seatbelts. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Britain:
Vibrating injury victim secures compensation
A production worker has secured £7,000 compensation after
developing debilitating hand and arm conditions caused by exposure
to vibrating tools. The union GMB has secured the payout from
two former employers of John Coggon, 52, who was diagnosed with
vibration white finger (VWF) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
in September 2005 following his employment with National Power
from 1977 to 1992 and then Newells from 1992 to 2002. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Hazards work and health and compensation
webpages
Britain:
Health service slip leads to payout
A nursing auxiliary who suffered injury to her back after falling
down a steep and slippery slope at work has been awarded compensation
by her employer, the Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust. UNISON
member Jennifer Allso, 55, of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, sustained
the injury in April 2005. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Hazards
compensation webpages
Australia:
Union outrage at cyclone deaths
Western Australian police say they will conduct a thorough investigation
into the circumstances which led to the deaths of three people
during cyclone George, which battered the state's Pilbara region
earlier this month. Unions have expressed outrage that workers
died after one firm opted to leave its staff in the path of the
cyclone in unsecured huts – the huts were tossed through
the air by winds that gusted at over 140 miles per hour. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Britain:
Soap firm settles for scaly skin
Toiletries giant PZ Cussons has paid out £10,000 to a former
employee who developed occupational dermatitis. The 35-year-old
TGWU member from Nottingham was required to wear latex gloves
to protect his hands from workplace chemicals and went on to develop
latex allergy. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Hazards work
and health and compensation
webpages
Britain:
More payouts and faster for asbestos disease
Government proposals that will speed up government payouts to
people suffering from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and that
for the first time will include compensation for those not exposed
while working, have been welcomed by unions. The proposals would
provide up-front financial support to people who were previously
not eligible, including those who were: exposed to asbestos from
a relative (for example, from their overalls); exposed to asbestos
environmentally (for example, lived near a factory using asbestos);
the self-employed; and those who can't trace their exposure to
asbestos. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Action
Mesothelioma • Hazards asbestos
webpages
Britain:
Car mechanic gets asbestos payout
A car mechanic has been awarded £300,000 compensation from
former employers after he contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma
as a result of working on cars with asbestos brake and clutch
pads. Jonathan Hutchinson, 50, was diagnosed with mesothelioma
in 2003, after working as a garage mechanic for a range of firms
in the 1970s and 1980s and stripped out brake pads which contained
asbestos dust. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Action
Mesothelioma • Hazards asbestos
webpages
Global:
Asbestos use study supports global ban
The findings of a major study which correlated asbestos usage
with asbestos related diseases “strongly” supports
a global asbestos ban. The authors concluded: “Historical
asbestos consumption alone explained the bulk of the variance
in subsequent death rates from such diseases. Our results lend
support to the notion that all countries should move towards eliminating
the use of asbestos.” Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Ro-Ting Lin, Ken Takahashi and others. Ecological association
between asbestos-related diseases and historical asbestos consumption:
an international analysis, The Lancet, volume 369, pages
844-849, 2007 [abstract]
Britain:
RMT welcomes call for joint rail crash inquiry
Rail union RMT has welcomed a call by MPs for a joint public inquiry
into the Potters Bar and Grayrigg train crashes. Commenting on
the eve of International Railway Workers' Action Day on safety,
13 March, RMT urged MPs to add their names to an Early Day Motion
tabled by Glasgow MP Ian Davidson, that calls for an inquiry to
include consideration of the effects of the continued industry
fragmentation on rail engineering work. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Europe:
Europe catches UK’s deregulation obsession
The UK government has welcomed a decision by governments from
across the European Union “to follow the UK's lead and reduce
red tape arising from EU law by 25 per cent”. EU heads of
government agreed a target to reduce administrative burdens by
25 per cent by 2012, in 13 policy areas, including company law,
health and safety and transport, which have been identified by
the European Commission as imposing the largest administrative
burdens on business. Risks 298, 17 March 2007 •
Hazards
news on safety enforcement and “red tape”
Britain:
Jail term reduced for Tebay deaths
A rail boss jailed for the manslaughter of four track workers
killed by a runaway trailer at Tebay in February 2004 has had
his jail term cut by Appeal Court judges. Mark Connolly had his
sentence cut from nine years to seven, but the three top judges
dismissed his appeal against his convictions. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Britain:
Small fine after worker is paralysed
A firm has been fined £15,000 after inadequate training
led to worker being paralysed in a workplace fall. SFJ Ltd, of
Bangor, North Wales, which had pleaded guilty to safety offences
at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay costs of £7,500
at Caernarfon Crown Court following the incident in February 2005
in which Clive Forbes received his injuries. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
New
Zealand: Deep vein thrombosis threat to office workers
Workers who spend excessive amounts of time at their desk could
be putting their lives at risk, according to a study. The Medical
Research Institute in New Zealand found a third of patients admitted
to hospital with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – blood clots
in a deep vein - were office workers who spent hours at a computer,
with the worst affected workers were managers, IT workers and
taxi drivers. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
Britain:
Consultation on REACH chemicals enforcement
The government has published a consultation document on the enforcement
of the REACH chemicals safety regulations in the UK. REACH will
apply not only to chemicals manufacturers or suppliers, but to
any business which uses chemicals - so a wide range of businesses
will be affected by the enforcement arrangements proposed. Risks 298, 17 March 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Vote now for serious safety sanctions!
The TUC wants you to back a proposal for more serious safety penalties
on dangerous employers. The call comes in response to a Labour
Party ‘Labourspace’ online competition to find the
best work-related campaigning issue. Risks 297, 10 March 2007 •
Background
on the campaign • Back the TUC ‘Give safety some teeth’
campaign and vote
for serious safety penalties
Global:
Two journalists killed every week
One thousand news media personnel around the world have been killed
trying to report the news over the past 10 years - almost two
deaths every week, according to a new report. The statistic is
one of the main findings of Killing the messenger, the world's
most comprehensive inquiry into the deaths of journalists and
other news media professionals. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
“Rock solid” RMT action on working hours
Signallers working for Network Rail in Scotland have demonstrated
their anger over the company's failure to implement their 35-hour
week agreement with a “rock-solid” strike, rail union
RMT has said. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Journalists hacked off by stressful work
Stress is one of the biggest health problems journalists face,
their union NUJ has said. The union says there is a long list
of reasons their members are hacked off, including long hours
and shift work, lack of control, lack of job satisfaction, insecurity,
fear of violence, bullying, bad relations with other work colleagues,
low pay, boredom, isolation and problems with the working environment
such as noise, overcrowding and poor facilities. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
USA:
Writing’s on the wall for safety?
The last time the official US safety watchdog OSHA designed a
workplace poster to tell workers about their health and safety
rights under federal law, it was aimed solely at employees and
clearly told workers how to contact the safety agency. But under
the Bush administration, employers receive special attention and
assistance while workers take a back seat in safety issues. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Fire authority criticised after worker deaths
A fire authority failed to introduce necessary safety procedures
and training, a union investigation after the death of firefighters
Mike Miller, 26, and Jeff Wornham,28, has found. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Canada:
New law allows asbestos use in toys
New Canadian federal regulations allow asbestos to be used in
children’s toys. Pat Martin and Catherine Bell, members
of parliament from the left of centre party NDP used hand puppets
dubbed Toxic Timmy and Ms. O'Thelioma, named after an asbestos-related
cancer, to raise their concerns at a news conference in Ottawa.
Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Widow gets £355,000 asbestos payout
The widow of a former Vickers employee who died from mesothelioma
has received a £355,000 payout. Jean Allen, 69, secured
the compensation following the death of her husband Keith from
the asbestos-related cancer in 2004. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Asbestos victims 'getting younger'
Asbestos-related cancers are affecting more and more young people
and women, according to a top occupational disease lawyer. Geraldine
Coombs, who heads Irwin Mitchell's Manchester-based asbestos team,
is representing a 27-year-old woman who is thought to be the youngest-ever
victim of mesothelioma, an incurable cancer caused by asbestos
exposure. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Global:
BP fought off Texas safety controls
UK multinational BP successfully lobbied against tighter environmental
controls by regulators in Texas, saving $150m (£77m) in
monitoring and equipment upgrades prior to the fatal Texas City
refinery explosion in 2005, internal documents show. Risks 297, 10 March 2007 •
Hazards BP webpages
Britain:
Concern at Shell’s “dismal” offshore safety
record
Shell has been repeatedly warned by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) about the poor state of its North Sea platforms, and has
received a series of official improvement notices. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Firm pays £250,000 after worker’s electrocution
Civil engineering giant Balfour Beatty has been has been told
to pay over £250,000 in fines and court costs following
the fatal electrocution of a rail worker near Basingstoke. Balfour
Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services pleaded guilty to safety offences
at Winchester Crown Court. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Butcher fined after teen is burned
A family butcher has been fined £2,000 for health and safety
breaches after a teenage employee suffered severe burns to his
feet. Philip Woolgar, who was 17 at the time, received second
degree burns when meat cooking equipment inside Piggotts Family
Butchers in Biggleswade was knocked over spilling boiling hot
water on to his feet. Risks 297, 10 March 2007 •
Hazards
young workers webpages
Britain:
Unions say fight for temp workers’ rights goes on
Unions have pledged to continue their fight for temporary workers’
rights after the government last week wrecked the chance of new
laws to provide employment protection for millions of temporary
and migrant workers who have lower wages, no sick pay, holidays
or pensions. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Sweden:
Site dust causes heart attacks
Construction workers who are exposed to airborne particles in
the workplace are more likely than others to die of a heart attack,
a major Swedish study has found. Researchers from Gothenburg and
Umeå found there has been little improvement in building
site health and safety conditions in the last 25 years. Risks 297, 10 March 2007
Britain:
Hazards, villains, heroes and killers
If you want to know what’s good, bad and plain ugly in workplace
health and safety today, you should grab copy of the brand spanking
new issue of Hazards magazine. The latest issue questions why
top bosses – like those at BP, for example – can be
virtually assured of their liberty, even when there is damning
evidence about the boardroom’s deadly neglect of safety.
Risks 297, 10 March 2007 •
Hazards
magazine
Britain:
Kids and workers need keyboard skills
The TUC is calling on the government to help stop the epidemic
of workplace repetitive strain injuries (RSI) by introducing typing
and keyboard skills into schools. RSI is easily preventable if
employers undertake a risk assessment and provide proper ergonomic
equipment and working methods for staff, however most employers
are not doing this, says the TUC. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
computer workstation checklists
South
Africa: Sick manganese workers demand action
Scores of factory workers - many shuffling about on walking sticks
- gathered last week to urge South Africa’s labour department
to get to the bottom of a manganese poison scandal. The meeting
was called by senior inspectors of the labour department at the
request of Spoor and shop stewards from the National Union of
Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa). Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
work and health webpages
Britain:
Most strain injuries made on the shopfloor
Factory workers rather than managers are most at risk from repetitive
strain injury (RSI), the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
has warned. An analysis of official Health and Safety Executive
figures shows ‘metal, plastics, textile and other plant
and machine workers’ top the RSI rates league table, followed
by ‘bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and others in skilled
trades’ - the jobs with lowest rates were professionals
and managers, with an incidence just one-third that of the high
risk trades. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Europe:
Health and safety strategy “poorest” yet
The European Union’s new health and safety action programme
is the “poorest strategy” in three decades, Europe’s
top trade union body has said. An ETUC statement said that while
the new five-year strategy adopted last month boasts apparently
ambitious targets, “it is the poorest strategy in terms
of concrete initiatives proposed since the first Community action
programme adopted in 1978, “ and is particularly concerned
at that the strategy’s primary focus is on accident prevention.
Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Workplace danger as English lessons face cut
Government plans that would restrict access to free English language
classes would lead to some migrant workers facing an increased
risk of accidents at work, lecturers’ union UCU has warned.
Roger Kline, UCU head of employment rights, has urged ministers
to bear in mind the health and safety impact of cuts to ESOL (English
for Speakers of Other Languages) provision for migrant workers,
taking account of recent tragedies. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
migrants webpages
Britain:
Time to stop agency worker abuse
Loopholes in employment law that leave agency staff open to exploitation
must be closed to stop employers using them as a source of cheap,
vulnerable labour, says a new TUC report. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
migrants webpages
Britain:
Post union wins “walk safe” measures
A two year campaign by Royal Mail union CWU has won a new “Walk
Safe” anti-violence policy to protect mail delivery staff.
CWU national safety officer Dave Joyce said the union’s
campaign was prompted by increasing numbers of assaults. Under
the new policy, Royal Mail security officers will monitor and
assess risk factors, including locations and type of mail being
delivered, while unit managers will have to ensure walk risk assessments
are carried out, with potential threats identified in consultation
with union safety reps. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Union secures shipyard asbestos compensation
Amicus has secured compensation for the family of a former shipyard
worker on Tyneside who died from mesothelioma. Stephen Addison
worked on a number of shipyards on the River Tyne from 1939 until
the 1960s where he was exposed to asbestos. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Government acts on mesothelioma care
The government has launched a new framework for improving the
care of people with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. On Action
Mesothelioma Day, 27 February, health minister Rosie Winterton
announced the new framework, providing advice to the NHS on how
to organise services for mesothelioma patients in order to improve
quality of care. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Companies fined for asbestos crimes
Two Lancashire companies have been fined a total of £25,000
and ordered to pay total costs of £11,788 after pleading
guilty at Blackpool Magistrates Court to criminal charges brought
by the HSE after employees were exposed to asbestos during refurbishment
work. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Most reportable work accidents not reported
New research for the Health and Safety Executive suggests most
legally-reportable workplace accidents, including major injuries,
are not being reported. Researchers from the University of Liverpool
interviewed 581 patients at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital
who had suffered reportable work-related injuries and found only
30 per cent of reportable accidents to employees were in fact
reported. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
compensation and work
and health webpages
Canada:
Unions push for shipyard cancer action
Official Canadian health and safety agencies in Newfoundland and
Labrador say they will thoroughly investigate complaints from
15 former shipyard workers who say their workplace gave them cancer.
All worked at the Marystown Shipyard and blame exposure to asbestos
and toxic chemicals for their cancers. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
work cancer webpages
Canada:
Cancer study links site work to head cancers
The risk of developing health and neck cancers is doubled if you
work in construction, a new study suggests. Researchers from the
University of Stirling’s Occupational and Environmental
Health Research found men who had been diagnosed with head and
neck cancer were twice as likely to have worked in construction
as participants in a control group. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
work cancer webpages
Britain:
Network Rail admits failures led to train smash
Network Rail admitted this week that maintenance failures caused
the 23 February Cumbria rail crash, killing Margaret Masson, an
84-year-old passenger, and injuring dozens. Responding to the
publication of an interim investigation, the company said it was
“devastated” and apologised unreservedly “to
all the people affected by the failure of the infrastructure.”
Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Britain:
Sleeping lorry driver jailed for crash deaths
A lorry driver has been jailed after four people died in a motorway
crash caused when he fell asleep at the wheel. German Andreas
Klassen, 51, had contravened EU regulations on hauliers' working
hours and pleaded guilty to four charges of causing death by dangerous
driving and was jailed for five years. Risks 296, 3 March 2007
Global:
Job burn-out increased diabetes risk
People who suffer from job burn-out may be prone to developing
type 2 diabetes, research suggests. A study of 677 mostly male,
middle-aged Israeli workers found those affected by burn-out were
nearly twice as likely to develop the condition. Risks 296, 3 March 2007 •
Hazards
work and health webpages
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 24 February 2007
Global:
Building unions urged to organise for safety
Unions must organise to protect the health of their members, global
building unions’ federation BWI said. It is urging its affiliates
to call for active workers’ participation in safety, a global
asbestos ban and for local activities, including: “Organise
to stop work for a formal two minutes of silence in remembrance
of all the workers who have been killed over the last year.”
Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards Workers’
Memorial Day webpages
Britain:
Asbestos - hundreds of thousands more will die
Latest estimates suggest this could mean at least 120,000 people
and probably substantially more are still to die as a result of
Britain’s asbestos disease epidemic – an epidemic
predicted by unions and campaign groups, who have for decades
called for stricter controls on asbestos. The price paid by working
people is spelled out in a new YouTube video from the Forum of
Asbestos Victim Support Groups.
Mesothelioma: The human face of an asbestos epidemic, YouTube
video • Forum of Asbestos Victim Support Groups ActionMeso
website • Risks 295, 24 February
2007 • Hazards
asbestos webpages
Britain:
MoD admits asbestos ‘cancer hug’ liability
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to compensate Debbie Brewer,
47, who said she developed an asbestos-related cancer from hugging
her father, who worked as a docker at the Navy’s Devonport
Dockyard. In November last year, 45-year-old Michelle Campbell,
who developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos
from her grandfather's work clothing, was awarded a £145,000
MoD payout. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
asbestos webpages
Australia:
Asbestos scandal claims Hardie scalps
James Hardie chair Meredith Hellicar has fallen on her sword after
Australia’s corporate watchdog ASIC launched a lawsuit to
ban her from running a company. Ms Hellicar, and the two remaining
directors who signed off on Hardie's plan in 2001 to separate
the company from its asbestos liabilities, Michael Brown and Michael
Gillfillan, resigned, all protesting their innocence. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
asbestos webpages
Global:
New push for global asbestos ban
A global trade union organisation has called for a renewed push
for a global asbestos ban. Building unions’ global federation
BWI is asking all trade unions to write to their national governments,
asking for a meeting to discuss a national action plan to prevent
asbestos related diseases. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
asbestos webpages
Latin
America: Unions push for asbestos bans
Sixteen trade union confederations in five Andean countries -
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela – have taken
up the campaign for an asbestos ban. The unions have helped compile
a report, based on a survey of trade union leaders, and looks
at asbestos use in the different countries involved. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
asbestos webpages
Britain:
Oh so slow progress on long hours
Unpaid overtime is on the decline, but progress is so slow that
it will take until 2030 to end regular unpaid overtime of more
than 10 hours every week, according to a TUC analysis of official
statistics. The new research, published on 23 February to mark
the TUC’s Work Your Proper Hours Day 2007, the day when
people who do unpaid overtime would on average get paid if they
did all their unpaid work at the start of the year. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
get-a-life webpages
Britain:
Usdaw slams “short-sighted” safety watchdog
Retail union Usdaw has written to the chief executive of the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) Geoffrey Podger slamming plans to scrap
one of just two inspectors responsible for developing national
safety policies in the food and agriculture sector. The food manufacturing
sector has a much higher than average accident rate but budget
cuts at the HSE has led the safety watchdog to axe one of the
inspectors working with trade union and employer organisations
to develop safe working initiatives. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain:
Food firm injuries fall thanks to union role
Carlisle-based company Cavaghan & Gray has seen a dramatic
fall in workplace injuries and dangerous incidents thanks to a
new hazard spotting approach agreed with unions. The company,
part of the Northern Foods group, struck a new deal agreed with
Usdaw reps that resulted in the introduction of a zero tolerance
campaign, based around a simple hazard/near miss reporting form.
Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
union effect webpages
Britain:
Clyde nuclear safety fear
Trade union members at the Clyde Naval Base fear that additional
cuts in funding may lead to a nuclear incident. Members at the
Faslane and Coulport naval facilities on the Clyde are starting
a ‘Don’t take Risks with Nuclear Safety’ campaign
against plans to cut the running costs of the Clyde Naval Base
by a further £30m per year. Risks 295, 24 February 2007
Europe:
Safety strategy needs ‘new impetus’
A new Europe-wide workplace health and safety strategy could fail
unless there is some new mechanism introduced to ensure it is
effectively implemented, unions have warned. The European Commission
five-year strategy adopted this week calls for work-related illness
and accidents to be cut by a quarter across the EU by 2012. Risks 295, 24 February 2007
Britain: TGWU exposes Gatwick’s
dangerous route
Gatwick Airport's largest trade union has called on the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) to meet ground staff face-to-face to
explain why they have overridden concerns on safety and working
conditions to allow a free-for-all for ground handling companies.
The union said this would lead to “a race to the bottom
on safety,” a reduction in employment, an increase in pressure
on staff and unacceptable compromises being made on training and
supervision. Risks 295, 24 February 2007
Britain:
Union reverses unsafe Royal Mail austerity drive
Royal Mail has backtracked after postal union CWU revealed an
end of year cost cutting exercise was undermining agreed safety
procedures. The problem started when Royal Mail managing director
Ian Griffiths introduced on 25 January a major “austerity”
drive across Royal Mail Letters, with an internal memo instructing
managers to cut all expenditure in the final weeks of this financial
year. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
union effect webpages
Britain:
Now protect all health workers, says UNISON
A law aimed at protecting emergency workers should be strengthened
to cover all health workers, the union UNISON has said. The Emergency
Workers (Obstruction) Act, which came into force on 20 February,
means that anyone who deliberately obstructs a worker responding
to an emergency situation can now be prosecuted and fined up to
£5,000. Risks 295, 24 February 2007
Britain:
European survey explodes sickies myth
New research has exploded the myth that British workers are quick
to use illnesses caused by their work as an excuse to “throw
a sickie”. In fact, says the TUC, the study shows that British
workers are the least likely in Europe to complain about the effect
of their work on their health. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
sickness webpages
Britain:
TUC warns consultation misses temp work troubles
A government consultation on the protection of vulnerable agency
workers is too narrow and will leave temporary workers at risk,
the TUC has warned. TUC’s Brendan Barber urged the government
to support the Temporary Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable
Treatment) bill which seeks to give agency workers the same rights
as full-time and directly employed staff on key issues including
basic wages and sick and holiday pay, and will have its second
reading in the Commons on 2 March. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
migrants webpages
Canada:
One in five violent incidents at work
Almost one in five violent incidents in Canada - including physical
assault, sexual assault and robbery - occurred in the victim's
workplace, a new government study has concluded. There were more
than 356,000 violent incidents in the workplace in Canada in 2004
and most – 71 per cent - were classified as physical assaults,
says the Statistics Canada study. Risks 295, 24 February 2007
Britain:
Mother hits out at slurry death sentence
A devastated mother whose son drowned in a slurry tank has spoken
of her “disgust” at the fines handed out to his bosses.
Yvonne Barnes lost her 28-year-old son George when he tried to
rescue a colleague who had become overwhelmed by toxic fumes emanating
from the slurry in a field near Thetford in July 2004. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
deadly business webpages
Britain:
Community service for ignoring HSE safety notice
A builder has been fined and given community service for failing
to carry out work properly, leading to the collapse of a shop
in Elland, West Yorkshire. Shabir Naseem was prosecuted by the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after the incident. Naseem,
47, trading as SH Builders, was sentenced to 200 hours community
service and fined £7,500 with costs of £7,190.58 for
breaching a prohibition notice which ordered him to stop work.
Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards
enforcement webpages
Britain:
BP internal blast report called for sackings
BP's internal investigation into management accountability for
the oil company's fatal Texas refinery explosion called for the
sacking of four senior executives, according to a newspaper report.
A 14 February Financial Times report says those marked for the
axe included Mike Hoffman, who recently retired as the UK company's
group vice-president for refining and marketing; Pat Gower, US
refining vice-president; Don Parus, the Texas City refinery manager
who has been on leave since the accident; and Willie Willis, a
plant employee who had apparently being groomed to succeed Mr
Parus. Risks 295, 24 February 2007 •
Hazards BP webpages
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 17 February 2007
Britain:
FSA fine exposes HSE’s missing teeth
Scottish union federation STUC has expressed fury that the work
safety watchdog does not have the same power to lay down hefty
sentences enjoyed by the equivalent City financial watchdog. Following
the fine of £980,000 imposed by the Financial Services Authority
(FSA) on the Nationwide Building Society after a laptop containing
confidential customer information was stolen, the STUC said breaches
of finance rules are more likely to attract meaningful sanctions
than those imposed on organisations that kill or maim their workers.
Risks 294, 17 February 2007 •
Hazards
deadly business and enforcement
webpages
USA:
New York improves safety enforcement
Responding to an alarming spike in fatal construction accidents,
New York mayor Michael R Bloomberg has announced a raft of measures
to improve worker safety. These steps include creating a new inspection
team at the Buildings Department, increasing regulations and training,
and sharply increasing the fines for violations. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Rail runaways lessons not acted on
There have been at least 10 potentially lethal runaways on rail
tracks since four workers died three years ago in the Tebay tragedy,
rail union RMT has revealed. The union says the on-going safety
problems show the need to bring all track renewals work back in-house.
Risks 294, 17 February 2007
USA:
Weekends in jail for trench death boss
A US construction contractor is to spend 16 weekends in jail after
pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide stemming from
the death of one of his workers, buried three years ago in a trench
collapse. Kenneth Formica's felony plea in state Supreme Court,
in connection with the death of Lorenzo Pavia, 39, on 15 December
2003, marks the first time in recent history that a Staten Island
contractor was found criminally liable for the death of a worker,
reports say.. Risks 294, 17 February 2007 •
Hazards
deadly business webpages
Britain:
Payout for road work vibration injuries
A road worker from Derby has secured £42,000 compensation
for injuries caused by exposure to vibrating tools. The UNISON
member secured the compensation from Derbyshire County Council
after developing vibration white finger (VWF) and carpal tunnel
syndrome, both potentially disabling occupational diseases. Risks 294, 17 February 2007 •
Hazards
compensation webpages
USA:
Get injured or get fired – the US way
Nikkia Parish and other professional ballet dancers of the Washington
Ballet wanted to be union members with a union contract. They
needed to protect their bodies and careers from serious overuse
injuries caused by bone-crunching rehearsals and performance schedule
– but Nikkia lost her job just for speaking out. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Police launch inquiry into Terry Lloyd killing
Journalists’ union NUJ has welcomed news that a police investigation
into the death of ITN reporter Terry Lloyd is to be stepped up
after the identity of the soldiers involved in his killing was
uncovered. Scotland Yard's war crimes unit has launched an official
inquiry into how the 50-year-old correspondent died from a bullet
fired into the back of a makeshift civilian ambulance by US marines.
Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Letter bombs trigger post room safety concerns
The leader of civil service union PCS has expressed his “deep
concern” after last week’s letter bomb attack at a
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) building. PCS general
secretary Mark Serwotka called for a risk assessment of post opening
in all DVLA offices and an urgent review of post room security
across the whole civil service. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Probe “lethal cocktail” of pressures, say pilots
Britain’s pilots’ union has called for a scientific
study of the pressures they face which, they say, could be a potentially
“lethal cocktail.” Captain Mervyn Granshaw, chair
of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA), was
commenting after it was revealed an internal directive from Ryanair
board said pilots would be demoted or dismissed if they failed
to follow the carrier's procedures. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Unlawful killing verdict after site death
An inquest jury has brought a verdict of “unlawful killing”
in the case of Kieron Deeney, an experienced steel fixer who fell
12m to his death when a hatch cover gave way at a Laing O'Rourke
construction site in Canary Wharf, London. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
• Hazards
deadly business webpages
Britain:
Granite firm fined after slabs crush worker
Companies are being warned of the dangers of unloading vehicles
after a lorry driver was crushed by granite slabs being unloaded
from his vehicle. Just Granite Limited was fined £10,000
and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £4,470.80 at Stafford
Magistrates' Court, after pleading guilty to safety breaches.
Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Firm fined over worker's broken arms
A Scottish company has been fined £3,500 after a worker
became entangled with drilling machinery and broke both arms.
Livingston-based Consolidate Ltd admitted breaches of health and
safety law at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Investigation into young worker sewer tragedy
A lack of oxygen killed a teenager who was found down a manhole,
it has been revealed. An investigation is on-going into the death
of Paul Jackson, 19, who was pulled from a sewer in Walthamstow
in October last year. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Improve safety or you’ll pay, funds tell BP
A group of 39 UK public sector pension funds are turning the screw
on BP over the oil major's safety failures. The Local Authority
Pension Fund Forum, whose members have £70bn of assets under
management, increased pressure on BP to improve corporate governance
procedures. Risks 294, 17 February 2007 •
Safety news
on BP from Hazards
Britain:
Thousands of attacks at secure hospitals
Staff at England's three high-security hospitals have suffered
more than 4,000 attacks in the past three years. Figures released
under the Freedom of Information Act reveal 4,248 attacks took
place in Ashworth, Merseyside, Rampton, Notts and Broadmoor, Berks.
Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
One-in-five women with lung cancer never smoked
One-in-five lung cancers in females and almost 1-in-10 in men
occur in people who have never smoked, a new study has concluded.
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and
the Northern California Cancer Center have concluded that never-smokers
get lung cancer more often than thought. Risks 294, 17 February 2007 •
Hazards
cancer webpages
Colombia:
Child miner among dead in mine disasters
Two tragic coal mine explosions in Colombia this month illustrate
“how deadly the combination of high coal demand is with
inadequate safety methods,” the global mining and chemicals
union confederation ICEM has said. Its online newsletter reports
on the cases, where 32 miners perished in a methane gas explosion
on 3 February at two inter-connected mines in Sardinata, while
eight people died at an illegal mine near Gámeza, Boyacá
state, on 6 February, including a 13-year-old boy. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Intel to pay for stress breakdown
Computer chip maker Intel will have to make a six figure compensation
payout to an ex-employee for causing her a nervous breakdown.
Tracy Daw was originally awarded £114,754 in compensation
last May, after stress from her job led to a nervous breakdown
in 2001 - Intel was hoping to quash the landmark ruling, but the
Court of Appeal in London upheld the decision. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Get ready to stop working!
Work Your Proper Hours Day is on 23 February - the day when the
average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days
they do every year, and starts earning for themselves –
and TUC thinks its worth having a bit of a celebration. Risks 294, 17 February 2007
Britain:
Mesothelioma Action Day, 27 February 2007
The second Mesothelioma Action Day will be held on 27 February
2007. As well as a parliamentary reception at the House of Commons,
there will be events in Manchester, Chesterfield, Leicester, Liverpool,
Glasgow, Rotherham, Doncaster, Gateshead, Leeds and elsewhere.
