Hazards news, October 2008 - December 2009
Hazards news, 19 December 2009
Global: Big, green and with blood on its hands
Top US retailer Kohl’s is really, really proud of its award-winning environmental credentials and “sustainability” policies. However, this rankles with the US-based International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), which points to labour rights and safety abuses in the company’s supply chain.
ILRF news release and full report • Green jobs blog • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Directors’ duties are overdue, says TUC
The TUC says the case for legally-binding safety duties on company directors is watertight, adding they would be “the biggest driver yet in changing boardroom attitudes towards health and safety.” The union body says the current law “means that if a board of directors refuses to have any involvement in health and safety, however bad the record of the company, there is almost nothing that can be done to force them to take responsibility beyond disqualification (which is almost never done).”
TUC directors’ duties briefing document • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Turkey: Coal mine blast kills nineteen
Nineteen miners have been killed in a suspected methane gas explosion at a coal mine in western Turkey. The 10 December explosion happened at a depth of more than 200m (700 feet), causing a shaft to collapse and starting a fire.
ICEM news briefing • Today’s Zaman • BBC News Online • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Bishops should quit over victimised vicar
The resignation of two Church of England bishops has been called for by the union Unite. The union says they presided over ‘a culture of neglect and bullying’ in the Diocese of Worcester which drove a vicar from his parish and that this week saw him evicted from his home.
Unite news release • BBC News Online • Morning Star • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: RMT warns that ‘cuts cost lives’
Network Rail plans to axe 1,500 maintenance jobs could cost lives, the rail union RMT has warned. Union members were out in force at railway stations up and down the UK on 17 December to launch a ‘Rail Cuts Cost Lives’ campaign against the job losses.
RMT news release • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Guards cost less than a director’s pay
Rail union RMT has demanded an immediate reversal of plans to introduce Driver Only Operation (DOO) on the new Glasgow/Edinburgh via Airdrie route. The call comes as company accounts reveal the top boss at Scotrail earns more than the additional cost of employing the guards the union says are necessary to ensure train passenger safety.
RMT news release • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Safety warning over signalling cover
Rail union RMT has warned that managers drafted in at short notice to try and run signalling services during a strike in Wales have not had adequate preparation for the safety critical job. The union said its members have reported that the management stand-ins received just a five hour briefing for duties that would normally require a minimum of a month’s full training.
RMT news release and related release • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Union calls for urgent work death inquiry
Construction union UCATT has called for an urgent inquiry following the death of a worker in Hull last week. Raymond Jessop 53, died on 8 December after falling from a ladder while painting a council property in the city.
UCATT news release • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Global: Construction blacklisting campaign goes global
Construction unions from around the world have backed proposals to stamp out blacklisting wherever it occurs. The decision was taken last week by the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), which agreed to “monitor any developments on blacklisting discovered in BWI affiliate countries” and to “assist unions in taking action where there are suspicions of a blacklist or where blacklisting practices have been confirmed.”
UCATT news release • Blacklist blog • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Builder secures damages for loss of finger
A building worker who lost a finger in a circular saw has received an undisclosed sum in compensation. GMB member Albert Hardy, 58, from Chesterfield has been forced to change trades after his index finger on his left hand was amputated following the incident while working for a building firm in Belper.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Six figure payout for injury HSE wouldn’t probe
An electrical engineer who had his left leg amputated below the knee after falling from a ladder in Rotherham has been awarded £450,000 in compensation. Keith Waring fell 13ft off the ladder on to a block paved patio, seriously injuring his left ankle- the case led to criticism of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) role, after Hazards revealed HSE had been informed of the September 2002 incident, but had refused to investigate because it was not considered serious enough.
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • Yorkshire Post • Sheffield Star • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
China: Sick migrants demand surgical proof
Thirteen migrant workers from Yunnan in China have applied to have open-chest surgery to prove their lungs have been damaged by dust. The workers are following the lead of Zhang Haichao, who famously underwent open-chest surgery to prove he was suffering from pneumoconiosis, China Labour Bulletin reports.
China Labour Bulletin • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Firm’s ‘relaxed attitude’ led to death
An organic farm owned by the wife of the multi-millionaire owner of JCB and top Tory backer Sir Anthony Bamford was ordered to pay more than £90,000 last week after one of its employees died because of a relaxed attitude to safety. Gardener Tony Cripps, 57, was crushed under a JCB while he tried to collect elderflower from the Daylesford Organic farm shop to make lemonade for the owner Carole Bamford.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • The Telegraph • The Independent • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Manslaughter verdicts on firefighter deaths
A fireworks factory owner and his son have been convicted of the manslaughter of two firefighters killed in an explosion at the East Sussex site. Alfa Fireworks owner Martin Winter, 52, and his son Nathan, 25, were “grossly negligent”, Lewes crown court heard, and were sentenced to seven and five years in jail respectively.
BBC News Online • The Telegraph • The Guardian • Sussex Express • Daily Mirror • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: £150,000 fine for Preston chemical fire
An international waste management company has been fined £150,000 for health and safety breaches following a major chemical fire in Preston which closed two motorways. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Veolia ES Cleanaway (UK) Ltd after carrying out a joint 15-month investigation with the Environment Agency and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
HSE news release and fire and explosion webpages • Central Radio • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Injury exposed catalogue of offences
A printing company and two of its directors have been prosecuted after an investigation into a worker's injury exposed a series of health and safety breaches at its Bedfordshire site. The legal action against Flitwick firm Colpac Ltd and two of its directors, Terry Langton and Stephen Burton, was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE news release and print industry webpage • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Immigrant workers 'living in sheds'
More than 1,000 migrant workers across Slough are thought to be living in sheds in people's back gardens. Slough Borough Council housing standards manager, Keith Ford, said many of the immigrants were living in the sheds without proper sanitation and were “being exploited”.
BBC News Online • Financial Times • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Mum’s family searches for asbestos clues
The family of a young mother who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma is searching for more information about where she was exposed to the deadly dust. Tracey Carpenter from Kettering was just 43 when she died in November this year.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Northants Evening Telegraph •
Anyone wanting to pass on information should call Neil Baines at Thompsons Solicitors on freephone 08000 224 224 or 0115 9897209 • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Britain: Company ignored asbestos warnings
A company has been fined for failing to carry out proper risk assessments for the presence of asbestos before a major office refurbishment in Merthyr Tydfil. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says Waxport Ltd put employees and contractors at risk when work started on the refurbishment without an asbestos survey.
HSE news release and Hidden killer campaign • Local London • Risks 437 • 19 December 2009
Hazards news, 12 December 2009
Britain: Law change call on dog attacks
A ‘gaping hole’ in legislation that allows dog owners whose animals attack postal workers to escape prosecution must be closed, the union CWU has said. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 does not cover attacks on private property, for example gardens, paths and driveways.
CWU news release • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
USA: Worker killed at enforcement opt-out site
A worker was killed last week at a US plant exempted from safety inspections by the official safety watchdog because it has opted in to a ‘Voluntary Protection Programme (VPP).” Tommy Manis, 40, was killed and two other workers were injured at Valero Energy’s Texas City refinery.
The Pump Handle • Houston Chronicle • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Green meter plan needs to be safe
UK government plans to introduce “smart meters” to homes nationwide as an energy saving measure must take account of safety and other concerns about rogue contractors, the union GMB has said. The GMB call comes a week after the Australian government had to clampdown on “shonky” contractors after a series of deaths in young workers installing insulation to homes under its “energy efficient homes” programme.
GMB news release • Green jobs blog • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Scotrail plans unsafe contract breach
Rail union RMT has expressed anger at Scotrail’s admission it is prepared to breach a contract over train staffing levels. The union says the news – the company admitted its intentions to members of the Scottish parliament (MSPs) - comes as it ramps up its campaign over the planned introduction of Driver Only Operation (DOO) on a new Edinburgh to Glasgow via Airdrie route.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Welder gets two diseases from vibration
A welder has developed two serious occupational diseases in his hands as a result of using vibrating tools. The 56-year-old Unite member from Wolverhampton, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Global: EU e-waste is poisoning poor kids
Children eke out a living by selling the scrap garnered from e-waste dumps from Ghana to China, and risk being slowly poisoned as a result. They pull apart the computers, breaking the screens with rocks, then throw the internal electronics onto the fires. Computers contain large amounts of heavy metals, and as the plastic burns, the children also breathe in carcinogenic fumes.
Good Electronics • Der Spiegel • ITUC/Hazards ‘green jobs, safe jobs’ blog • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Tate & Lyle pays out for pleural thickening
A sugar factory worker has received £12,000 in a provisional payout for an asbestos related disease. The GMB member, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with pleural thickening in 2007 after suffering from lung problems for several years.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: More Tube cuts mean more dangers
Tube union RMT has accused Transport for London (TfL) and maintenance and infrastructure firm Tube Lines of slashing safety standards to dangerous levels. The union is concerned the twice weekly inspection of escalators will be cut to just once a week and the 12 week frequency of signal maintenance on the Jubilee Line will be cut to a 16 week cycle.
RMT news release • London Daily News • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Japan: Firm worked employee to death
A restaurant chain in Japan has been accused of working one of its employees to death. The Osaka Central Labour Standards Inspection Office sent an investigation report on local restaurant chain Isoji and its 60-year-old president to the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office.
Mainichi Japan • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: UCATT outrage at blacklisting law flaws
Construction union UCATT fears new regulations designed to outlaw blacklisting contain so many loopholes they will not deter the practice. The union says the government also failed to address “the routine blacklisting of safety representatives and campaigners, which was a notable feature of the Consulting Association’s blacklisting practices.”
UCATT news release. Blacklist blog • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Blacklisting lawsuit could cost firms millions
Construction companies could be facing a bill of millions of pounds after a law firm revealed it was preparing a class action suit on behalf of blacklisted workers. A report in the trade journal Building says action will be brought against over 40 firms, including Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke, Kier and Costain, who were found to be using an illegal blacklist uncovered by the Information Commissioner’s Office in February.
Building • Blacklist blog • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Finland: Union says suicides are only the start
This autumn four employees of the Rautaruukki steel mill in Raahe, Finland, took their own lives. But they represent only the tip of the iceberg, according to union shop steward Mika Vuoti and safety representative Alpo Pirneskoski.
Trade Union News from Finland • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Sellafield fined after radiation exposures
The company that runs the Sellafield decommissioning operation has been fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £26,100 in costs after two contract workers inhaled radioactive material. The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into an incident on 11 July 2007 at the Sellafield Nuclear Licensed Site in Cumbria.
HSE news release • Construction News • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Vehicle repair firm fined after death
A commercial vehicle repair centre in Kettering has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £25,000 costs after an employee was crushed to death underneath a 24-tonne lorry. FW Abbott Ltd pleaded guilty at Northampton Crown Court to health and safety breaches which led to the death of Martin John Carswell, 47.
HSE news release and motor vehicle repair webpages • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Warning to firms on scaffolding dangers
Businesses have been warned to take proper precautions with scaffolding following a prosecution involving a construction site at Sheffield Ski Village. Pullan Development (Selby) Ltd pleaded guilty to two breaches of safety regulations in relation to poorly-erected scaffolding.
HSE news release and working at height webpage • Sheffield Telegraph • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Small businesses get mental health advice
The government is providing a network of specialist coordinators and dedicated advice lines for small businesses as part of an overhaul of support for people with mental health problems. The new support includes mental health coordinators in every Jobcentre Plus district and nine occupational health advice line pilots.
DWP news release • NASUWT news release • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: Disability day call for action on stress
The union Unite has called for action to support the millions of workers struggling to cope with the daily impact of stress at work. Speaking on 3 December, the International Day of Disabled People, Unite’s Diana Holland said: “While disability discrimination is unlawful, it still happens, and mental health issues related to stress at work are not necessarily recognised as disability equality issues.”
UN news release • Unite news release • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Global: Night shifts linked to diabetes risk
Night shifts have been related to cancer and heart disease – and a new study suggests we should also add diabetes to the list of concerns. Michael Smolensky, co-editor of Chronobiology International, said “intelligent development of more health-preserving shift schedules together with efficient health screening and regular check-ups may be of considerable benefit in maintaining the health of this vulnerable group of workers.”
Medical News Today • Personnel Today • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Britain: The value of unions
With the recession putting pressure on Britain's workers, the TUC has published new materials to help unions attract new recruits and demonstrate the value of unions to employers. A new report, ‘The union advantage’, includes safety in an array of compelling reasons you are better off in a union.
TUC publication note • The union advantage: The positive impact of trade unions on the economy and British society [pdf] • Risks 436 • 12 December 2009
Hazards news, 5 December 2009
Britain: Train drivers deliver RSI breakthrough
A court judgment has paved the way for train drivers across Britain to claim compensation for an industrial injury that can leave their hands permanently disabled. The decision at Swansea County Court concerned members of the train drivers’ union ASLEF who contracted Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) as a result of the cramped, awkward conditions in train cabs.
ASLEF news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • BBC News Online • Wales Online • The South Wales Evening Post • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Global: Where do your gizmos go to die?
You are staring right now at a computer screen, one of the gaggle of can’t-live-without state-of-the-art electronic gizmos you cherish for a year or two then discard. A report in the ‘green jobs’ blog published by global union federation ITUC and Hazards magazine, says the waste amounts to a major toxic headache – and it warns that conditions in the e-waste recycling industry “are as distant from the cleanrooms where the products were created as the landfills – dumps – they might otherwise occupy.”
Green jobs blog • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Disruptive pupils make teachers mad
Primary school teachers are suffering mental health problems as a result of dealing with disruptive pupils, according to a survey by the teaching union ATL. Over a quarter of the 1,078 teachers surveyed (26.5 per cent) said they had suffered from mental health problems and one in six (16.7 per cent) physical harm as a result of dealing with a pupil.
ATL news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Most Ladbrokes staff fear lone working
The majority of Ladbrokes staff are “worried” or “very worried” about working alone, research for betting shop union Community has found. The union survey was prompted by Ladbrokes’ unilateral decision to introduce periods of mandatory single staffing, reneging on an earlier agreement to ensure all single staffing was undertaken voluntarily.
Community news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Rail luxury for chiefs, dole for workers
Rail union RMT has blasted senior Network Rail chiefs “for holding meetings in the five star opulence of London’s Langham Hotel while multi-billion pound cuts have left 1,500 essential safety maintenance staff facing the sack.” The Network Rail board met at the luxury hotel on 2 December and RMT believes the job cuts package was one of the items under discussion - members, carrying banners emblazoned with the unequivocal message ‘Cuts cost lives – safety first’, lobbied meeting.
RMT news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Injury forces change career
An electrician who has been forced to change his career after he suffered a serious injury at work has received £50,000 in compensation. Unite member Paul Merrell, 50, was forced to give up his 35-year-career after he slipped, seriously damaging his arm, while working for Premier Foods International.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Lifesaving work becomes work losing injury
A paramedic has received a £200,000 payout after suffering debilitating injuries in a fall while attending an emergency call. UNISON member Michael Kirkham, 58, had to take early retirement as a result of injuries sustained when his bulky work equipment caught on a door handle in March 2003.
UNISON news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Chemical causes permanent eye damage
A factory worker has received £100,000 in compensation after being left with permanent eye damage when sodium hydroxide, a corrosive chemical, dripped onto his face. The GMB member from Bradford, whose name has not been released, has been left with reduced sight in his right eye following the incident in November 2005 at Ciba Speciality Chemicals Ltd.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Cash firm pays out for back injury
A GMB member who was forced to continue lifting heavy objects after he damaged his back, leading to further injury, has received £13,500 in compensation. Alan Titley, 62, from Atherstone in Warwickshire, suffered the permanent injury as result of his work for G4S Cash Services UK in Coventry.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Cameron’s myth-fuelled attack on safety
David Cameron has been accused by the TUC of creating a Conservative policy on health and safety that “seems to consist of little more than a medley of Daily Mail headlines.” A speech by the Conservative leader called for an end to the UK's “over-the-top” health and safety culture, saying it had created a “stultifying blanket of bureaucracy, suspicion and fear.”
David Cameron’s speech to Policy Exchange [pdf]. TUC news release and Stronger Unions blog • The Guardian • The Times • BBC News Online • The Express • The Telegraph • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Global: Tetley’s cup overflows with hypocrisy
Women picking tea for the Indian-owned Tata Group – which includes top UK brand Tetley’s - are being victimised after standing up for basic maternity rights and are now receiving state hand-outs normally reserved for the victims of natural disasters. Nearly 1,000 tea plantation workers and their families on the Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate in West Bengal are locked out, have had barely any income since August, and are desperately hungry.
IUF briefing • Online campaign: Tell Tata and Tetley Tea to stop starving workers now! The Tetley Tea website says “We’d love to hear what’s on your mind” - so send the company a message online, or use the freephone number provided to give them a call: 0800 387227 • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: STUC issues Cameron a safety challenge
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has challenged Conservative leader David Cameron to visit Scotland and meet families who have lost a loved one as a result of a neglect for health and safety in the workplace. Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary said the Tory leader’s speech to the Policy Exchange, calling for curbs on safety regulation, was “deeply offensive” to the injured and bereaved, adding: “We would say to David Cameron if you want to learn about the true consequences of health and safety failures read Hazards magazine and come to Scotland and meet families who have lost loved ones due to health and safety failures by employers.”
STUC news release • Hazards deadly business special investigation • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Unions berate ‘confused’ Conservatives
Unions and campaigners have accused the Tories of being “confused” on health and safety and having a poor understanding on the issues. Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) spokesperson Hilda Palmer said: “Cameron is completely bankrupt and his comments are absolute populist nonsense,” adding: “All the models the Tories are proposing come from America where they have been shown to have failed.”
Prospect news release • UCATT news release • FACK news release • Morning Star • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Government announces blacklisting plans
It will be unlawful for trade union members to be denied employment through blacklists under plans outlined by employment relations minister Lord Young. He said the new law will ban employers from blacklisting workers for their trade union membership or activities.
BIS news release and full government response to the blacklisting consultation [pdf] • Blacklist blog • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Unions welcome ‘overdue’ rules
Unions have given a qualified welcome to new regulations intended to outlaw the blacklisting of trade unionists. The laws, which need parliamentary approval before taking effect, were announced on 2 December by employment relations minister Lord Young.
UCATT news release • Unite news release • Blacklist blog • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Government accepts insurers have failed
Campaigners have welcomed a government proposal that may close a loophole that denies compensation to many victims of workplace diseases and their families. After a government review, work and pensions minister Lord McKenzie accepted many employees did not have access to the compensation they deserved, especially in cases where conditions, such as occupational cancers like mesothelioma, may take many years to develop.
DWP review [pdf] • Asbestos Forum news release [pdf] • Irwin Mitchell news release. Independent on Sunday • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Firm fined after lung disease outbreak
A Yorkshire company has been fined £20,000 after an outbreak of lung disease caused by metalworking fluids. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors described the case as “shocking”, after Barnsley Magistrates Court heard the entire 380-strong workforce at Koyo Bearings (Europe) Ltd was exposed to a hazardous mist during everyday operations.
HSE news release • Yorkshire Post • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Government lab done for cancer risks
A government-run laboratory exposed workers to chemicals known to cause cancer without using any of the accepted health and safety controls. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) in Suffolk accepted a Crown Censure for health and safety breaches, the equivalent of a prosecution for a government body.
HSE news release [pdf] • Cefas news release • Lowestoft Journal • BBC News Online • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: Scots criminals can’t plead poverty
Employers convicted of criminal offences in Scotland could soon be subject to full financial background inquiries to ensure they are punished correctly for serious offences. The new measures are part of the Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) Member’s Bill proposed by MSP Dr Bill Wilson, which has now received the backing of the Scottish government and might now be incorporated in the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill.
Construction News • Proposed Criminal Sentencing (Equity Fines) Bill and Scottish Parliament Justice Committee report on the bill • Risk 435 • 5 December 200
Britain: Campaigners win a cranes register
Construction union UCATT have welcomed confirmation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that it intends to introduce a new statutory crane register from April 2010. The decision was made at November’s HSE board meeting.
HSE news release • UCATT news release • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Britain: TUC guide to medical confidentiality
The TUC has published an online guide to confidentiality and medical reports. TUC says it “is important that employees know their rights to access to the information contained in any report” and provides guidance on good practice and on dealing effectively with any concerns raised.
TUC briefing document • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Australia: Deaths go through the roof
A series of deaths in young workers installing insulation to make homes “greener” has led to a government clampdown on dangerous contractors. The Australian government’s Energy Efficient Homes Package has been dogged by safety concerns since the rebate began in July, with accusations of inexperienced and unscrupulous operators rushing to cash in on the scheme.
ACTU news release • Green jobs blog • Risk 435 • 5 December 2009
Hazards news, 28 November 2009
Global: Paper deaths prompt transatlantic campaign
An increase in workplace fatalities and serious injuries in the paper industry may have been brought on by employers trying to increase profit margins at the expense of health and safety, unions in North America and the UK have warned. In January, Workers Uniting will offer a freephone number for members to report unsafe work practices, which will be then be reported to the health and safety authorities in both the US and the UK.
Unite news release • USW news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Floods expose cutbacks ‘madness’
The deadly floods that that have hit Cumbria in recent days show the ‘madness’ of cutting back on rail maintenance and emergency services, unions have said.
RMT news release • FBU news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Philippines: Fears for media staff after massacre
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has pledged its full support to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in an urgent campaign on news safety as reports emerged that an estimated 20 media workers died in a 23 November massacre of journalists and political campaigners in the Philippines. Press reports say 57 people were killed in the atrocity.
IFJ news release • International News Safety Institute (INSI) safety appeal to aid journalists in the Philippines • BBC News Online • ABC News.Hazards news, 21 November 2009 • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: ‘Dire’ risk from Tube safety check cuts
Plans to cut track safety inspections on a stretch of the Tube will risk public safety, the rail union RMT has said. Track checks on the Jubilee Line extension are to be reduced from twice a week to once, officials have confirmed.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Payout for fired whistleblower
A council equalities officer who suffered years of stress and harassment and was sacked after blowing the whistle on management has been awarded £442,466 in compensation. UNISON member Pauline Scanlon had been “destroyed”, adding: “The council abused its power, ruined my reputation and sabotaged my attempts to find another job.”
UNISON news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: ‘Disturbing’ regional differences in site deaths
Construction union UCATT has said differences in the workplace death figures throughout the UK are ‘disturbing.’ The union’s analysis of official Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures shows the highest number of construction fatalities last year were in London, Scotland and the South West.
UCATT news release • 28 November 2009
Britain: Tool use caused hand injuries
A retired power station worker has received a £15,000 payout after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work. Unite member David Hopps, 65, from Doncaster was left with the debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), also known as vibration white finger, after using vibrating tools in his job at Drax Power Station.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Injury after boss ignores stairs warning
A GMB member who needed surgery after he fell down a flight of stairs had previously warned his employer about the dangerous staircase. The office worker, whose name has not been released, received more than £9,000 compensation in a union backed claim.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Employers keen but clueless on ‘good jobs’
Employers accept the benefits of ‘good jobs’ but don’t have much idea about how to create them, a new report from The Work Foundation suggests. Stephen Bevan, managing director of The Work Foundation, said: “Employers grasp the link between staff well-being and how it can affect productivity, “adding: “What is missing is how to deliver this.”
The Work Foundation news release • Personnel Today • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
India: Shipping giant told to act on violence
Global transport union federation ITF is demanding that Danish shipping and port multinational Møller-Maersk sack one of its contractors after it allegations it carried out violent and repeated assaults against port drivers in India. The latest attacks against port drivers, represented by the ITF-affiliated Transport and Dock Workers’ Union (TDWU), took place in Mumbai on 23 October 2009 and were thought to be perpetrated by representatives of SC Thakur, a Møller-Maersk contractor.
ITF news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Prevention the cure for NHS staff
The government has accepted in full recommendations from an independent report into the health and well-being of NHS staff. It says implementing the measures called for by the Boorman report will help the NHS save up to £555 million a year and save up to 3.4 million working days – the equivalent to 14,900 extra staff.
DH news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Global: Unfair workplaces can kill you
Male workers are two to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease if they suppress their frustration about unfairness at work, a Swedish study has found. The research found that those who expressed their frustration quickly were much healthier than those who suffered in silence.
Constanze Leineweber and others. Covert coping with unfair treatment at work and risk of incident myocardial infarction and cardiac death among men: Prospective cohort study, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Published online first 24 November 2009. doi:10.1136/jech.2009.088880 [abstract] • The Independent. BBC News Online • ABC News • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Paper faces £800,000 stress payout
A News of the World reporter who suffered from a culture of bullying led by former editor Andy Coulson, who is now David Cameron's head of communications, has been awarded almost £800,000 for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. The Guardian reports Matt Driscoll, a sports reporter sacked in April 2007 while on long-term sick leave for stress-related depression, was awarded £792,736 by the employment tribunal.
The Guardian • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Green firm guilty of mercury poisoning
Workers at a Huddersfield factory became sick with mercury poisoning as a result of “blatant” management neglect of health and safety, a court has heard. Staff at the Electric Waste Recycling Group site, which recycles hazardous electrical equipment including mercury-containing TVs and fluorescent light tubes, suffered headaches, stomach upsets and mood swings.
Green jobs blog • Yorkshire Post • Huddersfield Examiner • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Global: Pirate-infested seas ‘not fit for seafarers’
Global transport union federation ITF has called for urgent action to fight Somali piracy, before the threat makes it virtually impossible for seafarers to pass through an ever-widening danger area. The union body said: “The risk of attack is now so great that putting seafarers in harm’s way amounts to a breach of the shipowner’s duty of care.”
ITF news release • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Skanska’s ruse to evade blacklist blame
Building firm Skanska, the construction giant that last year ran up the largest single bill for use of The Consulting Association’s blacklisting services, has resorted to a novel defence of the illegal practice. It claims it used the blacklist of construction workers to vet employees for a history of violence and drug or alcohol abuse – a claim dismissed out of hand by those who have obtained their files.
People Management • Blacklist blog • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Blacklisting is a human rights abuse
Nearly 10 months after it was confirmed by the Information Commissioner that blacklisting in the construction industry was rife, something common knowledge for decades among trade union reps in the sector, new laws outlawing the practice are in preparation and the victims featured on the blacklist have started their tribunal cases.
Guardian Work • FACK news release • Blacklist blog and related posting • Morning Star • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: Firms fined after fatal scaffold collapse
Two construction firms involved in a major scaffolding collapse have been fined for their role in the incident, which left one man dead and two others seriously injured. Principal contractor McAleer & Rushe Limited was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £42,000 and cladding contractor Lee Smith Carpentry Limited was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,000.
HSE news release • Video interviews with Mark Robinson and Ivan Penkov • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Britain: GMB’s not-that-accident-book accident book
A regular thumb-through the workplace accident book is a technique used by lots of union safety reps to determine any worrying trends. But the union GMB has now gone a step further, with the introduction of its own “unofficial” purpose-designed safety reps’ accident book.
GMB unofficial accident and near-miss report book [pdf] • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
China: Over 100 dead in mine blast
A total of 104 coal miners have been confirmed dead in China's worst mining disaster for almost two years. China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based organisation supporting workers' rights, said the Xinxing deaths showed that nationalising mines was not enough, adding more effective safety measures were needed, including giving a voice to workers, whose safety concerns are often overruled by their bosses.
The Guardian and related video clip • China Labour Bulletin and related blog entry • New York Times • Risks 434 • 28 November 2009
Hazards news, 21 November 2009
Britain: RMT members were on the blacklist too
Members of a third trade union have been revealed as being victims of the infamous construction industry blacklist. A report in Tribune magazine says of the 238 files released so far, most have been on members of UCATT and Unite – but now it turns out that some RMT members were blacklisted as well.
Tribune magazine • Blacklist blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Event: Manchester TUC ‘Fighting the Blacklist’ meeting, 7.00pm, Monday 23 November, Mechanic's Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD (entrance Major Street).
USA: Workers dare not report injuries
More than two-thirds of injured or sick workers in the US fear employer discipline or even losing their jobs if their injuries are reported, a study from the official Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found. The GAO survey of more than 1,000 occupational health practitioners found a third of these health professionals reported being pressured by employers to provide insufficient treatments to workers to hide or downplay work-related injuries or illnesses.
Workplace safety and health: Enhancing OSHA's records audit process could improve the accuracy of worker injury and illness data, GAO report, published online 16 November 2009 [pdf] • New York Times • AFL-CIO Now blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: UCATT protests against the blacklist
Construction union UCATT will hold a demonstration in support of victims of blacklisting outside of Manchester Employment Tribunal on 24 November. A tribunal will be hearing the initial cases of blacklisted construction workers.
UCATT news release • Blacklist blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Protest: 9.30am, Tuesday 24 November, Manchester Employment Tribunal, Alexandra House, 14-22 Parsonage, Manchester M3 2JA.
Britain: Getting a handle on location safety
Theatre, film and event production union BECTU is calling on employers in the industry to improve safety on location. It says its fresh appeal has been prompted by persistent concern at risks arising from the absence of handrails on facilities vehicles.
BECTU news release • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
USA: Making green jobs safe jobs
Not enough is being done to ensure green jobs are safe jobs, a US union health and safety expert has warned. Walter Jones, a safety specialist with the union-run Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, told delegates to the American Public Health Association annual conference in Philadelphia that the shift toward greener buildings hasn’t done much to make the construction or maintenance of these places safe for workers.
The Pump Handle • Lifecycle building: Designing for safe constructability, Walter Jones, APHA abstract, presented 9 November 2009. Green jobs blog • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Prison walkout in bullying protest
Up to 200 prison officers at Liverpool Prison walked out on 18 November in protest at “continued bullying and harassment” by senior management. Their union, the Prison Officers' Association (POA), said the dispute relates to unresolved issues that have persisted since on one of its members took a complaint to an employment tribunal.
POA news release • BBC News Online and update • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Beef up meat inspection says union
More meat inspectors should be employed to protect the safety of the food we eat – and more protection should be provided to the workers doing the job. The call comes from the union UNISON, which says meat hygiene regulations should be tightened up and the number of meat safety inspectors working in abattoirs should be increased.
UNISON news release • Meat Trade News Daily • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Global: Concrete action need on media murders
There must be sustained and concrete international action to address the murder of journalists in peacetime and in war, an international forum has agreed. In a declaration adopted unanimously at the fourth World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF 4) in Mexico City, broadcasters noted: “Most journalists are killed not in war zones but in their own countries as they try to shine the light of the truth into the darkest recesses of their societies.”
INSI news release • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Action call on self-employed site deaths
Construction union UCATT has called for action by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after an analysis of the watchdog’s statistics revealed a sharp rise in fatalities in self-employed site workers. The union says figures supplied by HSE show the number of self-employed site workers killed increased from 19 to 20, in contrast to a sharp drop in the number of fatalities to employees in the industry, down from 53 to 33.
UCATT news release • HSE construction injury statistics • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Civil servants bullied in Wales
Bullying is widespread in the civil service in Wales, with most of the victims dissatisfied with the response from their employer, research for the union PCS has found. Over 1 in 4 (26.4 per cent) civil servants working in Wales has been bullied at work and 44 per cent have experienced negative behaviour on at least a weekly basis, according to the independent survey by the Glamorgan Business School's Centre for Research on Workplace Behaviours (CRWB).
PCS news release • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Global: Lead poisoning set to rise
Widespread lead poisoning will result from the planned distribution of a billion computers to developing countries by technology companies and charities, according to a new study. “The lead from batteries needed to power these computers will result in environmental contamination and harmful exposures unless some commonsense safeguards are taken,” said Perry Gottesfeld, co-author of the study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
Christopher R Cherry and Perry Gottesfeld. Plans to distribute the next billion computers by 2015 creates pollution risk, Journal of Cleaner Production, volume 17, pages 1620–1628, December 2009 [pdf] • OK International • Green jobs blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: College lecturer deafened by work
A college lecturer has been left with permanent damage to his hearing after being exposed to excessive noise at work. UCU member Malcolm Hipkin, 65, received undisclosed damages after he was diagnosed with noise-induced deafness and tinnitus.
UCU news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Firefighters welcome Buncefield guilty plea
Firefighters have welcomed the guilty plea by oil giant Total UK to safety and environmental charges relating to the Buncefield oil depot explosion in December 2005. Their union FBU has warned, however, that cutbacks could affect the ability of firefighters to respond to future incidents.
FBU news release • Buncefield investigation webpage • The Ecologist • BBC News Online • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Campaign calls for zero lead exposures
Workers must have “zero exposure” to lead, a prominent safety campaign has said.
The Construction Safety Campaign’s (CSC) London annual general meeting last week voted unanimously for the use of lead to be banned, a ban on lead imports and for zero exposure to lead at work.
CSC news release • Green jobs blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Bangladesh: Workers killed in peaceful protest
Global union confederation ITUC and the UK’s TUC have strongly denounced the killing of three workers on 21 October in Tongi, near Bangladesh’s Dhaka airport. The police opened fire against the workers, while they were protesting against dismissals at the gate of the factory.
ITUC news release • TUC letter • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: New harassment and violence guide
Employers, unions and the government have joined forces to promote new guidance on preventing harassment and violence in the workplace. The guidance, which follows a Europe-wide agreement between employers’ organisations and unions, aims to give practical help and support to firms and their employees.
TUC briefing and links to guide • BIS news release • Preventing workplace harassment and violence – joint guidance implementing a European social partner agreement • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: UNISON slams NHS attack figures
Health service union UNISON has said the number of attacks on NHS workers remains too high and must be tackled. The union was commenting on NHS violence figures released this week by NHS Security Management Services (SMS), showing only a small dip in the number of recorded assaults.
SMS news release • UNISON news release • Nursing Times • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Reports slam ‘collapse of enforcement’
Britain’s health and safety enforcement regime is in serious decline, two new reports suggest. The inspection trend, with Health and Safety Executive field inspector numbers and inspections undertaken dipping markedly in recent years, has fallen dramatically and taken enforcement action down with it in what criminal law experts have described as the “collapse of enforcement”.
Steve Tombs and David Whyte. A deadly consensus: Worker safety and regulatory degradation under New Labour, British Journal of Criminology, 2009; doi: 10.1093/bjc/azp063 [abstract] [full paper pdf] • Escaping scrutiny, Hazards magazine, Number 108, October-December 2009 • The new issue of Hazards magazine is out now • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Thinking Allowed BBC Radio 4 programme examining white collar crime and punishment. The 11 November issue deals with workplace safety crimes.
Britain: Liability insurance dodger fined £1,000
A Cambridgeshire retailer has been fined £1,000 for failing to have compulsory insurance to protect his employees. The case prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to remind all employers about the need for insurance and warn that it will take action against those who fail to protect their staff – uninsured staff could find they are not eligible for compensation or benefit payouts if they suffer work-related injury or ill-health.
HSE news release • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
USA: Sixteen deaths per day
Every day in the US, 16 workers go to work and don’t come home. It’s an old story, that needs new approaches to ram the home the message that workplace deaths are unacceptable – and now a new video from Brave New Films shines a spotlight on the weak deterrence and penalties provided by workplace safety laws.
Sixteen deaths per day, YouTube clip • AFL-CIO blog • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Director fined for serial safety crimes
Paul Richard Llewellyn James, a businessman from Northamptonshire, has been fined £60,000 after ordering a worker to clean a moving machine that trapped and mangled his arm, leading to its amputation. The injured worker’s replacement also suffered arm injuries in a near identical incident 14 months later. , 58, pleaded guilty to two criminal safety offences.
HSE news release • Northampton Chronicle • BBC News Online • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: Ship repair firm fined over death
Ship repair company A&P Falmouth has been ordered to pay more than £105,000 in fines and costs for safety breaches after a man was crushed to death. John Datson, 51, died in August 2006 at Falmouth Docks after being struck by a crane platform while he was standing between it and the base of the crane.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Britain: TUC lone working guide
A new TUC online publication, Lone working - A guide for safety representatives, provides a one-stop source on the issue. The guide covers the law, risk assessments, dynamic risk assessments – where workers make operational decisions based on the particular circumstances at the time – violence, working in remote areas, and homeworking.
Lone working - A guide for safety representatives, November 2009 • Risks 433 • 21 November 2009
Hazards news, 14 November 2009
Britain: Meat firm docks wages for loo breaks
Workers at a Lancashire meat firm are outraged at their employer’s toilet break policy which stops their pay every time they visit the loo. Unite, which represents workers at the Dunbia a meat processing plant, says workers are being forced to take unpaid toilet breaks during work time.
Unite news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Rail cuts put safety on the line
Drastic jobs cuts on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) will create a maintenance and safety crisis that could lead to new rail disasters, RMT has warned. The rail union says its research has uncovered that nearly half of the maintenance job cuts planned by Network Rail will be on the line, a franchise operated by Virgin Trains and the busiest rail corridor on the UK system.
RMT news release • Contract Journal • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
USA: Jobs not gender cause work’s pain
A study of workers at 50 hotels in the United States has found that women are 50 per cent more likely to be injured than men, and that Hispanic women have an injury rate two-thirds higher than their white female counterparts. The study, which will be published in January 2010 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, said the injury rate was higher for female hotel employees because they worked disproportionately as housekeepers, which is the hotel job most likely to lead to injury.
APHA abstract • New York Times • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Train drivers say rail chief must go
Train drivers’ union ASLEF has said the top boss of Network Rail should be fired after an investigation revealed serious management failings contributed to a level crossing incident in which three people died. The union made the call for the dismissal of Network Rail chief Iain Coucher after an enquiry found the company’s ‘gross incompetence’ had contributed to the three deaths at the Halkirk level crossing in Caithness last month.
ASLEF news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Government told to act on fatalities report
The government should swiftly implement the recommendations of a report into construction site fatalities, the union UCATT has said. The union is concerned the delay could mean any recommendations requiring primary legislation will not be including in the Queen’s Speech on 18 November.
UCATT news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Thailand: ITF steps up rail sackings protests
The sacking of Thai rail workers for raising safety concerns has spurred a global campaign for their reinstatement. Managers at the State Railway Corporation of Thailand dismissed six SRUT union committee members and said they planned to sack a further eight union leaders in the escalating row over rail safety.
ITF news release and update •
You can help! Send a protest letter to the State Railway Corporation of Thailand • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Work bullying doubles in decade
Over a third of workers have experienced bullying in the last six months – double the number recorded in 1997, according to a UNISON survey. The 7,000 workers who took part in a UNISON poll listed rudeness, criticism, excessive work monitoring, intimidation, exclusion and withholding information among the top bad behaviours encountered.
UNISON news release • Acas news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Members back bullying whistleblower
Staff at Wrexham's Glyndwr University have voted “overwhelmingly” for strike action in support of a lecturer who was fired after whistleblowing about management bullying. The University and College Union (UCU) says members at the university also voted for action other than a strike in support of Hamish Murphy.
UCU news release • BBC News Online • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Long commute and long hours at work
Britain’s workers are facing an exhausting “double whammy” of long commutes and long hours at work, new figures have revealed. A TUC analysis of official statistics published this week shows UK workers spend 21.8 million hours travelling to and from work every day.
TUC news release • Commute Smart week • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: School assistant suffers slipped disc
A school assistant has received a “substantial” sum in compensation after she suffered a slipped disc while lifting heavy objects at work. GMB member Yvonne Macklin, 48, from Colchester in Essex, was helping a colleague to lift a heavy insulated box containing school lunches; she has been unable to work since the incident in March 2006, is in constant pain and now has a limp and must use crutches.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Machine noise caused deafness
A 52 year old engineering worker who is suffering two debilitating health conditions caused by noise exposures at work has received a “substantial” compensation award. Unite member Paul Harvey, 52, has to wear a hearing aid and suffers from tinnitus following exposure to excessive noise while working for Avon Vibration Management Systems in Chippenham.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: HSE withdraws lead safety advice
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has withdrawn advice on the dangers of working with lead after an investigation found it greatly under-estimated health risks that could be affecting over 100,000 workers. The HSE move came after a report by academics at Stirling University, published in Hazards magazine, said the official health and safety warnings about the dangers of lead were so complacent the watchdog was guilty of “extreme recklessness” with workers’ health.