For a full events listing, see the International Ban Asbestos
Secretariat website • Also
see the Hazards Campaign website • Risks
294, 17 February 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 10 February 2007
USA:
Lawsuit pushes for a quicker pesticide ban
Farmworkers and environmental groups have reopened a lawsuit against
the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
in an attempt to hasten the phase out a pesticide they say has
been poisoning fieldworkers for decades. The federal lawsuit challenges
a decision by the EPA last November to set a 2012 timetable for
phasing out the pesticide azinphos-methyl, known as guthion or
AZM. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Safety reps the key to improving safety
More rights and more time for trade union safety reps is the best
way to improve workplace health and safety, a major conference
has been told. Keynote speaker Hugh Robertson, the TUC’s
head of safety, told the sell-out 8 February event organised jointly
by the Health and Safety Executive and North West TUC: “The
key to improving safety is supporting that band of volunteers
in the workplace - union safety reps.” Risks 293, 10 February 2007 •
Hazards
union effect and safety
reps webpages
Global:
Seafarer death highlights dock work dangers
The death last month of a Filipino seafarer, crushed by an eight-ton
container on a vessel berthed in Rotterdam, has drawn attention
to the dangers of requiring non-specialist workers to do dockers’
jobs. The dead man, Glenn Cuevas, was employed by Cyprus-based
Marlow Navigation and was lashing cargo when the tragedy struck.
Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Huge payout for Corus blast survivor
An Amicus member who suffered 43 per cent burns in a steel blast
furnace explosion which killed three other workers has received
a “huge” six-figure payout. Peter Clement, 54, was
one of 12 workers injured in the blast at the Port Talbot steelworks
in November 2001. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
• More from
Hazards on Corus safety
Colombia:
Mine gas blast kills 32
A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern Colombia has killed
32 miners, officials say. The blast occurred on 3 February at
La Preciosa mine, about 580km (360 miles) north of the capital,
Bogota. President Alvaro Uribe visited the site to speak to the
miners' families and assure them that the tragedy would be fully
investigated. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
RMT has had enough of rail firm’s excrement
Rail firm GNER has failed to stop its trains spraying human waste
into the atmosphere from on-board toilets, despite warnings from
the Railways Inspectorate. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Australia:
Unions win asbestos compensation campaign
A multinational that had resisted finalising an asbestos compensation
deal has finally put pen to paper, after a high profile trade
union campaign. The Aus$4bn (£1.58bn) 40-year deal was ratified
at an extraordinary general meeting of the firm’s shareholders
in the Netherlands; the company will make an initial payment of
around Aus$185 million (£73m) into an Asbestos Injuries
Compensation Fund with further regular payments to be made over
the life of the agreement. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
PM offers some assurance on work deaths law
The prime minister has indicated the government will not abandon
the Corporate Manslaughter Bill after its defeat in the House
of Lords. He told the Commons Liaison Committee that he was committed
to the principles of the Bill despite earlier reports that the
home secretary, John Reid, had threatened to scrap the legislation
if the lords insisted on extending it to cover deaths in prisons
and police cells. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
BP profits hit by safety failures and delays
BP has been forced to slash some production targets by up to 20
per cent and increase capital expenditure in a bid to tackle safety
and output problems in the aftermath of accidents in the US. The
oil giant made a profit of $3.9bn (£2bn) in the last three
months of 2006, down from $4.4bn a year earlier, although overall
profits for 2006 were up 15 per cent to $22.3bn. Risks 293, 10 February 2007 •
Hazards BP webpages
Britain:
Bars ban brings massive fall in passive smoking
Scotland's bar workers are now exposed to 86 per cent less smoke
following the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, according
to new research. Researchers from Aberdeen University and the
Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh measured the air
quality inside 41 Scottish pubs in the two months leading up to
the ban and again in May and June 2006. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Figures reveal daily attacks on teachers
A teacher suffers a violent attack almost every school day in
England, official government figures suggest. There were 221 recorded
attacks on teachers last year alone, and 1,128 between 2000 and
2006, information revealed by the Liberal Democrats shows. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Ford cancer probe highlights work risks
An 18-month investigation into a throat cancer cluster at Southampton's
Ford car factory has concluded six cases – twice the expected
number – occurred as a matter of chance. Experts were called
in after five employees in the paint shop died of throat cancer.
Another developed the illness but recovered; the six staff members
were diagnosed with the disease between 1994 and 2005 - more than
twice the number of cases medical researchers would expect to
occur over an 11-year period. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Six figure payout for man infected by sick parrot
A man left debilitated after catching a disease from a parrot
at work has received a £700,000 out-of-court settlement.
Glyn Atherton, 35, was working at Focus Do It All in Nottingham
in March 2000 when he caught psittacosis, an occupational lung
disease similar to pneumonia, from a parrot belonging to Petworld,
a pet store renting space on the premises. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Drivers fined for not taking rest breaks
Four bus drivers have been fined for working too many hours and
not having enough rest – despite being denied training on
working hours rules and just sticking to the rosters set by their
employer. Gloucester Magistrates heard the four had been given
a rota which meant they took between four and five hours less
than the required 36 hours off work. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Small firms don’t get occupational health services
Workers in small firms rarely have access to occupational health
services but rarely take sick leave either, a business survey
has found. Survey responses from nearly 4,000 members of the Federation
of Small Businesses (FSB) revealed 43 per cent of firms had not
experienced any sickness absence in the past twelve months and
found barely one in 20 of the respondents (6.5 per cent) provided
access to occupational health services. Risks 293, 10 February 2007
Britain:
Union reps really make a difference
Despite clear evidence that union reps make workplaces safer and
more productive, they are seeing their careers damaged as a result
of their unpaid role. Research this week from Personnel Today
and the TUC reveals that 92 per cent of union reps - 38 per cent
“definitely” and 54 per cent “possibly”
- believe they could sacrificing their careers in order to represent
their colleagues even though they enjoy a largely positive, professional
working relationship with their organisations’ human relations
departments. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards union effect webpages
Global:
Safety sources lost in cyberspace
There’s lots of safety news out there in cyberspace, and
plenty said about unions, but high quality, union-friendly and
regularly updated health and safety news is still hard to find.
And it has just got harder, with the demise of two key contributions
- Workers Online from Australia and the US-based Confined Space
blog. Beyond
Confined Space • Workers
Online
USA:
Bush takes stranglehold on safety watchdog
President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House
much greater control over the rules and policy statements that
the government develops to protect key areas including public
health, workplace safety, the environment and civil rights. Representative
Henry A Waxman, a Democrat and the chair of the Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform, said: “The executive order allows
the political staff at the White House to dictate decisions on
health and safety issues, even if the government’s own impartial
experts disagree,” adding: “This is a terrible way
to govern, but great news for special interests.” Risks 292, 3 February 2007
South
Africa: Deaths soar as gold mines cash in
Fatalities in South Africa’s gold mining sector have worsened,
with mining houses seeking to cash in on a robust gold price by
revisiting disused parts of their mines, the parliament's minerals
and energy affairs committee has heard. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Britain:
Flood of support for UNISON water@work campaign
A union campaign for easy access to drinking water at work has
won the backing of public health and water industry bodies. The
UNISON campaign, launched by general secretary Dave Prentis in
London on 30 January, aims to encourage businesses to recognise
the benefits of water to human health and encourage employers
to provide wholesome drinking water at work. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Water@Work
website
Britain:
Venture capitalists don’t care about workers
Millions of UK workers now have their job security and conditions
determined at the whim of venture capitalists, the union GMB has
said. GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “Three million
people in the UK work for companies owned by venture capitalists
who have not the slightest interest” in the jobs done by
the workers in the firms they control. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Britain:
Injury lawyers say it’s time for boardroom jail terms
Top personal injury lawyers have said a realistic prospect of
jail time for top bosses who neglect their safety responsibilities
is necessary if the issue is to be taken seriously in Britain’s
boardrooms. They were commenting after a series of reports implicated
BP’s London-based global board in cost cutting and mis-management
that contributed to the Texas City refinery blast that killed
15. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards BP webpages
Britain:
NHS to get work accident payback
The NHS could claim back over £150m a year for treating
employees injured at work, the government has said. The money
would be recovered from insurance companies in cases where personal
injury compensation has been paid to workers. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 • Hazards
compensation webpages
Global:
BWI secures 12th global standards pact
International construction union federation BWI has signed up
a major company to a global agreement underpinning workers’
rights including safety everywhere the firm operates worldwide.