Dangerous lead, Hazards magazine, October-December 2009 • Channel 4 News report and video clip • The Guardian • HSE statement • Green jobs blog • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: HSE pulls director leadership case histories
The Health and Safety Executive has removed a “directors’ leadership” case history on BP from its website, after the watchdog was criticised for providing an undeserved public relations push for “a serial safety offender.” The criticism of BP came in a 2 November letter sent by campaigning magazine Hazards to HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger in the wake of a record US safety fine on BP for failing to remedy hundreds of problems at its Texas City refinery.
Letter from Hazards to HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger • HSE director leadership case histories • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Bosses told to tackle work stress
Employers need to pay more attention to the levels of stress and anxiety in the workplace, key health service advisers say. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said bad managers were the single biggest cause of problems.
Promoting mental well-being at work webpages • Promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions: guidance for employers, NICE, November 2009 [pdf] • UNISON news release • Work Foundation news release • Acas news release • BBC News Online • The Telegraph • 14 November 2009
Britain: Asbestos victims lose out, bankers cash in
Construction union UCATT has said it is disappointed that the government has “once again been able to find billions of pounds to bail out the banks but seems unable to find just a few million pounds to compensate pleural plaques victims.” The union was speaking out after the 3 November announcement that the government was to make available a further £33.5 billion bailout for the disastrously mis-managed Royal Bank of Scotland.
UCATT news release • Morning Star • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Factory worker gets asthma payout
A factory worker has received £20,000 compensation after she developed asthma within weeks of being exposed to dangerous fumes. The 42-year-old, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with occupational asthma after she was exposed to soldering fumes at Turbo Power Systems Limited, Gateshead.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Global: Formaldehyde causes leukaemia too
The cancer risks posed by formaldehyde, a common workplace chemical already accepted to cause certain types of occupational cancer, are greater than previously thought. A meeting last month of International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) experts determined that sufficient evidence also exists to link formaldehyde with leukaemia, a cancer of the blood or bone marrow.
IARC meeting highlights [pdf] and summary of evaluations [pdf] • Jennifer Sass’ NRDC blog • Fatal failings on formaldehyde, Burying the evidence, Hazards magazine, number 92, 2005 • Global Unions zero cancer campaign • BWI cancer prevention resources • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: Pet food firm fined £100,000 for death
A pet food manufacturer has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £28,380.91 costs at Northampton Crown Court after one of its workers was crushed to death. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Butcher's Pet Care Ltd over the incident in November 2003, in which John O'Connor, 38, was crushed in a canning machine.
HSE news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Britain: £10 padlock could have stopped death
A Kent rice manufacturing company has been fined £140,000 for health and safety breaches after one of its employees died when his leg became entangled in a machine. Veetee Rice Ltd employee Balwinder Singh Aulkh’s leg became trapped in an unguarded underfloor screw conveyor - a piece of machinery used to take rice from the silo; the court heard a cheap padlock could have blocked access and prevented the tragedy.
HSE news release • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Australia: Low pay causes lorry deaths
Australian lorry drivers and members of the public are being put in deadly peril because irresponsible firms are refusing to accept the need for a “safe rate” for professional drivers. Tony Sheldon, national secretary of the transport union TWU, said drivers were frustrated little action had been taken since a report into the industry released 12 months ago showed that transport clients were forcing unsafe driving practices through low rates of pay.
TWU news release • Australasian Transport News • Risks 432 • 14 November 2009
Hazards news, 7 November 2009
Britain: Paper industry yes/no safety campaign
Unite and paper manufacturers have linked up to campaign for better safety throughout the industry. The union and the industry’s employers’ organisation, the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), say their ‘Say yes, Say no’ campaign aims to tackle the “unacceptably high level of serious machine accidents” in the sector.
Unite news release • ‘Say yes, say no’ campaign immediate action guidelines [pdf] and campaign poster [pdf] • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
USA: BP hit with largest ever safety fine
British multinational BP has been hit with the USA’s largest ever safety fine. US labor secretary Hilda Solis announced on 30 October that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had levied the largest fine in its history - $87.4 million [over £53m] - against BP for failing to correct safety problems identified after a 2005 explosion that killed 15 workers at its Texas City refinery.
OSHA/Department of Labor news release and BP prosecution webpage • New York Times • AFL-CIO blog • BBC News Online • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Top bookie backs out of safety pact
High street betting chain Ladbrokes has reneged on a deal designed to protect frontline staff from assaults. The bookmaker had reached an understanding with the union Community to reduce levels of lone working - but the union says Ladbrokes has now “torn up” the agreement and will institute a policy of mandatory single staffing up to 12.30pm each day.
Community news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Thugs target journalists with death threats
Tough and urgent action is needed in response to violence, intimidation and death threats targeting journalists covering far right demonstrations, media union NUJ has said. NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear was speaking out in the wake of specific email threats against photojournalist and investigative reporter Marc Vallée and video journalist Jason N Parkinson.
NUJ news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Mexico: Oil industry deaths and corruption exposed
Mexico’s offshore industry is riddled with repression and corruption that is costing workers’ lives, a report has charged. The report from global union federation ITF was launched at a major safety and industrial relations conference held in Mexico City.
ITF news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Bullies cost probation officer his job
A probation officer was bullied out of a job he had held for 16 years. UNISON member Dominick Lee, 54, who has been awarded £83,000 for being unfairly dismissed, was sacked by the probation service in London in July 2007.
UNISON news release and bullying and harassment webpages • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Bullies target disabled workers
More than a third of disabled workers are currently being bullied, according to a UNISON poll. The new statistics, released at UNISON's annual disabled members’ conference, reveal 35 per cent of the members surveyed said they suffered at the hands of bullies over the past six months, with 22 per cent saying that the problem is continuing.
UNISON news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Redundant drivers tell supermarket to deliver
Supermarket giant Morrisons is holding back cash owed to three former drivers who lost their HGV licences on health grounds. A GMB demonstration outside the company’s Camden store set out to highlight the failure of Morrisons to honour the medical insurance agreement, with shoppers urged to make representations to the store’s manager.
GMB news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: One in 10 shopworkers physically assaulted
One in every 10 shopworkers has been physically assaulted at work, a survey by shopworkers’ union Usdaw has found. The union poll also reveals that nearly one in three shopworkers (29 per cent) has experienced verbal abuse in the last month and one in three (32 per cent) has been threatened in the last year.
Usdaw news release and Freedom from Fear campaign • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Ignored warning led to injured hand
A hospital worker needed surgery on her hand after a laundry contractor ignored her requests to repair defective equipment. UNISON member Rita Stone received a £7,000 compensation payout after her hand got stuck when she was moving cages full of linen out of the hospital lift.
UNISON news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Head bang led to chronic headaches
A woman suffered severe chronic headaches for years after being concussed when she was hit on the head by faulty equipment at work. GMB member Kay Holt, 28, was forced to give up her job for Wilkinsons Hardware Stores’ distribution centre near her home town of Worksop as a result of the November 2007 injury, and has now received a “significant” settlement out of court.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Bin lift led to bad back
A waste lorry driver who needed surgery after he suffered two slipped discs caused by lifting heavy bins has received a “significant” out of court payout. Unite member Les Webb, 49, was off work for seven and a half months following the 2006 incident while working for Viridor Waste Management in Plympton.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Docs say fit notes plan is ‘unrealistic’
Government plans to introduce GP ‘fit notes’ instead of sick notes may be unrealistic, say researchers. A survey of 440 GPs in Nottinghamshire found few currently took any responsibility for managing the work issues of patients with back problems.
Carol Coole, Paul J Watson, and Avril Drummond. Work problems due to low back pain: what do GPs do? A questionnaire survey, Family Practice Advance Access, published on 26 October 2009, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmp074 [Abstract] • BBC News Online • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
France: More company concessions on suicides
France Télécom is preparing to set aside €1 billion (£90m) as part of a plan to end a spate of suicides amongst staff by offering older workers the chance to go part-time. The telecommunications giant, which has already suspended restructuring, said it may enable staff aged over 57 to work part time under a stress reduction programme. The Times • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: New warning on Britain’s biggest work killer
Britain's biggest workplace killer could blight another generation of building workers unless urgent action is taken to tackle asbestos risks. HSE’s new £1.2 million, month-long ‘Hidden killer’ campaign sets out to warn Britain's 1.8 million building trades workers about the dangers they face.
HSE news release, podcast and Hidden Killer webpages • HSE Scotland news release • For a free HSE asbestos information pack see the Hidden Killer webpages or call 0845 345 0055 • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Agencies in asbestos jobs blunder
Eleven employment agencies have been warned by the Employment Agency Standards inspectorate (EAS) after advertising for asbestos removal workers without properly checking the health and safety implications. EAS said it acted swiftly on a tip off that agencies were advertising vacancies for asbestos removal workers without having the proper Health and Safety Executive (HSE) licenses.
BIS news release • EAS webpages • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Director fined after asbestos exposures
Two businesses and a company director have been fined after workers in Manchester were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres. Recon Packaging Ltd pleaded guilty to breaches of the control of asbestos regulations; Industrial & Commercial Building Services Ltd (ICBS) and its managing director, Kevin Bennett, pleaded guilty to a breach of workplace safety law and of the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983.
HSE news release and asbestos webpages • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Manslaughter fines could be smaller
A proposal that fines for corporate manslaughter should be related to a firm’s turnover has been rejected by the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC). Guidelines put out to consultation by SGC say while corporate manslaughter fines will not be linked to either profit or turnover, they should “seldom” be below £500,000 and adds fines may be accompanied by a publicity order, remedial order, or both.
Sentencing Guidelines Council news release [pdf], letter to consultees [pdf], advice [pdf] and consultation document on the guidelines [pdf] • The deadline for responses is 5 January 2010 • SHP Online • Personnel Today • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Some businesses not keen on Tory plans
Conservative plans to pare back health and safety regulation may be less popular than the party hopes. A Tory Green Paper says an “earned autonomy” system would allow firms to arrange their own independent safety audits, with qualifying firms given the right to refuse entry to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors.
Construction News • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Britain: Union dismay a voluntary ports code
A voluntary safety code will not be sufficient to introduce the improvements needed in Britain’s ports, a union has warned. Nautilus had wanted the updated version of the ten-year-old Port Marine Safety Code, launched on 29 October, to be mandatory.
DfT news release • SHP Online • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Europe: Deregulation is a threat to safety
An action programme agreed by the European Commission last month as part of a ‘Better regulation’ campaign could undermine workplace safety, union safety specialists have warned. Measures that could be introduced under the programme include exempting certain small businesses from undertaking risk assessments, reducing workplace inspections and urging member states to introduce only the minimum requirements when transposing safety directives into national law.
HESA news report • Risks 431 • 7 November 2009
Hazards news, 31 October 2009
Britain: Unions step up pleural plaques fight
Unions have stepped up their campaign to win compensation for victims of asbestos-related pleural plaques, with a fresh appeal to the government to overturn a Law Lords ruling. A lobby of parliament organised by unions including GMB, Unite and UCATT this week pressed MPs to support moves to overturn the ruling denying payouts to sufferers of pleural plaques – a scarring of the lungs that has been linked to an increased risk of subsequently developing mesothelioma, lung and other cancer.
Unite news release • GMB news release • The Scotsman • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
USA: Giant quilt pictures work’s pain
Hotel housekeepers undertook a seven-city tour in October with a gigantic “hope quilt” providing a craft-y depiction of injuries caused by their work. They say the Hope for Housekeepers tour is also a symbol of their determination to rally union and non-union hotel housekeepers against harsh working conditions and workplace injuries.
Labor Notes • UniteHere ‘Hope’ campaign • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Soaring workloads lead to paper action
Weekly newspaper journalists in Nottinghamshire have passed a motion of no confidence in their bosses – and agreed to ballot for industrial action over workloads. Members of journalists’ union NUJ at the Worksop Guardian are concerned that non-replacement of staff, responsibility for another title, and a reorganisation have contributed to unreasonable demands and stress in their office.
NUJ news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Give a little respect this hols
Shopworkers’ union Usdaw is telling every seasonal shopper to ‘Keep your cool at Christmas’. The call comes ahead of the union’s Respect Week, which runs from 2 to 6 November and which will highlight the problem of abuse of shopworkers.
Usdaw news release and Freedom from Fear campaign • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Australia: Unions want nano labels
Workers could be exposed to hazardous nano products at work, but never know it, unions in Australia have warned. Unions Tasmania secretary Simon Cocker told a nanotechnology seminar: “It is imperative that, thirty years from now, we do not experience another asbestos-like tragedy and bear the shame of a generation looking back at our inaction on this issue and asking the question: ‘Why didn’t they do something?’.”
Unions Tasmania news release [pdf] • Tasmanian Times • CosmeticsDesign.com • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Safe danger brings forward back problem
A council worker is stuck with a chronic back problem after using a badly positioned safe. GMB member Sharon Kerry, 41, a hostel duty officer for Leicester City Council, was putting money into the safe when she hurt her back in October 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Drayman run over twice by lorry
A Unite member has received £350,000 in compensation after his leg was crushed by a delivery lorry that ran over him twice. The 46-year-old from Wolverhampton, whose name has not been released, was working as a drayman for Marstons plc when the incident happened on Christmas Eve 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Made deaf by work in middle-age
A welder who was exposed to dangerous levels of noise is suffering occupational deafness aged just 46. GMB member John Walton, 46, worked for British Steel Corporation, now known as Corus, from 1978 to 1983, Darchem Projects Limited from 1985 to 1987 and Turbros Engineering from 1987 to 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Work fatalities at a record low
Workplace fatalities fell to a record low last year, according to latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures. Fatal injuries at work fell from 233 in 2007/08 to 180 in 2008/09 and reported major injuries at work fell to 28,692 in 2008/09 (94.8 per 100,000) compared with 29,389 in 2007/08 (96.5 per 100,000).
HSE news release • Health and safety: Statistics 2008/09, National Statistics, 28 October 2009 • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Teachers use voice-saving headsets
Thousands of teachers are using pop star-style headsets in lessons to help protect their voices. The equipment, linked to speakers around the classroom, not only prevents hoarseness but is said to help pupils to hear better and learn more.
Daily Mail • Voice Care Network UK • Hazards voice loss webpages • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Job stress led to suicide
The pressure of an unwanted promotion led to a young professional's suicide, an inquest has heard. On his 29th birthday, 30 May this year, Benjamin Cheung drove his BMW to a secluded train station car park and stabbed himself three times with a kitchen knife.
Preston Citizen • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: New benefits have 'caused misery'
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) says it has been “flooded with complaints” about the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) benefit that replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support a year ago. Examples cited by CAS include individuals that have been told by the same agency they are both fit and unfit for work, depending on which benefit they applied for, ending up with nothing.
CAS news release • BBC News Online • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Over £1m in fines after rail deaths
Carillion and Network Rail have been fined £1.1m and ordered to pay £100,000 costs between them, following the deaths of two rail workers. David Pennington, 46, and Martin Oakes, 38, were hit by a reversing road rail vehicle (RRV) while laying new track over night near Hednesford, Staffordshire in September 2004.
Contract Journal • Express and Star • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Australia: Don’t cave in to business on safety!
Unions in Australia are concerned time is running out in their battle to persuade politicians not to cave in to a big business bid to slash regulation at the expense of workers’ health and safety. Jeff Lawrence, secretary of the national union federation ACTU, said draft laws circulated in September would put workers at risk from lower safety standards.
ACTU news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Directors fined after explosion death
A North Devon crop spraying manufacturing company and two of its directors are facing a fines and costs bill totalling £152,165 following the death of employee Anthony Reed, 40, in an explosion. At Exeter Crown Court, RJ Bateman Engineering was fined £65,000 for safety offences and ordered to pay costs of £67,165 and the directors of the family-owned firm, father-and-son Richard and Jason Bateman, were each fined £10,000.
HSE news release • North Devon Gazette • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: UK Coal closes mine after death
Britain's biggest coal producer, UK Coal, has suspended production at one of its sites following the death of a worker. The company said investigations were continuing into the incident – one of series of fatalities that has hit the firm - and the colliery in Kellingley, north Yorkshire, would remain closed for the next fortnight.
The Guardian • The Scotsman • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Worker gets 3,300-volt electric shock
A Scottish company has been fined £1,500 for breaching health and safety law after a worker was burned by live power cables. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Grangemouth-based refinery and petrochemical company Ineos Manufacturing Scotland Ltd for failing to ensure a safe system of work was in place before undertaking excavation work near live electrical cables.
HSE news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Broken back highlights demolition dangers
A Norwich employer has been fined £7,500 after a worker broke his spine in a fall at the former RAF Watton site in Norfolk. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Tim Philpott, trading as Philpott Demolition and Recycling, for his role in the incident on 20 April 2007.
HSE news release and falls webpages • Norfolk Eastern Daily Press • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Fund sets aside £85m for asbestos claims
An £85 million asbestos compensation fund has been set up for London’s public sector, amid warnings that claims could double in the next decade. The London Pensions Fund Authority is putting aside the cash following estimates that the number of cases will rise to 25 a year, after a landmark legal case led to the authority paying out in a case involving a teacher.
London Evening Standard • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Britain: Cancer sufferer escapes insurance trap
A 76-year-old grandfather has succeeded in his claim for compensation for asbestos related cancer after being told at first no employers’ liability insurer could be found to cover the payout.
John Pickering and Partners Solicitors news release • Risks 430 • 31 October 2009
Hazards news, 24 October 2009
Britain: Judge rejects SSE’s ‘paranoid’ terror claims
Power company Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has failed in a High Court bid to use the Prevention of Terrorism Act against a dismissed worker in an attempt to stop anti-blacklisting protests outside its power station construction site.
BBC News Online • Blacklist blog • Manchester Evening News • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Push to strengthen blacklist law
Construction union UCATT has enlisted the help of a group of Labour MPs in a move to pressure the government to beef up the draft regulations designed to outlaw blacklisting for trade union activities. The MPs agreed to take this action at the 20 October parliamentary launch of ‘Ruined Lives’, a UCATT-commissioned academic report that argues the proposed anti-blacklisting regulations need major improvements.
UCATT news release • Blacklist blog • Blacklisting ruins lives, EDM 2093 • Contract Journal • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
USA: Good jobs are good for you
Good jobs are good for workers and good for firms, a study has concluded. The New York-based Families and Work Institute found nearly 40 per cent of employees in a highly “effective’’ workplace - where people are trusted and supported - report being in excellent health, double the number of those who say they’re in the best health at less effective companies.
Families and Work Institute news release • Boston Globe • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Driven to exhaustion in vans and buses
The rules governing the working hours of bus, coach and van drivers are so out of date that many drivers have fewer breaks than office workers, the TUC has warned. In an October submission to a Department for Transport review, the TUC said long hours working is a direct cause of driver fatigue, which contributed to one in five road accidents last year.
TUC news release • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Bully hell for young working women
Public sector union UNISON has teamed up with Company Magazine, the leading young women’s monthly, to launch a ‘Bully busters’ campaign. A poll to mark the start of the campaign found 1-in-3 young working women had been bullied at work, with 66 per cent of those respondents who had been bullied in the last six months saying the problem was ongoing.
UNISON news release and related Company Magazine article [pdf] • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Firefighters feel 'alarming' discontent
Firefighters’ union FBU has criticised the government over funding for the service after a study showed an “alarming” picture of discontent in the service. An FBU poll of 2,000 members revealed that most fear insufficient or inadequate training is compromising their safety.
FBU news release • Yorkshire Post • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
USA: Watchdog recognises it’s all about workers
At a quick glance the change isn’t too dramatic. But the simple revisions to the website of US government health and safety watchdog OSHA represent a fundamental shift in the constituency it wants to be seen to serve - below a simple headline plumb centre on the site – ‘Worker fatalities’ – is a regularly updated, rolling list of single sentence summaries describing how individual workers died that week.
OSHA website and fatalities updates • The Pump Handle • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Back injury costs driver his job
A delivery driver who had to leave his job after injuring his spine at work fears he will never find alternative employment. Unite member John Atkin, 49, from Sunderland, received a £22,000 out of court payout after suffering the injury while working for Johnston Press.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Railway worker suffers vibration injury
A member of the rail union RMT has received £10,000 in compensation after his hands were permanently damaged by prolonged use of vibrating tools. The 50-year-old track worker from Sheffield, whose name has not been released, was left with the debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) as a result of his work for Jarvis Rail and other companies since 1978.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Train drivers go slow for safety
Train drivers have been instructed by their union to slow down on some automated crossings until Network Rail puts new safety technology in place. ASLEF last week instructed its members to reduce train speed over ‘Automatic Open Crossings Locally monitored’ (AOCL) to 20 miles per hour until Network Rail introduces obstacle detection technology and barriers.
ASLEF news release • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Tories promise to ‘tame’ HSE
A Conservative government would allow firms to opt-out from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspections, with qualifying firms allowed to bar the watchdog from their premises. Instead the Conservative Party is recommending an audit system modelled on the financial sector controls that gave us Enron, Madoff and that nearly brought the entire banking system to its knees – and cut ‘sunset’ HSE entirely.
Regulation in the post-bureaucratic age, Conservative Party [pdf] • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
USA: DuPont sued over asbestos in Argentina
Chemical giant DuPont exposed workers in Argentina to asbestos until the late 1990s despite knowing the risks of the material, according to three lawsuits filed in the US. The lawsuits came from former workers at a Lycra spandex plant in Mercedes, Argentina, that was part of DuPont until the sale of its textile unit in 2004.
HESA news update • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Unions slam ‘disastrous’ Tory plans
Unions have said Conservative Party plans to allow firms to opt-out from official health and safety oversight will be “disastrous” for health and safety. Sarah Page, national safety officer of HSE inspectors’ union Prospect, said: “Is Ken Clarke seriously saying that employers in these industries should regulate their own health and safety arrangements and close the door to our protectors?”
Unite news release • Environmental Health News • Contract Journal • Construction News • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Regulation is popular and lifesaving
Nearly two-thirds of people in Britain agree they benefit from regulation in their everyday lives and 70 per cent think the benefits of regulation outweigh the burdens, according to a new report from the Department for Business (BIS). ‘Better regulation, better benefits: getting the balance right’ says “70-85 per cent agreed ‘overall the benefits outweigh the burdens’ for environmental standards on air/water, food hygiene, health and safety and smokefree law.”
BIS news release • Better regulation, better benefits: Getting the balance right, BIS, October 2009 [pdf] • TUC Touchstone blog • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Europe: Health and safety of cleaning workers
‘The occupational health and safety of cleaning workers’, a literature review from the Bilbao-based European Agency (EU-OSHA), “provides an overview of the most important issues related to occupational safety and health (OSH) for cleaning workers in terms of working conditions, risks and prevalence of exposures and health outcomes, and identifies information gaps and challenges.”
EU-OSHA publication notice • The occupational health and safety of cleaning workers, EU-OSHA, October 2009 • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Mother dies after asbestos fight
A woman who battled for two years for a payout after contracting an asbestos-related cancer caused by exposures as a pupil at school in the 1970s has died a day after a judge confirmed she should be paid £240,000. Dianne Willmore, 49, from north Wales, passed away on 15 October from malignant mesothelioma.
John Pickering and Partners Solicitors news release • IBAS statement • Liverpool Echo • BBC News Online and Radio 4 Today programme news item • Daily Mirror.
Asbestos in Schools website • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Fears for pleural plaques action
A draft law that would reinstate compensation for workers with pleural plaques caused by asbestos exposure at work has successfully completed its third Commons reading, and has now been passed onto the House of Lords. However, hopes the private members’ bill will complete its parliamentary progress and become law are fading as the parliamentary session ends in a month, meaning the proposal is likely to run out of time.
Yorkshire Evening Post • Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill • UCATT news release
Justice for Asbestos Victims: Demonstration and lobby to restore pleural plaques compensation, assemble College Green, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London at 1.30pm, Wednesday 28 October 2009 [Unite flyer pdf] • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Store fined for horrific facial injuries
A supermarket giant has been fined after one of its staff lost half his face in an accident as he arrived for work. Morrisons was fined £172,000 for health and safety offences and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £16,681 following a hearing at Chester Crown Court.
The Sentinel • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Britain: Power cables cause massive burns
A scaffolder suffered burns to 52 per cent of his body and had to have his heart re-started when a pole he was carrying hit a 66,000 volt overhead power line. Manor Homes (Midlands) Ltd and G Wright Scaffolding of Redditch were both fined after pleading guilty to safety charges following the incident in November 2007.
HSE news release • Contract Journal • Risks 429 • 24 October 2009
Hazards news, 17 October 2009
Britain: Public staff need protection from attacks
There must be decisive action from public sector employers and the Scottish parliament to reduce violent assaults on workers as they do their jobs, UNISON Scotland has said. A UNISON report, ‘Violent assaults on public service staff in Scotland’, presented last week to the union’s annual health and safety conference, found that more than 25,000 assaults on staff were recorded for the year 2008/09.
UNISON news release • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: ‘Grave concern’ over North Sea helicopters
A union representing thousands of offshore workers has said it is “gravely concerned” about a fault affecting helicopters operating over the North Sea. New mechanical problems have been discovered with the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, the model involved in a fatal crash off Newfoundland earlier this year.
Press and Journal • Global and Mail • BBC News Online • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
USA: Dangerous speed up in meatpacking
Four years after a government report found slaughterhouse workers in the US faced more than double the injury rate of manufacturing as a whole, a new survey suggests conditions have deteriorated still further. Almost threequarters (73 per cent) of the Nebraska meatpacking workers surveyed stated that the speed of the line had increased in the past year and more than six out of 10 (62 per cent) said they had been injured in the past year.
Working In These Times • ‘The Speed Kills You’: The voice of Nebraska’s meatpacking workers’, Nebraska Appleseed, October 2009 [pdf] • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Register must cover all cranes
UCATT is calling for the creation of a “full comprehensive crane register” to improve safety standards. The construction union’s submission to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) consultation on creating a tower crane register, which closed this week, argues the register should be fully comprehensive, including all cranes and not just conventional tower cranes.
UCATT news release • Construction News • HSE crane consultation • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Holiday job costs student his leg
A university student lost his right leg below the knee after he was pinned by a forklift truck during his holiday job. Mitesh Patel, 21, from Wembley in Middlesex was working for Tile Depot when the incident happened in June 2008.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Cambodia: Hundreds sickened in garment factory
More than 500 workers at a Phnom Penh garment factory collapsed on 12 October after they were exposed to a chemical spray. Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, said staff at the Willbes Cambodia Ltd factory in Dagkor province were overcome because the air was filled with “an unbearable chemical smell.”
Phnom Penh Post • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: New schools fall short on safety
Many new schools are being built without proper consideration for the safety and welfare of those who will use them, teaching union NASUWT has said. The union was commenting after the BBC revealed many new schools in England lack sprinkler systems despite government guidance that all schools should have them.
NASUWT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Job applicants face pavement drug tests
Jobseekers were subjected to “degrading” drug tests in a Scottish street by a top recruitment firm. People who were interviewed for 120 posts with Greenock-based cabling firm Sanmina were left astonished when some were escorted outside Greenock Jobcentre by staff from Pertemps for mouth swabs to be taken - as cars drove past and pedestrians walked by.
Greenock Telegraph • Sunday Post • The Sun • More on the ICO code on workers’ health information • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: GPs don’t want ‘fit notes’ role
Less than 10 per cent of London GPs feel confident that they could operate the new style ‘fit notes’ system the government proposes to introduce in the spring of 2010. Londonwide LMCs, the organisation representing over 6,000 family doctors in the capital, says a “staggering” 96 per cent of GPs have received no training regarding the new ‘fit note’ system and nearly threequarters do not think that the new system will be manageable in terms of both time and resources.
Londonwide LMCs news release • Evening Standard • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Australia: Union dumps toilet diaries
A requirement on staff at an Australian government call centre to observe a three-minute time limit when using the toilet and to keep diary entries of how long they spent in the bathroom has been dumped after union pressure. Managers at the Medicare Australia call centre were even following staff into bathrooms to hurry them along, workers said.
CPSU news release • News.com.au • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Director fined after pet food firm death
The operations director of a pet food firm where a worker was crushed to death has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs for criminal safety breaches related to the death. Philip Thompson, 50, was responsible for protecting workers' safety at Butcher's Pet Care in Crick when engineer John O'Connor, 38, was crushed in a canning machine.
HSE news release • Northampton Chronicle and Echo and related article • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Sugar giant fined after worker drowns
Tate and Lyle has been fined £270,000 after a contractor was killed on one of its ships in the Thames. Keith Webb, 53, drowned when his bulldozer crashed into the river while unloading raw sugar from a vessel at the company's riverside wharf in Newham, London.
HSE news release • East London Advertiser • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Pupil loses eight fingers in art horror
A Lincolnshire school’s governing body has been fined £16,500 after a 16-year-old girl lost most of her fingers when she put her hands in a bucket of plaster of Paris during a school art lesson. The teenager was attempting to make a sculpture of her own hands during an art and design class on 31 January 2007, Boston magistrates court was told.
HSE news release • Daily Mirror • The Guardian • The Independent • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Hand nailed to pallet prompts prosecution
A Herefordshire builders' merchant has been prosecuted after a worker had his hand pulled in to a machine and nailed to a pallet. Pontrilas Timber and Builders' Merchants Ltd of Pontrilas, Herefordshire, was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay £8,973 costs at Hereford Magistrates Court.
HSE news release • Building • Construction News • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Australia: Older workers need jobs on site
There should be quotas of “mature-age” workers introduced on major government building projects in recognition of the gruelling and job threatening effect physical work can have over a working lifetime, the Australian construction union CFMEU has said. The union says good use could be made of older workers skills in “recycling and sustainability” and other less physical jobs.
Green jobs, safe jobs blog • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Firm lands in court after scaffold fall
A safety warning has been issued to construction companies after a Liverpool worker was seriously injured in a fall from unstable scaffolding. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted John Doyle Construction Ltd following the incident at the Hilton Hotel construction site in central Liverpool in July 2007.
HSE news release • Building • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Firm exposed workers to asthma risk
A Gateshead company has been fined after exposing its workers to hazardous soldering fumes. Turbo Power Systems Ltd was fined £3,000 last week at Gateshead Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay £3,000 costs after it pleaded guilty to three breaches of health and safety legislation.
HSE news release • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Women fall victim to deadly asbestos
The deaths of a garment worker and a school cleaner from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma highlights how it’s not just men in traditional dusty jobs that are at risk from the fatal fibre.
Thompsons Solicitors news releases on the school cleaner and garment worker deaths • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Unite guide on shift and night work
The union Unite has issued new guidance on how union reps can organise shift- and nightwork to best protect health. The guide says: “A world increasingly working around the clock raises an issue which is of increasing concern for Unite – the health and safety implications for members who work shifts and at night.”
Shiftwork and nightwork: Unite health and safety briefing [pdf] • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Britain: Usdaw guide to safety in a recession
Usdaw has sent each of its 4,600 health and safety reps a leaflet reminding them of the importance of using their legal functions to defend health and safety standards in the current down-turn. ‘Hard times - protecting health and safety standards in a recession’ points out why health and safety standards can slip when the money is tight.
Usdaw news release • Hard times - protecting health and safety standards in a recession [pdf] • Risks 428 • 17 October 2009
Hazards news, 10 October 2009
Global: It’s not jobs or the environment - it must be both
Saving the planet can also save the communities struggling most with the economic downturn, according to the ITUC. ITUC general secretary Guy Ryder said “there’s nothing inevitable about either climate change or job loss,” adding: “Good policies sensibly applied can benefit both the planet and the population by creating millions of new, decent, green jobs.”
Hazards ‘green jobs, safe jobs’ blog • No se trata de empleos o medioambiente – tienen que ser los dos, dicen los sindica tos mundiales • 10 October 2009
Britain: Site employers lie to evade gangmaster rules
Major construction contractors have lied about possible costs of applying the Gangmasters Licensing Act (GLA) to the sector, UCATT has charged. The construction union says a claim by the UK Contractors Group (UKCG) that the extension of the law would mean “a lot of cost for contractors” is without foundation.
UCATT news release • Morning Star • Construction News • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
USA: Biotech health risks cause concern
The mother of a worker who believes his health was ruined as a result of working in California’s cutting edge biotech industry has expressed her anger at the refusal by the firm’s health insurers to pay his medical bills. Sandi Trend's son, David Bell, was sickened at the Davis based company AgraQuest.
Blip TV - labor Video Project • Biotechnology Awareness webpages on David Bell • PEN news item • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Europe: Air crew protest sky high fatigue levels
Long flying hours are “putting lives at risk”, airline crew have warned. European air crew unions say current rules that govern flying hours are unsafe, with fatigue a factor in up to 15 per cent of accidents.
BALPA news release • ITF news release • BBC News Online • Morning Star • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Wrong tool led to tendon injury
A Unite member who suffered a serious hand injury at work after being forced to work with the wrong tool has received £25,000 in an out of court compensation settlement. Manual worker Tom Offer, 57, needed surgery on his hand after a tendon was severed at DSV Road Ltd in Harwich.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Two days vibration causes permanent harm
A GMB member has received a £17,500 out of court settlement after his shoulder was permanently damaged by using a vibrating tool at work. John Sides, 44, suffered the injury when removing paint from a floor.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
France: Firm moves to end work suicides
After union protests over 24 workers killing themselves in 18 months, France Télécom boss Didier Lombard says he wants a “new social contract” with trade unions. Suicide notes have blamed high levels of work stress on workers’ decisions to end their lives and Lombard - whose number two, Louis-Pierre Wenes, resigned this week after intense criticism of the company’s handling of the crisis - has promised to ease up on workforce mobility, which has been a bone of contention.
France Télécom statement and news release • Radio France • BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Union wants brake on rail cutbacks
Transport union RMT has called upon the government to intervene to stop planned cuts in Network Rail maintenance it says would put safety and 2,500 jobs risk. The union made the call on the 10th anniversary of the 5 October 1999 Paddington rail disaster, in which 31 people died.
RMT news release • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Business wants inspection tip-offs
The business lobby is using the economic downturn to push for a removal of safety “burdens” – and is calling for appointment-only inspections by workplace regulators. In a new policy paper launched ahead of the Conservative Party conference, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) singles out health and safety as “the biggest burden on small businesses in terms of time.”
FSB news release • Regulatory Reform – a route to economic recovery, FSB Policy paper, October 2009 [pdf] • For reports on HSE inspection and enforcement trends, see the Hazards ‘deadly business’ webpages • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Finland: You are making my brain hurt
Companies are showing a baffling disregard for the impact of work on their employees’ minds, a top brain researcher has said. Professor Kiti Müller, the director of the Brain and Work Research Centre at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, said the problem is compounded by the absence of any way to measure objectively and reliably the overall “brain load” level.
Trade Union News from Finland • The Brain and Work Research Centre and How much load can the brain take? presentation [pdf] • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Anger at site deaths inaction
Safety campaigners have reacted angrily at news the government will hold further talks with industry before announcing its response to the Donaghy report into construction fatalities. Trade journal Construction News revealed last week that work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper wants to hold further talks with the industry before implementing any recommendations from the government-commissioned report.
Hazards Campaign news release • Construction News and earlier related report • 10 October 2009
Britain: Call for blacklisting inquiry
The author of a UCATT response to the government’s plans for legislation to combat blacklisting of trade unionists for their safety and other union activities has said the proposed measures “are hardly worth the paper they are printed on”. Keith Ewing, professor of public law at King’s College London, said: “The proposed regulations as put out to consultation by BIS are so full of holes that they are hardly worth the paper they are printed on.”
The Morning Star • Blacklisting blog • Contract Journal • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Job fear will depress sickness rates
A leading workplace stress expert has forecast that sickness absence will decline by up to a quarter over the next year across public and private sectors, but only because people will be too scared not to show up for work. Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said: “There will be an element which is not stress- or 'presenteeism'-related, but it will drop by 20 per cent to 25 per cent at a time when it's been rising steadily.”
Personnel Today • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Arthritis should not stop work
Employer support is a key factor in helping workers with arthritis to keep their jobs, new research has found. A survey by UK charity Arthritis Care found where bosses fail to offer supports like flexible working and an accessible environment, employees with arthritis are more likely to end up leaving their jobs.
Arthritis Care news release and employer pledge • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Delivery driver developed asbestosis
A former driver who for four years delivered asbestos products developed asbestosis, a condition normally associated with long-term, high level exposures to the fibre. The 75-year-old from Leeds, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with the lung scarring disease in June 2008 after years of difficulty breathing.
Thompsons Solicitors • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Firms fined for ‘unpardonable’ asbestos job
Two companies have been prosecuted after workers and members of the public were exposed to “unacceptable” levels of asbestos during a removal project. HSE inspector Sarah Snelling the actions of a roofing company were “unpardonable” and added: “A&T Roofing Ltd’s cavalier attitude towards the removal of the asbestos has put the future health of their employees, their employees’ families and members of the public in general at serious risk.”
HSE news release • Daily Mirror • Local London • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Icing machine cut off baker's fingertips
A cake maker had two fingertips cut off as she cleaned a dangerous sponge cake icing machine at an Oxford bakery. Spread Newco Four Ltd, the company which used to run the bakery, was fined £6,000 and costs of £2,751 at Oxford Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to breaches of the work equipment and management regulations.
HSE news release • Oxford Mail • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Chemical firm fined after repeat injury
A Welsh chemical company has been fined £26,000 after two workers suffered serious hand injuries in near identical incidents in less than a month. Magistrates heard the two men needed skin grafts after being injured by a bagging machine at the Warwick International site at Mostyn.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Director guilty after roof fall
A Lancashire company and its director have been convicted of safety offences after a worker fell seven metres through a fragile roof. Burnley-based Webber Trading Ltd was fined £6,000 and £2,838.20 costs at Gateshead Magistrates Court last week after pleading guilty to two safety charges; Jeffrey Robinson, director of Webber Trading Ltd, who was present on the roof directing the work at the time of the incident, was fined £1,000 after also pleading guilty to two criminal safety breaches.
HSE news release • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Britain: Worker crushed by one tonne plate
A Kent firm has been fined £150,000 after a vehicle spray painter was crushed to death. North Kent Shotblasting Ltd was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court last week following the death of Nigel Harrison on 20 October 2006. The firm was also ordered to pay £24,000 costs.
HSE news release • Local London • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Europe: Recession could up work risks
Six out of every 10 workers in Europe expect working conditions to deteriorate as a result of the economic crisis, new research has found, with health and safety a particular concern. The Europe-wide opinion poll by the Bilbao-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) also found “a significant majority of respondents (75 per cent) across member states believe that ill health is caused at least to some extent by the job that people have.”
European Agency news release and poll findings • HESA news report • Risks 427 • 10 October 2009
Hazards news, 4 October 2009
Britain: RMT launches maintenance cuts hotline
Rail union RMT has launched a confidential email hotline for members amid growing concerns over planned maintenance cuts by Network Rail which it says will put safety and thousands of jobs at risk.
RMT news release • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
USA: Work exposures rise as inspections fall
The US official health and safety regulator OSHA is doing fewer health inspections despite more workplace exposures to toxic and hazardous substances, according to an analysis by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). It says while workplace exposures are linked to the premature deaths of 10 times more workers than all workplace accidents combined, OSHA now spends less than 5 per cent of its limited resources on workplace health protection.
PEER news release • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Health workers urged to have swine flu jab
UNISON is urging health workers to get the swine flu vaccination and says it will give full support to the government’s swine flu vaccination programme.
UNISON news release • TUC flu pandemic guide • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Payout for lucky-to-survive bus driver
A bus driver who nearly lost his life in a head-on crash has been awarded £250,000 compensation. Medics told Unite member James Morton, 60, he was lucky to survive after a Mercedes van smashed into his bus on a country road near Cramlington, Northumberland.