Dutch construction company VolkerWessels and BWI signed the international
framework agreement in a deal that also covers the firm’s
contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards global union agreements webpage
Britain:
Work injury and disease benefits to be reviewed
The TUC has said an official review of the occupational injury
and disease benefits system must improve and extend its scope.
The review of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)
scheme “is part of the government’s commitment to
help more people move off benefits and back into work,”
says DWP. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards
compensation webpages
Britain: Payout after asbestos causes breathlessness
A North Yorkshire man has been awarded “substantial”
compensation developing a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos
fibres in his youth. Geoffrey Stead, 65, received the payout from
British Rail after he was diagnosed with pleural thickening. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Australia:
Airline staff abused after entertainment crashes
Passengers travelling with Australian airline Qantas have taken
to abusing and threatening staff over failures in the carrier’s
entertainment system on long-haul flights. The problem has become
so common that the flight crew union, the Flight Attendants Association
of Australia, has formally complained of cabin crew exhibiting
“stress related problems” caused by aggressive passengers.
Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Britain:
Government challenges dockers' asbestos payouts
The financial future of hundreds of former dockers suffering from
asbestos related illness is hanging in the balance. At the Court
of Appeal this week lawyers for the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) made a bid to block the dockers' compensation claims. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Canada:
Old safety system ignores new workplaces
Workplace safety inspections in Canada are out of whack with the
reality of the modern workplace environment, a TV investigation
has found. Reporters found inspections were up to 10 times more
frequent in traditional workplaces than in non-traditional ones
and found that government inspections are also following a traditional
five-day, nine-to-five schedule, while an increasing number of
people are working outside the traditional nine-to-five shifts,
and their likelihood of having an accident increases during those
periods. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Britain:
Councils must act to protect employees’ health
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned local authorities
across Scotland to be proactive in identifying and addressing
health and safety issues affecting their staff. The HSE alert
comes after an employment tribunal involving Dundee City Council,
which upheld a legally binding improvement notice issued by HSE
after it determined the council had an inadequate management system
and provisions in place to deal effectively with occupational
health risks. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards work and health webpages
Britain:
Tribunal over-rules stress unfair dismissal decision
A worker who was fired after taking time off sick with work-related
stress has seen an unfair dismissal ruling reversed at an Employment
Appeal Tribunal (EAT). This overturned an earlier unfair dismissal
ruling against the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards
work stress webpages
Global:
Migrant workers get the 3-D jobs
Migrant workers are not taking local jobs and driving down wages,
but are being exploited in dirty, dangerous and degrading jobs,
a top union official has said. “Scare stories about immigration
are not new nor is immigration damaging to industrialised economies,”
Neil Kearney, general secretary of the Brussels-based International
Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) told
the World Economic Forum in Davos. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
Britain:
Six figure payout in disability discrimination case
A council worker who was sacked by fax while on sick leave has
received a reported £130,000 in compensation in an out-of-court
settlement. Elizabeth McDonald had claimed disability discrimination
and unfair dismissal against Walsall Council, but settled her
case when the offer was made during tribunal proceedings. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards
sickness absence webpages
Global:
Dangerous and fast work puts youths at risk
Exposure to work hazards and a frenetic job pace increases the
likelihood of injury among adolescent and young adult workers,
a new scientific review suggests. Canadian researchers found the
work setting also appears to play a role in predicting the risk
of injury, with food service and construction industry jobs topping
the list of hazardous employment in this group. Risks 292, 3 February 2007 •
Hazards
young workers webpages
Britain:
Deaths report warns of trawler fatigue risks
A fishing boat probably grounded and sank off Skye with the loss
of two crew members because one of them fell asleep in the wheelhouse.
A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into the
incident warned trawler crews of the dangers of tiredness, highlighting
the importance of regular breaks. Risks 292, 3 February 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 27 January 2007
Britain:
“Detailed, probing, lively and gutsy” – that’s
Hazards
The single health and safety magazine produced just with safety
reps in mind has bagged a top national award for journalism, beating
out competition that included the BBC. At a glittering awards
ceremony at Bafta, Hazards magazine received The Work Foundation’s
Workworld Media Award 2006 for online journalism, with judges
saying it was “so good that it not only renders the material
detailed and probing, but also lively and gutsy as well.”
The
Work Foundation news release • Risks
291, 27 January 2007
USA: Women’s work cancers under the spotlight
Many work environments - no matter how seemingly innocuous - expose
people to human carcinogens, substances that can cause cancer.
Cornell University’s Suzanne Snedeker said: “It's
appalling how little data we have,” adding: “Until
the 1990s we had very little data on exposure to chemicals.”
Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Hazards
cancer webpages
Britain:
Union anger as HSE cuts paper handling guide
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has withdrawn its guidance
on transporting paper safely, in spite of opposition from the
union Amicus. Tony Burke, Amicus assistant general secretary said:
“Amicus has opposed the withdrawal of this guidance on the
basis it was not being replaced by any effective, alternative
guidance, thus leaving our members in the industry unclear about
what they should do.” Risks 291, 27 January 2007
USA:
Campaign targets nail salon hazards
Nail salon workers are facing serious risks to their health from
physical strains and toxic exposures, an advocacy organisation
has warned. Lehn Tsan, a community advocate and organiser, and
Connie Nguyen, a peer trainer, are from Asian Law Caucus, which
has launched a nail salon project as part of a worker health and
safety programme. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
‘Management culture' causing college stress
High levels of stress are widespread amongst staff throughout
further and higher education and staff widely believe that management
- far from addressing the issue - are contributing to the problem.
A survey of 5,000 staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
for the University and Colleges Union (UCU) and teaching union
ATL found the main sources of work-related stress were clearly
linked to targets and deadlines, long working hours, increased
workloads and frequent changes of timetables or courses. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
Cyber-bullying affecting 1 in 6 teachers
More than one in every six teachers is being bullied by mobile
phone, email or over the internet, a new survey on cyber-bullying
has revealed. The Teacher Support Network and teaching union ATL
say the problem is becoming so serious that the Department for
Education and Skills (DfES) will need to ensure effective implementation
of anti-bullying policies covering cyber-bullying. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
USA:
Concern grows about deadly 9/11 legacy
Experts have been slow to officially link deaths in workers exposed
to toxic dusts in the 11 September 2001 World Trade Center clean-up,
saying it is easy to misinterpret some diseases, like cancer,
as being connected to ground zero when other factors may be at
play. However, an unofficial, anecdotal death toll of post-September
11 workers is rising rapidly, with the number of deaths tracked
last year by a lawyer suing the city and contractors overseeing
the clean-up at 90 people. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
Union concerns with grounded ship firm
The London-based company at the centre of the shipping accident
off Devon is in dispute with unions over crewing and safety issues.
Seafarers’ unions RMT and Nautilus have both raised serious
concerns about safety practices at Zodiac Maritime, owner of the
grounded MSC Napoli. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
RMT urges MPs to restore Thames safety
Maritime union RMT has urged a committee of MPs to reverse “dangerous
reductions” in Thames boatmen’s training and licensing
standards and to restore tighter standards of tidal-river safety
that were introduced after the 1989 Marchioness tragedy in which
51 died. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
Concern over delay in asbestos drug decision
A final decision on whether a chemotherapy drug that could help
sufferers of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma should be available
on the NHS may not now be announced for months. The National Institute
for Clinical Excellence (Nice) says it does not envisage being
in a position to give guidance on the drug Alimta until September.