Evening Chronicle • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
USA: ‘Green hotel’ claim is dangerous greenwashing
A jobs agency supplying workers to a top US hotel chain is imposing debilitating work rates on the out-sourced staff while boasting the measures are creating a “green hotel”. Rick Holliday, president of the temporary agency Hospitality Staffing Solutions, told the Boston Globe he has given the formerly directly employed Hyatt housekeepers a “start’’ on the “American Dream’’ by paying them $8 per hour to clean 25 rooms per day.
ITUC/Hazards green jobs, safe jobs blog • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Widow denied asbestos compensation
The widow of a man who spent 44 years working with asbestos has missed out on a potential £200,000 payout. Dinah Eaves is not eligible for the money because the firm her husband David worked for was taken over after he was exposed to the deadly dust.
Bristol Evening Post • Daily Mirror • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: TUC marks safety law landmark
The TUC has said the union campaign that resulted in a new safety law a generation ago has delivered life-saving results. The Health and Safety at Work Act, which had its 35th anniversary on 1 October, “was one of the most important pieces of social legislation of the past 50 years,” said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.
TUC news release • HSE news release • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Sign up to the HS@W/HSB petition calling for statutory directors’ duties.
Europe: Action needed on workplace strains
Muscle and joint pain accounts for almost half of all sick leave, both in the UK and across Europe, a study has found. Half of all of all sickness absence (49 per cent) is caused by musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), concluded the Fit for Work Europe report by The Work Foundation, a London-based think tank.
Fit for Work Europe website, related blog entry and full report. BBC News Online • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: TUC calls for major strains move
The Work Foundation’s strain injuries report shows the urgent need for better occupational health services, rehabilitation and a specific strain injuries prevention law, the TUC has said. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “We urgently need new and clear regulations, backed up by strong enforcement against those employers that are causing many of these injuries.”
TUC news release • European trade union MSD campaign • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Labour Party backs gangmaster law on sites
Construction union UCATT has received a significant boost in its campaign to have the Gangmasters Licensing Act (GLA) extended to the construction industry. The Labour Party’s conference this week backed a call for legal protection under the GLA to cover site workers.
UCATT news release • Morning Star • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
India: Dozens die in chimney collapse
Dozens of workers have died after a giant chimney collapsed in bad weather at a partially built power plant in central India. The 23 September tragedy occurred at the Bharat Aluminium Co (Balco) power plant, part-owned by the British mining company Vedanta, in the central state of Chhattisgarh.
Vedanta statement • The Times • Times of India • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: New protection for migrant workers
The government has introduced measures to help protect migrants from being forced to work in dangerous conditions for poor wages. Communities secretary John Denham said this exploitation could also undercut local workers and cause resentment.
DCLG news release • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Worker crushed then blamed in laundry horror
A giant laundry business who blamed workers for a highly dangerous incident that left employee Joseph Pathmananthan, 61, in a coma has been fined. OCS group was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £33,059 at Southwark Crown Court last week after admitting a criminal safety breach.
HSE news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Wandsworth Guardian • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Global: Protect workers, not just bankers
Unions have demanded that world leaders stop concentrating on protecting the bankers of the world, and give some attention to protecting workers, including the children who are among those doing some of the most dangerous, unregulated jobs. Workers Uniting, the organisation bringing together US union USW and the UK’s Unite union, says a video, ‘Where ships go to die’, gives a shocking insight into the plight of shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh who are forced to do what could be the most dangerous job in the world with virtually no protections.
USW news release • ‘Where ships go to die’ video • Workers Uniting letter to G20 leaders • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Fine for death in meat blender
A company has been fined £160,000 after a worker was fatally injured while cleaning a blending machine at a meat processing plant in Milton Keynes. Lynda Trebilcock, 53, was killed at the Delico plant in May 2007 when a door without a working interlock slammed shut on her head.
HSE news release • MK News • BBC News Online • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Recycling firm fined after lorry fatality
The death of a man who was run over by a skip lorry has led to a waste and recycling company being fined. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the prosecution against Shanley and Sons Ltd, who were fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000 last week at a hearing in Swindon Crown Court.
HSE news release and waste industry webpages • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Take notice of dermatitis risks or pay
An NHS Trust has been fined for ignoring official notices calling requiring it to sort out dermatitis risks in a hospital. The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £4,500 in court costs after pleading guilty to two health and safety charges at Harlow Magistrates’ Court for failing to remedy risks posed by latex exposure and for not reporting a case of latex dermatitis.
HSE news release • Harlow Herald • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Presenteeism harms employee health
UK workers are so terrified of losing their jobs in this recession they are working while sick, a new study has found. According to those surveyed as part of Simplyhealth's Bothered Britain Report, 43 per cent of people living in Britain haven't taken any days off in the last 12 months, up from 36 per cent in 2008.
Simplyhealth news release and Bothered Britain report • Personnel Today • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Britain: Asbestos lurked in teacher's cupboard
A former Eastbourne school teacher died of cancer likely to have been caused by asbestos in the classroom, an inquest has found. Coroner Alan Craze concluded that although no asbestos fibres were found in an initial examination of a tissue sample taken from one of Neville Beck's lungs, “on a balance of probability” Mr Beck had “an industrial disease.”
Eastbourne Herald • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Global: BP ‘failed’ to make safety changes
London-based multinational BP’s claims to have long since addressed the safety malaise in its refineries have been discredited after the latest intervention by the US safety regulator. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) told BP last month it had failed to make agreed-upon safety improvements at its Texas City refinery following the March 2005 explosions that killed 15 workers.
Galveston Daily News • Risks 426 • 4 October 2009
Hazards news, 26 September 2009
Britain: RMT launches global Eurostar cyber-picket
Rail union RMT has launched a global campaign in support of Eurostar cleaners who are locked in a bitter dispute with their employers - the Carlisle Group - over pay, threatened redundancies, the introduction of finger printing machines and the victimisation of a union representative.
RMT news release • Show your support the global Eurostar cleaners campaign – it only takes a few seconds • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Poland: Coal mine explosion kills 13
An explosion at a Polish mine last week killed 13 workers. The blast on Friday, 18 September occurred at a Katowicki Holding Weglowy (KHW) company mine. The methane gas explosion followed by a fire at KHW’s Wujek-Slask mine in the coal-dominated Silesa region of southwestern Poland also seriously injured 18 other miners.
ICEM briefing • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Injured fitter forced to retire early
A fitter with a metals recycling firm who was forced to give up his job following an accident at work has received a substantial sum in compensation. Unite member Stanley Gibbons, 66, from Dagenham in Essex, was left with a damaged left shoulder after being forced to carry out heavy manual work despite warning his employer he suffered from a frozen shoulder, a condition which leaves the shoulder painful and stiff.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Recycling trip led to pain and cost
A council bin man who seriously injured his shoulder while collecting rubbish for recycling has received £57,000 in compensation. UNISON member Alan Shambrook, 55, tripped on a raised paving slab while collecting recycling boxes.
UNISON news release • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
China: Not so green solar energy?
Solar panels, one of the most commonly touted solutions to the world’s climate woes, may have a less shiny record than first appears. Thirty-odd plants in China are producing ever increasing volumes of polysilicon – which is unhealthy news for many employees.
Green jobs, safe jobs blog • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Slow down gets speedy solution
A rail safety hazard has been remedied after the train drivers’ union ASLEF instructed its drivers to slow down for safety’s sake. The union had advised drivers to approach the New Barn Occupational Crossing in the Barnham, West Sussex, at no more than 30mph.
ASLEF news release • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Asbestos victim’s video legacy
A man who died from asbestos cancer has left a campaigning legacy. Alan Clark from Hartlepool died from mesothelioma in August, but before his death made a video plea to the government, urging it to restore compensation to pleural plaques sufferers. Thompsons Solicitors news release • Unions Together • Hartlepool Mail • Northern Echo • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Asbestos kills more than roads – confirmed
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has confirmed that more people are killed by asbestos each year than die on Britain’s roads, but has criticised a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) radio advertisement for not making clear the HSE asbestos deaths figure – 4,000 deaths a year - is in part an estimate. HSE expressed its “deep disappointment” at the ASA adjudication, where it upheld the solitary complaint about its ‘Asbestos: The hidden killer’ awareness campaign.
ASA adjudication • HSE news release and Hidden killer campaign • TUC news release • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Australia: Bereaved families back strong laws
Family members of people who have died at work have joined with unions to lobby Australia’s federal government over new health and safety laws. In a letter to the deputy prime minister, Julia Gillard, leaders of victim support groups in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia warn of the “devastating effects” workplace deaths have on communities.
ACTU news release and letter from victims’ groups [pdf] • Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Asbestos death toll ‘under-estimated’
The Health and Safety Executive’s estimate of 4,000 asbestos related deaths a year falls well short of the real toll, campaigners and health experts have said. Consultant thoracic surgeon, John Edwards, commended the HSE campaign and said the safety watchdog’s figures are “an under-estimate, if anything” and Laurie Kazan-Allen, coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), said: “When mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths are added to fatalities caused by cancers of the lung, larynx, ovary and stomach – other cancers now linked to asbestos exposure – the huge price paid for the country’s failure to act on the asbestos danger becomes apparent.”
IBAS statement • The Guardian • Marketing Week • SHP Online • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Peat firm fined after agency worker death
Horticulture firm Humax Horticulture Ltd has been fined £23,300 following the death of an agency worker in southern Scotland. Colin McCourt, 55, of Annan, died when a tip bucket he was welding moved and crushed him.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Chlorine damaged trainee doc’s throat
A trainee doctor who was exposed to dangerous levels of chlorine at the Hilton Hotel while working in a part time job has received a £1,000 payout. Stephen Barratt, 28, received the damages after he suffered from a burnt larynx when working as a deputy gym manager at the LivingWell Health Club, part of the Hilton in Sheffield.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Global: Smoking bans 'cut heart attacks'
Bans on smoking in public places including workplaces have had a bigger impact on preventing heart attacks than expected, a study has shown. Smoking bans cut the number of heart attacks in Europe and North America by up to a third, according to the study, which included evidence from smoking bans in Scotland and Ireland.
BBC News Online • Medpage Today •
J Lightwood and S Glantz. Declines in acute myocardial infarction following smokefree laws and individual risk attributable to secondhand smoke, Circulation. Published online 21 September 2009 • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: HSE warning after crane collapse fine
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned tower crane suppliers to make sure staff are adequately trained when carrying out high risk operations. The warning followed the prosecution of Select Plant Hire Company Ltd at the Old Bailey, where the firm was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £33,196.45.
HSE news release • The Argus • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Firm fined £80,000 for fall driver death
Mobile Mini UK Ltd, the UK wing of an American company that supplies temporary buildings and storage cabins, has been fined £80,000 after one of its lorry drivers died falling from a cabin he was delivering. Keith Boulton, 58, died in January last year after the incident at a construction site in West Bromwich.
HSE news release • Express and Star • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Britain: Port firm fined over worker's death
Associated British Ports has been fined £266,000 after a worker at a Suffolk port was struck by a vehicle and died. Cargo handler Brian Vince, 60, was servicing a roll-on roll-off ferry at Ipswich when he was struck by a reversing trailer in 2007.
HSE news release and road safety in the workplace webpages • East Anglia Daily Times • Ipswich Evening Star • BBC News Online • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Europe: Health and Safety Week, 19-23 October
European Health and Safety Week runs from 19-23 October. The focus is again on risk assessment. Wednesday of the week – 21 October - is National Inspection Day. TUC webpages for both European week and the inspection day have been revised and updated.
TUC Euroweek and TUC National Inspection Day webpages • TUC guides to inspections [pdf] and risk assessments [pdf]. HSE Euroweek and inspections webpages • Risks 425 • 26 September 2009
Hazards news, 19 September 2009
USA: Radiation risk making granite tops
Workers who make the granite countertops popular in many household kitchens may be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, a study has found. Researchers found full-time granite workers could be exposed to radiation levels up to 3,000 times the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) radiation exposure limit for members of the general public.
The Cold Truth blog • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Wider action needed on blacklisting
Workers found to have been blacklisted for their safety and trade union activities should be told about the listing and should be compensated, a report for construction union UCATT has recommended. ‘Ruined Lives’ was submitted as evidence to the government’s consultation on blacklisting.
UCATT news release • Blacklist blog • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Judge proposes blacklist test cases
Workers who are taking legal action against employers on the grounds that they were refused employment after being blacklisted for their trade union and safety activities may have their fate decided by three test cases in north-west England.
Building • Blacklist blog • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
USA: Radiation risk making granite tops
Workers who make the granite countertops popular in many household kitchens may be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, a study has found. Researchers found full-time granite workers could be exposed to radiation levels up to 3,000 times the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) radiation exposure limit for members of the general public.
The Cold Truth blog • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Union anger on fire station cuts plan
The firefighters’ union FBU has pledged to fight plans it says would drastically reduce fire service cover in Warwickshire and put firefighters and the public at risk.
FBU news release. Warwickshire County Council news release. BBC News Online. The Independent • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: RMT says rail cuts pose ‘massive danger’
Rail union RMT has called for a halt to job losses at Network Rail after new information supplied by the company revealed that 2,549 maintenance jobs are under threat. The union is warning that the planned jobs cull, which represents nearly 20 per cent of the current workforce, would present “a massive danger to the travelling public and would create the conditions for a repeat of the Potters Bar and Hatfield disasters as essential maintenance work is hacked back.”
RMT news release • New Civil Engineer • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: New teachers left to ‘sink or swim’
The performance and ‘emotional wellbeing’ of new teachers is being put at risk by the practice of throwing them in at the deep end without adequate support. Teaching union NASUWT says too many schools are failing to help teachers new and recently qualified teachers to cope with poor pupil behaviour and other pressures.
NASUWT news release • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Sweden: Worker-blaming firm faces labour court
A firm that fired a worker after an incident where a colleague broke his legs was in fact to blame for injury, the official inspectorate has said. The Swedish Work Environment Authority (SWEA) has filed a complaint against Mondi about health and safety practices following the injury at the firm's Dynäs mill in Väja, Sweden.
RISI Pulp & Paper News Service • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: New call for safety duties on directors
Company directors have failed to respond to a series of pleas to voluntarily take health and safety seriously in the boardroom, so they should be required by law to do so. The latest call for statutory duties on directors comes as part of a new campaign from safety magazines Health and Safety at Work and Health and Safety Bulletin (HSB).
HS@W article • Sign up to the HS@W/HSB petition calling for statutory directors’ duties • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: HSE warning on offshore ‘complacency’
The new head of the Health and Safety Executive’s offshore division has put tackling industry complacency at the top of his priority list. However, there are worrying signs some of the progress welcomed by HSE may already have been reversed.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
France: suicidehotlineplan
France Telecom has promised to set up a free hotline for workers suffering from stress after the 23rd suicide by one of its employees in 18 months. The move followed a crisis meeting between the French labour minister, Xavier Darcos, and France Telecom's chief executive, Didier Lombard.
BBC News Online • Connected Research • Hazards suicide webpages • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Windfarm death highlights green jobs peril
A contractor has died while carrying out maintenance work on a turbine at a wind farm near Thurso, Scotland. It’s not the first UK death - statistics published this year by Caithness Windfarm Information Forum record 46 deaths between 1990 and 2008, with eight deaths in 2008 alone.
BBC News Online • Daily Record • Caithness Windfarm Information Forum • ITUC/Hazards green jobs, safe jobs blog and related webpages • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Flurry of action on bad gangmasters
Three gangmasters have had their licences revoked this month and a fourth has been fined for operating without a licence.
GLA news releases on the cockling and flower picking gangmaster actions • BBC News Online • Wales Online • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Crush death leads to £7,500 fine
A Northampton company found guilty of criminal safety breaches after an employee was crushed to death has been fined £7,500. Trackline (International) Ltd was also ordered to pay £6,690 costs at Lincoln Crown Court after Shaun Porter, 31, died when his forklift truck was obstructed in its path, toppled over and crushed him.
HSE news release • Rutland and Stamford Mercury • Northampton Chronicle and Echo • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Apprentice suffers severe falls injury
A Glasgow construction company has been convicted of criminal safety offences after an apprentice joiner was severely injured. The 20-year-old worker fell nearly four metres through an opening in the floor after the loose sheet of plywood which had been placed over the opening gave way.
HSE news release • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Multinational pays penalty for skin risks
A multinational cable manufacturer has been fined £27,500 after an employee suffered such serious occupational dermatitis he was forced to take early retirement. Prysmian Cables and Systems Limited was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after earlier pleading guilty to three breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).
HSE news release • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Global: Work lead standards poses major heart risk
Exposure to lead over a lifetime has been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease by new research. The authors of the US study call for a tightening of the country’s occupational exposure standard – they found that men who had the highest concentrations of lead in their bones had a six times greater chance of dying from cardiovascular disease than men with the lowest concentrations and were 2.5 times greater chance of dying from all causes.
Marc G Weisskopf and others. A prospective study of bone lead concentration and death from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in the Department of Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, Circulation, published online before print 8 September 2009 [abstract] • Harvard University news release • Science Daily news release • US News and World Report • Health Scout • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Study confirms lead and brain damage link
The dangers of even low levels of lead have been illustrated by a study published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. The University of Bristol study found blood levels well below the accepted “safe” threshold of 10 µg/dl harm young children’s intellectual and emotional development, with a doubling in lead level from 5 to 10 µg/dl associated with a 0.3 point fall in SAT scores.
K Chandramouli and others. Effects of early childhood lead exposure on academic performance and behaviour of school age children, Archives of Disease in Childhood, published online before print 17 September 2009 • 19 September 2009
Australia: Big business would hurt workers
Big business is backing changes to national workplace health and safety laws that would put workers at risk of injury or illness, Australian unions have warned. Jeff Lawrence, secretary of the national union federation ACTU, said it was unacceptable for the changes to health and safety laws to lead to increased profits for businesses at the expense of workers’ safety.
ACTU news release and radio advert • Courier Mail • Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Britain: Work pesticides up Parkinson’s risk
Gardeners and farmers who use pesticides as part of their job are up to three times more likely than others to develop Parkinson’s, according to a new study. Overall, the study, published in the Archives of Neurology, found that those whose job involved using pesticides were 80 per cent more likely to develop the condition, which affects 120,000 people in Britain.
Caroline M Tanner and others. Occupation and risk of Parkinsonism: A multicenter case-control study, Archives of Neurology, volume 66, number 9, pages 1106-1113, September 2009 [abstract] • The Telegraph • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Global: Study exposes chemical cocktail risk
Workers exposed to a cocktail of chemicals may be suffering far more harm than previously considered, a study suggests. Results from a study of male rats published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, indicate that assessing the risk of chemicals one compound at a time will underestimate potential harm.
Sofie Christiansen and others. Synergistic disruption of external male sex organ development by a mixture of four anti-androgens, Environmental Health Perspectives, 2009 [abstract] • Full text [pdf] • Ecologist • Risks 424 • 19 September 2009
Hazards news, 12 September 2009
Britain: Firefighters put out new safety strategy
Firefighters’ union FBU is using its nationwide network of safety reps to investigate work-related health problems across the service. A new strategy, spelled out in a video clip on ‘fbutube’, is looking to use bodymapping establish the extent and causes of harm caused by work and to use this information to identify measures to improve work practices.
FBU YouTube clip • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Global: Work pressures lead to suicide problem
Reports from Ireland, France, the USA and the UK have identified a sharp rise in suicide risks related to work. These follow 'Crying shame', a report last year from Hazards magazine, that warned work factors could account for up to 250 suicide deaths in the UK each year.
Irish Examiner • Truthout translation of L'Humanité article • US Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and Occupational suicides: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, BLS, USA, August 2009 [pdf]. Hazards work-related suicide webpages • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Street cleaning action over ‘disgusting’ tactics
Street cleaners in Liverpool resorted to industrial action after workers were threatened with disciplinary measures when they raised safety concerns. GMB and Unite members at Liverpool Enterprise were “bullied and intimidated” by senior Liverpool Enterprise managers, who made threats of suspension, disciplinary action and dismissal to drivers who had been instructed to take out vehicles without proper safety checks.
GMB news release • Liverpool Echo. Liverpool Daily Post. BBC News Online • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Global: Deadly lung disease in denim factories
Migrant workers formerly employed in Turkey’s textile and garment industry may have contracted silicosis from sandblasting denim in factories that lacked basic protective measures. The warning comes from ITGLWF, the global union for the textile and clothing industry.
ITGLWF news release • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Injury ends lifeboat heroics
A lifeboat volunteer, who received a royal honour for decades of life-saving, has been awarded £6,000 compensation after a car accident forced him to quit. UNISON helped Robert Briggs after he suffered whiplash injuries when his car was hit from behind on the M27 in November 2005.
UNISON news release • Portsmouth News • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Trip led to back problems for pregnant mum
A pregnant civil servant who tripped at work and damaged her back has received £9,000 in compensation. PCS member Andrea Swales, 39, was almost five months pregnant when she tripped on a loose carpet tile at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Peterlee in July 2006.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Site abuses show need for gangmaster action
Construction union UCATT has renewed its call for gangmasters legislation to be extended to construction. The move follows an investigation by The Observer that revealed workers on the East London line extension had been “conned” out of wages by Paul Singh, a gangmaster who pocketed hundreds of thousands for their labour.
UCATT news release • The Observer • Builder and Engineer • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
India: Tea workers dying for safe water
On 4 September, Sukesh Munda of Joy Birpara Tea Estate died from a gut infection. This brought the number of deaths from the enteric disease, related to the provision of unsafe drinking water at work, to four in a one-week period, with hundreds now affected.
IUF news release and YouTube video report • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: HSE takes its stall to the unions
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says it will use its presence at next week’s TUC conference in Liverpool to promote plans to get more employees involved in health and safety where they work. The watchdog says its research suggests that involving workers has a positive effect on health and safety performance, and there is “strong evidence” that unionised workplaces with health and safety representatives are safer and healthier.
HSE news release and worker involvement webpages • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Data watchdog says abusers should face jail
The Information Commissioner has called for prison sentences for data abuse offenders. The UK’s data protection watchdog this week called for prison sentences for people found guilty of serious misuse of confidential personal information and cited the small fine of construction industry blacklister Ian Kerr as evidence of the need for change.
Daily Mail • Blacklist blog • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Work experience shouldn’t hurt you
Schools are being told to make sure full health and safety checks are carried out before pupils head out on work experience, following the prosecution of a Stafford company after a teenager on placement suffered burns. Deansfield High School in Wolverhampton employed Making Learning Work Ltd to locate extended work experience placements for 32 pupils, at a cost of £650 each.
HSE news release • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Europe: More than 1 in 11 are damaged by work
More than 1 in every 11 workers in the European Union has suffered a work-related health problem in the last year, according to official research. The extent of the problem was revealed after the 2007 European Union (EU) Labour Force Survey included a module on work accidents and work-related health problems.
HESA news report • Eurostat Statistics in focus, 63/2009 [pdf] • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Worker suffers waste site shock
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers to be wary of operating machinery near overhead power cables after a Staffordshire man suffered serious burns when he was hit by an electrical charge. John Rowland Fallows, the owner of the site and who trades as Fallows Recycling Services, this week pleaded guilty at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates Court a breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
HSE news release • Construction News • The Sentinel • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Safety breaches cost worker his leg
A Wolverhampton company has been fined £14,000 after a worker was seriously injured when his legs were crushed by a load that fell from a forklift. KJ Plant Developments Ltd was also ordered to pay £6,015 costs after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
HSE news release • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Bupa fined for safety training failures
Bupa Care Homes has been ordered to pay £15,000 for ‘miserably failing’ a severely disabled Wakefield grandmother who died days after breaking both legs while in the firm’s care. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who brought the prosecution, said the fine should serve as a warning to care home operators that they must have the correct training and patient handling procedures.
HSE news release • Yorkshire Evening Post • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Global: Green jobs, safe jobs blog
A new blog, ‘Green jobs, safe jobs’, has been created by Hazards magazine and the global union confederation ITUC. It deals head-on with workplace health and safety challenges, arguing the case for new jobs that are good, green and safe.
Hazards/ITUC Green jobs, safe jobs blog and ITUC website • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Fines for unlicensed asbestos removal
Three contractors who carried out unlicensed asbestos removal at Kelford School in Rotherham in 2006 have been fined. Mansell Build Ltd (previously Birse Build Ltd) of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay £12,500 costs. Andrew Brightmore, a former manager of ARB Agriplant Ltd, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £500 costs and Gary Cusack was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs.
HSE news release and hidden killer campaign webpages • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Woman killed by father's dusty overalls
A 66-year-old Swindon woman died as a result of exposure to her father’s asbestos-contaminated overalls as a child. Recording a narrative verdict into the death of Anita Peters, Wiltshire coroner David Ridley said: “Anita, in a balance of probability, was most likely to be involved in asbestos exposure down to her father’s contact with asbestos. Anita’s death was caused by industrial disease mesothelioma.”
Wiltshire Times • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Britain: Long work hours threaten our future
Long hours are bad for workers and should be curtailed for the sake of the workforce, the economy and the environment, an investigation by The Ecologist has concluded.
The Ecologist • TUC ‘It’s about time’ long hours campaign • Risks 423 • 12 September 2009
Hazards news, 5 September 2009
Britain: Apology sought after attack on journalists
Organisers of last month’s climate camp environmental protest in London have been urged by journalists’ union NUJ to “unequivocally condemn” a man who assaulted two photographers. The journalists were attacked on 30 August as they took pictures of an argument between two groups at the camp.
NUJ news release • Jonathan Warren blog • The Guardian • 5 September 2009
USA: Unions says hydrogen fluoride must go
US union the United Steelworkers (USW) has called for a nationwide phase-out of hydrogen fluoride alkylation units. “Hydrogen fluoride is such a deadly component, and there are new and safer technologies available,” said USW vice president Gary Beevers, who is in charge of the union’s oil sector.
USW news release • 5 September 2009
Britain: UCATT concern over site death
Construction union UCATT has made an urgent approach to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker died on an Aberdeen construction site with a history of safety problems. Malcolm Doughty, 63, died on 1 September after he fell from scaffolding while working on the former Grampian Hotel Site in the city.
UCATT news release • BBC News Online • 5 September 2009
Britain:
Blacklist protest at major site
Building workers who claim they are being denied jobs because of an illegal blacklist protested last week outside a £350m shopping development. The Unite members believe their union activities are being used against them by firms involved in the Rock Triangle project in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Contract Journal • BBC News Online and related BBC video clip • Blacklist blog • 5 September 2009
Korea: Stress killed insecure worker
A Korean court has ruled that an employer is liable for the death of a female worker who died of stress caused by job insecurity. Judge Seo Tae-hwan of the Seoul Administrative Court said in the ruling: “It’s apparent that the deceased was under extreme stress over her job insecurity for five years during which she was a non-permanent worker at Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO).”
Korea Times • 5 September 2009
Britain: Ambulance staff under pressure
Ambulance staff in the West Midlands are under more pressure than they've ever been before, a union leader has warned. Ray Salmon, a regional organiser for UNISON, said the increased demand on West Midlands Ambulance Service had been caused by the failure of funding to keep pace with an 'unprecedented' volume of calls.
Burton Mail • 5 September 2009
Britain: Workers not using swine flu excuse
The TUC has said a business study has disproved claims that workers are taking swine flu sickies. The union body was commenting after research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) found most companies in Britain have not been affected by swine flu.
The Guardian • TUC pandemic flu guide • 5 September 2009
Canada: Asbestos industry in failing health
The future of Canada’s last asbestos mine is uncertain after it received a series of serious political and economic knocks. Michael Ignatieff, leader of the opposition Liberal Party, has switched from his party’s long held position and expressed opposition to any future mining or export of asbestos.
Vancouver Sun • La Tribune • International Ban Asbestos Secretariat • 5 September 2009
Britain: Public contracts will wield safety influence
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is to demand that government bodies increase their focus on safety when awarding construction contracts. Chief construction inspector Philip White outlined plans to change the face of public sector procurement as he updated the HSE board at its August meeting.
An update on the work of the Construction division, paper by Philip White to the HSE Executive Board meeting, 26 August 2009 [pdf] • Construction News • 5 September 2009
Britain: HSE admits 'serious failings' led to blast
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has admitted that serious failings in its inspection procedures led to a factory explosion which killed nine people. The admission comes after an inquiry headed by Lord Gill into the ICL Stockline plastics factory explosion in Glasgow in May 2004.
HSE news release, HSE response to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on ICL Plastics and HSE LPG consultation • ICL Disaster campaign website • 5 September 2009
Britain: HSE blast response ‘too little, too late’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector whose unheeded warning could have averted the ICL Stockline factory disaster has criticised the UK's workplace safety watchdog for its “slack” response to the tragedy. Alan Tyldesley criticised his former bosses at HSE after they announced the safety watchdog’s official response to the tragedy. HSE has set a target of 2015 - 11 years after the tragedy - to fix gas pipes across the country.
Sunday Herald • 5 September 2009
Britain: Directors told to pay asbestos compensation
Company directors who pocketed the assets when they closed a company have been ordered to pay an asbestos disease settlement from their own pockets. The former bosses of Stalybridge engineering firm Vernon & Roberts will have to hand over £60,000 to the widow of Frederick Hughes, who died of mesothelioma in 2001 after being exposed to asbestos working for the firm in the 1960s.
Manchester Evening News • 5 September 2009
Britain: Attacks drove teacher out of education
A Scottish teacher who was attacked repeatedly by a pupil has been awarded £71,000 damages. Teresa McCarthy, 52, quit her job as a special needs teacher after she was attacked four times by the teenager.
Daily Record • The Herald • Scotsman • BBC News Online • 5 September 2009
Britain: Tube safety call over red signals
The rail regulator has instructed London Underground to improve its procedures for reporting safety breaches after three train went through red signals on the District line in the High Street Kensington area of west London. Steve Grant, London Underground district organiser for train drivers’ union ASLEF, said: “It seems the reports of some incidents have been falsified or covered up and this gives me great concern.”
BBC News Online • ASLEF news release • 5 September 2009
Britain: Will workers pay for clean energy?
The potential occupational health and safety benefits of clean and green energy are seen as a slam dunk, a clear improvement on the dirty, heavy, hazardous polluting world of oil and coal. However an article in Hazards magazine’s green jobs blog warns there is a need to address potential risks of jobs in the green energy sector.
Hazards green jobs blog and green jobs webpages • 5 September 2009
Britain: Energy giant fined after work death
A major energy company has been fined £160,000 after a worker died in a fall from scaffold. EDF Energy Contracting Ltd pleaded guilty at Chichester Crown Court to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
HSE news release • Construction News • The Argus • 5 September 2009
Australia: Massive rallies for stronger laws
A strong turnout at rallies and events around Australia sends a powerful message that workers will not back down in their push for stronger national health and safety laws, unions have said. Workers concerned about the weakening of workplace safety standards under a proposed new national law were joined by relatives bereaved as a result of work-related illness and accidents.
ACTU rally news release, survey news release and Don’t risk second rate safety campaign • VTHC news release • Queensland Business Review • 5 September 2009
Britain: Poor protection leads to turkey firm fine
A food firm has fined after an agency worker who had not been provided with a protective apron accidentally stabbed himself with a knife – the fourth stabbing incident at the firm. Robert Bogdan, from Hungary, suffered a 4 inch-deep stab wound while working on the turkey processing line at Cranberry Foods in Scropton in August 2008.
HSE news release • Burton Mail • 5 September 2009
Britain: Firm fined after worker’s foot is crushed
A Staffordshire company has been fined after a worker lost a toe and had his foot crushed when a piece of machinery fell on him. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Hotchkiss Ltd, a ducting manufacturing company, over the incident in Wombourne on 16 July last year.
HSE news release • 5 September 2009
Britain: Firm hit with forklift injury fine
A Birmingham company has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when a one ton machine fell from a forklift. Secure IT Disposals Ltd was ordered to pay £8,000 in fines and £3,500 costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court, after pleading guilty to a safety offence.
HSE news release • 5 September 2009
Hazards news, 29 August 2009
Britain: Report highlights NHS staff struggles
The government must respond rapidly to a report on the health of the NHS workforce, health service union UNISON has said. Commenting on the interim findings of the government-commissioned Boorman inquiry, published last week, the union said the report highlighted the need for quality occupational health services available to all NHS staff.
NHS Health and Wellbeing website and NHS Health and Wellbeing Review, DH, August 2009 [pdf] • UNISON news release and comments on the Boorman report • The Work Foundation news release • FOM news release • CIPD news release • BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
South Africa: Safety protest workers are safe
Paper workers in South Africa who were under threat of dismissal after a safety dispute are to retain their jobs after a union campaign. The dispute between pulp and paper manufacturer Sappi and the union CEPPWAWU at the company’s Enstra mill was resolved early in August.
ICEM news release • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Jail threat vital to deter union blacklists
Employers and consultants who blacklist trade unionists should face the full weight of the criminal law including the ultimate sanction of imprisonment, a top law firm has said. Employment law experts Thompsons Solicitors has told business secretary Peter Mandelson that the civil law sanctions proposed by the government in its consultation on the prohibition of blacklisting are “wholly inadequate” to deal with such a fundamental attack on human rights and freedoms.
Thompsons Solicitors news release and full response by Thompsons Solicitors on The Blacklisting of Trade Unionists: Consultation on the Revised Draft Regulations • Blacklist blog • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Third serious incident at power station
A Nottinghamshire power station where a union had raised concerns about safety management has experienced a third serious safety incident in less than four months. This week a man had to be airlifted to hospital after his legs were crushed at Staythorpe power station near Newark.
BBC News Online • Building • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Global: Dangerous increase in dumped seafarers
Seafarers are finding themselves abandoned without wages or any resources when ships are laid up. Global union federation ITF says the practice of vessel “abandonment” is becoming more commonplace.
ITF news release • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Call to stop HGV testing closures
Unions and MPs are calling on the government to preserve the national network of VOSA vehicle safety testing centres. Vehicle testing inspectors this week welcomed a top government committee’s backing for a ‘significant’ national network of testing stations.
Prospect news release • The enforcement activities of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Transport Select Committee, 24 August 2009 • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: All is not well with new sick notes
Plans to abolish the sick note in favour of the ‘well note’ could force sick and injured people back to work too early, a top employment law firm has warned. Trade union and personal injury specialists Thompsons Solicitors says the government’s proposals, contained in a Department for Work and Pensions consultation on reforming the medical statement, would also fail to cut the cost of sick leave to industry or reduce compensation payments.
Thompsons Solicitors news release and full response on Reforming the Medical Statement: consultation on draft regulations • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: New support for workplace mental health
People with mental health problems will receive extra support to manage their conditions and help them hold on to their jobs, the government has said. Sophie Corlett, Mind's director of external relations, commented: “If employers put their mind to it and provide the right support they can keep their staff mentally well and fit for the workplace.”
DWP news release • The Guardian • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
USA: Big leap in suicides at work
The recession may be driving more people to take their lives at work, new statistics from the US suggest. The number of people who killed themselves at work in the US rose 28 per cent to an all-time high last year.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries • Business Insurance • The Guardian • Hazards work-related suicide webpages • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Global: Deaths raise concerns over nano safety
Seven cases of occupational disease, two of them fatal, have been linked to nanomaterial exposures at work. A study published last week in the European Respiratory Journal reports the seven women employees at a Chinese factory suffered shortness of breath, fluid in the lungs and around the heart, non-specific inflammation of lung tissue, and fibrosis in the lungs.
Y Song, X Li, X Du. Exposure to nanoparticles is related to pleural effusion, pulmonary fibrosis and granuloma, European Respiratory Journal, published online 20 August 2009 [abstract] • IOM news release • 2020 Science blog • SAFENANO commentary • The Pump Handle • Jennifer Sass’ NRDC blog • Nature • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Scrapyard boss on manslaughter charges
A scrapyard manager has appeared in court charged with manslaughter following the death of a worker. Robert Owen Roberts, 55, appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court at Mold on 25 August charged with unlawfully killing Mark Wright, who was working at Deeside Metal in Saltney when he died in April 2005.
Flintshire Chronicle • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Malawi: Tobacco plantations poison child workers
Almost 100,000 children who toil on Malawian tobacco estates for up to 12 hours a day are exposed to “extremely high levels of nicotine poisoning,” according to a report released by a children's rights group. London-based Plan International's ‘Hard work, little pay and long hours’ study found that labourers as young as five suffer severe symptoms from absorbing “up to 54 milligrams a day of dissolved nicotine through their skin,” the equivalent of 50 cigarettes a day.
Plan International news release • Hard work, little pay and long hours’ report [pdf] • Morning Star • The Guardian • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Machine death sparks road work alert
An investigation into a fatal incident involving a top cutting machine, which is used to prepare trenches in roads, has prompted a safety alert from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). On 30 July, Stuart Meakin, 28, was killed when he became entangled in the rotating drum of a top cutting machine.
HSE news release • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Dad’s overalls killed his daughter
A widower whose wife died from an asbestos related cancer caused by dust on her father’s overalls has received a “substantial” sum in compensation. June Probin died aged just 67 from mesothelioma in April 2008, just six months after being diagnosed.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Daughter fights asbestos cancer
A woman who is fighting for her life fears that childhood hugs from her dad may have given her a deadly asbestos cancer. Judith Tomlinson loved nothing more than giving her dad Roland Adcock, a former construction worker, a hug when he came home from work.
Coventry Telegraph • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Global: New safety drive at ArcelorMittal
Unions and managers from metals giant ArcelorMittal are pressing for occupational health and safety improvements across the firm’s global operations. A Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) meeting, held this month at the Geneva HQ of global union federation IMF, reviewed progress and hatched a plan on how to press for further improvements.
IMF news report • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Asbestos ‘snowballs’ killed train driver
The widow of a former train driver who died from an asbestos-related cancer has described how her husband used to make snowballs from the deadly fibre. Frank White was diagnosed with mesothelioma in April 2008 and died, aged 74, in June this year.
Derby Telegraph • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: Farmer dies after being stung by wasps
A farmer died last week after being repeatedly stung by a swarm of wasps while working on his farm. Mark Evison, 47, had been clearing a dyke on farmland in Ellerker, near South Cave, East Yorkshire, when he disturbed a wasps' nest.
The Independent • BBC News Online • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Britain: New HSE programme on green energy
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new initiative in “response to government plans to introduce alternative (non-nuclear) energy technologies to combat climate change.” It says its Emerging Energy Technologies (EET) Programme, which includes new online resources, is HSE’s attempt to address the health and safety implications of the government’s drive “to tackle climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions” and to “ensure secure, clean and affordable energy in the face of increasingly uncertain supply.”
HSE Emerging Energy Technologies (EET) Programme • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Australia: Ex-Hardie directors get business ban
The fines and bans handed down to former executives and directors of Australian asbestos giant James Hardie are not enough considering the extent of their immoral and illegal behaviour and the harm the company’s deadly asbestos products have caused, unions have said.
ACTU news release • Unions NSW news release • News.com.au • The Australian • Perth Now • Risks 421 • 29 August 2009
Hazards news, 22 August 2009
Global: Green jobs, green recovery
The clamour for new and very necessary green jobs must be accompanied by proper consideration of the quality of those jobs, top experts have warned. A special ‘Green jobs, green recovery’ edition of the occupational health journal New Solutions spells out “powerful ways to rebuild the US economy with good, green jobs in sustainable energy generation, conservation, new transportation systems, and other ways of greening industry.”
Green jobs, green recovery, New Solutions, Special Issue, volume 19 (2), 2009 [contents list including some free online content] • Safe jobs, green jobs • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Unions push for pleural plaques progress
Unions Together has launched a petition calling on the government to sort out compensation for those suffering from pleural plaques. The organisation, the campaigning arm of the Trade Unions and Labour Party Liaison Organisation (TULO), says workers found to have plaques are more likely to subsequently develop asbestos-related cancer.