Risks 291, 27 January 2007
USA:
US employers make bad stand on chairs
Safeway customer Deana Jordan Sullivan, concerned that checkout
workers in her local supermarket were being left standing all
their working day, went out and bought stools for them. Safeway
officials, however, said: “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Hazards
standing hazards webpages
Britain:
Firm fined after fireball fatality
Ray Davison, 40, became a “human fireball” while working
for Hashimoto on the production line at its South Tyneside plant
when the solvent xylene spilled on to his work clothes and caught
fire. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered it to pay
£30,000 in costs for health and safety breaches. Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Hazards
deadly business webpages
France:
Union calls day of action on demanding work
The long-term wear and tear caused by work must be addressed by
employers, the French trade union body CFDT has said. Over three
years ago, a new pensions law in France gave employers just three
years to reach agreement with unions on measures to deal with
the health impact of the cumulative hazardous job exposures that
wear out workers - however, the talks have stalled, leading CFDT
general secretary François Chérèque to call
for physically wearing work to be made a “national cause”.
Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Hazards
older workers webpages • Hazards
age news and resources
Britain:
Cranes grounded after collapses
A construction equipment hire company has been ordered to take
down 180 tower cranes after two collapsed and three people died.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served the prohibition notice
on Falcon Crane Hire just one day after the Battersea Crane Disaster
Action Group (BCDAG) called for a blanket national ban on the
use of Falcon’s cranes. Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Battersea
Crane Disaster Action Group
Britain/USA:
“Iron clad” evidence cost-cutting hurt BP safety
BP is to receive another damning indictment over the Texas City
refinery explosion when a new report links the disaster to cost-cutting
by the British oil group. Carolyn Merritt, chair of the US Chemical
Safety Board (CSB), an independent, government-backed agency,
said a report to be released on 20 March will pin some of the
responsibility on BP budget cuts. Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
Hazards BP
safety updates
Britain:
Mesothelioma Action Day, 27 February 2007
The second Mesothelioma Action Day will be held on 27 February
2007. As well as a parliamentary reception at the House of Commons,
there will be events in Manchester, Chesterfield, Leicester, Liverpool,
Glasgow, Rotherham, Gateshead, Leeds and elsewhere, and a purpose
produced short video presentation to raise awareness of the UK
mesothelioma epidemic will be shown throughout February 27 on
giant BBC TV screens in city centres including Birmingham, Liverpool
and Manchester. Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
For further information, see the International
Ban Asbestos Secretariat website • Also see Asbestos
Forum and Hazards
Campaign websites
Britain:
New HSE inspection pack on worker involvement
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a new “topic
pack” to advise HSE and local authority inspectors on worker
consultation and involvement issues. HSE says: “This topic
inspection pack is designed to help staff in HSE and local authorities
to: understand what is meant by ‘worker involvement’;
understand the legal requirements to inform and consult workers,
along with the policy position on enforcing those requirements;
determine when discussion of worker involvement is appropriate;
and promote the benefits of involving workers.” Risks 291, 27 January 2007 •
HSE publication alert and full inspection pack [pdf]
Europe:
EuroFound loses old name, finds new look
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working
Conditions has given its website a thorough revamp and at the
same time given itself a less RSI and voice loss inducing name.
The rebranded “EuroFound” has also brought together
its specialised websites in one more easily accessed package.
Risks 291, 27 January 2007
Britain:
TUC publishes REACH briefing for safety reps
TUC has published a detailed online guide to the REACH chemicals
law. The guide, which targets union safety reps, gives a background
on the need for a chemicals law, its scope, and the timetable
for implementation. Risks 291, 27 January 2007
•TUC
REACH briefing
EARLIER
NEWS
Hazards news, 20 January 2007
Britain:
Work health watchdog “too under-resourced” to work
The body charged with protecting the occupational health of 29
million British workers is too under-resourced to operate effectively,
the union representing official health and safety specialists
has warned. Prospect, the union for Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) inspectors, scientists and specialists, says it is fearful
that a current review of HSE’s Corporate Medical Unit (CMU)
will spell its death knell at a time when the HSE is seeking to
shed 250-350 jobs as a result of a funding shortfall. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Ireland:
Mushroom industry faces safety clean up
A commitment by Ireland’s official safety watchdog to carry
out at least 100 inspections of mushroom farms during 2007 has
been welcomed by a union representing workers in the industry.
SIPTU regional secretary Mike Jennings asid the union was concerned
by frequent poisonings, ill-health and occupational diseases including
“mushroom workers’ lung”. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
BA cabin crew to resist work-while-sick rule
British Airways cabin crew have voted overwhelmingly in favour
of strike action in protest at imposed management changes, including
a work-while-sick rule to drive down sickness absence. TGWU deputy
general secretary Jack Dromey, speaking after the strike vote
in which over nine out of 10 workers backed action, said the outcome
showed just how serious the situation has become. Risks 290, 20 January 2007 •
Hazards
sickness webpages
Canada:
Bystander asbestos cases hit families
Many of the sons, daughters and spouses of Canadian workers sickened
by asbestos are now developing cancers, which doctors say have
been triggered by the dangerous dust brought home inadvertently
by their fathers and husbands. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
Government must ‘neutralise’ workplace allergies
The union Amicus is calling for action from the government to
combat workplace allergies. Amicus health and safety officer Rob
Miguel, a member of the official Advisory Committee for Toxic
Substances, put the union’s case in evidence to an allergy
sub-committee of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science
and Technology. Risks 290, 20 January 2007 •
Hazards
work and health webpages
Britain:
RMT stands up for train safety
Rail union RMT has warned there could be industrial action if
any workers at the First Great Western rail company are victimised
for refusing dangerous work. The union says its members have raised
concerns that the firm is “playing a very dangerous game”
with new high-speed train services, where it says have been reintroduced
in south-east Cornwall without adequate risk assessments. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Global:
Union call for action after media’s “bloodiest year”
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has confirmed
the death toll of at least 155 killed and 22 accidental deaths
has marked out 2006 as the bloodiest year on record for journalism
worldwide. The global media unions’ federation this week
released its annual report on journalists and media staff killed,
‘Journalism put to the sword in 2006’, which provides
a detailed account of the deaths, including 69 deaths in Iraq
alone. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
TGWU calls for overhaul of coach industry safety
Transport union TGWU is calling for a thorough review of training
regimes within the coach industry and a speed up of a new driver
certification process. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
USA/Britain:
Call for BP chiefs to have bonuses linked to safety
Shareholders are calling for BP directors to have their bonuses
linked closer with the company's safety and environmental performance,
following incidents such as the March 2005 Texas City refinery
fire, where 15 people were killed and 180 were injured. The Local
Authority Pension Fund Forum has called on BP chair Peter Sutherland
to address the issue of how senior executives' pay is related
to non-financial issues, following the highly critical Baker Panel
Report which found the blame went all the way to the UK-based
global board. Risks 290, 20 January 2007 • Hazards
BP safety record webpages
Britain:
Death number 3 in deep coal mine
A 42-year-old man has been killed as he worked underground at
a coal mine. Contract worker Anthony Carrigan became trapped underground
when a tunnel wall collapsed on 17 January. It was the third death
at Daw Mill Colliery in Arley, north Warwickshire, in just eight
months. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Global:
Study highlights overwork risks at sea
Fatigue is endangering ships’ crews, vessels and the environment,
researchers have concluded. A report from Cardiff University’s
Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology presented at the
23 January meeting of the International Maritime Organisation’s
training sub-committee in London, concludes there is overwhelming
evidence of the existence of maritime fatigue, yet the industry
has been reluctant to invest resources into monitoring or preventing
it. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
The price of a life
Asbestos continues to kill in record numbers – at least
4,000 UK deaths last year – and for many the best they can
hope for is some compensation before they die. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
• Hazards
asbestos news and resources
Britain:
Crane crash kills Polish worker
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prohibited use of all
Falcon Crane Hire Ltd’s cranes after the death of a worker,
killed in the second fatal collapse of one of its cranes in four
months. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Finland:
Police failing to probe safety crimes
Finnish police are failing to investigate and record serious workplace
safety incidents despite this being required by law, an expert
has warned. Researcher Anne Alvesalo from the Police College of
Finland said only a fraction of workplace accidents are being
investigated by the police and their seriousness is being under-estimated,
despite occupational safety being covered by the criminal code.
Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
Firm fined after four tonne rail truck hits worker
A company has been fined £150,000 after an employee was
run over by a four-tonne rail truck. Saint Gobain Pipelines, based
at Stanton-by-Dale, llkeston, was also ordered to pay £10,000
costs at Derby Crown Court. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
Multiple fines over site death fall
The death of a novice construction worker in an accident “that
should never have happened” has resulted in fines and costs
totalling nearly £150,000, with site firms, directors, supervisors
and two foremen all facing charges. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Global:
Depression and drugs face job cut survivors
Workers who keep their jobs following a round of redundancies
are almost as likely to end up on stress medication as their colleagues
who are made redundant, according to new research. University
College London researchers, writing in the February edition of
the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, said more help
should be offered to “survivors”. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
Britain:
Safety minister No.9 in nine years
Lord McKenzie of Luton is the new workplace safety minister. He
has been appointed parliamentary under secretary at the Department
for Work and Pensions, and replaces Lord Hunt, who has the rare
distinction of having held the post for over 18 months. Risks 290, 20 January 2007
EARLIER NEWS
Hazards
news, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Unpaid hours cost workers £4,800 a year
Employees in the UK who do unpaid overtime do an average of seven
hours six minutes extra work a week, and would take home an extra
£4,800 a year if they were paid the average wage for those
unpaid hours, according to new figures from TUC. Risks 289, 13 January 2007 •
Find out more about TUC's fourth Work
Your Proper Hours Day, 23 February 2007 • Hazards
get-a-life webpages
USA:
Gloves off in union fight for free safety gear
US foodworkers’ union UFCW is suing the Department of Labor
over its failure to issue a standard requiring employers to pay
for personal protective equipment (PPE) - a standard which has
been delayed for nearly eight years. This Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) rule would require employers
to pay the costs of protective clothing, lifelines, face shields,
gloves and other equipment used by an estimated 20 million workers
to protect them from job hazards. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
High Court orders CPS to review work death decision
Prosecutors have been ordered to look again at possible manslaughter
charges in a case where a teenage roofer fell to his death in
his first week at work. Daniel Dennis died aged 17 after falling
through a skylight at a store in Cwmbran in 2003. Risks 289, 13 January 2007 •
Hazards deadly
business campaign and young
workers webpage
India:
The real cost of cheap stone
Research and “diagnosis camps” run by the Gujarat-based
Peoples Training and Research Centre (PTRC) have identified an
“epidemic” of silicosis, a deadly lung disease caused
by exposure to stone dust. Quarry workers, gem polishers, foundry
and other industrial workers are at risk. Risks 289, 13 January 2007 •
PTRC website
• More
on the PTRC dust campaign
Britain:
Post union action call after van attacks
A spate of vicious attacks and van-jackings targeting Royal Mail
delivery staff has prompted a union call for “firm action”.
Postal workers’ union CWU said there were three “identical
attacks” in Herne Bay, Kent last year, the most recent in
December. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Union warning on nuclear clean-up cutbacks
Unions representing workers in Britain's nuclear industry have
warned a shortfall in funding for the country's nuclear clean-up
programme could undermine safety and public confidence in the
industry. The unions are angry over what they say is a £160m
cut in the money available to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
(NDA), the organisation responsible for cleaning up Britain's
civil nuclear legacy, in the coming financial year. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Global:
Bloodiest year ever for media workers
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has said 2006
was a year of tragedy for the world’s media as killings
of reporters and media staff reached historic levels with at least
155 murders, assassinations and unexplained deaths. “Media
have become more powerful and journalism has become more dangerous,”
said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Union starts probe at toxic leak plant
A Teesside chemical plant closed down after a toxic leak last
week injured 37 people has reopened. The move came as a union
started its own investigation into possible worker safety concerns
after the incident at the BASF site in Seal Sands, Billingham.
Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Union fears over in-house driver tests
Civil service union PCS has called for an investigation into the
safety of bus and coach drivers tested by private bus companies.
It is concerned at the significantly higher pass rates among those
tested by delegated examiners attached to bus companies compared
to those tested by Driving Standard Agency (DSA) examiners. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Real concern over school safety, union warns
Scotland’s schools and colleges are not doing enough to
make schools safer, teaching union the Educational Institute of
Scotland (EIS) has warned. The union’s figures show that
last year, injuries to teachers and lecturers resulting from accidents
or assaults during working hours led to a compensation and legal
bill of around a quarter of a million pounds. Risks 289, 13 January 2007 •
Hazards
compensation webpages
Britain:
TUC repeats call for hearing checks
Hearing charity RNID and the TUC have teamed up for the second
year running to call on workers and their managers to 'break the
sound barrier' and take the charity's telephone hearing check
on 0845 600 55 55. To date, 300,000 people have taken the telephone
hearing check but RNID believes many more could benefit from taking
the check to discover their level of hearing loss. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Manslaughter bill may be toothless, legal experts warn
Dangerous organisations that kill will continue to escape prosecution
under the proposed new manslaughter offence, senior lawyers have
warned. In a legal opinion for the Centre for Corporate Accountability
(CCA), Peter Thornton QC and Francis Fitzgibbon of Doughty Street
Chambers conclude “it is worth asking whether this law will
have teeth at all, or whether it makes corporate criminal liability
for deaths as easy to escape as it is at present.” CCA news release, 11 January 2006
Britain:
Seven copter deaths evade official work statistics
Seven workers killed in a 27 December helicopter crash over the
Morecambe Bay gas field are unlikely to be included in official
workplace fatality figures, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
has confirmed. Rig workers Robert Warburton, Leslie Ahmed, John
Shaw and Alfred Neasham, contractor Keith Smith and pilots Stephen
Potton and Simon Foddering all died in the crash. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Australia:
ABC staff may strike over cancer concerns
Staff employed by Australian broadcaster ABC in Brisbane have
threatened further industrial action as concerns continue about
elevated cancer rates linked to its ageing studios in the city.
The studio was abandoned before Christmas after an independent
panel of experts found the breast cancer rate there was up to
11 times higher than the general working community. Risks 289, 13 January 2007 •
Hazards
workplace cancer webpages
Britain:
Worker dies on North Sea vessel
An incident on board a North Sea support vessel has left one worker
dead and another injured. Matthew Grey, 59, from Darlington, was
working in the cargo tanks of the Bleo Holm 72 miles north east
of Aberdeen when he died. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Three workers found dead in building site container
Three workers have been found dead in a shipping container on
a building site in Berkshire. The bodies of Kirpal Singh, 30,
Manjit Singh, 35 and 21-year-old Gurdeep Singh Deol, from Southall,
Middlesex, were found on the morning of 22 December - initial
tests showed the men died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Tesco fined after worker is scarred
Supermarket giant Tesco has been ordered to pay out £24,000
after one of its employees was scarred in an accident at work.
The store bakery worker suffered burns to both her feet when hot
oil dripped on to her from a doughnut-frying machine. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
Britain:
Poultry workers to get flu jabs
Poultry workers in England are to be offered seasonal flu jabs
as a way to minimise any threat from bird flu. Experts say offering
them protection against human flu will cut the already small risk
that they might catch human and bird flu at the same time. Risks 289, 13 January 2007