Sign the Unions Together Justice for pleural plaques petition • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
USA: The real way to fight cancer
Prevention not drugs is the real solution to cancer, top experts have said. Responding to a 5 August New York Times op-ed by Nobel Prize winner James Watson, Dr Samuel Epstein said Watson “could not be any more wrong” in his belief that new “miracle drugs acting alone or in combination” are the answer to a sharp rise in cancer incidence.
Cancer Prevention Coalition news release. New York Times op-ed by James Watson • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Caretaker busts a gut at school
A school caretaker needed surgery after suffering a hernia when lifting a heavy room divider. UNISON member Alan Thomas, from South Kirby, near Pontefract, was off work for two months following corrective surgery in November 2007 and has received a £3,471 payout.
UNISON news release • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Council refused to watch lifeguard’s back
A sports centre supervisor who was forced to retire when he injured his back lifting a faulty set of swimming pool steps has received £50,000 payout. UNISON member David Barber, from Rochdale, who had worked at the council-run Haywood Sports Centre for 20 years, had complained about the steps a number of times, but had been told that fixing them was not a priority.
UNISON news release • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Russia: Power station tragedy kills dozens
A total of 76 workers are thought to have died as a result of a 17 August explosion at Russia’s biggest hydroelectric power station. Initial reports said 12 people had been confirmed dead and 64 were missing after the explosion at the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant in southern Siberia.
The Times • BBC News Online • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Hunt for cause of worker’s cancer
The solicitor acting for a cancer survivor from Bradford is looking for information about his working conditions. The man, who developed bladder cancer in 2007 and who had worked at a firm producing pesticides, has undergone surgery to remove the tumour, but his condition is still under careful review.
Thompsons Solicitors • Telegraph and Argus • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Worker unfairly fired for night shift nap
A Glasgow metal worker who was sacked for nodding off on night shift and missing a fire drill has been awarded £25,374 compensation for unfair dismissal. David Hart, 59, was dismissed for gross misconduct and complained he was unfairly sacked by the Waukesha Bearings factory in Glasgow after a clean 37-year service record.
Daily Record • The Herald • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Italy: Union organisers take to the tomato fields
Every summer around 50,000 migrant workers, many of them undocumented, are brought by labour agents to Italy for the tomato harvest. But unions say the workers who harvest the tomatoes work in dangerous conditions often in breach of Italian labour law.
IUF news release • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Payout for woman floored by forklift
A Worksop distribution centre worker has received 'substantial' damages after she was knocked down by a forklift truck. Kathryn Warren suffered serious crushing injuries to both ankles after the incident at the Clipper Group warehouse and needed surgery and treatment for stress.
CHAD • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Tanker fall death ‘preventable’
The death of a Scottish tanker driver could have been prevented if a second guardrail had been fitted to his vehicle, a sheriff has ruled. James Hutchinson, 57, died after falling from his tanker at a farm in Leuchars, Fife, in February 2007.
BBC News Online • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Canada: Risks raised for young with dyslexia
Young people with dyslexia may be at greater risk of getting hurt on the job, according to a new study from the Toronto-based Institute for Work and Health (IWH). “The early indicators are that dyslexia contributes to higher injury rates among young workers,” said IWH’s Dr Curtis Breslin, who led the study.
IWH news release. F Curtis Breslin and Jason D Pole. Work injury risk among young people with learning disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Canada, American Journal of Public Health, volume 99, number 8, pages 1423-1430, 2009 [abstract] • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Building firm fined over fall
West country building firm F Dewey Limited has been prosecuted after an employee fell through the asbestos roof of a building he was trying to demolish. Magistrates in Devizes heard that plumber Peter Flippance sustained a broken hip and wrist after falling through the roof at the site in Pewsey in April last year.
Wiltshire Times • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Australia: Stats prove case for strong law
Australia is falling well short of national targets to reduce workplace deaths and injuries - and proposed new national occupational health and safety (OHS) laws could put Australian workers further at risk, unions have warned.
ACTU news release • VTHC news release • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Farm worker survives five metre fall
Employers are being warned to take correct precautions when their staff work at height, after a farm employee sustained serious injuries when he fell nearly 5 metres through a roof. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Francis Caley, of Manor Farm, Sproatley Road, Hull for safety offences relating to the incident in May 2008.
HSE news release • HSE falls webpages • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Australia: Stats prove case for strong law
Australia is falling well short of national targets to reduce workplace deaths and injuries - and proposed new national occupational health and safety (OHS) laws could put Australian workers further at risk, unions have warned.
ACTU news release • VTHC news release • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Government reveals swine flu priorities
The priority groups who will be first in line for vaccination against swine flu will include pregnant women, frontline health and social care workers, and everyone in at-risk groups aged over six months, health secretary Andy Burnham has said.
DH news release • CSP news release •
CSP’s information paper Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections includes a section on swine flu • Updated TUC pandemic flu guide • HSE updated swine flu guidance • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Britain: Swine flu and schools (and everywhere else)
Teaching union NUT has produced commonsense advice on swine flu and schools. And TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson, commenting on the implications of swine flu for workers and employers across the board, has warned “too many employers simply were not being flexible enough and were insisting on certificates after seven days.”
NUT swine flu health and safety bulletin. Updated TUC pandemic flu guide • Risks 420 • 22 August 2009
Hazards news, 15 August 2009
Britain: Safety reps make work happy and healthy
Is it possible to take a dysfunctional workplace battered by assaults, sickness and poor morale and in less than a year make it a haven of safety and worker contentment, with managers valuing the union role? UNISON rep Mark White, writing in the new edition of the trade union magazine Hazards, describes how they achieved just that in his workplace.
Safety respect • Hazards magazine, number 107, Summer 2009 • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
USA: Prison recycling ‘poisoned’ participants
Freda Cobb believes the job in food services at the Federal Correction Institute in Marianna has ruined her life. Cobb, who started working at the Florida prison in 1991, is one of 26 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the prison, claiming its computer recycling programme is toxic and hazardous to workers’ health.
News Herald • SVTC 2006 report on UNICOR’s prison recycling programme [pdf] • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Shot guard left waiting by CICA
A union has condemned the shoddy treatment meted out to a security guard who is still waiting for criminal injuries compensation over four years after suffering a debilitating injury when he was shot during a robbery. G4S security guard and GMB member Colin Baker, who was shot at work in September 2004, believes he has been let down by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
GMB news release • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
[* victimisation – make the link to our Blacklist blog story – is the link used here]
Britain: Union call for tougher blacklist action
A union has called for action against unpunished blacklist users after the Information Commissioner’s Office served enforcement notices on just 14 of the subscribers to a covert blacklisting operation. The regulator said it could not take action against other 30 contractors who paid in to The Consulting Association as it did not find enough evidence against them.
Construction News • Blacklist blog • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Pub managers call time on long hours
Pub managers are working longer hours than any other group in the UK and their health is suffering because of it, according to their union Unite. The union has now launched a manifesto for the sector, calling for a maximum 48 hour week, a minimum 25 days holiday and a sharper focus on health and safety and combating violence at work.
Unite pub industry manifesto [pdf] and Licensees Unite webpages • Morning Advertiser • The Publican • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
USA: Spy tech stress on hospital workers
US hospitals are spending millions on wireless and internet technology, and say it will improve patient care. But this seemingly laudable motive cloaks less positive intentions, critics say - Charley Richardson, a retired union educator who closely tracks the issue, said: “It’s about management-by-stress, tweaking the whole system to ramp it up.”
Labor Notes • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Teachers a priority for flu jab
Teaching unions are calling for classroom staff to be a priority for the swine flu vaccine this autumn, because working with children puts them at risk. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has written to children’s secretary Ed Balls calling for school staff and pupils to be offered the jab as early as possible.
The Guardian • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Worker suffers whiplash in bath incident
A care assistant was forced to take three months of work after she suffered whiplash injuries from a faulty bath. The GMB member, whose name has not been released, had to undergo intensive physiotherapy following the incident at a Leeds City Council day centre.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Firefighters free fingers from faulty food van
A delivery driver who was freed by the fire service when a faulty van door crushed his hand has received a £7,000 payout. GMB member David McCulloch, 52, was forced to take seven weeks off work following the incident, which left him with a broken index finger.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Red alert on the perils of green jobs
Recycling, clean energy, energy conservation – we’ve been told to expect a “green jobs” bonanza. But a spate of fatalities and poisonings in the sector show more work needs to be done to make the jobs as good for workers as they are for the environment, according to a new report from Hazards magazine.
Green collared, Hazards magazine, number 107, summer 2009. Safe jobs, green jobs web resource • 15 August 2009
USA: Most nuke worker disease claims refused
A US federal programme created to help sick nuclear weapons workers is improperly rejecting thousands of claims, a former top medic on the scheme has said.
Eugene Schwartz, who recently resigned, said many of the complaints that workers, advocates and lawmakers have levelled at the controversial programme are valid.
ProPublica • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Employers express fit note concerns
The majority of employers say well-being at remains a priority, according to new snapshot research, but they have outstanding concerns about the new fit note. Research undertaken with 50 employers found over half of those surveyed said that well-being was more important to them in the current financial climate, but that there was too little information on next year’s replacement for the sick note.
IES news release. C Tyers and R Martin. Is well-being still important at work? Employers’ views on recession, the new fit note and priorities for the year ahead, Opinion Paper OP17, Institute for Employment Studies, August 2009 • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Dying plasterer warns of asbestos dangers
A self-employed plasterer who has just months to live is warning others of the risks of exposure to asbestos. The 48-year-old from Houghton Le Spring was diagnosed with the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma in October 2008 as a resultof being exposed to asbestos as a 16-year-old apprentice with building company GM Pearson Limited, working on council house renovations across the north-east of England.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
New Zealand: Minister snubs unions on work deaths
Unions in New Zealand are outraged that they were not invited to take part in an investigation into workplace deaths. Labour minister Kate Wilkinson called the 12 August meeting of corporate chief executives to discuss ways to reduce injuries at work.
NZ Department of Labour news release • RMT/MUNZ news release [pdf]. NDU news release. TVNZ • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Canadian firm fined for asbestos crimes
A Canadian company has been fined for placing employees and contractors at risk from asbestos at its Swansea plant. Vale Inco Europe Ltd pleaded guilty in June to four charges under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
HSE news release and hidden killers campaign • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Water treatment firm bad on bugs
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning companies responsible for carrying out legionella surveys on water systems of the need to ensure that their work is thorough and accurate. The warning follows the conviction of Berkshire-based water treatment company DEBA UK Ltd for carrying out inadequate and misleading surveys at nursing homes in Blaenau Gwent and Powys.
HSE news release and Legionaires’ disease webpage • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Hazards is good for you
The brand spanking new edition of the workers’ health and safety magazine Hazards is out now. This issue of the award-winning quarterly is bristling with information, including the usual mix of news, resources and features on topics of crucial importance to hard-working union safety reps, stewards and officers.
Hazards magazine • Union subscriptions are Hazards magazine’s source of funding – make sure your union organisation gets copies to all its safety reps. Safety pledge poster • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Britain: Centre for Corporate Accountability to close
The Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) is to cease all operations from 28 August. CCA, which has undertaken widely reported research on health and safety penalties, regulation and enforcement, has not been able to secure the necessary funds to continue. The centre also offered a support service for those bereaved by workplace incidents, which is also to be discontinued.
Other sources of corporate accountability information: TUC corporate responsibility webpages • Hazards magazine deadly business webpages • Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Germany: Rail firm snooped on health records
The German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has admitted it secretly and illegally monitored the health records of some of its employees. Last week the company released a statement saying: “The Deutsche Bahn management has received indications that the group's security division collected employees’ illness-related information and circulated it within the group.”
Deutsche Welle • Risks 419 • 15 August 2009
Hazards news, 8 August 2009
Britain: Blacklist blog
Hazards magazine’s ‘blacklist blog’ is tracking the use of covert surveillance data against trade unionists – it’s a health and safety story because union health and safety activity or even concern appears to be a fast track to blacklisting, with union safety rep credentials a regular feature in blacklist dossiers. Hazards is also concerned that other seemingly legitimate outfits – management consultants and law firms, for example – may be providing blacklisting advice as part of “union avoidance” services.
Blacklist blog and related feature on the wider blacklisting concerns • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
USA: Union tires of deadly oil industry attitude
US union the United Steelworkers (USW) has pulled out of talks with the American Petroleum Institute and other oil industry representatives over plans to develop a set of worker fatigue and safety standards in the wake of the deadly 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery. The union said the industry excluded environmental and public interest groups from the discussions and did not give equal weight to input from workers in crafting the standards.
USW news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Truck drivers fed up with motorway pirates
A massive upturn in thefts from lorries highlights the urgent need for a total overhaul of the UK's system of truckstops, the union Unite has said. The transport union’s call came as a survey revealed thefts from lorries have risen by 63 per cent in the past year, with most taking place while drivers are parked up and asleep.
Unite news release and Truckstop campaign • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
USA: Union tires of deadly oil industry attitude
US union the United Steelworkers (USW) has pulled out of talks with the American Petroleum Institute and other oil industry representatives over plans to develop a set of worker fatigue and safety standards in the wake of the deadly 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery. The union said the industry excluded environmental and public interest groups from the discussions and did not give equal weight to input from workers in crafting the standards.
USW news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Broken chair caused a slipped disk
A council worker forced to use a dodgy chair for nine months suffered a slipped disk and nearly died during an operation to remedy the problem. UNISON member Kay Fagg, who has received a £10,000 compensation settlement, developed the problem after Southend-on-Sea Borough Council failed to replace her chair when it broke in early 2003.
UNISON news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Car job led to vibration injury
A former fitter for car manufacturer Ford has received £8,500 in compensation after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work. PCS member Anthony Barry, 61, was left with the debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) - also known as vibration white finger - after using vibrating tools in his job as a toolmaker for Ford Motor Company Ltd in Halewood.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Global: Union Carbide repeats Bhopal excuses
Union Carbide is defending its former chief executive, now wanted for arrest in India, saying managers couldn't have foreseen a gas leak at the chemical company's Bhopal plant 25 years ago. The move came after an Indian court issued a warrant for Warren Anderson and ordered India's government to press Washington for his extradition.
FACK news release • KVOA.com • San Francisco Chronicle • New York Times • Daily News • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Construction firms “owned” blacklister
A covert operation that blacklisted trade unionists was more organised than previously thought, according to confidential internal documents. The Consulting Association was shutdown in February by the Information Commissioner for breaches of the Data Protection Act after providing construction firms with dossiers on safety and other activities by trade unionists.
The Guardian • Blacklist blog • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Trade in personal data cost livelihoods
Privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has served enforcement notices on 14 construction firms following breaches of the Data Protection Act. The firms were all subscribers to a covert blacklisting service provided by The Consulting Association, shutdown in February by the ICO.
ICO news release [pdf] • Blacklist blog and events listing • Morning Star • Construction News • Building • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
China: Dust disease victims demand justice
In early July 2009, Zhang Haichao underwent voluntarily an operation to open up his chest in order to prove he was suffering from the fatal lung disease pneumoconiosis. And at the end of July, more than 100 workers from Daozi in Hunan, China, all suffering from pneumoconiosis, staged a mass sit-in outside the Shenzhen municipal government demanding occupational illness compensation after years of dust exposures in construction and related jobs.
China Labour Bulletin • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Hidden deaths mar offshore ‘zero fatalities’ figure
New official statistics show no worker fatalities were recorded offshore last year. However, offshore unions have said repeatedly that the failure to include offshore and marine transport fatalities and injuries in HSE’s offshore statistics – and there are a lot of them - creates a false impression of the real risks faced by offshore workers.
HSE news release and offshore statistics • Press and Journal • BBC News Online • STV • The Scotsman • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Gangmasters 'continue to exploit'
Gangmasters are still putting workers' lives at risk, according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It comes five years after 23 Chinese cockle pickers died in Morecambe Bay. Oxfam’s ‘Turning the tide’ report concluded government regulation is helping but there are still people working in dangerous environments for as little as £50 for seven days' work.
Oxfam report webpage, summary [pdf], full report [pdf] and video report • BBC News Online • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Waste firm fined after worker is killed
A waste firm has been fined £60,000 after the death of a 78-year-old worker at its site in Tadley. At Winchester Crown Court, Judge David Griffiths imposed a £90,000 fine on John Stacey and Sons – reducing it to £60,000 because the company pleaded guilty.
HSE news release • Basingstoke Gazette • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Crane firm turns up to receive deaths fine
A second crane hire company has been fined on charges relating to the death of two workers who fell to their deaths when a crane collapsed. Gary Miles, 37, and Steven Boatman, 45, died in 2005 as the 118ft (36m) tower crane was being dismantled in Durrington, West Sussex.
HSE news release • Earlier HSE news release and BBC News Online coverage • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Rib crushing giant hardly touched by fine
A multinational industrial firm has received a small fine after a worker was badly injured in an unguarded machine. Calder Industrial Materials Ltd, which manufactures lead products, was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay full costs of £1,050 at Chester Magistrates Court.
HSE news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Firm fined over worker's lost finger
A Teesside firm has been fined £5,000 after a worker lost a finger and had another crushed in an horrific accident. TC Industries of Europe admitted at East Langbaurgh Magistrates’ Court failing to ensure the safety of its employees.
HSE news release • Evening Gazette • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Bury worker loses three fingers
A Bury firm with a turnover of over £80 million has been fined £50,000 after a young worker lost three fingers in a “totally avoidable” incident. Tetrosyl Ltd pleaded guilty last week to two offences under health and safety legislation at Manchester Crown Court.
HSE news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Nuclear worker compensated for mesothelioma
A former nuclear power plant worker who has been told he has just months to live has received £177,000 in compensation after he was diagnosed with an asbestos related disease. The former assistant scientist employed by Sellafield Ltd, who does not wish to be named, was exposed to asbestos while working at the Capenhurst nuclear site.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Britain: Widower gets payout for double tragedy
A widower who saw his wife die from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma has received compensation from his former employer after he was also diagnosed with an asbestos related disease. David Warnes, 71, from Leeds, cared for his wife, Maureen, during her painful eight month battle with mesothelioma.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 418 • 8 August 2009
Hazards news, 1 August 2009
Britain: Better worker involvement on site
A new guide will help reduce accidents and improve worker involvement on construction sites, construction union UCATT has said. Working with Unite, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the employer-led ConstructionSkills organisation, UCATT has compiled a ‘Short guide to improving health and safety on construction sites through effective worker involvement.’
UCATT news release and Short guide to improving health and safety on construction sites through effective worker involvement, Strategic Forum for Construction [pdf] • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Call for tougher dog laws after mauling
The Scottish government must push ahead with plans to introduce new dangerous dog laws, postal union CWU has said. The call came after a Glasgow post worker was hospitalised following a savage attack by two Japanese Akita dogs.
CWU news release • Evening Times • STV • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
South Africa: Mine deaths ‘a national disgrace’
The number of deaths in South African mines was a national disgrace, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has said. “Urgent action is needed to put an end to this carnage,” Vavi told a memorial service for nine mineworkers who died in July at Impala Platinum's Rustenburg mine.
Iol.co.za • SABC News • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Traffic wardens ‘bullied and humiliated’
Parking enforcement officers face ‘humiliation’ if they fail to meet their targets for issuing parking fines, unions have claimed. Unite and UNISON say wardens are often very poorly paid and have to work in a pressured, target-driven environment where they are often bullied and humiliated if they don’t reach targets.
BBC News Online • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Korea: Five killed in steel frame collapse
Five workers were killed and eight were injured last week when a heavy steel frame collapsed at a light rail transit construction site in Korea. The tragedy took place when a launching girder, a 30 metre-long and six metre-wide construction machine connecting the bridge deck, fell.
Korea Times • NDTTV • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Blacklisted workers form action group
An informal support network for building workers blacklisted for their trade union and safety activities has been established following a meeting last week at Westminster. Labour MP John McDonnell hosted the meeting at the House of Commons, at which a decision was made to set up the Blacklist Support Group.
Building • Construction News and related article on payments to The Consulting Association • 1 August 2009
Britain: Family warning on asbestos ignorance
The family of a joiner who died of an asbestos cancer have warned employers that the deaths will continue unless workers are made aware of the risks. Public sector union UNISON helped John Toker claim compensation when he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2008.
UNISON news release • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Italy: Bosses face trial over asbestos deaths
An Italian judge last week ordered top bosses of a construction multinational to stand trial on charges relating to thousands of asbestos-related deaths. Prosecutors say Stephan Schmidheiny of Switzerland and Jean-Louis de Cartier of Belgium were key shareholders in Eternit, a Swiss construction company.
Asbestos in the dock campaign and news release • Business Week • MSNBC News • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Consolation for family of death crash teacher
A widow has said a compensation payout received after her husband was killed while cycling home from work will at least mean financial security for his daughter. Dedicated teacher David Kerslake, who cycled to work every day, was just 44-years-old when he was knocked off his bike in Bolton in October 2004.
UNISON news release • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Woman's leg crushed at work
A paper multinational has admitted liability after a worker’s leg was crushed by a reel of polythene. Unite member Nicola Upsher, 29, was forced to take six months off work after the incident at tissue manufacturer Kimberley Clark’s Gravesend factory in August 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Kent News • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Multinational failed to learn deaths lesson
A firm has been fined £533,000 following the deaths of two workers five years ago. Richard Clarkson, 29, and Stuart Jordan, 50, who worked at a Bodycote HIP Ltd metal refining plant in Hereford, died in 2004 after an argon gas leak – the firm had failed to learn the lessons of a double fatality at one of its US plants, where workers were also asphyxiated by argon gas.
HSE news release and confined space webpages • BBC News Online • Birmingham Post • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Injured teen had warned of forklift faults
A Derbyshire haulage firm has been fined £27,000 after a teenager nearly lost an arm when a faulty forklift truck crashed. A court heard that mechanic Martyn Coope, who was just 17 at the time of the incident in 2007, was at the controls of the vehicle, although he had not been trained to operate it.
Derby Evening Telegraph • Nottingham Evening Post • HSE’s rebranded young people at work webpages • HSE young people at work podcast • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Pupil suffers horrific burns on placement
A schoolboy has undergone a series of skin grafts after suffering horrific burns while on work experience. Jonathan Bonner, aged 15, was on a placement at windows firm Castlefield Works when he suffered 25 to 30 per cent burns.
Bury Times • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Firm fined for deadly disease outbreak
A meat processing firm has been fined £25,000 for an outbreak of a potentially deadly disease which left two workers in hospital. Two Polish employees contracted Legionnaires' disease while working at Kepak UK Ltd’s plant near Preston, in September 2006.
HSE news release • Lancashire Evening Post • Fleetwood Today • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Contractor fined for roof fall death
A construction contractor has been fined £25,000 after a worker died falling through a roof at a DIY superstore in Wigan. David Battisson from CRN Contracts Ltd in Birkenhead was working on the roof of The Range store when he fell ten metres to the floor through a PVC light.
HSE news release and falls webpages • Contract Journal • Construction News • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Fall bounce worker ‘lucky to be alive’
A worker is lucky to be alive after falling through a roof and landing on pallets, then bouncing off these onto the floor. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Tower Roofing Ltd following the incident at Magnesium Elektron Ltd’s premises in Swinton.
HSE news release and roofwork webpage • Contract Journal • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Australia: Minister backs union right of entry
Unions in Tasmania have welcomed an announcement by the state’s workplace relations minister that she will press for a union right of entry to workplaces for occupational health and safety issues. Simon Cocker, the secretary of Unions Tasmania, said: “Right of entry to worksites for appropriately authorised union representatives exists in most other states and is an integral part of a working occupational health and safety system.”
Unions Tasmania news release [pdf] • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Shop death fall due to bad lights
A Glasgow shopworker would not have died if Debenhams had cared as much about its staff as it did about its shoppers, a grieving relative has charged. Marie O'Neill, 38, fell to her death in an unlit stairwell while working at Debenhams in Argyle Street, Glasgow, last February.
Glasgow Evening Times • BBC News Online • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: Workers’ Memorial Day consultation begins
The government has launched the promised consultation into officially recognising Workers’ Memorial Day. The 28 April global trade union event has now been running for over 25 years with the motto “remember the dead, and fight for the living”.
DWP news release • Workers Memorial Day public consultation [pdf] • Global unions Workers’ Memorial Day webpages • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Britain: New union resources on swine flu
Public sector union UNISON and retail union Usdaw have issued new guide on swine flu and work. The guidance follows TUC’s updated guide to pandemic flu, published online last week.
UNISON guide • Usdaw guide • TUC guide • Risks 417 • 1 August 2009
Hazards news, 25 July 2009
Britain: Break cut led to deadly blood clot
A government worker who developed a life-threatening blood clot after sitting at her desk for hours without a break has received more than £10,000 in compensation. PCS member Angela Lamberton, 53, nearly died after the work schedule at her office was restructured to reduce the time employees spent away from their desks.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Leicester Mercury • Telegraph • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Hospital work led to deadly exposures
A hospital plumber, who has been told he has only months to live after developing mesothelioma, has received £175,000 in compensation. UNISON member Alan Ward pursue an 18-month claim against Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority when he developed the asbestos-related cancer.
UNISON news release • BBC News Online • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Crackdown looms on bogus self-employment
Construction union UCATT have given a cautious welcome to the announcement of a Treasury consultation aimed at reducing bogus self-employment in the construction industry. The union says bogus self-employment occurs when workers are officially classified as self-employed but have all the normal working relationships of an employee – but none of the rights.
False self-employment in construction: taxation of workers, Treasury consultation, ends 12 October 2009 • UCATT news release • Contract Journal • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Fatal factory blast 'avoidable'
The explosion at ICL Stockline in Glasgow was an “avoidable disaster”, according to a public inquiry into the tragedy. Nine people died and 33 were injured when the plastic factory collapsed on 11 May 2004.
Lord Gill’s report on the ICL/Stockline disaster, 16 July 2009, full report [pdf] and summary [pdf] • IOSH news release • The Scotsman • BBC News Online • The Times. The Herald • ICL/Stockline campaign webpage • Lord Gill’s ICL/Stockline inquiry webpage • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Official apology for blast factory failings
In the wake of Lord Gill’s report into the fatal ICL Stockline factory blast, both the UK government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have expressed “regret” at the disaster, with HSE also issuing a rare apology.
DWP news release • HSE news release • Sunday Times • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Families call for HSE reform
The “toothless” Health and Safety Executive must be given more resources and powers and should stop going easy on dangerous employers, families bereaved by the ICL Stockline disaster have said. STUC health and safety officer Ian Tasker, speaking on behalf of five of the bereaved the families, said: “This report reinforces our case that we have made all along - that 'soft touch' regulation simply does not work.”
ICL Support Group statement [pdf] • STUC news release • Stirling University OEHRG news release • FACK news release • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Boss gets three years for teen’s death
Building firm boss Colin Holtom has been jailed for three years for the manslaughter of 15-year-old construction worker Adam Gosling. Contractor Darren Fowler, who had subcontracted the work to Mr Holtom, was sentenced to 12 months in jail after admitted breaking health and safety law and running a company while disqualified from being a director.
HSE news release • Construction News • Enfield Independent • BBC News Online • Morning Star • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Blacklisting site firms evade justice
The private investigator whose company traded in illegally held information on over 3,000 trade unionists has received a small fine – and the firms that bankrolled and used the service are to escape scot free. A judge fined Ian Kerr, the man who ran covert blacklisting outfit the Consulting Association, £5,000 and ordered him to pay the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) costs of £1,187.
ICO news release [pdf] • The Guardian • The Times • Contract Journal • Construction News • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Unions condemn 'totally inadequate' fine
Unions have condemned as 'totally inadequate' the fine of £5,000 levied on company boss Ian Kerr who admitted running an illegal blacklisting service. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Thousands of trade unionists have been unable to work as a result of this man's activities, and may struggle to get work in the future.”
TUC news release • UCATT news release • Construction News • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Government hints at asbestos action
Anticipated decisions on asbestos compensation, research and insurance issues failed to materialise before parliament started its summer break this week, but Cabinet minister Jack Straw did indicate the government still intends to act.
TUC news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Daily Mirror • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Asbestos victims express delay dismay
A coalition of groups representing victims of asbestos disease have expressed dismay at the government’s failure to make firm commitments on key asbestos compensation issues. Tony Whitston, chair of the Asbestos Forum, criticised the government for prolonging asbestos victims’ wait for justice.
Asbestos Forum news release • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
USA: Pleural plaques do hurt you
While insurers and government advisers seem adamant pleural plaques don’t hurt you, a top US lung disease expert says he has evidence they can be a source of excruciating pain. Michael Harbut says a probable reason for the unrelenting chest pain experienced in certain patients with asbestos-related diseases and cancers is pleural plaques – lung-scarring commonly associated with exposure to asbestos.
Karmanos Cancer Institute news release • UCATT news release • Karmonos Institute • IJOEH • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Asbestos stealth tests in schools
Campaigners are to carry out secret tests on dozens of English schools this summer to highlight the threat of asbestos which, they claim, is a serious threat to the health of pupils and teachers.
The Independent • Asbestos in Schools website • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Asbestos takes husband and carer
A Parkinson's disease sufferer, who was robbed of her husband's care by his untimely death from asbestos-related cancer, has received a six figure payout. Carol Devoy, 65, has been awarded £500,726 damages for her loss.
Northern Echo • Sunderland Echo • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Scallop boat workers lost at sea
Three crew members died when their Cumbrian scallop dredger capsized off the coast of Scotland. Skipper Tony Hayton, 45, Peter Hilton and Thomas Sanderson, both 52, all from Maryport, died when the Aquila overturned.
The Sun • BBC News Online • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Britain: Chance to avoid Puma crash missed
A chance to prevent the North Sea helicopter crash in which 16 offshore workers died was missed, experts investigating the incident have revealed. Two crew and 14 passengers died when the Bond Super Puma crashed off the Aberdeenshire coast on 1 April.
AAIB special bulletin, 16 July 2009 • BBC News Online • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Pandemic flu latest
The TUC guidance on pandemic flu has been updated again. Among the latest additions are advice on pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions and employers who try to get those who have been in contact with the virus to take leave.
TUC pandemic flu guide • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Europe: Safety reps are a ‘powerful force’
Trade union safety reps have a “huge potential” for improving workers’ health, a Europe-wide investigation has concluded. The ESPARE project – full name ‘The Impact of Safety Representatives on Occupational Health: A European Perspective’ – was launched in 2006 by the European TUC’s health and safety research arm, REHS.
ESPARE project • The impact of safety representatives on occupational health: A European perspective (the EPSARE project), Report 107, European Trade Union Institute, 2009. Order details • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Europe: Furniture trade wants formaldehyde rules
Unions and employers in Europe’s furniture trade want strict limits on formaldehyde in furniture production. A joint declaration from the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers (EFBWW) and the European Furniture Manufacturers Federation (EFMF) calls for “legislation requiring that all materials used in furniture put on the market in the European Union (EU) have the lowest possible emission level based on the best available technology”.
REHS news report • EFBWW/EFMF joint declaration on formaldehyde [pdf] • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Global: Temps get worse conditions
Temporary workers face worse conditions in their jobs, new studies from France and Japan have confirmed.
REHS news report • Japan Time • Risks 416 • 25 July 2009
Hazards news 18 July 2009
Britain: Union warning on transport swine flu risk
Transport union RMT has warned of severe pressure on staffing levels and serious safety risks across the transport system if the number of cases of swine flu increases dramatically. The union alert came as experts advised that up to 40 per cent of the population could become ill with the condition over the coming weeks.
RMT news release • Personnel Today • The Observer • TUC pandemic flu guidance • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
South Africa: Dangerous construction companies will pay
Construction companies that do not comply with safety and health laws will be prosecuted, South Africa’s labour department has warned. The department's drive comes after labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana stated workers’ rights are human rights and that employers should not put profit above safety.
SA Labour Department news release • SABC News • Weekend Post • Bush Radio News • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Council failed to heed deadly bin warning
The death of a man in a waste bin may have been avoided if a council had heeded a union warning. The union GMB said it had long raised concerns about the use of these large communal and business waste bins.
GMB news release • BBC News Online • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Wrong goggles fail to protect eyes
A steel erector suffered permanent damage to his eye during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium after being provided with unsuitable safety goggles. Unite member Ian Pearson, 36, was working on the stadium in December 2005 for Fast Track Site Services.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
India: Six killed on Metro construction job
Six workers have been killed and dozens are thought to have been injured in a serious accident on the Delhi Metro construction site. The 12 July tragedy occurred when a pre-fabricated concrete segment of viaduct weighing 1,000 tonnes gave away, taking with it a launching girder.
BWI news release and update • New York Times • BBC News Online • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Work injury stops endurance sportsman
An engineering worker who had to give up endurance sport after injuring his leg at work has received £5,250 in compensation. The 48-year-old Unite member, whose name has not been released, was a keen marathon runner and established duathlete - a race where participants run and cycle - before he damaged his leg.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Serious fall injuries lead to payout
A Unite member who was off work for more than 20 months after a fall at work has received £35,000 in compensation. John Kelly, 61, needed surgery on his shoulder and intensive physiotherapy following the incident at Sertac Group Holdings in Coleshill, Birmingham.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Canada: Involve workers in return-to-work
Workers off sick with low back pain who are involved in identifying potential barriers to their return to work get back on the job quicker. Researchers in Canada found this was particularly true for older workers and those who have previously been off sick.
IWH news release and return to work programme • Ivan Steenstra and others. What works best for whom?: An exploratory, subgroup analysis in a randomized, controlled trial on the effectiveness of a workplace intervention in low back pain patients on return to work, Spine, volume 34, issue 12, pages 1243-1249, 2009 [abstract] • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: MPs back directors’ duties and big fines
Dangerous companies should face more prosecutions and tougher penalties, a top parliamentary committee has concluded. The latest report from the Work and Pensions Select Committee also calls on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to explain the dramatic drop off in prosecutions for safety offences, down by 40 per cent in four years, from 1,720 offences prosecuted in 2003/04 to 1,028 in 2007/08.
Work and Pensions Select Committee news release • Workplace health and safety: follow-up report, (HC 635-I), Work and Pensions Committee, 12 July 2009 • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Campaigners say government must act
Two reports in a week calling for action to rein in Britain’s deadliest bosses must be acted on urgently by government, unions and campaigners have said. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber welcomed this week’s Work and Pensions Committee report, which comes on the heels of the Donaghy report into construction fatalities, and called for prompt action by the government.
TUC news release • Hazards Campaign news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Unions back construction deaths report
Unless the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is provided additional resources, the recommendations of an official inquiry into construction fatalities will be “meaningless”, the inspectors’ union has warned. Prospect is calling on government to heed the findings of the Donaghy Inquiry.
Prospect news release • GMB news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Australia: Casual work upsets mental health
Men who work in full-time casual jobs report significantly lower levels of mental health than those who are permanently employed.
The Age • Project briefing • Does casual employment affect workers' self-rated health? The case of Australia, Guangyu Zhang and Sue Richardson, Flinders University, 2009 [abstract] • IMF precarious work campaign • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Lobbyist defends deadly construction practice
The “disgraceful and outrageous” comments on safety made by a construction industry leader have been condemned by the chair of a government committee and trade unions. UK Contractors Group director Stephen Ratcliffe dismissed an official inquiry’s call for a crackdown on illegal employment in construction, saying the industry could regulate itself.
UCATT news release • Morning Star • Construction News • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Builder guilty of teen’s work death
A builder has admitted the manslaughter of a 15-year-old boy who was crushed to death as he was left unsupervised to prop up a falling wall. Essex teenager Adam Gosling died from head injuries while working on a five-bedroom house in Hadley Wood, north London, in April 2007.
HSE news release • FACK news release • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Concrete contractor fined over Wembley death
Construction firm PC Harrington (PCH) has been given 12 months to pay a £150,000 fine for the death of a carpenter on the Wembley Stadium construction site. The concrete firm was handed down the fine and ordered to pay £25,203 in costs at the Old Bailey last week in relation to the 2004 death of employee Patrick O’Sullivan.
HSE news release • Contract Journal • Construction News • The Independent • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Australia: Union official faces jail threat
A West Australian construction union official says he is prepared to go to jail in his continuing safety campaign for union members. Joe McDonald, the assistant secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) was fined Aus$10,000 (£4,880) by a Perth magistrate for unlawfully entering three building sites two years ago.
ABC News • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: HSE says offshore challenges remain
The safety of the UK's offshore installations is improving but the “challenges are ongoing,” the Health and Safety Executive has said. The HSE progress report comes 18 months after a critical report that followed a major three-year investigation into safety on more than 100 offshore installations.
Offshore KP3 report - review of industry’s progress • BBC News Online • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Britain: Council fined over asbestos disturbance
Fife Council has been fined £10,000 after 12 flats had to be evacuated when contractors disturbed brown asbestos while replacing water tanks. Contractors moved the brown asbestos at a block of flats in Inverkeithing in November 2007.
HSE news release and asbestos ‘hidden killer’ campaign website • BBC News Online • Risks 415 • 18 July 2009
Hazards news, 11 July 2009
Britain: Hazards at work - sci fi or soap opera?
When it comes to getting your message across, working it into popular TV dramas has to be a campaigner’s holy grail. And the trade union magazine Hazards has done just that – twice since the start of June.
Hazards on the box. Workers’ Memorial Day posters from 2009 and 2006 and RSI poster.
Have you spotted union health and safety materials in unexpected or strange places? Send details and photographs to Hazards magazine • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Pilots want action on laser threat
Pilots are calling for government action to address the potential deadly risks from lasers pointed at planes. Pilots’ union BALPA says the number of incidents of laser beams being shone into aircraft cockpits and temporarily blinding pilots during take-off and landing has increased dramatically in recent years.
BALPA news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Global: 'Toxic pants' pesticides protest
Campaigners are calling on consumers to swap non-organic cotton pants for organic ones, in a bid to reduce pesticide use. Groups including the Pesticide Action Network, Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Pants to Poverty have a particular beef with endosulfan, a pesticide that's banned in the EU.
The Guardian environment blog. IUF on endosulfan. Coalition against Bayer Dangers. Pants to Poverty. Environmental Justice Foundation • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: London buses can’t handle the heat
Many London buses are so inadequately maintained drivers cannot turn off the heating during the summer resulting in temperatures on board of up to 45 degrees celsius, busworkers’ union UNITE has said.
UNITE news release • Personnel Today • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Welder forced to retire by injury
A welder has been forced to retire after he injured his back at work. RMT member Kevin Hartley, 63, needed surgery after sustaining the injury at Network Rail Infrastructure in Sheffield.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
France: Environment a “huge” cancer factor
Workplace and environmental exposures are a “huge” factor in the risks of developing cancer, an official French agency has said. Substances including tobacco, chemicals, asbestos and benzene in fuels are behind much of the rise in the incidence of cancers, according to the environmental and occupational health and safety agency Afsset.
ETUI-HESA news report and Afsset formaldehyde statement • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Firefighter gets payout after foundry fall
A firefighter who suffered extensive injuries when he fell down a 20ft pit while trying to put out a blaze has received £250,000 in compensation. The FBU member, whose name has not been released, received the compensation for injuries he sustained when he attended a fire at Sigmacast Iron Ltd in Cardiff in September 2004.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Report calls for ‘positive duty’ on directors
Directors must have a positive legal duty to ensure good health and safety management and gangmaster licensing should be extended to the construction industry, a hard-hitting inquiry into construction fatalities has concluded. The moves are among 28 recommendations made by Rita Donaghy, who chaired the government-convened inquiry, in her final report published this week.
One death is too many: inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatal accidents. Rita Donaghy's report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Cm 7657, 8 July 2009 [pdf]. TUC news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Government must act on deaths report
Campaigners and unions have said the government must act promptly to implement the recommendations of the Donaghy inquiry into construction industry fatalities. Hazards Campaign spokesperson Mick Holder said: “We now need a properly resourced Health and Safety Executive (HSE)... capable of making these good ideas workable ideas and for government to stop their obsession with pandering to irresponsible elements in business that believe operating safely is a ‘burden’.”
UCATT news webpage • Hazards Campaign news release • Construction News • The Guardian • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Moves to outlaw blacklisting by bosses
The government has launched a consultation on new regulations that will make it unlawful for trade union members to be denied employment through secret blacklists.
Ministers say they plan to seek parliamentary approval for the regulations in the autumn and to implement them as soon as possible after that.
BIS news release and consultation [pdf] • TUC news release • The Guardian • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Unions welcome blacklisting ban plan
Unions have welcomed a government decision to push ahead with a ban on blacklisting of trade union activists.
Unite news release • UNISON news release • Usdaw news release • UCATT news release • Construction News • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Scotland’s work prosecutors start work
Specialist prosecutors are now leading the investigation and prosecution of dangerous workplace incidents across Scotland, the solicitor general has said. The prosecutors will adopt an approach similar to the specialist units for investigating sexual offences and environmental crime.
Crown Office news release • BBC News Online • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Maltings firm fined after forks fall
A Berwick maltings firm has been fined £10,000 after an employee suffered serious injuries in a fall from the forks of a forklift truck. Simpsons Malt Limited was also ordered to pay £5,883.75 in costs after it pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation.
HSE news release • The Journal • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: £150k fine for driver’s death
A company has been fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £24,000 after one of its forklift truck drivers was crushed to death. MB Plastics Ltd pleaded guilty to an offence under health and safety legislation at Manchester Crown Court and
Birse Integrated Solutions Ltd, principal contractors for the project at the Davyhulme Waste Water Treatment Works where the incident happened on 18 September 2003, also pleaded guilty and was fined £50,000 as well as being ordered to pay costs of more than £41,000.
HSE news release • This is Cheshire • Building • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Meat plant pays £30,000 for fingers
A Scottish meat processing plant has been fined for criminal safety offences after a worker lost three fingers. The court heard that a year before the incident, Belcher Food products Ltd commissioned an electrical inspection of their premises which identified 866 faults with the electrics and wiring system, of which nearly 200 were rated as most urgent – neither these nor recommendations from the Health and Safety Executive were acted on by the firm.
HSE news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Balkans: International project to improve safety
A cooperative project between a global union federation and union organisations in the former Yugoslavia and Spain is aiming to improve metal workers’ safety in the Balkans. The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) last month implemented the second phase of its occupational health and safety project for affiliates in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
IMF news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Damning inquest on office worker death
An office manager was killed when a huge pane of glass weighing 1.8 tonnes fell on top of him. An inquest into the death of Alan Fletcher returned a narrative verdict, saying inadequate safety procedures, lack of training and failure to monitor company policy had played a part in the 59-year-old’s death.
Yorkshire Evening Post • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Environmental firm fined over fall
A West Midlands environmental services company has been fined £100,000 for a health and safety breach that led to a worker being seriously injured in a fall. Veolia Environmental Services Birmingham (VESB) was also ordered to pay £22,000 in costs when it appeared before Birmingham Crown Court.
HSE news release • IOSH news update • HSE falls webpages • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: Call for 'urgent' asbestos audit
A top safety body’s call for urgent action on asbestos in schools has been welcomed by teaching unions. Sixteen teachers die on average each year from asbestos-related disease and an urgent audit must be carried out, according to the British Safety Council.
BSC news release • NUT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Britain: HSE says advisers need accreditation
Health and safety advisers need accreditation to ensure they meet appropriate standards of professional competence, the chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said. Judith Hackitt told guests at an International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) reception that although HSE did not intend to run such a scheme, it did believe one was necessary.
HSE news release • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Europe: Warning on recession related death risk
The stress triggered by job losses could see suicides rise across Europe if governments fail to take preventive action, according to a new study. Researchers concluded that soaring stress brought on by job losses could prompt a 2.4 per cent rise in suicide rates in people under 64 years of age, a 2.7 per cent rise in heart attack deaths in men between 30 and 44 years, and a 2.4 per cent rise in homicides rates.
LSHTM news release. David Stuckler and others. The public health effect of economic crises and alternative policy responses in Europe: an empirical analysis, The Lancet, 8 July 2009 • Science Daily • The Guardian • Sky News • BBC News Online • Risks 414 • 11 July 2009
Hazards news, 4 July 2009
Britain: TUC calls for cool workplaces
The TUC has called on employers to relax office dress codes and cool down their overheating offices and their sweltering employees. The plea, as temperatures soared to in excess of 32 degrees celcius, included urging managers to allow staff to loosen their ties and leave their jackets at home.
TUC news release and Worksmart guide • The Telegraph • Personnel Today •
HSE forum on workplace temperature, London, 23 July. For further details or to book a place, contact Helen Rowlands by email or phone 0151 951 4517 • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Usdaw wants work temperature ceiling
Foodworkers’ union Usdaw is turning up the heat on Britain’s stifling workplace temperatures. The union is campaigning for a maximum temperature to be enshrined in law, to protect thousands of Usdaw members during the summer months.
Usdaw news release and hot work guide • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Restructuring is a risk to workers' health
Company restructuring can seriously harm workers’ health, research backed by public sector union UNISON has found. The union helped prepare a ‘Health in restructuring’ report supported by the European Commission. It is calling on organisations to put a UNISON five-point action plan into place, including risk assessments to investigate possible health impacts of organisational change.
UNISON news release • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Bonuses are safe with Network Rail
Rail union RMT has slammed Network Rail bosses for “putting bonuses before public safety.” The charge came after the union received a point blank refusal from the company to a request for the publication of risk assessments relating to the deferral of 28 per cent of their track renewals programme in the drive to slash nearly £3 billion from its budget.
RMT news release • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: McAlpine denies union blacklist claim
Sir Robert McAlpine, a top contributor to the coffers of an illegal blacklisting operation, is denying claims that it used a blacklist to refuse work to a former bricklayer. UCATT activist Mick Dooley launched a claim against McAlpine in the wake of the blacklisting scandal which engulfed the industry earlier this year.
Contract Journal • 4 July 2009
Britain: Dog laws need more teeth
Unions have welcomed a proposed law which would help protect workers from irresponsible animal owners. Public sector union UNISON and post union CWU welcomed Angela Smith MP’s Ten Minute Rule Bill aimed at amending the Dangerous Dogs Act.
CWU news release • UNISON news release • RSPCA news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • The Guardian • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Union treatment for broken bones
Breaking a bone at work is never a good experience, but at least union members end up with compensation. Radiographer Kathryn Knight, 23, who broke her ankle while working has received a £3,000 payout after suffering the injury at Bradford Royal Infirmary in May 2008; film extra Jeff Lipman, 48, received an undisclosed payout through his union BECTU after he suffered an elbow fracture working on The Flood, an apocalyptic drama about global warming.
Thompsons solicitors news releases on the SoR and BECTU cases • Telegraph and Argus • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Work stops you exercising
The health of two out of three adults could be at risk as a result of too little exercise, with many claiming they are too busy at work to stay fit, according to a union report. A study by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) found the most common reason for not taking regular exercise was work commitments.
CSP survey report and Move for health webpage • Daily Express • Western Mail • Nursing in Practice • Hazards magazine’s new work and health pages • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Business wants less time on safety compliance
A business lobby group thinks it is not worth spending 15 minutes a day of a single manager’s time on health and safety. The Forum of Private Business (FSB) ‘Referendum survey’ ranks health and safety second on its regulatory burdens list after “employment red tape” and wants the time small businesses spend “complying with regulations” to be slashed.
FSB news release and related safety news release • Who pays?, Hazards magazine, Number 106, 2009 • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: What does the ICL blast report really say?
A report of the independent inquiry into Glasgow’s deadly ICL plastics explosion has been handed to ministers of the UK and Scottish governments. However, campaigners have expressed concern that comments on the report’s findings from work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper and Scottish justice minister Kenny MacAskill were made this week while Lord Gill’s report remains under wraps.
DWP news release • FACK news release • ICL disaster campaign webpage • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Director fined over bus driver death
The former managing director of a Sussex bus firm has been fined £5,000 for health and safety failures that led to the death of one of his drivers. Roy Trundell, 62, died after he was crushed between two vehicles on 4 September 2006 at the depot he worked from in Eastbourne.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Eastbourne Herald • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Boss to face scrapyard death charges
A scrapyard general manager is to face a manslaughter charge over the death of an employee four years ago. Deeside Metal boss Robert Owen Roberts is to appear at Flintshire Magistrates Court in Mold on 25 August to face charges of manslaughter and a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 relating to the horrific fireball death of 37-year-old Mark Wright.
Flintshire Chronicle • FACK • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Lords widen work disability definition
More employees with disabilities will now receive protection from discrimination following a landmark ruling by the House of Lords involving a woman with a work-related health problem. The Lords found that people with a physical or mental condition which varied in its severity over time should still be termed disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act if it was likely their condition would become substantial again in the future.
EHRC news release, including background on the ruling • Personnel Today • HR magazine • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Body lead load linked to dementia
Older adults with higher amounts of lead in their bones exhibit greater memory impairment than adults with low lead levels, researchers have found. In a study of men and women aged 55 to 67 years, higher lead levels were associated with poorer performance on tasks used to assess memory deficits.
Environmental Health News • E van Wijngaarden, JR Campbell and DA Cory-Slechta. Bone lead levels are associated with measures of memory impairment in older adults. Neurotoxicology, published online 2009. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2009.05.007 • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Global: Urgent! Tell Sappi to stop safety victimisation!
Global union federation ICEM is renewing its call for support for 42 Sappi workers in South Africa, victimised after making a stand on safety and who now face renewed disciplinary action on 7 July. Among other measures, management at the paper and pulp multinational has suspended all 19 shop stewards at the paper mill.
ACT NOW! ICEM call • The global union federation is urging people and organisations to send letter of protest to Sappi managers John Rowland, Andre Oberholzer, Dinga Mncube and Dave Glazebook • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Britain: Changes to the HSE website
The Health and Safety Executive has redesigned its website. The changes include “rebranded” sections on musculoskeletal disorders, risk management and other issues.
HSE website and musculoskeletal disorders and risk management sections • A guide to health and safety regulation in Great Britain • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Australia: Bullying blamed for apprentice suicide
The suicide of a teenage apprentice, tormented while working for a state government contractor in New South Wales, Australia, has highlighted the problem of workplace bullying. Alec Meikle, 16, was an apprentice with rail contractor Downer Edi, where his workmates threatened to rape him and set him on fire.
Live News • More on work-related suicide • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Canada: Most mesothelioma cases unreported
Fewer than half of the Canadian workers diagnosed with the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma file claims for workers’ compensation for the condition, according to a study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
MW Cree, M Lalji, B Jiang and KC Carriere. Under-reporting of compensable mesothelioma in Alberta, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, volume 52, pages 526-533, 2009 [abstract]. Surviving Mesothelioma • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
France: Cameraman manslaughter leads to fines
French film director Luc Besson’s production company has been forced to pay £85,000 after a Paris appeals court found executives responsible for the death of a cameraman on the set of Taxi 2. Alain Dutartre, 41, died after he was struck by a car when a stunt went wrong in 1999.
Contact Music • Sky News • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
USA: Three asphyxiated in NY recycling plant
Three workers died in a liquid-filled hole at a privately operated New York waste transfer plant, apparently after being overcome by toxic hydrogen sulphide fumes. Police said a father and son were cleaning the well at the Regal Recycling Company when the son fell down a narrow shaft; the father grabbed a ladder and climbed down to rescue his son, followed by this co-worker – all three were found dead, face down in putrid water.
New York Times • Risks 412 • 4 July 2009
Hazards news, 27 June 2009
Britain: Don’t let them victimise safety rep Penny!
A trade union safety rep was fired in May - just for trying to keep her workplace safe. Penny Gower, an EIS activist was summarily dismissed by Carnegie College in Dunfermline after she undertook a workplace health and safety inspection, a core, legally protected, safety rep function.
Email messages of protest to Carnegie College management and copy to Penny’s EIS branch • Scottish Educational Journal, EIS, June 2009, page 12 [pdf] • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: TUC spells out how to get rehab right
Rehabilitation of sick or injured workers needs the right services available at the right time and an understanding of the particular job and needs of the affected worker, a new TUC guide says.
Rehabilitation: A short guide to the evidence, TUC, June 2009 • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
USA: Voluntary safety approaches failed - report
An investigation by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has confirmed what union and other workplace safety advocates have charged for years - the Bush administration’s reliance on voluntary policing by employers of their safety and health actions did not improve worker safety and let some dangerous employers escape scrutiny.
AFL-CIO Now • GAO report [pdf] • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
UCATT wins blacklist data battle
Construction workers who have been blacklisted will have more time to access their records following the direct intervention of construction union UCATT. In March the Information Commissioner revealed that over 40 major construction companies were using the services of the Consulting Association to blacklist workers, commonly because they had raised concerns about site health and safety.
UCATT news release • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Global: International link up wins rights deal
Unions in the UK and US have linked up to win an employment rights deal for workers in Bangladesh. Workers Uniting, a partnership between UK union Unite and North American union USW said it had achieved a “major victory” at the RL Denim factory in Bangladesh.
Unite news release • NLC statement • Workers Uniting • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Korea: Most teachers suffer from occupational illnesses
Two-thirds of Korean teachers have had or are currently suffering an occupational disease, a union survey has found. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) found 67.2 per cent of teachers said they have or have experienced occupational diseases, with the most common symptom was vocal nodules, experienced by over one-in-three teachers (34.4 per cent), and linked to occupational voice loss.
Education International news report • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Unions fight for asbestos victims
Unions continue to fight for justice for the victims of asbestos diseases and their families.
UNISON news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release on the Unite asbestosis and mesothelioma cases • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Payouts for asbestos related lung cancers
The most common work-related cancer is lung cancer – but cases are rarely compensated because doctors miss the work link or blame other possible causes like lung cancer. In fact, thousands – and possibly tens of thousands – of cases of lung cancer each year are part or entirely due to workplace exposures.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Field Fisher Waterhouse news release • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
France: Work pesticide use causes Parkinson's
A new study confirms the link between on-the-job pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease, and suggests that certain insecticides may be particularly risky. In the study, published online in the Annals of Neurology, French researchers found that among nearly 800 adults with and without Parkinson's, agricultural workers exposed to pesticides - including insecticides, weed killers and fungicides - were at greater risk of the disease, with the risk climbing in tandem with the amount of time a worker was exposed.
Alexis Elbaz and others. Professional exposure to pesticides and Parkinson's disease, Annal of Neurology, published online [abstract] • Fox News • ETUI-HESA news report • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Caution urged after big fall in fatalities
The TUC has welcomed provisional figures showing workplace fatalities at an all time low, but has warned against complacency and has called on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to maintain a focus on enforcing safety laws. Provisional data published by HSE show that 180 workers were killed between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 - a rate of 0.6 per 100,000 employees.
HSE news release and provisional fatalities figures 2008/09 • TUC news release • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Director in court on manslaughter charges
A company director appeared in court on 23 June facing charges under corporate manslaughter legislation after one of his employees was buried under tonnes of soil when a trench collapsed. Peter Eaton and his company, Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Ltd, are being jointly charged in the UK's first prosecution under the 2007 Corporate Manslaughter Act.
Stroud Life • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Crane hire firm fined over deaths
A crane hire company has been fined after two workers fell to their deaths when a crane collapsed; Gary Miles, 37, and Steven Boatman, 45, died in 2005 as the 118ft (36m) tower crane was being dismantled in Durrington, West Sussex. They were working for Eurolift (Tower Cranes) Ltd, which was taken over by WD Bennett Plant & Services Ltd in 2003.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Firm ignored HSE for eight years
An aerospace engineering company routinely ignored health and safety rules for eight years, despite having a series of warnings from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE finally saw Crest Engineering Company Ltd in court this month after finding safety guards missing or not in use on several milling machines, used to shape metal.
HSE news release • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Firm fined for migrant’s shredder horror
A firm that makes bedding for pets has been fined after a Polish worker was serious injured in a shredder. Snowflake Animal Bedding Ltd, which is based in Ashton-under-Lyne, was fined £13,300 and ordered to pay full costs of £8,655.16p at Boston Magistrates’ Court.
HSE news release and migrant workers and forklifts webpages • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Rail unions dismayed at fatal crashes snub
Rail unions have criticised a government decision not to hold a public inquiry into two fatal rail smashes. Instead, two “independent inquests” are to be held into rail accidents at Potters Bar in Hertfordshire and Grayrigg in Cumbria, the government said.
Ministerial statement • ASLEF news release • TSSA news release • BBC News Online • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Tender pressure puts safety at risk
Construction quality and safety standards are at risk as firms are being forced to cut costs to win competitive tenders, a leading industry body has warned. The findings come from a new survey of the sector published by the Scottish Building Federation (SBF), with the group warning that the cost pressure could lead to the possibility of “shoddy work” and “unscrupulous” behaviour by firms desperate to win work.
Construction News • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Europe: Social dialogue improves working conditions
Unions play a big role in making work better and safer, a European Foundation report has concluded. It says its research found social partners and social dialogue play a key role in helping to create better jobs and improve the quality of work and working conditions through influencing policy decisions, negotiating social pacts and collective agreements as well as through participating in particular programmes and policies.
European Foundation news release and draft report [pdf] • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Nuclear problems linked to HSE staffing
Britain’s nuclear safety watchdog does not have sufficient experienced staff to police the industry, its top official has admitted in a secret report. The report, obtained by the Observer, written by the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) chief nuclear inspector, Mike Weightman, discloses that between 2001 and 2008 there were 1,767 safety incidents across Britain's nuclear plants.
The Observer • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Wind firm blows thousands on dermatitis
A wind turbine firm has been fined £10,000 after workers developed occupational dermatitis. Thirteen workers at the Newport plant of blademaker Vestas Blades UK Ltd developed the condition caused by exposure to epoxy resins.
Isle of Wight County Press • SHP Online • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Britain: Employers must prepare for hotter summers
Employers must plan ahead and address the problems that will arise in UK workplaces as a result of climate change, the TUC has warned. Commenting on the government's UK Climate Projections data, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said “predictions of much hotter summers for the UK in years to come make it crucial that governments of the world strike a deal and prevent further damaging climate change when they meet in Copenhagen at the end of the year.”
Defra webpage on the UK climate change projections • TUC news release • 27 June 2009
USA: Warning to investors on nanotech risks
Nanotech firms are hiding potential long-term problems from investors who could face asbestos like liabilities from risks emerging over the coming decades. The warning comes in report from the Investor Environmental Health Network, a partnership of investment managers concerned about the financial and public health risks associated with corporate toxic chemicals policies.
Bridging the credibility gap: eight corporate liability accounting loopholes that regulators must close, Sanford Lewis IEHN report, June 2009 – full report [pdf] and related YouTube interview with Sanford Lewis • Cold Truth.com • Risks 412 • 27 June 2009
Hazards news, 20 June 2009
Global: Help South Africa's Sappi workers!
Sappi, the global pulp and paper giant, has suspended 19 shop stewards in South Africa who stood up for a worker who refused dangerous work. Their union CEPPWAWU and the global union federation ICEM are asking for your support in urging management at the Enstra mill to reinstate the workers and drop disciplinary proceedings.
ICEM briefing • Send an email letter of protest to Sappi CEO Ralph J Boëttger and copy it to ICEM • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Send girls to school not work
The TUC is calling on consumers to demand that international supply chains making sportswear and goods for the London 2012 Olympics bring an end to girls' child labour, and provide primary education for all children around the world. A TUC report also reveals that while less than half of all child workers are girls – totalling about 100 million - they are disproportionately represented in the worst forms of work.
TUC news release and report [pdf] • ITUC YouTube video report on child labour •
ILO news release and World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Spain: Government to punish 'barbaric bakery'
A Spanish bakery accused of barbaric behaviour towards an illegal worker will face “the full weight of the law,” the government has vowed. The statement came amid shock over the case of a Bolivian worker whose arm was cut off in an accident at work; the union CC.OO says he was dumped 100 metres from the hospital entrance and the severed limb was thrown in a rubbish bin.
BBC News Online • Think Spain • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Move to control site gangmasters
Unions are calling for legislation to regulate gangmasters operating in the UK construction industry. Labour MP Jim Sheridan’s 10 minute rule bill proposes extending the legislation to cover construction and is backed by unions in the sector.
Unite news release • UCATT news release • New Civil Engineer. Construction News • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Ireland: Road deaths linked to work vehicles
More than one in every three road deaths in Ireland involves a work vehicle, a conference has heard. Up to 100 people who die in road crashes each year are drivers of vehicles being used for work – and the contribution could be up to 5 per cent higher if deaths in off-road vehicles such as those used on construction sites are included.
Irish Times • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: HSE wrong on bogus employment deaths
Construction union UCATT has accused the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of failing to track accurately the deadly impact of bogus self-employment in the sector. It said the watchdog’s failure became apparent during an evidence session of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee last week.
UCATT news release • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: RMT warning on Tube maintenance cuts
Tube union RMT has warned of “potentially disastrous” safety risks over a new £60 million cut in maintenance on the London Underground. “These are real cuts that will hit track, signals, trains and stations maintenance as well as putting yet more tube staff jobs on the line,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.
BBC News Online • London Evening Standard • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Italy: Deaths reignite workplace safety anger
The deaths of two Italian workers this week after entering a water purification system has reignited anger over the country’s appalling workplace safety record. Cesare Damiano, work spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party, called for a “culture of safety involving prevention, rules and restrictions.”
Life in Italy • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Train drivers forced to pee in a bottle
Staff toilet facilities are so poor on some parts of the rail network, train drivers are forced to urinate in plastic bottles. Inability to go to the loo for long periods is linked to a range of chronic health problems.
ASLEF online article • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Paying the price of a vibration injury
A GMB member has received a £10,000 compensation payout after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work. Keith Rowley, 55, a fitter from Stourbridge, was has the debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), also known as vibration white finger.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Stourbridge News • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Global: Paid sick leave benefits business
Paid sick leave is not the burden claimed by business and does not lead to higher unemployment, a major international review has found. The study by US-based think tank the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) examined the connection between government-mandated paid sick days and the national rate of unemployment in 22 highly developed countries.
CEPR news release • Paid sick days don’t cause unemployment, CEPR [pdf]. AFL-CIO Now • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Union safety rep in honours list
A trade union safety rep has received an MBE for services to health and safety. Unite safety rep Terri Miller, a print finisher who works at De La Rue Security Print in Dunstable, received the honour for services to health and safety in the printing industry.
Unite news release • TUC news release • Print Week • Dunstable Today • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Council loses £1m sickness case
Cheltenham Borough Council has lost its High Court case against a former managing director after claiming she withheld a history of depressive illness. Mental health charity Mind said the ruling serves as an important reminder to employers about the importance of providing adequate support to people with mental health problems in the workplace.
Mind news release • BBC News Online • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain/USA: New concern at lax lead standards
The UK’s occupational exposure limits for lead are leaving workers at risk of serious chronic diseases. The US-based Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) wants a blood lead level of 10 micrograms per 100 millilitres (µg/100ml) or more in adults to be accepted as “elevated ” - the current UK action level for blood lead in male workers is 50 µg/100ml, with workers not suspended until the level hits 60 µg/100ml.
Earth Times • Sun Herald • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Global: Nanotubes can attack the immune system
Inhaling carbon nanotubes can suppress the immune system, according to new research. The findings raise possible health concerns for those working in the manufacture of the materials.
JD McDonald and others. Mechanisms for how inhaled multiwalled carbon nanotubes suppress systemic immune function in mice, Nature Nanotechnology. Published online: 14 Jue 2009. doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.151 [abstract] • The Guardian • Risk management of carbon nanotubes, HSE information sheet, March 2009 [pdf] • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Global: You may never know its nano
You may never know a product contains nanomaterials, because any mention is fast disappearing from product labels. Top experts addressing a meeting last week of consumer groups from the EU and US said some products containing nanoparticles do not mention this on their labels, while other firms are falsely claiming to have enhanced their products by using nanotechnology.
TACD conference presentations • Euractiv.com • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: No HSE prosecution after nuke near disaster
Questions have been raised about a decision by the Health and Safety Executive’s nuclear arm not to prosecute a nuclear power firm that narrowly and seemingly by chance averted a nuclear disaster. An official interim report suggested that lack of staff resources at the NII was a factor in the decision not to prosecute.
Lowestoft Journal. The Guardian. Where is the justice?, Hazards magazine, number 104, October-December 2008 • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Firm fined after engineer is electrocuted
A Hatfield firm has been fined £35,000 after 30-year-old Ricky Cronin was electrocuted. SF (UK) Ltd, the engineering arm of British Gas, was also ordered to pay £65,000 costs at St Albans Crown Court.
HSE news release and electricity at work and risk assessment webpages • Welwyn and Hatfield Times • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Britain: Stockline blast victim gets £250k payout
A survivor of the Stockline disaster has been awarded £250,000 damages. An explosion at the Glasgow plastics factory five years ago - which caused the building to collapse - killed nine people and left 30 injured; spray painter Gordon Bell, 48, was trapped under the rubble for 15 minutes before managing to claw his way free.
Scotsman • BBC News Online • Daily Record • ICL/Stockline campaign website • Risks 411 • 20 June 2009
Hazards news, 13 June 2009
Global: Hazards on Facebook
Hazards magazine, the workers’ health and safety journal, has now got a dedicated Facebook group. It took the plunge after a one-off, single issue Facebook group set up close to the 28 April Workers’ Memorial Day proved an unexpected hit, with hundreds quickly signing on from across the globe.
Hazards on Facebook • Hazards magazine • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Europe: Union victory on safer needles
A long running trade union campaign to introduce safer needles and prevent sharps injuries to health workers reached a successful conclusion this week, with the agreement of strict European Union-wide guidelines. The framework agreement signed this week between the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and HOSPEEM - the European hospital and healthcare employers' association - aims to prevent the incidence of injuries with contaminated sharps, protect the workers at risk and establish appropriate response and follow up policies in cases where injuries occur.
UNISON news release • EPSU news release • Nursing Times • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Global: Another dangerous year for trade unionists
Last year 76 trade unionists were murdered around the world because of their work defending workers' rights. The 2009 ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, published this week by the global union confederation, details abuses of workers' rights in 143 countries.
TUC news release • ITUC news release and full report, and regional reports for Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East • ITUC YouTube page • BBC News Online • Financial Times • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Afghanistan: Child labour risk ever present
A quarter of all 7- to 14-year-old children in Afghanistan are at risk of leaving school and drifting into exploitative work situations, according to a new report by a Kabul-based think-tank. The report by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), published in late May, called for interventions to stop children from entering work, better quality education and more employment opportunities for adults.
IRIN News • ILO news release and World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Chimney firm pays out to asbestos victim
A Unite member who is suffering from asbestos related cancer has received a “substantial” compensation payout. Graham Dancer, 63, from Barnstaple, was diagnosed in 2007 with the incurable cancer mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos while working from 1969 for Selkirk Flue Limited, now owned by Powrmatic.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • North Devon Gazette • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Concern at power station safety failings
A large steel beam was dropped by a crane near workers at Staythorpe power station – the second serious crane incident on the site in three weeks. In the 1 June “serious health and safety incident” a 5 tonne steel beam fell near workers.
GMB news release • Nottingham Evening Post • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Japan: Record numbers worked to death
Record numbers of Japanese workers were worked to death last year, according to official compensation figures. A total of 269 cases qualified for state compensation last year, one up on the preceding year and a record high for the third straight year.
Japan Today • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Campaigners blast 'damp squib' strategy
The Health and Safety Executive’s new five-year strategy has been described as a “damp squib” by campaigners. Hilda Palmer of the Hazards Campaign criticised the strategy, which urges employers to sign up to a voluntary safety “pledge”, for failing to call for either statutory directors’ duties or new rights for safety reps.
Hazards Campaign news release • FACK news release • Construction News • SHP Online • Building • HSE ‘Be part of the solution’ strategy and pledge • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Director fined over shaft death
A construction company and one of its directors have been fined after a Polish worker died in Dundee. Andrezej Freitag, 53, fell down an exhaust shaft at flats being built in the city in May 2008. Kinross-based Discovery Homes (Scotland) Ltd pleaded guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £5,000; company director Richard Pratt also pleaded guilty to breaching section 37(1) of the same Act and was fined £4,000 - only the second successful prosecution of a company director in Scotland in six years for a breach of health and safety legislation.
HSE news release • BBC News Online • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
China: Iron mine landslide 'buries dozens'
A landslide in south-western China last week buried dozens of people, according to state media reports. The victims were buried by the landslide, in an iron-ore mining area of the Chongqing region.
Xinhua news release • BBC News Online • Asia News • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: A dead rabbit gets swifter, better justice
Safety campaigners have reacted furiously after the death of a rabbit was treated more seriously by the courts than the death of a construction worker. Discovery Homes (Scotland) Ltd was fined £5,000 and the firm’s director Richard Pratt £4,000 on 8 June after the death of employee Andrezej Freitag; on the same day Steven Appleton was jailed for causing unnecessary suffering to a rabbit at Magistrates Court in Caerphilly after he stamped it to death, receiving a six month custodial sentence.
FACK news release and website • The death at work of Gordon Field, Sharon Norman’s father [pdf] • Contract Journal. BBC News Online • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Shame of site firm’s double conviction
Construction firm Bouygues UK has said the two safety convictions it received in court over the past week – including one for the death of a worker – were “deeply regrettable”.
HSE news releases on the 8 June 2009 and 3 June 2009 fines • Construction News • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Heat exhaustion killed silo worker
The parents of Scunthorpe worker Paul Sharp, who collapsed and died while working in a fat silo, have told of their heartache after their son’s death. Gainsborough-based Silocheck Limited was fined £30,000 at Swindon Crown Court last week after admitting breaching two counts of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.
HSE news release • Scunthorpe Telegraph • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Two in five teachers sick with stress
More than two out of five teachers (43.9 per cent) have suffered from stress related illnesses, a new poll has revealed. The Teachers TV survey, based on responses from 772 primary and secondary school teachers, found a quarter of the affected teachers said they have lived with anxiety (27.1 per cent), with others suffering from depression and insomnia.
Teachers TV news release • NASUWT news release • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Australia: Deadly grounds for a sit down protest
Prolonged sitting is killing Australian workers – both blue and white collar – and even 30 minutes' exercise a day may be insufficient protection from this growing occupational health and safety hazard. New Australian research shows hours of sedentary activity, like typing emails or sitting at a quality control station, are associated with higher cardio-metabolic health risks that are independent of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity.
Queensland Safety Conference news release • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Job problems drove school head to suicide
A headmaster hanged himself after discovering that the parents of a pupil were bringing a tribunal complaint about his school, an inquest has heard. Neil Sears, 52, who was found hanging from a heating pipe in the boiler room at Meadowgate School, in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on 20 January this year left a note on a fax machine, which read: “I just give up, sorry.”
The Telegraph • Wisbech Standard • Norfolk Eastern Daily Press • Peterborough Today • Hazards occupational suicide webpages • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Bullying probe after teacher dies
A member of staff has been suspended after bullying allegations were raised at an inquest into a teacher's death. Britt Pilton, 29, collapsed and died at High Greave Junior School in Rotherham in February, with a coroner concluding she Pilton died from the effects of bulimia which arose out of long-standing anxiety at the school.
BBC News Online • The Sun • Daily Mirror • Daily Mail • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Asbestos victims expose insurance ‘disgrace’
Asbestos victims, their families and workplace justice campaigners have taken their campaign for justice to a major insurance industry event. Protesters greeted industry representatives attending the Association of British Insurers (ABI) conference in London on 9 June, calling for a change to employers’ liability insurance rules to provide for an insurance fund of last resort, where the insurer holding an employer’s policy cannot be identified.
Unite news report • Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • Daily Mirror •Asbestos Forum • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Ballerinas face work hazards
Professional ballerinas, like highly driven young female athletes, face quadruple work-related health threats - disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, and early signs of cardiovascular disease.
Fox News • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Britain: Yvette Cooper is new work secretary
Yvette Cooper has been named by Gordon Brown as his new work and pensions secretary after James Purnell’s resignation last week. She will take the reins on issues such as welfare reform and the construction deaths inquiry and the introduction of a mandatory tower crane register; the Department of Work and Pensions also oversees the work of the Health and Safety Executive.
DWP news release • Construction News • Risks 410 • 13 June 2009
Hazards news, 6 June 2009
Britain: Union wins gun trauma payout
The driver of the tube train on which an innocent member of the public was shot dead by anti-terror police has received £1,000 compensation for trauma because he was chased down an underground tunnel by officers in the aftermath of the incident. ASLEF member Quincy Oji had to take time off work with post traumatic stress after being caught up in the tragedy at London’s Stockwell tube station in July 2005.
ASLEF news release • The Guardian • BBC News Online • The Telegraph • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
USA: They want more than blood
American Red Cross blood transfusion centres have been picketed across the US in response to plans to boost profits by jeopardising the safety of the blood supply and mistreating workers. The union-backed protesters are concerned that blood safety will suffer because the Red Cross national office is insisting that workers take pay cuts and that qualified nurses be replaced with unlicensed supervisors.
Union gal blog • AFL-CIO Now blog • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: GMB warning on airport fumes
Passengers and staff are being exposed to high levels of potentially toxic aircraft fumes at a London airport, the union GMB has said. GMB says London City Airport’s extremely unusual parking system causes jet engine exhaust to be propelled straight towards the arrivals lounge in the airport building.
GMB news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Asbestos danger message driven home
Residents and maintenance workers are at risk from asbestos because of “huge deficiencies” in the rules covering the management of asbestos in people’s homes. UCATT general secretary Alan Ritchie commented: “The report demonstrates that new regulations are urgently needed in order to ensure that construction workers undertaking maintenance and refurbishment work are properly protected.”
UCATT news release • IDS news release • Morning Star • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
South Africa: Health workers face TB risk
Health care workers in South Africa may be at much higher risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) than the general public, according to new research. A study of 3,639 patients referred between 2003 and 2007 to KwaZulu-Natal province’s King George V Hospital specialist treatment centre confirmed that poor TB infection control measures in many of South Africa's health facilities are putting health care workers at risk.
IRIN news • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Unite anger at compensation law delay
The union Unite has reacted angrily after a Scottish law intended to create a fairer compensation system for victims of accidents and diseases was blocked this week by SNP, Conservative and Liberal Democrat members of the Scottish Parliamentary Justice Committee.
Unite news release • Proposed Damages (Scotland) Bill [pdf] • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Food workers welcome gangmaster action
A crackdown on abusive gangmasters has been welcomed by a food union. GMB was commenting after two gangmasters has their licences revoked.
GMB Universal Services Ltd news release and GMB Saphire news release • GLA news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Six digit payout for wrecked hand
A GMB member who lost four fingers after his hand was mangled at work and who later had to have his thumb amputated has received a six-figure sum in compensation. His employer was also fined £50,000 for criminal safety breaches related to the incident. The 49-year-old worker, from Farnworth near Bolton was working as a waste disposal operative for Greater Manchester Waste Limited when his left hand was crushed in a machine in December 2005.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Employer ignored workers’ concerns
Unsafe employers continue to pay compensation rather than remedy safety problems. Unite member Gerard Healey, 59, received a “substantial” sum in compensation after his former employer Mayr-Melnhof Packaging Limited failed to listen to employees’ health and safety concerns.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Firm pays twice for firing injured worker
A major events organiser fired a worker after he broke his foot at work – but ended paying for both his unfair dismissal and his injury. BECTU member Tony Pike was dismissed from his job as a production manager for Dream Events Limited after he suffered a stress fracture in his foot.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Europe: Backdoor attempt to undo regulation
Health and safety legislation across the European Union is being threatened by an unaccountable “high level group” created by the European Commission with a deregulation brief. The ETUC’s health and safety research arm, HESA, says the Stoiber group is “taking positions that far exceed its remit limited to administrative burdens”, and instead is trying to attack legislation and its application, including REACH, drivers’ hours rules and working time regulations.
Community bureaucracy and “better regulation”… pot – kettle?, special report on better legislation, HESA newsletter, number 39, 2009 and [pdf] • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Work’s a lot worse than you think
Workers massively under-estimate the risk of suffering a serious workplace injury, new research has found. Survey results released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to coincide with the launch of its new strategy reveal almost half of Britain’s workers know someone who has been injured at work but, on average, employees think that just 3,000 people were killed or seriously injured at work last year – 45 times lower than the number reported each year to HSE.
HSE news release and Be Part of the Solution strategy and pledge • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Official safety guides to lose price tag
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is making millions of pounds worth of its priced publications available free online. The move, pressed for by the TUC and unions, was announced this week at the launch of the new HSE Be Part of the Solution strategy.
TUC news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Survivor stress hits the workplace
British workers are experiencing panic attacks and insomnia because of stress associated with the economic downturn, a survey has suggested. Norwich Union Healthcare polled 200 GPs, 200 business leaders and 1,000 employees for its Health of the Workplace survey and found half the workers admitted to being stressed, while one in five reported suffering depression.
BBC News Online • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Global: Stop exploitation of shipbreaking workers
International union bodies are calling for a new independent authority to govern shipbreaking. In a joint submission to the European Commission, the International and European Metalworkers' Federations have called for the establishment of a new independent authority to regulate one of the world's most dangerous industries.
IMF news release • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: TUC’s cautious note on fit notes
The TUC has sounded a note of caution about government proposals announced last week concerning the reform of the sick note. Workplace health campaigners have raised concerns about the ability of GPs to make judgments about what work a patient may be able to undertake when the medics have no knowledge of a workplace or a job and little training in occupational health.
DWP news release • TUC news release • EEF news release • Personnel Today • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Global: Pleural plaques linked to lung cancer
One in eight patients with lung cancer also had pleural plaques, a study has found. The Japanese study comes at a time the insurance industry is challenging moves to compensate pleural plaques in Scotland and across Britain.
The Yomiuri Shimbun • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Firm fined £280,000 for fatal breaches
A shipping firm was fined £280,000 last week for safety breaches which a judge said probably contributed to the deaths of three workers. Finlay MacFadyen, 48, died on board the Viking Islay in September 2007 as he tried to save two colleagues from an oxygen-starved compartment.
Nautilus news release • Press and Journal • BBC News Online • Yorkshire Post • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Shell fined record sum over fire safety
Shell International was fined £300,000 this week over deficiencies in fire safety at the Shell Centre in central London, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. The company was also ordered to pay £45,000 in costs after it pleaded guilty at Inner London crown court to three breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO).
London Fire Brigade news release • The Guardian • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Britain: Injury fine for serial offender
A West Midlands flooring firm has been prosecuted and fined for a third time for failing to guard moving machinery parts. The latest court appearance for The Amtico Company Ltd came after employee Ian Burridge’s hand was crushed between heated high-speed rollers in September 2007.
HSE news release and 'Using work equipment safely' guidance [pdf] • Coventry Telegraph • Risks 409 • 6 June 2009
Hazards news, 30 May 2009
Britain: Fire crews warn of staff cut dangers
Firefighters and the public will be put at risk if plans to cut the number of firefighters go ahead, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned.
FBU news releases on the North Yorkshire, Essex and Greater Manchester plans • Personnel Today • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
USA/Iraq: KBR gets bonuses for deadly work
The US Department of Defense paid former Halliburton subsidiary KBR more than $80 million (£50m) in bonuses for contracts to install electrical wiring in Iraq. The award payments were for work that resulted in the electrocution deaths of US soldiers, according to Department of Defense documents revealed last week in a US Senate hearing.
The Nation • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Firm failed to listen to union
London Underground has paid “substantial” compensation to a Tube driver after it ignored union complaints about dirty, hazardous train carriages. Derek Walters, 45, is facing surgery on his hand after his finger was slit open by a piece of broken glass left in a train cab.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Skanska promises to stop blacklisting
Site union UCATT has won a commitment from construction multinational Skanska that no form of blacklisting will be tolerated on their sites and that an investigation will be launched into their past conduct.
UCATT news release • The Observer • Contract Journal • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Global: Urgent action call on swine flu
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is calling for government action to reduce the risk at work from “swine flu”.
ITUC news release • PSI health blog • US union guidance on ‘pandemic flu’ • TUC guide • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: ‘Gutless’ blacklister sent to the Crown Court
Construction union UCATT has “warmly welcomed” the decision to refer blacklister Ian Kerr to the Crown Court for sentencing. The private investigator, who did not attend this week’s hearing at Macclesfield Magistrates Court, pleaded guilty to running an unlawful blacklisting service on building workers.
UCATT news release • ICO news release [pdf] • The Guardian • Contract Journal • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Digger death company closed down
A haulage firm responsible for an incident that led to a woman's death has been put out of business by the Traffic Commissioner. A public inquiry in March heard 28 prohibitions had been issued against Munro & Sons (Highland) Ltd for safety breaches since 2005.
BBC News Online • Scotsman • Press and Journal • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: £10k fine for untrained worker injury
Havering Council has been told to pay almost £20,000 in fines and costs after an untrained temporary worker was injured when he severed a main power cable. The StreetCare employee struck the 11,000 volt cable while using a hydraulic breaker.
HSE news release • Romford Recorder • Contract Journal • Construction News • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Canada: Iron ore workers map out ill-health
Former workers of a Canadian iron ore plant have got together to investigate how their jobs have damaged their health. A union-organised occupational disease clinic this month targeted former employees of the Inco Ltd sintering plant, their widows or other survivors.
The Sault Star • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Polish worker electrocuted on farm
A fruit farmer has been fined less than £10,000 after a Polish berry picker was killed by an 11,000 volt shock from an overhead cable. Farmer Peter Thomson had been warned about the danger just two weeks before the tragedy, but took no action.
HSE news release and electricity webpages • BBC News Online • Daily Record • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Polish workers 'exploited' by gangmaster
A gangmaster has been stripped of his licence after a seven week investigation identified a catalogue of safety and employment abuses. Jagjit Singh, who ran Saphire Trading in Southampton, is said to have created an “atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the workplace.”
GLA news release • BBC News Online • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Rehab industry issues voluntary code
A voluntariy guidelines have been produced with the aim of cleaning up the private rehabilitation industry. TUC said proper regulation of the industry would be more effective than voluntary guidelines.
UK Rehabilitation Council standards • BBC News Online • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Knitting workers win noise appeal
Noisy knitwear factories could face a big compensation bill after the Court of Appeal ruled they should have been taking measures to protect workers’ hearing for over 30 years. Up to 700 workers employed in the knitting industry are seeking damages for what they say is work-induced deafness.
Nottingham Evening Post • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Australia: Union wins drug test concessions
An Australian construction union has negotiated major concessions on a random drug testing policy introduced by oil giant Shell. CFMEU described the deal, which prohibits urine tests, as a “significant decision in protecting employees’ privacy and improving drug and alcohol testing standards throughout the workforce.”
CFMEU news release • Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Sellafield workers exposed to radiation
Nuclear company Sellafield Limited is to be prosecuted for alleged breaches of health and safety law after two site workers were exposed to airborne radioactive contamination. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said two employees of a site contractor had been exposed to the radiation during the decontamination of an area of concrete floor in July 2007.
HSE news release • Construction News • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Paint spraying job killed man
A car paint sprayer died of pneumonia after long-term exposure to paint fumes, an inquest has ruled. Car paint sprayers are exposed to chemicals including diisocyanates, a potent cause of COAD, the condition that killed David Mathis, aged 66.
Hastings Observer • A job to die for, Hazards magazine, 2005 • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Untrained worker trapped by dumper
Employers are being warned to make sure staff are properly trained to use heavy workplace vehicles, after an Ascot company was prosecuted for a criminal safety breach. Ascot-based Shorts Group Ltd was fined at Maidenhead Magistrates Court following the incident on 21 May 2008 when a demolition labourer was injured.
HSE news release and HSE Construction Information Sheet 52 - Safe use of site dumpers [pdf] • Maidenhead Advertiser • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Britain: Firm fined for forklift folly
A chance sighting of unsafe work practices has landed a Macclesfield company with a £6,000 fine. Eazyfone Ltd was also ordered at Macclesfield Magistrates' Court to pay £2,285 costs after pleading guilty to a criminal breach of safety law.
HSE news release and Shattered lives campaign • Risks 408 • 30 May 2009
Hazards news, 23 May 2009
Global: Get your Hazards now!
The latest edition of the multiple-award winning workers’ health and safety journal Hazards is available now. Hazards was the only magazine and the only UK entry to feature this year in a US list of the world’s top 50 most influential contributors on occupational health and safety.
Hazards magazine. For further information, contact Hazards, tel: 0114 201 4265 • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Don’t let them turn a crisis into a tragedy
As company bosses flap in the face of the current economic uncertainty, health and safety might not be at the forefront of their minds. And that’s why the union Prospect is handing its union reps new guidance on how to navigate safely through “organisational change”.
Prospect news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Postal workers refuse offensive mail
Postal workers can refuse to deliver “offensive” mail on health and safety grounds, their union has confirmed. The CWU’s national agreement with Royal Mail notes a refusal to deliver will be acceptable “where an individual believes that delivery of a particular item may incur personal risk.”
CWU news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Global: World Bank says avoid asbestos
The World Bank, which finances massive building projects across the globe, has said asbestos-containing materials (ACM) “should be avoided in new construction, including construction for disaster relief. In reconstruction, demolition, and removal of damaged infrastructure, asbestos hazards should be identified and a risk management plan adopted that includes disposal techniques and end-of-life sites.”
BWI news report • World Bank asbestos good practice guide [pdf] • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Teaching assistants face routine violence
Half of all teaching assistants experienced violence or abuse at work in the last year, a survey by public sector union UNISON has found. In the light of the “shock” findings, the union is calling for better training to help teaching assistants cope with attacks at work, with clearer guidance and more comprehensive risk assessments.
UNISON news release • Personnel Today • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Underground action on safety
Victoria Line Tube drivers took a second day of action in a dispute over a failure to install door safety equipment and what their union RMT described as the ongoing bullying, harassment and victimisation of staff. The union hit out at London Underground (LU) and Transport for London (TfL) bosses who have said that the strike is “nothing to do with safety.”
RMT news release and earlier related RMT news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Australia: Go-ahead for national safety law
Australia is to move to a national system of workplace safety laws after state and territory governments agreed to harmonise their laws in a move designed to reduce business red tape. Unions have criticised the changes, with Jeff Lawrence, secretary of the national union federation ACTU, saying they would “significantly undermine protections” for many workers.
The Age • Sydney Morning Herald • The Australian • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Europe: Victory on working hours for drivers
Europe’s transport unions have won support for safe driving hours. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) applauded the European Parliament’s decision to reject a proposal on a revised working time directive for road transport.
ITF news report • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: London cabbies protest at toilet rip-off
London taxi drivers picketed Westminster City Council for an hour on Wednesday 20 May over “rip-off” parking charges which are forcing them to spend up to £3 just to use the toilet.
RMT news release • Hazards toilet breaks webpages • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Six figure payout for serious leg injury
A warehouse operative has been awarded a £359,717.62 payout for a workplace leg injury which may eventually result in amputation. Unite member Michael Crane, 62, received this interim compensation award from Lenham Storage one week ahead of scheduled High Court hearing.
Pattinson and Brewer news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Australia: Dire prognosis for health check scheme
A state-wide system of health checks in Victoria, Australia, has been found to be in a very bad way. The state-government funded WorkHealth programme had been opposed by unions because the initial design omitted any consideration of health problems caused or exacerbated by work itself - and now employers’ groups have abandoned the scheme, which could end up a fraction of its intended size.
The Age • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Family lost dad to asbestos cancer
The family of a former Unite member who died of an asbestos-related disease has received “substantial” damages. John Squirrell received the compensation on behalf of his dad, widower Noel Squirrell, who died from the cancer mesothelioma in September 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Shiftworkers get second class treatment
Shiftworkers in the UK are facing serious health risks but are getting second class safety because the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) clocks off outside normal office hours, according to a new report. Report author Professor Andrew Watterson calls for more HSE resources to be targeted at workers on atypical hours, rigorous enforcement of working time law, an end to the UK opt-out from the working time directive’s 48-hour working week ceiling, and for the UK government to follow the Danish government’s lead and compensate workers with breast cancer caused by long-term night work.
Stirling University news release. While you were sleeping, Hazards magazine, Number 106, 2009 and related working hours webpages • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Drug tests used to jettison staff
Employers are increasingly using drug testing to get rid of staff without having to make redundancy payouts, a drugs and human rights charity has said. Release has reported a four-fold increase in calls to its drugs team about problems with workplace testing in the first three months of 2009 compared with the same period last year.
The Guardian • Hazards drugs webpages • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Action call on construction gangmasters
Migrant worker abuse in the construction industry must be tackled within two years or the gangmaster law should be extended to cover the sector, a government select committee has recommended. The recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee has been welcomed by unions, but they say action should not be delayed.
The Trade in Human Beings: Human Trafficking in the UK, Home Affairs Committee - Sixth Report • UCATT news release. Unite news release • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: PM urged to act on asbestos deaths
A petition with over 24,000 signatures has been handed into 10 Downing Street calling on the government to fund a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD). Campaigners are fighting for a virtual centre to help fund research into asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Shields Gazette • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Insurers face asbestos protest
The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK is to hold a demonstration at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) general meeting on Tuesday 9 June 2009 at the Grange St Paul's Hotel, 10 Godliman Street, London. It will call for an Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB), paid for through insurance premiums.
Asbestos Forum • 23 May 2009
Britain: Cricketers get skin cancer tests
Members of the Professional Cricketers’ Association are to receive regular screening for skin cancer. PCA, which represents the interests of players, organised the programme after one in seven county players were referred to specialists when potential melanomas were found during check-ups.
BBC News Online • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Global: Green jobs aren’t necessarily safe jobs
While politicians worldwide are all waxing lyrical about the wonders of green jobs, few are actually giving any attention to the workers who will end up doing them. Recycling, for example, is one of the UK’s mostly deadly industries. And this includes high tech industries - computer and TV recycling exposes workers to lead and dozens of other toxins. Luckily, workplace safety experts in the US are pressing to make sure green jobs are also safety jobs.
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition ‘Green jobs platform’ • Labor Occupational Health Program Health and safety and green jobs guide. NYCOSH ‘Are green jobs safe jobs’ presentation and ‘Green buildings, green jobs’ presentation • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Fine after worker loses leg
Agricultural contractor Pete Mellor Ltd has been fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,564 after a worker’s leg had to be amputated as a result of being crushed by a falling weight.
HSE news release • Burton Mail • Derby Evening Telegraph • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Britain: Who’d have thought rotating blades were dangerous?
A metal recycling firm has been fined after an employee working on a machine with inadequately guarded rotating blades suffered a severe hand injury. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted JBM International Ltd for its failure to make a suitable risk assessment of the dangers posed by the rotary valves of the dust extraction unit.
HSE news release and risk assessment webpages • Risks 407 • 23 May 2009
Hazards news, 16 May 2009
USA: WR Grace escapes justice on asbestos crimes
A federal jury in Montana has acquitted chemical giant WR Grace and Company and three of its former executives of knowingly exposing mine workers and residents of Libby, Montana, to asbestos and then covering up their actions. The verdict has was greeted with disappointment in Libby, where residents had already seen to their increasing dismay a hostile judge repeatedly attack prosecutors and rule inadmissible key evidence of WR Grace’s culpability.
Andrew Schneider Investigates • Democracy Now! • The Pump Handle • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Move to stop blacklisting of union reps
The government intends to introduce new regulations to prevent union members being denied employment by secret blacklists, business secretary Peter Mandelson has said.
BERR news release • Personnel Today • BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: UCATT welcomes blacklisting action
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the government’s commitment to outlaw blacklisting but says it is disappointed that the process will be delayed as a result of a fresh consultation exercise. The Information Commissioner announced in March that over 40 major construction companies were paying a company called the Consulting Association to routinely blacklist workers.
UCATT news release • Construction News • Morning Star • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Norway: Rail workers win violence protection
Railway workers in Norway have won improved protection against violence at work, following their unions’ lobbying efforts. Workers represented by Norsk Jernbaneforbund and Norsk Lokomotivmannsforbund won an amendment to existing criminal law after the union engaged the government in talks to improve the plight of railway workers who were experiencing increasing violence, particularly at night.
ITF news report • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Victimised union activist seeks justice
Construction giant Sir Robert McAlpine is facing a compensation claim from a blacklisted bricklayer who believes he was turned down for work by the company. UCATT activist Mick Dooley has lodged his claim with the Employment Tribunal.
Contract Journal • People Management • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Call to tackle asbestos in schools
Teaching unions have renewed their call on the government to remove asbestos from schools when they are refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future programme. The call came in private meeting with Gordon Brown this week.
The Guardian • Western Mail • Asbestos in Schools website • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Global: Campaign pushes for good work
Unions, businesses, academics and development organisations have launched a new group aimed at improving the employment conditions of workers around the globe. At the event at TUC’s London HQ this week, TUC deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady said while the global slowdown was causing much pain and misery amongst UK workers who have lost their jobs, the impact on workers in poorer countries was devastating.
TUC news release and Frances O’Grady’s speech • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Death case may affect site fatalities probe
The chair of the government convened inquiry into construction industry fatalities has indicated the prosecution last week of a construction giant could influence her findings, a trade journal has reported. Rita Donaghy was present at last week’s Old Bailey judgment against Laing O’Rourke, when the firm was fined £135,000 and told it should be “thoroughly ashamed” over a workplace fatality.
HSE news release • Laing O’Rourke annual review [pdf] • Construction News• Building • Dartford Times • FACK • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
China: Bosses cover up mine deaths
Seven people died of gas poisoning in a central China coal mine earlier this month, but the management attempted to conceal most of the deaths. A local government investigation found that five bodies had been removed to other places and one who died in a hospital went unreported, reported the city government of Dengfeng, where the incident took place.
Xinhua China Daily • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Families remember ICL blast victims
Families who lost loved ones in a Glasgow factory disaster gathered this week for an emotional church service to mark the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. Nine people died and 33 others were injured, many of them pulled from the rubble, in the 11 May 2004 blast at the ICL/Stockline Plastics factory in Maryhill.
Patricia Ferguson MSP and Ann McKechin MP joint statement • Evening Times • ICL/Stockline campaign website • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Two suffocated on fish farm barge
Two men have died after suffocating in a fish farm barge. Maarten Pieter Den Heijer, 30, and 45-year-old Robert MacDonald died on Loch Creran, a sea loch north of Oban, on 11 May; a third man, aged 42, survived after being airlifted to hospital.
Strathclyde Police news release • BBC News Online and earlier report • The Herald • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Australia: Unions push for tougher laws
Tougher national health and safety laws are needed urgently to tackle the terrible toll of death, disease and injury facing Australian workers, unions have warned. Families of victims of workplace tragedies and unions this week launched a hard-hitting new advertising campaign that aims to lift health and safety standards and improve legislative protections for workers.
ACTU news release, action campaign and factsheet [pdf] • VTHC news release • ABC News • The Australian • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: New rights plan for agency workers
Agency workers are set to get the same pay and conditions as permanent staff, the government has said. Launching a consultation on the changes, the government said the new rights would build on last year's agreement between TUC and Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
BERR news release • TUC news release • Unite news release • UCATT news release • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Scots transport workers welcome safety bill
A draft law intended to reduce violence to transport workers in Scotland has been welcomed by unions. Transport unions had demanded for transport workers equal protection in law as a nurse, doctor or any emergency service worker, but up to now have been unable to convince the Scottish government to act.
ASLEF news release and draft bill [pdf] • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Global: Overworked to death making Makro jeans
Low-priced jeans sold by cash and-carry giant Makro are being produced in horrific conditions in a sweatshop factory in Bangladesh. Workers toil up to 14 hours a day seven days a week for wages as low as 8p an hour, a report from the US National Labor Committee has found.
NLC report and 9 May 2009 letter to Metro • The People • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: HSE action on one in five sites
One in five construction sites failed health and safety checks during the latest national inspection blitz carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE took enforcement action on 348 of the 1,759 sites visited - the equivalent of almost 20 per cent of all sites visited - and inspectors issued nearly 500 enforcement notices.
Contract Journal • Construction News • New Civil Engineer • Building • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Worker paralysed in site fall
A Surrey construction firm has been fined £15,000 after a worker was paralysed in a fall of over three metres. Fine Construction UK Ltd was prosecuted at City of London Magistrates Court.
HSE news release and Shattered lives campaign • Construction News • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Tesco fined £20,000 for worker's injury
Tesco has been fined £20,000 after a 17-year-old worker severed her Achilles tendon at a Cambridgeshire store. South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) prosecuted Tesco Stores plc for a safety breach after employee Rachel Harris severed her Achilles tendon at the Fulbourn Tesco store in June 2007.
SCDC news release • Cambridge News • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Britain: Company fined for crush death
A paper firm has been ordered to payout £125,000 in fines and costs after a worker was crushed to death. Avery Dennison Materials UK Ltd was sentenced last week at Aylesbury Crown Court.
HSE news release • Risks 406 • 16 May 2009
Hazards news, 9 May 2009
South Africa: Mine deaths continue to rise
The number of miners killed in South African mines is rising again, a union has warned. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says that the official death count is over 60 so far this year.
ICEM news report • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: TUC turns up the heat on temperature
The TUC has called for the introduction of a new upper limit on workplace temperature. It says with our summers predicted to get gradually hotter and drier over the coming years, UK factories and offices will become increasingly uncomfortable and potentially hazardous places to work.
TUC news release • The case for a legally enforceable maximum temperature [pdf] • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Global: Unions crucial to swine flu control
The current swine flu scare has one largely ignored group of victims – those workers in the pig industry who face both health risks and job loss. However well-informed, unionised workers in the sector are crucial to swine flu control, global farmworkers’ union federation IUF has said.
IUF news release • WHO/FAO/OIE/WTO statement and swine flu webpages • TUC flu guide • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Metro workers in safety protest
Rail workers from the North East have shunted to parliament their campaign for a properly staffed and resourced ‘People’s Railway’. Workers from Tyne and Wear Metro were joined by RMT colleagues from around the country in the lobby of parliament on 5 May.
RMT news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Global: New ‘greenwashing’ award
A new award, aimed at businesses making false green claims, was launched this week, ahead of the World Business Summit on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, later this month. Members of the public are invited to vote for the company making the most outrageous claims to be green when nominations for the Climate Greenwash Awards are revealed on Monday 11 May.
Climate Greenwash Awards 2009 • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Lock keepers stand up for safe staffing
GMB members employed as lock and weir keepers by the Environment Agency (EA) on the River Thames are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute about the standby and call out system to deal with flooding on the river. GMB senior organiser Ted Purcell said the ballot was intended to keep the waterways disaster free.
GMB news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Worker gets vibration payout
A GMB member has received a “substantial” out of court settlement after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work. Alexander Simpson, 60, from Workington in Cumbria was left with debilitating Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) - also known as vibration white finger - after using vibrating at West Cumberland Engineering.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Ankle break costs worker his leg
A labourer who had to have a leg amputated after breaking his ankle in a three metre fall at work has received a six-figure sum in compensation. Unite member William Edge, 64, needed eight ‘agonising’ operations after the fall.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Plymouth Herald • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Review condemns ‘woeful’ enforcement
A review of workplace health and safety enforcement has criticised a continuing pattern of “woeful” sentencing which is failing to discourage safety offenders. Howard Fidderman, author of ‘Deterrent, what deterrent?’, said HSE has “already gone soft”, adding: “The statistics do not lie: it is inspecting fewer premises, investigating fewer accidents, serving fewer enforcement notices, taking fewer prosecutions and securing grossly inadequate penalties.”
Howard Fidderman. Deterrent, what deterrent?, Health and Safety Bulletin, number 377, pages 5-18, 2009 • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Why was no-one held responsible?
A sister has criticised enforcement authorities for failing to bring anyone to justice after the death of her brother on a construction site. Anthony Lockey died on 20 June 2007 when a reversing dumper truck filled with cement fell into the trench where he was working.
Guardian • HSE statement • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Australia: Muscle soreness is linked to workload
Back and neck soreness in office workers is more likely to be caused by high workloads and tight deadlines than by posture or other physical factors, a new study has found. Unmanageable workloads and unrealistic deadlines were amongst the stronger predictors of reported neck and back pain, said Karin Griffiths, a member of the research team.
CPSU news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: HSE warning on deadly balers
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned farmers of the dangers of working with baling machinery following inquests on two Staffordshire farmers who died while carrying out contract work.
HSE news release • The Sentinel • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Australia: Night nurses warn of health fears
For the first time, the life-threatening physical and psychological effects of shift work are being used to push for bigger pay packets for nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia. The NSW Nurses Association launched its claim in the Industrial Relations Commission this week, calling in experts to cite studies linking shift work with higher rates of breast cancer, heart disease, miscarriage, clinical depression and divorce.
NSWNA news release • Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: HSE issues fragile roof warning
A construction company has been fined £6,600 after a self-employed worker was lucky to survive a fall through a fragile roof during replacement of leaking roof lights. Keen Construction Ltd was also ordered to pay costs of £3,625.
HSE news release and falls webpages • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Factory fined over two finger loss
Oldham firm Ribble Packaging Ltd has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,769.50 after an employee of the corrugated cardboard factory lost the tops of two fingers.
HSE news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: ‘Green’ lightbulbs poison workers
Workers in China could pay a high price for the production of “green” lightbulbs in cost-cutting factories. Large numbers of Chinese workers have been poisoned by mercury, which forms part of the compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Sunday Times • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Global: Support for embattled journalists
Zimbabwe’s embattled journalists are being provided life-saving safety advice. Journalists work under constant threat in the country. The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has in the last month provided free safety training to 80 Zimbabwean journalists.
INSI news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: NHS staff to get personal security alarms
Thousands of lone NHS workers are being issued personal security alarms, health secretary Alan Johnson has announced. The lone worker alarm system is designed for nurses and other healthcare staff who work in isolation from colleagues and may need to call for assistance when their personal security is threatened.
DH news release • Personnel Today • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Sixth cancer death linked to university
A sixth person who worked in a Manchester University building used by Lord Rutherford, and contaminated by radiation and mercury, has died. Professor Tom Whiston, 70, a psychology lecturer, is the third to die from pancreatic cancer.
Manchester Evening News • BBC News Online • Global Unions cancer prevention campaign • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Britain: Vehicle checks reveal loads problems
More than threequarters of vehicles stopped during safety checks in England and Wales were not loaded safely, putting motorists and loading staff at risk. Officials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) stopped 40 vehicles during three days of checks in Wrexham, Birmingham and Humberside.
HSE news release • Risks 405 • 9 May 2009
Hazards news, 2 May 2009
Global: International response to Workers’ Memorial Day
The International Trade Union Confederation estimates that over 14 million people took part in some 10,000 activities across the world on 28 April, Workers’ Memorial Day. Over 2.2 million workers die each year from work accidents and disease, and some 160 million more are injured or become ill.
Workers Memorial Day reports • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Palestine: Journalists get safety training through union
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the Federation of Arab Journalists (FAJ), have got together to help organise safety and traumatic stress management training to journalists from the embattled Gaza Strip.
IFJ news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Government moves on Workers’ Memorial Day
Unions have welcomed an announcement by the government that it is looking at officially recognising Workers’ Memorial Day. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell confirmed that a consultation will look at how the day could be officially recognised in the UK.
DWP Announcement • TUC news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Brown praises union safety reps
In a message released to mark Workers’ Memorial Day the Prime Minister praised the role that trade unions and safety representatives play in promoting health and safety. Gordon Brown said: “Their dedication has protected countless workers and their families from the consequences of deaths and injuries at work and I pay tribute to their tireless efforts on behalf of us all.”
Statement by PM • TUC news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Europe: EU asks for views on nano risks
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the potential risks emerging from the use of nanomaterials. Unions have complained that the European Commission is overly complacent and that the EU should, in any case be following the line of the British HSE and demanding a precautionary approach to work with nanomaterials.
European Commission consultation notice • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Rail unions campaign on violence
Rail unions have highlighted the dangers faced by train drivers of attacks on trains. ASLEF has released details of attacks on trains that show that rail vandalism is a serious and potentially highly dangerous national problem.
Aslef press release • RMT Statement • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Unions welcome pleural plaques progress
Unions have welcomed the fact a Private Members Bill, which is seeking justice for pleural plaques sufferers, has cleared its first Commons hurdle.
UCATT release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Get ready for pandemic flu
The TUC has reminded unions that they should ensure that their employers have an action plan for dealing with any possible outbreak of pandemic flu. TUC has asked all safety representatives to ensure that their employer has an agreed action plan to deal with a possible outbreak.
HPA website • TUC guidance • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
USA: Heatstroke death charges brought
Unions in the USA have welcomed a landmark decision to charge three farm labour contractors with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a pregnant teenager who collapsed from heat stroke after working in a sweltering vineyard last year.
UFW news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Enforcement notices issued on fire service
The HSE has issued two safety improvement notices on Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service after an inspection by the Health and Safety Executive. The service has been told it must improve its training four years after two of its men died fighting a tower block fire in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
FBU Release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: No agreement on ending long hours culture
Attempts by the European Parliament to end the UK opt-out from parts of the working directive failed when they were unable to reach agreement with European ministers. However British and European trade unionists said they would continue to fight for adequate minimum standards on working time in Europe.
TUC statement • BERR release • Ten Myths about working time • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Who pays for employers failures?
A new report has shown that those responsible for occupational injuries and diseases only pay a tiny fraction of the cost. 'Who pays? You do', by Stirling University's Professor Rory O'Neill, concludes that thousands of lives each year could be saved if businesses were prevented from 'cost shifting' onto individuals and society the real bill for work-related ill-health.
Hazards news release • Hazards report • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: First charges under corporate manslaughter law
For the first time charges have been brought under of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. The Crown Prosecution Service authorised a charge of corporate manslaughter against Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Ltd and Peter Eaton, a director of the company has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and with an offence contrary to Section 37, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
CPS news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Director fined for health and safety death
A north-west company director has been fined after the death of an employee. George Robertson Graham, the senior partner at Carlisle company Auto Recoveries was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs by Carlisle Crown Court.
News and Star • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Government to review blacklisting
Following revelations that many construction companies have been subscribing to a blacklisting service that includes information on safety representatives in the industry, the government has confirmed that it will urgently review whether to outlaw blacklisting after allegations of its widespread practice in construction.
Contract Journal • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Britain: Company fined after fall
Two companies have been after a self-employed roofer fell and injured himself due to shoddy scaffolding in 2007. At Sheffield Crown Court Pinnacle Scaffolding Ltd of Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, were fined £27,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,000, while L J McLaren Engineering Ltd of Wooler, Northumberland, were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.
HSE news release • Risks 404 • 2 May 2009
Hazards news, 25 April 2009
Global: Workers’ Memorial Day, 28 April, everywhere!
The world’s largest health and safety event, the 28 April Workers’ Memorial Day, has come round again. This year looks like being the biggest commemoration yet, with hundreds of thousands of workers in well over 100 countries from Mongolia to Malta marking the day with protests, vigils, rallies, training sessions, services, conferences and thousands of national, regional and local events.
Workers’ Memorial Day * 28 April, Facebook page • Work deaths harm whole families, Hazards online report, April 2009 • International events and resources • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: NUJ legal moves on attacks on press
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is planning a three-pronged legal challenge against the police over the G20 protests after its members complained of assaults and other abuses.
The Guardian • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
USA: Blast ‘could have eclipsed’ Bhopal
A US chemical plant explosion could have surpassed the 1984 Bhopal disaster, according to a report released this week by congressional investigators. The 28 August 2008 explosion at the Bayer CropScience Institute plant, in which two workers died, turned a 2.5-ton chemical vessel into a “dangerous projectile” that could have destroyed a nearby tank of the deadly Bhopal chemical methyl isocyanate (MIC), according to the report by House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee staff.
CSB news release • Charleston Gazette • Committee report [pdf] • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: ‘Rock solid’ action on Tube safety
A 24-hour strike in a row over door safety equipment on one of London's busiest Tube lines was “rock solid” the union RMT has said. The union said the 21 April walkout came after management refused last minute talks to resolve the dispute over passenger door safety and the bullying and victimisation of RMT members.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Cutting gas engineers cuts safety
Job cuts at Northern Gas Networks (NGN) will threaten the safety of gas supplies, workers and the public, the union GMB has warned. It says the job losses have been pushed through despite the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently expressing concerns over the adequacy of staffing levels.
GMB news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Canada: Government lies and evasion on asbestos
The Canadian government sat for more than a year on a report by a panel of hand-picked international experts that concludes there is a “strong relationship” between lung cancer and the chrysotile asbestos mined in Canada.
Globe and Mail • Ottawa Citizen • ICEM news report.
A copy of the report, Chrysotile asbestos consensus statement and summary, by the Chrysotile Asbestos Expert Panel, can be downloaded from the Rideau Institute website [pdf] • Rideau Institute ‘Exporting harm’ report [pdf] • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: HSE cuts hurt school safety
Teachers and pupils are being placed in jeopardy by budgetary cuts to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the union NASUWT has warned.
NASUWT news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Unions call for helicopter safety summit
Calls for a comprehensive safety summit in the wake of the North Sea helicopter tragedy have been backed by delegates at the STUC’s annual conference.
Balpa news release • RMT news release • BBC News Online • Press and Journal • The Times • The Telegraph • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Union attacks ‘inhumane’ sick policies
Teachers are being pressurised into not taking sick leave, teaching union NASUWT has warned. General secretary Chris Keates said some practices are “just downright inhumane.”
NASUWT news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Wrong step hurts bank worker
A bank cashier who fractured her ankle when she fell down a step has received almost £9,000 in compensation. Jackie Edwards was off sick for six months following the incident at Lloyds TSB’s Benfleet branch in Essex.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: College lecturer hurt in fall
A college lecturer who damaged his shoulder after slipping on a wheelchair ramp has received a “substantial sum” in compensation. UCU member Warren Spour, 36, suffered injuries to his wrist and shoulder in October 2006 when he fell on the ramp while entering a temporary classroom at South Tyneside College’s Hebburn campus.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Shields Gazette • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Union slams ‘grasping’ asbestos insurers
Construction union UCATT has reacted furiously to the decision of several large insurance companies to try to block compensation for pleural plaques victims in Scotland. In March, the Scottish parliament passed an asbestos damages act, which allowed pleural plaques victims in Scotland the opportunity to claim compensation for the condition.
ABI news release • UCATT news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Union hits out over shop violence
The head of retail union Usdaw has spoken out over the death of St Helens supermarket worker Maureen Marsh, who died the day after banging her head in a confrontation with a suspected shoplifter. General secretary John Hannett said 56-year-old Mrs Marsh had paid the “ultimate price” for doing her job.
St Helens Report • The Telegraph • The Mirror • Usdaw Freedom from Fear campaign • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Doctor develops asbestos cancer
A hospital doctor believes he may be the latest victim of an asbestos cancer. James Partridge, writing in the Guardian, commented: “I was a doctor for 40 years - it was an interesting and rewarding occupation, and it never crossed my mind that while I was making people better, the hospital could actually be making me ill.”
The Guardian • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Mexico: Court sides with danger mine owners
A Mexican arbitration board ruled that Grupo Mexico can shut its largest mine and fire striking workers, saying they had damaged equipment. However independent experts from the US, who carried out a detailed health and safety audit at the Cananea mine, had earlier found safety and equipment standards were appalling and that this was the fault of management at the mine, not the workers.
USW news release • IMF news release • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Firm fined £5,000 over asbestos risk
A firm has been fined £5,000 after it put a worker at risk of exposure to asbestos by failing to adhere to health and safety regulations. Mitie Property Services was carrying out a week long job at a property in September 2007, which included the removal of 13 asbestos-lined doors.
Norwich Evening News • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: Worker crushed by toppled crusher
A Cardiff worker was lucky to survive after being crushed by an 800kg machine. Pullman Design and Fabrication Ltd, pleaded guilty to a safety offence and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £27,500 costs at Cardiff Crown Court.
HSE news release • Wales Online • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Britain: HSE tells the hole truth
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers of the dangers of leaving holes in walkways. The watchdog is also stressing the need for inadequate hazard warning signs, after a man was seriously injured at Drax Power Station.
HSE news release and shattered lives campaign • Risks 403 • 25 April 2009
Hazards news, 18 April 2009
Britain: Unions highlight school violence risks
Teaching unions have warned that staff in the sector are facing a growing problem from assaults. Recruitment agencies have separately advertised for people with marine, prison, security, police or firefighting backgrounds to become cover supervisors - applicants do not need to have teaching qualifications to temporarily fill in for teachers.
NASUWT news release • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
USA: Green jobs aren’t necessarily safe jobs
The massive infusion of US government funds into projects that will create thousands of new “green jobs” could create new risks for workers, a safety campaign has warned. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) says “we are concerned that too little thought is going into the potential hazards of such jobs and too little attention is going towards the need for adequate safety and health training under these programmes.”
National COSH alert • Blue Green Alliance • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Schools pressure linked to mental illness
Schools are blighted by stress-induced mental illness and many teachers face burn-out before they retire, according to teaching union NUT. It says teachers in England and Wales have an almost 40 per cent greater rate of suicide than the general population.
The Guardian • Crying shame, Hazards 101, 2008 • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Unions call for helicopter safety action
Unions have demanded urgent action to improve helicopter safety.
BALPA news release • The Telegraph • BBC News Online • Scotland on Sunday • The Guardian • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Broken thumb caused by bad communication
A company changed the spec for a factory process – but didn’t tell the engineer doing the job, with painful consequences. GMB member Anthony Lacey, 59, was left in agony when his thumb was broken in two places in May 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Council fined after waste collector dies
A Scottish council has been fined after a waste collector was killed at work. Stephen Welsh, 35, an East Dunbartonshire Council employee, who was struck and fatally injured by a reversing waste recycling lorry.
HSE news release • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: HSE to publish some deaths information
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will now report work-related deaths on a monthly basis. The move, with will see HSE list work deaths once the related inquest has commenced, follows a Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) complaint to the Information Commissioner, who ruled last year that HSE must make this information available.
HSE operational note • HSE Freedom of Information webpages • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Fine after man caught in machinery
A timber firm has been fined £4,000 plus costs of £2,497 after a man was dragged into machinery, suffering serious leg injuries, while clambering over it to replace a part. The common practice at FW Mason and Sons Ltd was only stopped following the injury to Paul Huckle, whose trouser leg caught on a rotating gear, pulling him into the machine.
Nottingham Evening Post • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Two serious injuries lead to two small fines
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding employers of their safety duties following two incidents in Mansfield where employees at the same company suffered serious injuries within weeks of each other. SDC Trailers Ltd was fined £3,300 and SDC Parts and Services Ltd was fined £2,600, with both also ordered to pay costs of £1,824.60.
HSE news release • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Firm fined £2,000 after serious injury
A lift manufacturing and maintenance company has been told to pay up £10,000 for breaking health and safety rules after an employee was seriously injured. The UK Lift Company was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 costs at Lincoln Magistrates' Court for failing to ensure the safety of its employees while working at height.
HSE news release • Northampton Chronicle and Echo • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Turkey: Jeans sandblasting banned after deaths
The Turkish government has banned the manual sandblasting of jeans and other clothing to prevent the development of incurable silicosis. The practice had been linked to 40 deaths, and can lead to rapid onset of the disease, with some teenagers known to be affected.
Zaman • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: HSE had never visited blast death factory
A pie factory that was destroyed in an explosion, killing one worker, had never been inspected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). David Cole, 37, from Halifax, died when the blast at Andrew Jones Pies brought down part of the roof and started a fire on 10 April.
BBC News Online • Daily Mirror • Yorkshire Evening Post • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Director told staff to rip out asbestos
Staff at a Telford firm were ordered by their boss to rip out asbestos with a crowbar and clean up with a vacuum cleaner. Roger Lavender, 37, the managing director of Secal Laser Ltd, was fined £6,666 and ordered to pay £11,039.88 in court costs and a £15 surcharge after admitting a safety offence.
HSE news release • Shropshire Star • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Germany: Job fear leads to sick working
German workers have been taking less time off sick this year, as the financial crisis bites. Joachim Möller, director of the Institute for Jobmarket and Professions Research at the federal Jobs Agency, said: “In times of economic crisis, employees have more concerns about losing their jobs. The sickness rates tend to sink in such times.”
The Local • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Promotion ‘bad for mental health’
Getting promoted at work may be bad for a person's mental health, a study suggests. Warwick University researchers questioned why people with higher job status seem to have better health and found no evidence of improved or diminished physical health after promotion – but they did find significantly greater mental strain.
Warwick University news release • Do people become healthier after being promoted? [pdf] • BBC News Online • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Miners’ knee now an official work disease
Miner’s knee has received recognition as an official occupational disease in the UK. This ‘prescription’ under industrial disease benefits rules means that miners who pass a disability threshold, will be eligible for government payouts.
DWP news release • Osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners, IIAC, August 2008 [pdf] • NUM news release • Daily Mirror • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Australia: Unions demand nanotech law
The rapidly growing nanotechnology market requires urgent regulation to protect the health and safety of workers and consumers, Australia’s unions have said. Unions are concerned at mounting evidence showing some nanomaterials are potentially hazardous yet the industry is growing without adequate worker protections.
ACTU news release and factsheet [pdf] • ABC News and related audio report • Sydney Morning Herald • The Age • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: Work deaths harm whole families
When somebody dies at work, they are never the only victim. This is the message of a new resource published by the trade union safety journal Hazards. It says work deaths harm whole families, whole communities.
Work deaths harm whole families, Hazards online report, April 2009 • TUC briefing and TUC Workers’ Memorial Day webpage • International events and resources • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Britain: National Hazards conference, 10-12 July 2009
The UK National Hazards Conference, on the theme ‘Making a better world of work possible’, will take place in Manchester on 10-12 July 2009. Speakers this year including top US union safety official Nancy Lessin, who will look the green jobs agenda and how to make sure it is also a good, safe jobs agenda.
Making a better world of work possible, National Hazards conference, 10-12 July 2009, University of Manchester. Hazards 2009 conference application form [pdf]. The deadline for application is Friday 19 June. Sponsor the conference [pdf].
Further details: Hazards Campaign, c/o Greater Manchester Hazards Centre, Windrush Millennium Centre, 70 Alexandra Road, Manchester, M16 7WD. Tel: 0161 636 7558 • Risks 402 • 18 April 2009
Hazards news, 11 April 2009
Britain: Injured firefighters win pensions fight
Firefighters’ union FBU has welcomed a landmark legal win in its fight over pensions and jobs for injured and sick firefighters. A judicial review at the Court of Appeal this week upheld a legal challenge by three London firefighters who had their ill-health and injury pensions removed under changes to the service's pension scheme.
FBU news release • Morning Star • BBC News Online • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
USA: Popcorn peril spreads to sweets
A recently identified outbreak of severe cases of popcorn lung among former sweet factory workers may prove what government and civilian occupational health experts have long feared - the sometimes-fatal disease can afflict those exposed to diacetyl butter flavouring regardless of where they work.
Andrew Schneider Investigates • More from Hazards on diacetyl risks • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Teachers report widespread abuse
Four in 10 school staff have faced verbal or physical aggression from a pupil's parent or guardian, according to teaching union ATL. And of the 1,000 teachers, lecturers, support staff and school leaders surveyed, a quarter said a pupil had attacked them.
ATL violence and cyberbullying news releases • The Times • BBC News Online and related article • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Bullying bosses led to rail action
Around 100 station staff at seven stations on the Tube’s Jubilee Line stopped work for 24 hours this week over a breakdown in relations sparked by aggressive and bullying local management.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
USA: Safety watchdog failed under Bush
With 5,680 workers dying on the job each year, unions say a new report has shown just how callous the Bush administration was when it came to protecting workers. A report by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveals that the Bush administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the national health and safety watchdog, systematically failed to perform follow-up inspections for employers who put workers in serious danger – and that failure could have led to nearly 60 deaths.
AFL-CIO Now and John Sweeney statement • OIG report [pdf] • The Pump Handle • The Washington Post • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: HSE faces haemorrhage of expert staff
Workers are being put at risk because the Health and Safety Executive is haemorrhaging experienced staff, unions have warned.
Environmental Health News • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Union anger as helicopters resume rig flights
An offshore trade union has condemned Bond Helicopters, following the North Sea crash that claimed 16 lives last week, for resuming oil-rig flights using the same aircraft just 48 hours after the tragedy. The tragedy was the biggest offshore loss of life since the Piper Alpha explosion killed 167 in 1988.
RMT news release • Unite news release • ITF news release • Sunday Herald • BBC News Online and related article • Press and Journal • Daily Express • The Independent • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Strain injury takes away a future
A concrete technician who developed a debilitating workplace strain injury fears he may never find work again after he was made redundant. GMB member Paul Flintoff, 46, from Selston in Nottingham was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a painful lower arm disorder which can be caused by prolonged use of hand-held vibrating tools.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Firm fails but claim succeeds
A GMB member whose shoulder was injured at work has received compensation even though his employer subsequently folded. David Billingham, 40, from Halesowen, received £3,500 after injuring his right shoulder while working as a caster for G Clancey Ltd.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Halesowen News • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Slip leads to months off work
A school caretaker had to take five months off work after slipping on a spill on the dining room floor. Unite member Jean Simpson, a caretaker at Abbey Primary School in Bloxwich, Walsall, was awarded compensation at trial for the fractured ankle bone suffered in the slip.
Rowley Ashworth Solicitors news release • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Construction deaths report is delayed
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the decision to delay by two months an inquiry report into fatalities in the construction industry. The chair of the inquiry, Rita Donaghy, was due to have submitted her report to work and pensions secretary James Purnell by 30 April; it is now thought the submission date has slipped until late June.
UCATT news release • Construction News • Contract Journal • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Europe: ‘No data, no market’ for nano
The European Parliament's environment committee is calling for tighter controls on nanotechnology, including the application of the ‘no data, no market’ principle contained in the REACH chemical safety law.
EEB news release [pdf] • REHS news report • ETUC news release and Nanocap conference presentation [pdf]
New resource: The OECD Database on Research into Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials collects information on research projects that address environmental, human health and safety issues of manufactured nanomaterials • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Minister announces crane safety register
The government is to introduce a statutory register for tower cranes. The move, which comes after both ministers and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had initially rejected the idea, follows pressure from unions and site safety campaigners.
DWP news release • UCATT news release • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Colombia: ‘Fatally flawed’ safety blights US mine
A US owned mining giant operating in Colombia is putting workers in deadly danger, the global union confederation ITUC has charged. It says it “strongly condemns” the situation at the opencast mine in La Loma, operated by Drummond Company Inc for the last 13 years.
ITUC news release • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Government defends excessive working time
The TUC has criticised the government for its role in frustrating discussions in Europe to end the UK's opt-out from the 48-hour working week ceiling. A conciliation meeting last week between MEPs and employment ministers ended without agreement.
TUC news release • BERR news release • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: One company, two cancers, two generations
Two asbestos cancer payouts show how it’s not just those working in asbestos factories that suffer as a result.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Daily Mirror • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Airport asbestos killed woman
A former airport worker died as a result of exposure to asbestos while working at Heathrow, an inquest heard. Marlene Elliott died aged 67 on 29 November 2008, after collapsing at home.
Maidenhead Advertiser • Daily Mirror • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Workplace illness ‘to get worse’
An ageing workforce and higher rates of illness and disease among employees will pose a serious threat to British business by 2030, a report has warned. Private healthcare company Bupa estimates the number of workers with chronic conditions will rise by at least 7 per cent to more than four million.
Bupa news release • The Work Foundation publication note and full report: Healthy Work: Challenges and Opportunities to 2030 [pdf] • BBC News Online • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Britain: Union welcomes betting shop move
A betting industry initiative to improve the safety of the sector’s staff in London’s bookmakers has been welcomed by the union Community. The trade union for betting shop workers said the launch of the Safebet Alliance, which is promoting a voluntary code of conduct for the sector, was a first step in improving safety for betting shop workers, but added more action was needed.
Community news release and 10 minimum standards • ABB news release and Safebet Alliance voluntary code [pdf] • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Australia: Union slams fatalities ‘spin doctoring’
Production at BHP Billiton sites could be halted at any time after the Western Australia state government said it would issue immediate stop work notices for any further safety breaches at the company’s operations. But the move, at a site that has seen five deaths since July 2008, has been slammed by mining union AWU as “spin doctoring” to cover up the inadequacies of an under-resourced mines safety inspectorate.
AWU news release • The West Australian • Risks 401 • 11 April 2009
Hazards news, 4 April 2009
Britain: Union win in rail fire regulation fight
New fire safety regulations for sub-surface rail stations are a vindication of a five-year trade union campaign, the rail union RMT has said. It said the government decision to retain standards imposed in the wake of the 1987 King’s Cross fire, which claimed 31 lives, is a ‘huge victory’ for the union.
RMT news release • DCLG news release • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
USA: Docs lie and workers lose
A New York Times review of case files and medical records and interviews with workers’ compensation claimants indicate that the exam reports are routinely tilted to benefit insurers by minimising or dismissing injuries.
New York Times • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Europe: Action call on high concern chemicals
Unions are calling for hundreds of the most hazardous workplace chemicals to be subject to tight control under the European Union’s chemicals law, REACH. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) this week presented to the European Parliament its list of 306 priority chemicals for authorisation under REACH.
ETUC news release and Trade Union Priority List for REACH authorisation and related documentation • ChemSec news report • TUC chemicals webpage • HSE REACH webpages • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: School asbestos exposure killed teacher
The widow of a senior teacher who died after exposure to asbestos in school science labs has been awarded £290,000 in compensation. The former chemistry teacher, who taught at the same school in East Sussex for 34 years, died from mesothelioma in September 2007, aged 61, just a year after retirement.
The Argus • TES • Asbestos in Schools website • HSE mesothelioma statistics including breakdown by age • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: ‘Dangerous’ rail maintenance cuts slammed
Network Rail is trying to spin its way out of controversy over dangerous cuts to its track-renewals programme, rail union RMT has charged. Commenting as the government-funded rail-infrastructure company launched a media campaign emphasising its spending plans, RMT renewed its call for a reversal of a ‘dangerous squeeze’ that demands 22 per cent “efficiency” savings up to 2014 – including a 28 per cent cut in track renewals this year
RMT news release • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
USA: Colour images expose asbestos problems
Murky grey x-rays to identify occupational lung diseases could soon be a thing of the past, a top occupational doctor has said. And Dr Michael Harbut, an asbestos disease expert at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, says new 3-D, colour imaging technology could aid better diagnosis and better prevention.
Andrew Schneider Investigates • ADAO website • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Global: New warnings on piracy crisis
Anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden need to be maintained well beyond the end of this year, UK seafarers’ union Nautilus has warned. Addressing a conference last week on the problem, assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson said it is crucial that countries keep up the coordinated naval presence to deter attacks on shipping off Somalia.
Nautilus news release • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Global: What are you doing on 28 April?
Workers’ Memorial Day – the 28 April event where unions and campaigners each year commemorate those killed at work and pledge to press for health and safety improvements – is drawing close. TUC’s updated webpages note: “It is our day, workers and our families and our trade unions, to focus on health and safety at work, both in our workplaces, and at events locally, nationally and worldwide.”
Hazards 28 April international listings and resources • TUC briefing and Workers’ Memorial Day webpages • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Business ‘stunt’ attacks safety laws
A business lobby group has attacked safety and employment regulations, saying they cost industry tens of billions each year. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) claim was dismissed by the TUC, which described it as a “tired stunt”.
BCC news release and Burdens Barometer 2009 [pdf] • TUC news release • STUC news release • BBC News Online • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Migrant workers at higher risk
Migrant workers are more likely to be killed in the workplace than their colleagues from the UK, a new analysis shows. Researchers at the Centre for Corporate Accountability found migrant workers employed in the construction sector are at least twice as likely to die at work than those from the UK.
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • 4 April 2009
Europe: Increasing risks from hazardous substances
Contact with hazardous substances at work is endangering the health of workers across Europe and nanotechnology is one of the risks causing most concern, an expert report has concluded. ‘Expert forecast on emerging chemical risks’, published by the Bilbao-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), identifies the main groups of substances which could pose new and increasing risks to workers, contributing to diseases which range from allergies, asthma and infertility to cancers.
European Agency news release • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: PM promises pleural plaque action
Gordon Brown has promised action within weeks to help asbestos victims. At Prime Minister’s question time, he signalled compensation is on the way for people suffering from pleural plaques.
Hansard, 1 April 2009 • Daily Mirror Asbestos Timebomb campaign • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: NHS sick rate criticism dismissed
Health service unions and employers have rejected a “dinosaur” think-tank that claimed money was being wasted on NHS sick pay. Right-wing policy institute Reform claimed that taxpayers’ money was being squandered because health staff take an average of 12 days off sick a year, compared to workers in the private sector only taking 7.2.
Reform news release and Fit for recovery report [pdf] • NHS Employers staff survey. Morning Star • Personnel Today • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Europe: Company restructuring is bad for you
Working for a company undergoing restructuring is bad for your health, a study has found. The authors found workers in firms undergoing restructuring suffered physical and psychological health problems as a result of job insecurity and said firms should involve safety reps in any restructuring processes.
Health impact of enterprise restructuring: Innovative approaches in organisations, University of Bremen [pdf] • ETUI news report • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Fine after serious site fall
A South Wales construction company has been prosecuted after a worker was seriously injured when he fell nearly three metres. RJ Heale and Co Ltd was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £6,605.25 costs.
HSE news release and shattered lives campaign. Llanelli Star • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Firm fined after fatal accident
A Great Yarmouth company has been fined £25,000 for breaching health and safety rules, after a welder was electrocuted in an incident in a dry dock. Kevin Hall, 46, was killed while working for Richards Dry Dock Engineering on 5 August 2005.
HSE news release and confined space webpages • Norwich Evening News • BBC News Online • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Two firms guilty over crane deaths
Two firms have been found guilty of health and safety breaches relating to the deaths of two men on a construction site in Worthing in 2005. WD Bennett's Plant & Services Ltd was found guilty at Chichester Crown Court of two health and safety breaches that led to two workers being killed and a third injured and Eurolift (Tower Cranes Limited) pleaded guilty to breaches of the same laws.
HSE news release • Contract Journal • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Britain: Water worker manslaughter trial collapses
Three bosses charged with killing a worker have walked free from Cardiff Crown Court after the prosecution called a halt to their trial. The case collapsed due to inconsistencies in the prosecution evidence.
South Wales Argus • Wales Online • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Australia: Protect workers from nano risks
Australian unions and industry are calling for urgent regulation to protect workers from the risks of nanotechnology. Steve Mullins of national union federation ACTU, a panel contributor, commented: “What is happening is the market is growing in an unregulated space and that is dangerous for workers. From our point of view we need regulation in place by the end of this year.”
ABC News • Audio of the nanotechnology and occupational health panel discussion • Risks 400 • 4 April 2009
Hazards news, 28 March 2009
Britain: London 2012 and unions agree principles
The organisers of London 2012 and the TUC have agreed to work together to ensure fair and safe employment standards on the Olympic and Paralympic games. They say while not legally binding, the principles form the basis of positive partnership between the TUC and the organisations delivering London 2012 on areas including health and safety, training, equality and fair employment standards.
TUC news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
USA: More damning evidence on nanotubes
A US government research body has confirmed that inhaled carbon nanotubes can penetrate deep into the lung and then migrate into other tissues. The scientists from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) say this raises a warning flag about a possible cancer risk, with the alert coming hot on the heels of a warning from the UK health and safety watchdog, which has called for “a precautionary approach” to the use of carbon nanotubes.
Andrew Schneider Investigates • The Pump Handle • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Pupil attack ends teacher’s career
A teacher who was attacked by a 12-year-old pupil has had to take ill-health retirement as a result. NASUWT member Colin Adams, 51, who taught ICT at Kingswood Community School for eight years, was left with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and received a £275,000 payout.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: School stress cost head her job
A teacher who left her job because of stress and allegations of racism has been awarded six figure damages. NUT member Erica Connor, 57, a former teacher at New Monument Primary School in Woking, was awarded £407,781 for psychiatric injury suffered and loss of income.
BBC News Online • The Telegraph • Personnel Today • The Independent • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Mexico: Union wants a work homicide law
There is an urgent need for a corporate homicide law to punish companies that put their workers’ lives in danger, a Mexican mining union has said. The call comes after another spate of deaths in the mines and metals industry, including four deaths in one week at Mittal Steel and Peñoles.
IMF news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Prison officer gets payout after attack
A prison officer who was injured while trying to restrain a violent inmate has received £8,000 in compensation. GMB member Michael Blinkhorn, 42, was off work for five months following the incident at HMP Wolds in East Yorkshire.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Heavy stuff will hurt you
Whether you are lifting it up or it is falling down, heavy stuff can hurt you. Two six figure settlements secured for Unite members show poor manual handling systems can be costly for employers too.
Rowley Ashworth Solicitors news releases on the beer keg and dishwasher cases • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Directors must ‘lead by actions, not words’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has called on directors to demonstrate personal commitment and spend more time outside the boardroom to show they really care about health and safety. HSE chair Judith Hackitt told a meeting of the Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in London: “Personal responsibility is fundamental to credibility and strong leadership.”
HSE news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Director pays £4k for work death
The former director of an aggregates firm has been fined £4,000 over the death of a lorry driver in east London in 2001. John Peter Wootten, formerly trading as AEP Aggregates, was hit with the fine and £750 in costs at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
HSE news release • Construction News • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Australia: Economic woes increases bullying
An Australian trade union body is warning of an increase in workplace bullying as the economic situation puts pressure on workers to work longer and harder to safeguard their jobs. Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Brian Boyd said: “Research here and internationally has shown for years that whenever there is employment uncertainty or significant work re-organisation, bullying increases.”
VTHC news release • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Dairy boss done for ladder fall
A dairy boss has been fined after an employee broke both wrists in a fall from a ladder. Andrew Howard, a partner in the Beechdean Dairies partnership, was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000 after pleading guilty to safety offences.
HSE news release and falls webpages • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Waste director gets £2,000 injury fine
A King’s Lynn waste disposal business and its managing director have been ordered to pay out £16,000 in fines and legal costs after an employee was seriously injured. Baco-Compak had commissioned a new, prototype machine to separate wood and rubble, but broke health and safety laws when it failed to install a safety guard on its conveyor belt.
HSE news release and work equipment webpages • Lynn News • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Global: Job insecurity linked to suicides
Researchers in France have identified a clear correlation between job insecurity and suicidal tendencies. American psychologists have coined the phrase “econocide” to describe a wave of suicides they say are linked to the current global economic crisis, and the phenomenon has also been recognised in the UK, where Edinburgh University’s Professor Stephen Platt said an upturn in suicides “is not only because more people become unemployed and, as a result, more psychologically vulnerable, but also because those in employment feel threatened too.”
HESA news report • BBC News Online • More on work-related suicide risks • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Another fine, another waste of a life
A waste company in Sunderland has been fined £15,000 after one of its workers was killed when he was hit by a 20-tonne dumper truck. David Liddle was struck by the vehicle as he walked across the yard operated by Alex Smiles Limited in December 2007.
BBC News Online • Sunderland Echo • Northumberland Gazette •
Hazards deadly business webpages • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Council fined £40k after electrocution
Camden Council has been fined £40,000 after a scaffolder was electrocuted by a faulty security light while working on a local authority housing estate. Ralph Kennedy, 24, died instantly when he touched the live metal casing during improvements work in September 2006.
HSE news release • The London Paper • Contract Journal • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: Six figure fine over worker death
A Scottish linoleum manufacturer has been fined £330,000 over the death of an employee. Oliver Byers, 55, was crushed to death at the Forbo Nairn plant in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in September 2007.
The Courier • STV • Fife Today • BBC News Online • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: TV firm’s bullying cost £1 million
Bullying managers at an ITV regional newsroom have cost the company about £1m, a national newspaper has claimed. The Guardian says a series of investigations have taken place at the Tyne Tees newsroom amid allegations of racism, sexism and inappropriate comments about ethnic minorities and disabled people made by a manager.
The Guardian • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Britain: MPs back asbestos campaign demands
MPs have demanded government action to ensure all asbestos victims get compensation. The all-party occupational health and safety group said it wants a “fund of last resort” to be set up by the insurance industry for people dying of mesothelioma who cannot claim the payouts they are due.
Daily Mirror ‘Asbestos Timebomb’ blog • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Global: Trade and safety newsletter
Increasing numbers of workers around the world are employed by international companies, exploiting tax and regulatory exemptions to produce goods for export – with safety often an early casualty. The Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network (MHSSN) newsletter - Border/Line Health & Safety – is the single best source on the issue.
Border/Line Health and Safety [pdf] • Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network (MHSSN • Risks 399 • 28 March 2009
Hazards news, 21 March 2009
Britain: TUC rebuke for official ‘don’t prosecute’ line
A government report saying safety enforcers ‘should not generally prosecute or impose a punitive sanction’ on some small and medium sized firms (SMEs) guilty of criminal workplace safety violations has received a strong rebuke from the TUC.
BERR news release and Government response to the Anderson review, March 2009 [pdf] • Environmental Health News • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: HSE must act on management failings
The Health and Safety Executive’s new strategy must address management failings and should be backed up by new legal safety duties on company directors, unions have said.
GMB news release and full submission [pdf]. Contract Journal • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: UNISON welcomes meat industry report
A report calling for a review of the ‘light touch’ enforcement of meat hygiene and for more resources for food safety has been welcomed by the meat inspectors’ union UNISON. The union had earlier warned that the there had been too little support for bullied and harassed meat hygiene workers.
UNISON news release • BBC News Online • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
USA: Movement at last on popcorn lung
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), reversing years of foot dragging while the agency was controlled by the Bush administration, is moving quickly to protect workers from a serious lung disease caused by diacetyl, the artificial butter flavouring added to popcorn and other food products.
OSHA news release • Lynn Woolsey statement • AFL-CIO Now • The Pump Handle • Andrew Schneider Investigates • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Rugby star cleared of asthma drugs charge
A professional rugby player who tested positive for his asthma medication has fought off a ban threat with the help of his union. GMB member Ian Sibbit, a second-row forward with Salford City Reds, found himself facing drug misuse charges after an independent drugs test last year showed high levels of the asthma drug salbutamol in his system.
GMB news release • Manchester Evening News • BBC News Online • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Post union slams ‘sick’ dog attack posters
A rail company poster showing a postal worker being attacked by a dog has been denounced as ‘sick’ by the post union CWU. The union accused South Eastern Trains of ‘acting irresponsibly’.
CWU news release • BBC Politics Show • Scotland on Sunday • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Firm must screen out bus attacks
A major bus company is leaving its drivers at risk of attack by refusing to provide safety screens, the union GMB has said. The union has accused Brighton Bus Company of failing to protect its staff from assaults by not installing protective screens on all of its fleet.
GMB news release and update. Brighton Argus • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Rail maintenance drop-off criticised
Train drivers’ union ASLEF has written to the heads of all UK train companies to raise its concerns about a dramatic reduction in rail maintenance. ASLEF said it is “appalled” that Network Rail is prepared to cut the frequency of track inspections and routine signals maintenance on cost grounds.
ASLEF news release. Related Early Day Motion • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Action ballot over rail lone working
Nearly 100 revenue protection officers (RPOs) working for Southern Railway are to be balloted for industrial action over the threat of lone working, loss of commission and worsening roster and holiday arrangements. The ballot, for action short of a strike, will open next week and comes after the company ignored a union warning that ending the arrangement under which RPOs work in pairs would increase the risk of assault.
RMT news release • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Probe call into strike safety breaches
Reports of serious safety lapses by London Midland managers undertaking striking train conductors’ duties should be investigated urgently, rail union RMT has said. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “If the reports we have received are borne out they would underline our fears and show that London Midland is treating the safety of its passengers and staff with utter contempt.”
RMT news release and related release • BBC News Online • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Europe: Cancer warning on night work
A top UK occupational health researcher has warned that the UK authorities are lagging behind their Scandinavian counterparts when it comes to action on night work hazards, linked to cancer and other chronic health problems. Stirling University’s Professor Andrew Watterson said the problem was being neither properly recognised nor addressed in the UK.
BBC News Online and The Investigation radio show • The Scotsman • Telegraph • Daily Mail • The Guardian • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
USA: Workers failed by old lead standard
Americans who work with lead and their families are still at risk of developing serious chronic health conditions, according to a new report. ‘Indecent exposure’, published this week by health researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, notes: “As scientific evidence has shown more serious health effects associated with lower lead levels than previously anticipated, the number of persons who must be considered at risk increases dramatically.”
Indecent exposure: Lead puts workers and families at risk, Perspectives, volume 4, number 1, March 2009 [pdf] • The Pump Handle • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Government pledge to end blacklists
The government has pledged to put an end to blacklisting of safety reps and other union activists. Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, told the House of Commons: “I don't think a trade union health and safety representative should find they are on a blacklist and will never be able to work again.”
UCATT news release • Contract Journal • Building • Construction News • The Scotsman • The Guardian • EDM 1020 - Blacklisting in construction • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Recession ups the pressure on workers
The economic recession is making 44 per cent of British workers feel more pressured in the workplace, a survey has found. The survey carried out by YouGov for safety professionals’ organisation IOSH found nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of the workers who were feeling more pressured identified job insecurity as the cause.
IOSH news release and conference release • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Asbestos is in 90 per cent of schools
Nearly nine in 10 schools contain deadly asbestos, the Daily Mirror has claimed. The paper’s charge is based on results from freedom of information requests made to local authorities across the UK.
Daily Mirror asbestos campaign blog • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Finland: Researchers warn of nano catastrophe
There are over 600 products in the shops based on nanomaterials, but we know barely anything about the risks, a Finnish expert has warned. Kai Savolainen, director of nanotechnology safety research at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), said when the economic expectations are big, there is a tendency to ignore the health risks.
Trade Union News from Finland • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Pet food firm fined for death
Dog food manufacturer in Naturediet Pet Foods has been fined £157,500 after one of its workers was crushed to death in packing machinery - but manslaughter charges on company bosses were dropped. The court was told that approved safety measures were not in force, there was a faulty safety mechanism that exposed workers to a risk of being trapped or crushed, and company had failed to act after being warned about the failures two years before the tragedy.
HSE news release • Get Surrey • Sussex Express • BBC News Online • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Thorntons fined over crushed fingers
Chocolate retailer Thorntons has been fined £12,000 after an employee had his hand crushed by a machine. Derby Magistrates' Court heard Ashley Taylor, 23, was carrying out work at its factory in Somercotes in 2007 when he slipped and got trapped in rollers.
HSE news release and STEP slip prevention guidance • BBC News Online • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Australia: Execs get bonuses to deny payouts
Executives of Australia’s national postal firm are being paid bonuses for reducing worker compensation costs, a union has alleged. Australia Post has denied that doctors are being pressured to dismiss injury claims, but the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) maintains Australia Post pressured doctors into writing medical reports dismissive of injury claims, while executives are receiving bonuses for cutting compensation costs.
Herald Sun • ABC News • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Britain: Worker scarred by molten plastic
A Huddersfield firm has been fined just £1,250 after a worker received permanent scars from molten plastic. Forteq (UK) was also ordered at Huddersfield Magistrates' Court to pay costs of £2,224.40 after pleading guilty to a charge under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.
HSE news release • Huddersfield Daily Examiner • Risks 398 • 21 March 2009
Hazards news, 14 March 2009
Britain: Safety campaigners call for radical reforms
There must be a radical revamp of employment, enforcement and safety approaches in the construction industry if its appalling fatality record is to be improved, safety campaigners have said.
UCATT news release, including a link to the full submission • FACK statement • BBC News Online • Contract Journal • Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Turkey: Airline ignored union safety warning
Managers of Turkish Airlines had been warned they were “inviting disaster” a week before one of their planes crashed in the Netherlands, killing nine people.
ITF news report • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Baggage handlers on the lifting case
Unite members from airports all over the UK are to lobby their MPs and will invite them to take part in a ‘baggage challenge’. The parliamentarians will be given the opportunity to try shifting the heavy bags baggage handlers deal with routinely – and will be asked to back the union’s campaign to reduce the weight of checked-in baggage from 32 to 23 kilograms per item.
Unite news release and Lighten up campaign • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: ‘Massive’ deferral of rail maintenance
Essential rail engineering work has been deferred by Network Rail this year at hundreds of sites, the rail union RMT has revealed. RMT was passed the information by whistleblowers concerned at the safety and service implications of postponing the replacement of rails, sleepers and ballast in order to save money.
RMT news release • Early Day Motion 794, Network Rail and the economic downturn • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Two decades of rail safety inaction
Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the Purley train crash in which six people died and over 80 were injured, but safety improvements recommended after the crash are still to be introduced.
ASLEF news release • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Unite demands ‘Flying Phantom’ inquiry
There should be a public inquiry into the loss of the Flying Phantom tug and three of her crew in December 2007, the union Unite has said.
Unite news release • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Union safety warnings not heeded
A union rep who had pressed for workplace safety improvements suffered an injury at work – using equipment the union had warned repeatedly was dangerous and should be made safe. GMB shop steward John Kitching, 48, jarred his shoulder as he disposed of clinical waste while working as an operating theatre orderly at Barnsley Hospital.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Wakefield Express • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Official warning on nanotubes
The UK government’s workplace health and safety watchdog has called for “a precautionary approach” to the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) information sheet says: “If their use cannot be avoided, HSE expects a high-level of control to be used,” adding: “It is good practice to label the material ‘Caution: substance not yet fully tested.”
Risk management of carbon nanotubes, HSE information sheet, March 2009 [pdf] • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Employers ‘ignoring’ cancer risks
A manufacturing body has urged employers to better assess health risks in the workplace and has conceded firms are ignoring occupational cancer risks. Steve Pointer, head of health and safety policy at manufacturers' body the EEF, admitted some firms were too complacent and failed to protect their employees.
Personnel Today • TUC occupational cancer guide [pdf] •Global Unions cancer prevention campaign and prevention kit • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Scots asbestos payout law passed
Legislation to allow people in Scotland to claim for past exposure to asbestos has been passed by MSPs. The new law overturns a House of Lords ruling that said damages could not be claimed for pleural plaques, a benign scarring of the lungs.
Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Bill [pdf] • ABI news release • BBC News Online • Daily Record • The Scotsman • Sunday Herald • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Sign on! A Daily Mirror petition to prime minister Gordon Brown, backed by asbestos campaign groups, is seeking similar pleural plaques legislation, as well as measures including an asbestos disease research centre and other compensation reforms. • 14 March 2009
Britain: Insurer fails to evade asbestos payout
Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance plc has failed in a courtroom bid to deny responsibility for an asbestos cancer payout. Colin Gardner, 66, was awarded £145,000 damages at London's High Court.
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • Yorkshire Evening Post • Huddersfield Daily Examiner • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Europe: Full ahead for maritime safety rules
New measures aimed at protecting Europe's coasts from maritime disasters and improving passenger and crew safety have been adopted by the European Parliament. The European Parliament says this legislation represents a major victory for parliament, which successfully pushed for tougher rules despite strong resistance from the Council – the EU’s national governments - during negotiations on the package.
European Parliament news release • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Action threat over employee blacklist
The glittering list of contractors accused of using a ‘construction blacklist’ to vet potential employees are bracing themselves for the legal and political fallout. Unions UCATT and Unite are both seeking legal advice on suing some of the 45 contractors named in the list, while Labour MP Michael Clapham has tabled an Early Day Motion deploring the existence of the list.
ICO news release [pdf] • briefing on the Consulting Association and related ICO enforcement notice [pdf] • Construction News • The Guardian and related story and audio report • BBC News Online • Contract Journal and related story • Financial Times • The Times • The Telegraph • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Law needed to outlaw blacklisting
Unions have called for the urgent introduction of new laws to protect workers from blacklisting. Regulations were due to be introduced a decade ago, but where shelved when the government said there was insufficient evidence the practice took place.
TUC news release • UCATT news release and related release • Unite news release • RMT news release • STUC news release • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: HSE strategy needs ‘beefing up’
Mainstream safety organisations have said a new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) draft strategy falls well short on detail and on intent. Safety professionals’ organisation IOSH has called on HSE to 'beef up' some of the strategic goals contained in its new strategy.
IOSH news release and full response to the HSE strategy [pdf] • RoSPA news release • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Job insecurity causes lasting stress
Job insecurity is causing lasting anxiety and stress, with men worse affected than women. A Cambridge University study found that when unemployed men move into insecure jobs, they show no improvement in psychological health and reported the long-term decline in mental well-being can also be worse for people who are under threat of losing their jobs than for those who are actually made redundant.
The Scotsman • Personnel Today • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Canada: Centre targets cancer prevention
A new research centre dedicated to identifying and eliminating exposure to cancer-causing substances in the workplace has opened in Toronto, Canada. Dr Aaron Blair, interim director of the new Occupational Cancer Research Centre said the new unit “is a major step in identifying carcinogens at workplaces and initiating preventive actions.”
Canadian Cancer Society news release • Toronto Star • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Britain: Fine for pupil’s fireball injury
A Sleaford motor business has been fined after a youth on work experience was hit in the chest by a fireball. Year 11 student Jamie Fenn-Smith was on a work experience placement at the garage when he was hit by the fireball, which melted the plastic print of his t-shirt onto his skin.
HSE news release • Sleaford Standard • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Australia: Workplace gene testing fears
Genetic testing of employees could become more widespread and people need to be better informed of their rights to avoid genetic discrimination, experts have warned. The comments followed publication of a world-first study revealing that genetic discrimination has already occurred in Australia, with most cases related to life insurance policies.
Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 397 • 14 March 2009
Hazards news, 7 March 2009
Britain: Print work caused kidney disease
A printer who was exposed to a dangerous chemical in the workplace developed a debilitating kidney disease as a result. Unite member David Owenson, from Scarborough, was diagnosed with membranous neuropathy, a form of glomerulonephritis, following years of exposure to the common workplace solvent toluene.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Did your job cause your illness... check out the Hazards detective • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
USA: Obama backs safety enforcement
Barak Obama has pledged to increase the enforcement of workplace safety. The US president said mounting workloads and dwindling staff have hindered the government's ability to protect workers, so his budget is seeking a funding increase of $27m for the official safety watchdog, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with a stipulation the increase is used to rebuild OSHA's enforcement role.
Charlotte Observer • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Turkey: TUC concern at Turkish shipyard deaths
The TUC has called on the Turkish government to bring to an end the “horrendous record of death and maiming” at a major shipyard complex in the country.
TUC letter to the Turkish ambassador • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: ‘Robust’ action needed on sea fatigue
Seafarers’ union Nautilus is urging the government to act on an official call for measures to combat seafarer fatigue.
Nautilus news release • MAIB Antari investigation report • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: No bonuses for ‘dangerous’ rail squeeze
There should be no question of paying telephone number bonuses to the Network Rail executives responsible for a “massive and dangerous squeeze” on track work and a lowering of track safety standards, rail union RMT has said.
RMT news release • Early Day Motion 794, Network Rail and the economic downturn • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Global: Warning on chemical cancers risk
A major report has warned that the global cancer burden has doubled in a generation and that too little attention is paid to potential occupational and environmental risks. The International Agency for Research on Cancer published its World Cancer Report 2008 last month.
World Cancer Report 2008, WHO/IARC [pdf] • IARC news release • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Bullying boss blamed for breakdown
An NHS hospital trust has been found liable for the nervous breakdown suffered by a hospital admin worker. UNISON member Nanette Bowen, 55, who has been unable to return to work after being bullied and harassed over a three-year-period, can now expect a six-figure settlement from Carmarthenshire NHS Trust.
UNISON news release • Morning Star • South Wales Evening Post • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Canada: Alberta probes work cancer link
The Alberta Cancer Board is teaming up with the Canadian province’s government to develop a new long-term strategy to track and prevent deadly occupational diseases. Dr Fred Ashbury, the province’s vice-president responsible for population health, said international research suggests up to 20 per cent of cancer deaths are associated with exposures to harmful chemicals at work, adding: “Because we can actually prevent these cancers from occurring - if we know exactly where they are and what exposures people are facing, we have an obligation to do something.”
Calgary Herald • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Ladder fall forces baker to retire
A bakery worker who was forced to give up his job after falling from a ladder has received £80,000 in compensation. BFAWU member Jeffery Phillips, 59, from Clowne in Chesterfield needed a hip replacement after falling 14ft onto a concrete floor after the ladder slipped as he was cleaning machinery.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Sheffield Star • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Injured nurse will not work again
A nurse from County Durham has been told she will never work again after damaging her back while trying to move a faulty hospital bed. UNISON member Jacqueline Crowe, 46, was forced to leave her job after the accident at South Moor Hospital, in Stanley.
UNISON news release • Newcastle Journal • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: One in 10 carpenters 'face asbestos death'
One in 10 UK carpenters born in the 1940s will die of asbestos-related lung cancer or mesothelioma, researchers have predicted. The researchers calculated that men born in the 1940s who worked as carpenters for more than 10 years before they reached 30 have a lifetime risk for mesothelioma alone of about one in 17.
HSE news release • Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risk in the British population: a case-control study, British Journal of Cancer • UCATT news release • HSE hidden killer campaign •Daily Mirror news item and Asbestos Timebomb campaign webpage • BBC News Online • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Computer firms won’t chip in for cancer study
Britain’s top computer chip companies are refusing to spend less than the price of a couple of pints per employee to research the cancer risks in their industry. The UK’s multi-billion pound electronics industry, the world’s fifth largest with 25,000 employees, is defying the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and government who have asked the industry to contribute to the £600,000 report over four years.
UNITE news release • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Scandal of fake high visibility gear
Substandard high-visibility clothing is putting workers’ lives at risk. A report in Health and Safety Bulletin (HSB) reveals many retailers have been selling fake or poor standard high-visibility clothing that, in the worst case, offered just over 1 per cent of the reflection required under the European Standard.
Health and Safety Bulletin • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Global: Work cancers are misattributed to smoking
A new study suggests many lung cancers are routinely misattributed to smoking, when workplace and other exposures are to blame. Scientists have concluded much of the known much higher lung cancer rates in workers with less education cannot be explained by smoking.
JNCI media briefing. Gwenn Menvielle and others. The role of smoking and diet in explaining educational inequalities in lung cancer incidence, JNCI, volume 101, pages 321-330, 2009. HESA news report. Hazards work cancer prevention kit and cancer webpages • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Firm fined for fatal lifting blunders
A Croydon construction firm has been fined £66,000 after an employee was killed by a falling excavator bucket. P Colohan and Company Ltd was prosecuted after the death of construction supervisor John Walsh in 2004; in addition to the fine it was ordered to pay costs of £40,950 at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to a breach of The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
HSE news release • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Global: ConocoPhillips sued by cancer victims
Dozens of Norwegians, whose health was ruined working on the North Sea’s Ekofisk oilfield, are to take the giant oil company ConocoPhillips to court in the US. They believe the US multinational acted irresponsibly by not ensuring necessary maintenance and protection against chemicals which have resulted in cancer and other serious health problems.
Dagbladet.no • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Director fined after teenager’s death
A company director has been fined more than £7,000 at Nottingham Crown Court for health and safety breaches after an apprentice died at his workshop. Christopher John Pridmore, 32, was also ordered to pay £2,500 costs after admitted breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
HSE news release • Nottingham Evening Post • BBC News Online • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Britain: Worker's death costs metal firm £70,000
A Sheffield metal company has been fined £20,000 fine and ordered to pay £50,000 costs two years after a young Polish worker died in an horrific fireball. Patrycjusz Handzel, 24, suffered 80 per cent burns in the explosion in March 2007 at Transition International, when his synthetic fibre top burned for 12 minutes at boiling point on his skin.
HSE news release • Sheffield Star • Sheffield Telegraph • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Briatain: New HSE website ‘to prevent work stress’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has unveiled a new stress website it says will help businesses prevent work-related stress. The new resource focuses on its stress management standards, which the safety watchdog says have already been used successful by “many organisations.”
HSE news release, stress website and related case histories • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Australia: Unions defend safety prosecutions role
Australia’s occupational health and safety laws should include a trade union right to bring safety prosecutions against dangerous firms, a top union official has said. Geoff Fary, assistant secretary of the national union federation ACTU, said a system for union-initiated prosecutions already works well in New South Wales (NSW) and shouldn’t be jettisoned.
Business Spectator • Safety at Work interview with Geoff Fary • ACTU OHS webpages, including links to ACTU submission • Risks 396 • 7 March 2009
Hazards news, 28 February 2009
Britain: Recession brings unpaid work pressures
Around five million workers are doing an average of seven hours and six minutes unpaid overtime a week, according to the TUC. The number of people working unpaid overtime across the workforce has been stable since last year, the union body said, but added the recession was leading to some working longer hours and others struggling for work.
TUC news release and Work Your Proper Hours Day (27 February) advice • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
USA: Hero pilot stresses union role
The pilot of a plane that ditched into the Hudson River in New York with no loss of life has told a US government inquiry that airline employers must bargain with unions “in good faith” in order to keep the skies safe. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger told the Congress subcommittee: “In order to ensure economic security and an uncompromising approach to passenger safety, management must work with labour [unions] to bargain in good faith, we must find collective solutions that address the huge economic issues we face in recruiting and retaining the experienced and highly skilled professionals that the industry requires and that passenger safety demands.”
Subcommittee hearing news release • Hartford Courant • The Guardian • BBC News Online • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: ‘No progress’ on RSI at work
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is calling on the government to encourage employers to do more to prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI). The physios’ union says latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show there has been little progress in tackling RSI in the last six years.
CSP news release and RSI prevention factsheet [pdf] • The Guardian • BBC News Online • Personnel Today
International RSI Awareness Day, 28 February. TUC RSI webpages and resources • Hazards International RSI Day resources • CAW International RSI Day briefing • ILO/CIS RSI Day webpage • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Palestine: ‘Premeditated’ attacks on media condemned
The targeting of media by the Israeli military during January’s offensive in the Gaza Strip was “premeditated and precise” and in violation of international law, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). A new report from the global media unions’ federation calls on the United Nations to investigate the attacks and to take action against the government of Israel.
IFJ news release and full report, Justice in the news: A response to targeting of media in Gaza [pdf] • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Unions speak out on helicopter rescue
The successful rescue of sixteen oil workers and two pilots after a helicopter ditched into the North Sea shows why safety must remain a central concern offshore, unions have said.
Nautilus news release • RMT news release • BALPA news release • The Guardian • The Scotsman • Western Daily Press • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Faulty stair trip caused disability
A woman who was left disabled after she tripped on a faulty step at work has received £20,000 in compensation. Jobcentre worker Alain Sargent, 50, received the compensation after she contacted her union the PCS following the fall.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Foot injury leads to six digit payout
A Unite member who was off work for more than two years after breaking his heel has received £120,000 compensation. The 60-year-old from Gateshead, who does not wish to be named, suffered the injury when he slipped on a ladder attached to his van while he was working in February 2007.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Union sorts out van smash cash
A GMB member who was advised to accept just £800 in damages after being injured when her company van was involved in a road smash has received more than four times this amount thanks to help from her trade union.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Nurse gets wrist injury payout
Health service union UNISON has helped a nurse claim damages after he seriously injured his wrist while attempting to open an old ward window. The union member from Sutton in Surrey was opening the window for a patient in the ladies toilets at St Helier Hospital, in Carshalton in 2002, when the injury occurred.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Sutton Guardian • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
France: Manslaughter blast trial starts
A subsidiary of the French energy giant Total has gone on trial over a 2001 explosion at a chemical plant which killed 30 people and injured thousands. Total subsidiary Grande Paroisse and the head of its AZF plant in the southern city of Toulouse are charged with manslaughter, involuntary injury and destruction of property.
BBC News Online • Oil and Gas Journal • Radio Netherlands • News24 • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Bereaved families want action
The government responds promptly to business moans about the “burden” of health and safety legislation but is failing to consider adequately the burden on bereaved families, a top campaigner has said. Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) member Louise Adamson, whose brother was electrocuted at work, says the government should be paying more attention to the hardship and heartache faced by families.
Fighting families: Bereaved families want justice and safer workplaces and FACK at work photofile, Hazards, Number 105, 2008. Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK).
Papers from the Centre for Corporate Accountability’s ‘Future of enforcement’ conference are now available online • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Stockline probe refused to hear experts
The inquiry into the Stockline disaster in Glasgow will fail to learn vital lessons because it has been restricted to the immediate cause of the gas explosion, experts are warning. The inquiry's chair, Lord Gill, barred academics who authored a report on the wider causes of the accident from appearing as witnesses because he regarded their evidence as outside the inquiry's remit.
Sunday Herald • Stockline campaign website • Inquiry website and related correspondence from those excluded • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Europe: Nano differences start to surface
Concerns about the approach to the regulation and control of nanomaterials are surfacing in Europe. A British manufacturer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has pre-registered the product with Europe’s chemical watchdog as a substance distinct from other forms of carbon, which it says have dramatically different properties and the European Parliament has raised concerns about “potentially present significant new risks.”
Chemical Watch • Bioworld Today • Safenano • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Asbestos cancer research cash call
The government must invest millions in research to combat a devastating asbestos related disease, campaigners have said. Mesothelioma is currently incurable and is the least researched of the top twenty cancers, they say.
Asbestos Forum news release [pdf] • Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Asbestos Forum Action Mesothelioma Day webpage and 27 February events listing • British Lung Foundation events listing • June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund • Burton Mail • North West Evening Mail • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
China: Inquiry ordered into coal mine blast
Chinese authorities have ordered a probe into an explosion in a coal mine that killed 74 workers. The authorities have also fired three of the mine's top managers. The sackings were reported a day after the explosion ripped through the Tunlan mine in Shanxi province on Sunday 22 February, in the deadliest accident to hit the industry in more than a year.
China Daily • Rednet.cn • Radio Australia News • ICEM news report • BBC News Online • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Fit-for-work moves not enough
Government-funding pilot schemes will aim to help people on sick leave back into work, ministers say. The TUC however has warned the limited ‘Fit for work’ measures are “nowhere near what is needed,” adding: “The solution is instead, access to comprehensive occupational health support, far more resources invested in prevention, and greater support for union safety and other representatives.”
Department of Health news release • Fit for Work webpage • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Welcome for deadly refurb action
Construction unions have welcomed a new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign to improve safety in the refurbishment sector. The unions say refurb is both the most casualised and the most dangerous part of the industry.
UCATT news release • HSE news release and developing property website • Contract Journal • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Firm fined for mangling arm
A West Yorkshire firm has been fined £20,000 after a factory worker suffered serious arm injuries. The 47-year-old worker suffered a compound fracture of his arm, lost tissue and suffered muscle and nerve damage when the sleeve of his overalls became entangled in a vertical jig borer he was using at the factory in Heckmondwike.
HSE news release • Huddersfield Daily Examiner • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Britain: Assaults 'rife' in Jobcentres
More than one assault takes place in Jobcentres every day, official figures have revealed.
Department of Work and Pensions records, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show there were 440 confirmed assaults at Jobcentres last year.
The Telegraph • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Global: There’s only one safety rep magazine
It’s unique, it’s for safety reps and it’s out now - Hazards magazine is the only journal written specifically with union safety reps in mind. The new issue warns that as the recession deepens workplace health and safety could be a casualty
Hazards magazine, number 105, 2009. Subscription hotline, tel: 0114 201 4265 or email Hazards • Credit crunch feature, ‘Collect your cards!’ boardgame and Workers’ Memorial Day poster • Risks 395 • 28 February 2009
Hazards news, 21 February 2009
Britain: What does the work doc know?
So, you’ve been ill, you’re injured, you’re starting a new job, your job’s made you sick – all reasons your employer might want a doctor to give you the once over. But is the doctor really qualified to make an assessment?
Medical referrals in employment - Is the doctor appropriately qualified? A short guide for employees and their representatives • GMC specialist register • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
USA: Army recruiters describe job nightmare
The suicides of four US Army recruiters from a single battalion has focused lawmakers and veterans advocates on the enormous stress endured by soldiers tasked with refilling the ranks of the country’s all-volunteer military. In response to the deaths, the Army suspended all recruiting nationwide last week to focus on leadership training, suicide prevention and the health of its 8,900 recruiters.
Houston Chronicle • Hazards website. www.hazards.org/suicide • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: STUC says make work fit for workers
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is calling for action to make sure workers’ health is not another victim of the recession. It says its policy paper, ‘Occupational Health in Scotland,’ makes the case for “a massive expansion in publicly provided occupational health services to end the unacceptable level of workers falling into economic inactivity following periods of ill-health and to increase the number of workers being rehabilitated back into the workplace.”
STUC news release • Occupational health in Scotland report [pdf] • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Sick sacked RMT activist wins round one
A train driver who is also a prominent activist in his union has won the first round of his battle to reverse his dismissal. RMT union rep Derrick Marr was fired by train-operating company National Express East Anglia, ostensibly on health grounds but the union argued he had been victimised for his union activities.
RMT news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
New Zealand: Bridge workers poisoned by lead
Dozens of workers on the Auckland Harbour Bridge were poisoned after inhaling lead-based paint dust during maintenance work last year. Tests on the men, who took off their full-face dust masks because they were uncomfortable to work in, showed up to half had marked increases in their blood lead levels.
Sunday Star Times • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: ‘Woeful’ progress on train runaways
Five years after four RMT members were killed by a runaway trailer at Tebay, the union has slammed the “woefully inadequate” progress towards protecting workers from similar incidents. Colin Buckley, Darren Burgess, Gary Tindall and Chris Waters were killed on 15 February 2004, when their work gang was hit by a heavily laden sub-contractor’s trailer with defective brakes, which had run away after being ‘secured’ by a piece of two-inch fence post.
RMT news release • Early Day Motion 793: Fifth anniversary of Tebay Rail incident • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Unite launches national truckers survey
A union hotline is aiming to “shine a light on the tough working conditions endured by truck drivers across the UK and Ireland.” The freephone service, operated by transport union Unite and which went live on Friday 13 February, allows lorry drivers to tell the union about the problems they face in finding somewhere safe to park their valuable cargoes at night, and the high costs and poor standards at many UK truckstops.
Unite news release • Truckpol • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Clampdown call on deafening noise
Public sector union UNISON is calling on employers to take noise risks seriously after a highway worker was deafened on the job. The 52-year-old UNISON member, whose name has not been released, was awarded a “substantial” amount in damages for hearing loss sustained as a result of working with noisy tools, including jackhammers and compressors.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Car crash victim gets £2m payout
A GMB member has received a £2,235,850 compensation payout after suffering life-threatening injuries when he was hit by a car while cycling. David Braithwaite, who was 48 when the incident occurred in October 2003, suffered multiple injuries including a severe brain injury, serious fractures to the left leg and left shoulder, a punctured lung and multiple rib fractures.
GMB news release • Rowley Ashworth Solicitors news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Hero sought after road sweeper crash
A council worker has received compensation after an incident in which his life was saved by an anonymous ‘hero’ who pulled him free from a crashed road sweeper. UNISON member Howard Taylor, 64, from Chesterfield, is desperate to thank the man who pulled him out of the smoke-filled cab of the faulty road sweeper in November 2006.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Opera set up hurt worker’s back
A Royal Opera House employee who hurt his back while preparing the stage for a performance has received a substantial sum in compensation. Stage lighting technician Charles Spencer, 66, a BECTU member from south London, has been left with severe long term back pain.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Directors blame unions for board failings
Construction union UCATT and safety campaigners have reacted with incredulity after the Institute of Directors (IoD) blamed unions for the failure of company directors to adopt a directors’ safety code. Alexander Ehmann of IoD had said: “The unions have not been as committed to disseminating the guidance as they could have been, and are not utilising themselves as a conduit for it.”
UCATT news release • Safety and Health Practitioner • Morning Star • Contract Journal • FACK • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Global: International RSI Day, 28 February 2009
This 28 February marks the 10th anniversary of International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day. The event – which falls on the last day of February each year – is used by occupational disease advocacy organisations, campaigns and trade unions to highlight strain injuries risks and prevention at work and in the community.
CAW International RSI Day briefing • Hazards International RSI Day resources • TUC RSI webpages and resources • ILO/CIS RSI Day webpage • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Manufacturers resist directors’ duties
The organisation representing manufacturing firms is urging the government to resist calls for new legal safety duties on directors. EEF, which speaks for member firms in the manufacturing sector, says it survey shows many more company directors are already taking a leading role in health and safety management – but a separate study for the Health and Safety Executive found manufacturing was lagging behind on the issue.
EEF news release • Personnel Today • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: UCATT condemns ‘Gestapo’ rant
Construction union UCATT has condemned comments made by the head of a leading construction body, who told a trade journal that the safety ‘Gestapo’ was a problem for the industry. Bob Whincap, president of the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation, had complained: “There is a health and safety Gestapo out there and if there is the minutest risk of something happening it will be eliminated and the problem is you can’t build.”
UCATT news release • Builder and Engineer • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
USA: Contractors jailed for asbestos crimes
A federal judge sentenced two contractors to prison for undertaking asbestos removal jobs that left homes and businesses contaminated. US district judge David Hurd sentenced John Wood of Plattsburgh to four years in prison and Curtis Collins of Willsboro to two years after they pleaded guilty to Clean Air Act violations and other crimes related to asbestos removal jobs that left much of the cancer-causing material behind.
WTEN news • 21 February 2009
Britain: Downturn is leading to safety cuts
The recession is leading to some firms lowering the priority they give to workplace health and safety, two surveys have found. Research conducted for PPE product manufacturer 3M found the downturn is encouraging some construction companies to skimp on the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a survey by National Accident Helpline found 62 per cent of employees believed that their employer was placing less emphasis on health and safety as a result of the recession.
Contract Journal • Management Today • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Government fixes T&N payouts injustice
Workers with asbestos related diseases caused by their jobs at Turner and Newall (T&N) – once the world’s biggest asbestos firm - will be allowed to keep government compensation alongside that reduced payouts from the company, the government has said. Workers had been subject to a clawback of government industrial disease benefits, even though they only received a fraction of the compensation they were due from the defunct company.
DWP news release • TUC news release • Unite news release • Wigan Evening Post • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Global: Call for work road risk action
There is “massive scope” for co-ordinated global action to reduce the number of people killed and injured when they are driving for work, a UK safety charity has said. Roger Bibbings, the occupational safety adviser with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said work-related incidents account for 25 per cent of road crashes across the globe.
RoSPA news relase • NIOSH conference webpages • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: HSE asbestos enforcement on 1-in-5 sites
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued asbestos-related improvement notices to 22 per cent of sites visited in a Kent inspection blitz. Inspectors visited 151 sites in Thanet, Cantebury, Dartford and Dover, and issued 33 improvement notices and two prohibition notices.
HSE news release • Contract Journal • HSE asbestos – hidden killer campaign • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Britain: Action Mesothelioma Day, 27 February 2009
Action Mesothelioma Day will be marked by events nationwide on 27 February. The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, MPs, doctors and nurses are to press the government to fund a UK National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease, similar to the centre established in Australia.
Asbestos Forum Action Mesothelioma Day webpage and events listing • British Lung Foundation events listing • June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund •
Unite news release • UCATT news release • Risks 394 • 21 February 2009
Hazards news, 14 February 2009
Britain: Sharp increase in ‘mucus troopers’
A quarter of workers (24 per cent) who thought they were too ill to work at some point in January still turned in, research for the TUC has found. The YouGov poll found a big majority of these struggled in because they did not want to let down their work colleagues.
TUC news release • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
USA: Toxic firm wants to be left alone
A top journalist has attacked a major US flavouring firm for attempting to prevent federal health investigators from protecting workers. Seattle Post Intelligencer reporter Andrew Schneider, writing in his ‘Secret ingredients’ blog, was commenting on a year-long court battle between an Indianapolis flavour manufacturer and the government's top occupational health investigators regarding diacetyl, a flavouring know to cause potentially fatal lung disease.
Secret ingredients • Hazards website: www.hazards.org/diacetyl • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: STUC calls for ‘massive’ work health move
There must be a ‘massive’ expansion in publicly-provided occupational health services, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has said. The call comes in the first in a series of STUC policy papers aimed at addressing the challenges of the current recession.
STUC news release and full report, Occupational health in Scotland [pdf] • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Unite ‘appalled’ by teen injury fine
Print union Unite has said it is dismayed at a “derisory” £12,000 penalty imposed on a Blackburn firm after a young worker was injured. East Lancashire Box Company was fined at Hyndburn Magistrates Court for safety offences that saw a 16-year-old’s fingers crushed.
HSE news release • Print Week • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Six figure payout for assaulted teacher
A teacher who was assaulted by a pupil has been awarded £280,000 after suffering physical and mental injuries that will stop her ever returning to teaching. NASUWT member Sharon Lewis, 31, was attacked by a 13-year-old pupil in 2004 while working as a special needs teacher at Woodlands School, Aspley, Nottingham.
NASUWT news release • BBC News Online • The Times • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Electric shock for council worker
A council worker who was seriously injured after a faulty machine failed to spot buried cables has been awarded a £6,000 payout at Manchester County Court. UNISON member Anthony Briars, 36, lost his sight for several days and suffered burns to his face and arm as a result of an electric shock.
UNISON news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Driver injured unloading his lorry
A Yorkshire delivery driver who was never given training in lifting heavy loads has received £3,300 in compensation after suffering a groin strain. Karl Liversidge, 42, from Castleford, was off work for six weeks after suffering the lifting related injury.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Old diseases stalk new workplaces
It doesn’t matter whether you work in a new service sector job or an old manufacturing industry, diseases that should be firmly a thing of the past continue to cause harm. A Unite member who worked as a customer service adviser for Barclaycard in Northampton received a £25,000 payout after she developed a work-related upper limb disorder and another, a plater with the hydraulic components manufacturer Parker Hannifin plc, received a “substantial” payout after he developed occupational dermatitis caused by chromates which forced him to give up his job.
Rowley Ashworth Solicitors news releases on the RSI and dermatitis compensation settlements • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Agreement averts rail strike ballot
A ballot of more than 2,000 RMT members working for Northern Rail was cancelled last week after emergency talks reached agreement on a raft of issues including sick pay and the victimisation of a safety rep. RMT lifted the ballot threat after the company pledged to adhere to its policy of paying average wages to staff on sick leave after being assaulted at work, agreed to honour disciplinary and other existing procedures, and re-instated a sacked RMT health and safety rep.
Hull Daily Mail • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
South Africa: Mine audit exposes lack of action
A presidential audit of mine safety in South Africa has revealed a failure to progress cases against those responsible for the industry’s horrific fatality record. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says the report details 100 cases against mine bosses that have not been progressed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
NUM news release • ICEM news briefing • DME webpage • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Depression follows illness to work
Individuals returning to work following absence due to a physical condition such as back pain, cancer or heart disease are at risk of mild to moderate depression, researchers have found. But they say those who do become depressed worry about telling their employers.
Returning to work, the role of depression – webpage, full report and executive summary • BBC News Online • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Inquest narrative spells out neglect
The family of Mark Wright, a father of two who died after an explosion at Deeside Metals in 2005, has been left devastated after an inquest returned a narrative verdict. Mark's widow, Andrea, and parents Dorothy and Douglas Wright, who are founder members of Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK), hoped the inquest jury in Macclesfield would return a verdict of unlawful killing.
Daily Mirror • Chester Chronicle • Daily Post • Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Grieving mum’s safety warning
A Keighley mum has said her son would not have died at work if safe and suitable equipment had been available. Judith Allen was speaking after a Bradford jury returned a verdict of accidental death at the inquest for 23-year-old construction worker Steven Allen, who died when his head became trapped in a “scissor-grab” machine.
Telegraph and Argus • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Global: ‘Callous indifference’ to media killings
This year could be the deadliest year yet for journalists, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has warned. A wave of killings in the first days of 2009 have undermined hopes that the falling death toll recorded in 2008 might be the first sign of a change in the recent upward trend in media deaths.
IFJ news release • Perilous assignments: Journalists and media staff killed in 2008 [pdf] • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Worker killed in second incident
A construction worker was killed on a Doncaster construction site on the day he returned to work after a previous injury, a court has heard. Michael Broughton had just started his first day back at his job after four months off recovering from injuries sustained in another workplace incident, Doncaster Crown Court was told.
HSE news release • The Star • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Slips, trips and falls are no joke
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign is setting out to reduce the toll of slips, trips and falls at work. HSE says together they were responsible last year for 61 deaths and more than 14,000 serious injuries in British workplaces.
HSE news release • slips and trips tool and shattered lives campaign • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Employers must prove they did enough
The Court of Appeal has said employers must not only undertake risk assessments, they must make sure they take the necessary action to reduce risks. Overturning a county court ruling, it said that when hospital employee Donna Egan was injured using a mechanical hoist to move a patient, the burden was on the employer to prove that it had taken appropriate steps to reduce any risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level.
Egan v Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust before Lord Justice Sedley, Lord Justice Keene and Lady Justice Smith, Judgment December 15, 2008. The Times. WLR Daily. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Payout for fired flea bitten whistleblower
A woman who was dismissed from her job as a waitress at Hafan y Môr holiday centre in Pwllheli after raising health and safety concerns has won an unfair dismissal claim. A tribunal accepted Maria Moon, 46, had been sacked because she raised health and safety issues after suffering flea bites in the chalet where she lived.
BBC News Online • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Global: Pesticide is an unnecessary killer
The argument that the highly toxic herbicide paraquat is necessary for crop production has been shown to be nonsense by a union-backed report. ‘Goodbye paraquat’, produced by the global food and agriculture union federation IUF and a Swiss-based environmental group Berne Declaration (BD), is based on questionnaire responses from more than 40 major producers of bananas, tea and palm oil, crops which traditionally have been big users of paraquat.
IUF news release and Goodbye Paraquat report [pdf] • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Britain: Safety reps’ guide to noise at work
The TUC has published a safety reps’ guide to noise at work. It provides information on the law and on what can be done to ensure employers do not put the hearing of their workers at risk.
Noise at work – a guide for health and safety representatives [pdf] • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Australia: ACTU publishes nano seminar papers
Australian national union federation ACTU has made available online the papers from its seminar on occupational health and safety and nanotechnology.
ACTU nano seminar presentations • Risks 393 • 14 February 2009
Hazards news, 7 February 2009
Britain: Directors’ duties code a ‘complete failure’
A voluntary safety code for company directors has been dismissed as a “complete failure” by UCATT, after official research found threequarters of business leaders were unaware of its existence. The construction union is now calling for the swift introduction of statutory directors’ duties.
UCATT news release • HSE news release. Leading health and safety at work, ING417, HSE [pdf] • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
USA: Dressing down for Nestlé on work clothes
Workers forced to change into work and protective clothing in their own time have won back wages from a US company that is part of the multinational Nestlé. Nestlé Prepared Foods will have to pay out US$5.1 million (approximately £3.6m) in back wages to 6,000 workers.
IUF news report • Department of Labor news release • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Action on nuke inspector recruitment crisis
Measures to stem the crisis in recruitment of nuclear inspectors have been welcomed by Prospect, the union representing 15,000 engineers and scientists in the nuclear industry. A top government adviser has recommended a marked improvement in pay and conditions in a bid to address the recruitment and retention crisis.
Prospect news release • BERR consultation webpage •
Where is the justice?, Hazards magazine, No.104, October-December 2008 • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Tube driver gets bomb trauma payout
A London Underground driver has been awarded more than £4,000 compensation for the psychological trauma he suffered following the July 2005 attack on the tube network. Stuart Bell, 57, was driving a Piccadilly line train on 7 July when four bombs exploded on three trains and a bus, killing 52 people and all four suicide bombers.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • BBC News Online • The Independent • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Australia: Top expert backs union safety effect
A top Australian academic has said no-one should underestimate the dramatic positive impact of trade unions on workplace health and safety. Professor Michael Quinlan of the University of New South Wales said “union campaigns played a very significant part in health and safety legislation in the first place, workplace compensation legislation in the first place” and in subsequent improvements in the safety system.
Safety at work blog and podcast • Safety in Action conference website • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Broken knee victory for rail worker
A Wolverhampton railway worker who broke his knee when trying to undertake emergency track repairs has received £20,000 in compensation – but only after turning to union solicitors for help. RMT member Edlin Linton, 54, had previously been advised by another law firm that he didn’t have a case for compensation.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Firefighter gets criminal injury cash
A firefighter who was attacked by a group of youths while attending a blaze has been awarded compensation. Peter Woodhead, 41, was awarded the money by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Association (CICA) after his elbow was broken in the attack.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Machine fitter loses hearing, wins payout
A Unite member who was exposed to dangerous levels of noise in the workplace has received a £5,500 payout. The 50-year-old from Worksop, whose name has not been released, had worked for Dormer Tools as a machine fitter for over 20 years.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: More flak for site deaths inquiry
The government’s inquiry into construction site deaths has been criticised by a top parliamentary committee after it was revealed a large part of the evidence to be considered would be hand-picked by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Department for Work and Pensions select committee said the HSE’s heavy involvement in the inquiry smacked of the “guilty providing their own evidence.”
Building • Construction News • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: HSE backs new tower crane register
An official tower crane register came a step closer after the Health and Safety Executive backed the move in recommendations submitted to the government. Under the plans, discussed at an HSE board meeting on 28 January, the register would be voluntary at first but would become mandatory at a later date.
Construction News • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Polish workers urged to report unsafe sites
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging Polish construction workers to get in touch if they feel their health and safety is at risk in the workplace.
HSE news release • Contract Journal •
HSE: Praca obcokrajowców w Wielkiej Brytanii • TUC: pracawbrytanii.org • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Cleaning work clothes caused asbestos cancer
A Blackpool grandmother who was exposed to asbestos while working as a dry cleaner has died of a cancer caused by the deadly fibre. Freda Davidson died from mesothelioma on 3 December last year.
Blackpool Gazette • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Schools to get asbestos audit
A teaching union has welcomed a government decision to assess the asbestos risk in schools. Commenting on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) launch of its asbestos survey for local authorities, Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The DCSF initiative will result in a comprehensive audit of the scale of the presence of asbestos in schools.”
Survey of asbestos management in schools and other settings, DCSF, 29 January 2009 • NASUWT news release • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Union welcome for death fine hike
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has welcomed a Court of Appeal decision to impose an eight fold increase in the safety fine on a company prosecuted after the death of a member of the public.
STUC news release • BBC News Online • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Rail firms lose death fines appeal
Two rail maintenance firms have failed in their legal challenge to fines totalling almost half a million pounds after safety breaches led to the death of a worker. LH Access Technology - a subsidiary of the UK's largest manufacturer of rail-adapted equipment - and Border Rail and Plant were each fined £240,000 by an Edinburgh sheriff.
Edinburgh Evening News • BBC News Online • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Britain: Unsecured shifting load killed driver
A transport firm has been fined £150,000 after a poorly secured load shifted and crushed a lorry driver in his cab. Coastal Container Line Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, was also ordered to pay costs of £26,732 at Liverpool Crown Court.
HSE news release • HSE vehicles at work webpages • Risks 392 • 7 February 2009
Hazards news, 31 January 2009
USA: Work disease system favours business
A US man who believes workplace solvent exposure left him struggling with Parkinson’s Disease is fighting a second battle, this time for compensation. Ed Abney worked at a former Dresser Industries plant in Kentucky for over 20 years, often elbow deep in the solvent trichloroethylene, used to clean metal piping.
WKYT 27 News First • New York Times • Workers’ Comp Insider •
Don M Gash and others. Trichloroethylene: Parkinsonism and complex 1 mitochondrial neurotoxicity, Annals of Neurology, volume 63, issue 2, pages 184-192, February 2008 [abstract] • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Alarm over sea breath test plans
Seafarers’ union Nautilus UK has warned that international drug and alcohol testing proposals could turn shipmasters into “onboard police officers” carrying out the tests. The concerns, raised jointly with industry organisation the Chamber of Shipping, were prompted by proposals tabled at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Nautilus UK news release • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Asbestos death payout on the deadline
A widow and her children have received compensation for an asbestos-related death after applying one day before the three-year deadline. UNISON helped recover £170,000 for the family of Roger Blackman, who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma five weeks after he was diagnosed.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Europe: Chemical firms start REACH attack
Four chemical firms are challenging in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) new European-wide chemical registration and control rules. The case aims to get some requirements of the regulations annulled.
HESA news report • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Low asbestos fine “no deterrent” - HSE
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector has said he is “devastated” that a heating firm responsible for negligently exposing workers to asbestos for several days was only fined £8,000. HSE principal construction inspector Jim Skilling said the penalty given to Lothian Heating Services Ltd (LHS) after three workers were exposed was “no deterrent at all”.
Edinburgh Evening News • The Scotsman • BBC News Online • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Italy: National strike over docks deaths
Dockers’ unions held a national one-day strike across Italy on 23 January in protest over poor workplace safety, which has led to a series of deaths in the country’s ports. The action was called by Italy’s major port unions, Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti.
ITF news report • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Family's ‘disgust’ at teen death fine
The mother of a teenage ground worker killed in a farm machine has branded the £7,500 fine handed to his bosses as “disgusting.” Father and son Roy and Michael Hill were convicted of health and safety breaches following the death of 17-year-old Lee Mason in April 2007.
Bristol Evening Post • BBC News Online • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Boss jailed for roof death plunge
A roofing firm boss has been jailed for 12 months for manslaughter due to gross negligence after a 20-year-old employee fell 20ft (6m) through a skylight. Colin Cooper, 48, and his company IC Roofing Ltd were convicted over the death of Darren Hoofe in 2005.
HSE news release • Sussex Express • Eastbourne Today • BBC News Online • Construction News • Contract Journal • Building • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Five figure fine for fork lift fatality
A firm has been fined £10,000 after employee Mark Kiveal, 38, died when a container of dye crushed him during an unloading operation. Cheshire-based Townley Dyestuffs Ltd was also ordered to pay £6.963.25 costs after pleading guilty to safety offences.
HSE news release • Burnley Express • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Canada: World’s first nanotech law due
The Canadian government is planning to release the world’s first national regulation requiring companies to detail their use of engineered nanomaterials, reports say. The information gathered under the requirement, which it is thought will be published in February, will be used to evaluate the risks of engineered nanomaterials and will help the development of appropriate safety measures to protect human health and the environment.
NEP news report • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Novice burned by molten zinc
A Worksop firm has been fined £7,000 after an inexperienced employee was splashed with molten metal, suffering serious burns. Worksop Galvanizing was also ordered to pay costs of £4,465 after pleading guilty to a breach of safety law.
HSE news release • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Britain: Concrete digger cable strike warning
A Rochdale company has been fined £1,000 after a worker suffered burns when a concrete digger hit a live electrical cable. Trains (Rochdale) Limited was also ordered to pay costs of £2,000 at Trafford Magistrates Court after being found guilty of breaching the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
HSE news release and construction webpages • Clitheroe Advertiser and Times • Risks 391 • 31 January 2009
Hazards news, 24 January 2009
USA: The union role in NY air crash miracle
They're calling it ‘the miracle on the Hudson’ - the successful emergency landing on 15 January of a US Airways jet in the Hudson River and subsequent rescue of all 155 passengers and crew. But what they are not telling you, bloggers have revealed, is that every single one of these heroes is a union member – and the pilot, 57-year-old Chesley B Sullenberger III, is a former national committee member and the former safety chair of his union, the Airline Pilots Association.
AFL-CIO Now • Blog coverage on Emptywheel and Examiner • BBC News Online • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: PCS victory in EU sick leave case
A union-backed European legal challenge has established employees on long-term sick leave are entitled to take the holiday they accrued when they return to work. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling also says if workers were sacked or left a firm, they must receive holiday pay equivalent to the time they were unable to take while ill.
European Commission news release and full decision, Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-350/06 and C-520/06, ECJ, 20 January 2009 • BBC News Online • Personnel Today • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Injured firefighters fight sacking rule
Firefighters have taken to the Court of Appeal their challenge to government pension rules that threaten to leave badly injured and disabled firefighters sacked and without a pension. The legal moves started after three disabled London firefighters had their pensions removed by the London Fire Brigade.
FBU news release and FBUtube video report • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
USA: Nanotech safety may get higher priority
Draft legislation put forward by a top US government committee suggests nanotechnology safety may be set to take a higher priority. The House Science and Technology Committee has introduced new legislation, the latest recognition of the need to strengthen federal efforts to learn more about the potential environmental and health and safety risks posed by engineered nanomaterials.
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies news report • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Union dismay at fat firefighter firing
Colleagues of a Scottish firefighter fired for being overweight are considering industrial action in a bid to get him reinstated. Kevin Ogilvie, a 22-year veteran with the fire service, was dismissed for a second time after failing to meet strict weight loss targets set by his employer.
Daily Record • Press and Journal • The Herald • BBC News Online • The Telegraph • Daily Mail • Hazards feature • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Site deaths could soar in the recession
Construction site deaths could soar as a result of the recession, a union leader has warned. Writing in Tribune, Alan Ritchie, general secretary of the building union UCATT, said: “If there is any reduction in the next annual fatality figures, it will be due to a combination of luck and less available work due to the economic downturn.”
Tribune • Contract Journal • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Bad school environments are bad news
Poor quality school premises in run down areas are bad for pupils and bad for staff, a union-commissioned study has concluded. ‘One more broken window’, the first study of its kind in the UK to look at the issue, was carried out by independent research consultants Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International (PRCI) Ltd on behalf of the teaching union NASUWT.
NASUWT news release • One more broken window [pdf] • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Boots workers get back pain
Poor health and safety practices have left two GMB members with severe back problems. Nigel Williamson, 52, and Robert Cole, 56, were employed as depot workers for Boots.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Payout after slip by a hole in the wall
A cash machine maintenance worker has received £10,500 in compensation after slipping outside a Tesco supermarket.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Six figure settlement for attack trauma
A security guard who was severely traumatised in an assault has received £180,000 in compensation. GMB member James Maher, 56, was attacked while working as a security guard for the London Borough of Waltham Forest at the Low Hall Depot in Walthamstow.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Union wins whiplash case
An insurer has been forced to pay up after a Unite member suffered whiplash in a road traffic accident. Edward Haddock, 31, suffered the injury in March 2007 when a vehicle pulled out in front of his car, causing a collision.
Beecham Peacock Solicitors news release [pdf] • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Mixed reaction to new penalties law
Safety professionals have said it’s momentous, safety watchdog HSE has said it won’t have any effect on its enforcement practices, the business lobby has said HSE will now wave a bigger stick and the TUC has said its impact depends on the courts.
IOSH news release • HSE news release • FSB news release • Construction News •
Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Global: Privatisation linked to increased death risk
The rapid mass privatisation that followed the break up of the Soviet Union fuelled a massive increase in death rates among men, research suggests. One million working-age men died between 1989 and 2002 from the “economic shock” of mass privatisation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, according the report in The Lancet medical journal.
David Stuckler, Lawrence King and Martin McKee. Mass privatisation and the post-communist mortality crisis: a cross-national analysis, The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 15 January 2009. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60005-2
Martin Bobak and Michael Marmot. Societal transition and health, The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 15 January 2009 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60043-X
NUPGE news report • Radio Free Europe • BBC News Online • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Unions slam ‘wrong’ welfare bill
Trade unions have said the government’s Welfare Reform Bill is the wrong law at the wrong time and have said they will resist attempts to privatise Jobcentre Plus services. The bill includes provisions which would compel the long-term unemployed to work for their benefits and require lone parents to undertake job-related training.
DWP news release • TUC news release • PCS news release and updated news release • ippr news release • Nice work if you can get it, ippr, January 2009 • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Workers are ‘afraid’ to take sick leave
More than four in 10 Britons are worried about taking sick leave because they are afraid it will jeopardise their jobs. The survey by Minster Law Solicitors also found that almost two-third (64 per cent) of people have serious concerns about the unstable job climate and would be prepared to forgo their basic employment rights to avoid risking their job security.
Minster Law Solicitors news release • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Factory staff at 'higher risk' of cancer
Scientists have uncovered higher rates of cancer at a rubber chemical plant in North Wales. Birmingham University researchers found that at least 10 people at Wrexham’s Flexsys factory in Cefn Mawr may have already suffered premature deaths as a result.
Daily Post • Evening Leader • BBC News Online.
Tom Sorahan and others. Cancer risks in chemical production workers exposed to 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, Online First Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2009. doi: 10.1136/oem.2008.041400 • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Britain: Payout for railway injury whistleblower
A rail worker has been awarded £200,000 in compensation for being sacked after he blew the whistle on a manager who asked him to lie about a workplace injury. Jim Glencross, 58, from Carlisle, said Network Rail sacked him because he reported unsafe working practices which led to a colleague being injured.
Cumberland News • BBC News Online • Risks 390 • 24 January 2009
Hazards news, 17 January 2009
Palestine: NUJ action call after Gaza deaths
UK journalists’ union NUJ has joined with journalists’ unions around the world to call on the United Nations to investigate the targeting of media by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. In a letter to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the NUJ said the UN should take action against Israel where it has violated international law and a Security Council resolution on protection of media in conflict zones.
NUJ news release • IFJ news release. • INSI news release • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
USA: Lead at work affects the brain in old age
People exposed to lead at work are more likely to exhibit damaged brain function as they get older, a new study has found. For older people, a buildup of lead from earlier exposure may be enough to result in greater cognitive problems after age 55, the authors say.
APA news release • NailaKhalil and others. Association of cumulative lead and neurocognitive function in an occupational cohort, Neuropsychology, volume 23, issue 1, pages 10-19, 2009 [abstract] • Times of India • EHS Today • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Primark cannot be allowed to ‘cut and run’
Working conditions in Manchester factories supplying clothing to UK retailers, including Primark, represent the import of third world conditions into British workplaces, the global trade union representing workers in sector has claimed. ITGLWF news release • BBC News Online • The Observer • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Double trouble leads back to compo
The union Unite is warning employers to make sure their manual handling procedures are safe after a member was forced to give up work after suffering a series of serious back injuries. Sean Wilson, 43, is in severe pain as a result of the injuries sustained while working for Sealed Air Limited based in Royston, Hertfordshire.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
USA: Murdered shopworker’s family gets payout
The family of an African American woman who was stabbed to death at a Californian store has settled a workers' compensation claim against the retailer, which initially refused to pay benefits because the killing was allegedly racially motivated.
San Francisco Chronicle • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Second five year plan for deadly waste
A waste industry voluntary charter seeking to improve the sector’s horrific injury and fatality rate over five years has been launched – right after an earlier voluntary five-year plan had flopped. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says the number of fatal incidents in the waste and recycling industry remains more than 10 times the national average and reportable accidents are more than four times the national rate.
HSE news release and waste website • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
USA: Murdered shopworker’s family gets payout
The family of an African American woman who was stabbed to death at a Californian store has settled a workers' compensation claim against the retailer, which initially refused to pay benefits because the killing was allegedly racially motivated.
San Francisco Chronicle • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Waste firm wastes a teen’s life
A teenager lost his life after a Bradford waste firm removed essential workplace safeguards and left the worker in “a desperately dangerous situation”, a court has heard. Associated Waste Management Ltd (AWM) was fined £75,000 following the death of 18-year-old employee Kristopher Dixon.
HSE news release • Telegraph and Argus • Yorkshire Post • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
USA: Deadly return of black lung disease
After years of decline, the rate of deadly ‘black lung disease’ in US coal miners had doubled and is appearing in younger and younger miners, official research has found.
AFL-CIO Now. The Pump Handle • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Small fine after unsafe skip injures worker
Luton waste management firm F & R Cawley Ltd has been fined almost £6,000 for potentially fatal safety violations that led to a worker suffering head injuries.
HSE news release • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Europe: Euro MPs back pesticide controls
The European Parliament has voted to tighten rules on pesticide use and ban at least 22 chemicals deemed harmful to human health. The rules, which can only become law after they are approved by the 27 member states' governments, are opposed by the UK government.
European Parliament news release • Group of Socialist MEPs (PES) news release • BBC News Online • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Anger over bakery death findings
The family of a lorry driver crushed to death in Glasgow has said criticised a fatal accident inquiry into his death has failed to identify who was to blame. Graham Meldrum, 40, died after being struck by a faulty tail lift on his truck while unloading at an Allied Bakery plant in the city in July 2005.
Graham Meldrum Memorial Campaign statement [pdf] and YouTube webpage. BBC News Online • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Sri Lanka: Press freedom campaigner pays with his life
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed shock at the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga, one of South Asia's leading journalists and press freedom campaigners, who was shot dead in a targeted assassination. Lasantha, editor in chief of the Sunday Leader in Sri Lanka, was shot on 8 January after his car was ambushed by two assassins on motorcycles.
IFJ news release and editorial predicting his death by Lasantha Wickramatunga • IRIN News • Morning Star • BBC News Online • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Firm fined over electric shock to worker
A Birmingham train repair firm has been fined £75,000 after a train technician suffered a severe electric shock. Christopher Harris, an agency employee for Maintrain Limited, was working on a faulty carriage in February 2007 when he received the shock from a cover used to protect the train axles.
ORR news release • Birmingham Mail • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: UK workers take the least sick leave
UK workers are far less likely to take sick leave than their European counterparts, a major survey has found. With sickness absence averaging just 5.5 days per year, UK workers take far less time off than the European average of 7.4 days.
Mercer survey summary • Personnel Today • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Britain: Do you want an apple from the boss?
Durham County Council is giving its staff two free pieces of fruit a day to see if it makes the workforce fitter. One union health specialist said “why not go the whole hog and make it five a day? Or just give the workers the money so they can make adult dietary decisions themselves?”
Newcastle University news release • ISAFRUIT project • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Global: Work stress increases caesarean births
Women who stop working at least a month before their baby is due are four times less likely to have a caesarean delivery because they are less tired and anxious, research has found.
Sylvia Guendelman and others. Maternity leave in the ninth month of pregnancy and birth outcomes among working women, Women’s Health Issues, volume 19, issue 1, Pages 30-37, January 2009 [abstract].
Sylvia Guendelman and others. Juggling work and breastfeeding: Effects of maternity leave and occupational characteristics, Pediatrics, volume 123: pages e38-e46, January 2009 [abstract] • Sydney Morning Herald • Risks 389 • 17 January 2009
Hazards news, 10 January 2009
Britain: TUC warning on unpaid overtime
More than five million people worked unpaid overtime in 2008, bringing its total value across the UK to a record £26.9 billion, according to a new analysis of official statistics published by the TUC. The union body warned a recent trend to shorter hours has been reversed and says the economic downturn could increase the pressure to work for free.
TUC news release • Work Your Proper Hours Day, Friday 27 February 2009 • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
USA: Victory in the hog house
Workers at the USA’s largest hog slaughterhouse have won a 16-year fight to unionise. Safety had been a key organising theme in food union UFCW’s campaign at Smithfield’s plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina.
Labor Notes • American Prospect •
Books, t-shirts and other ‘Troublemakers Union’ resources from Labor Notes • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Unions welcome EU working time action
Trade unions have welcomed December’s decisive vote by the European Parliament to end the UK's opt-out from Europe's 48 hour average working week. To demonstrate the consequences of excessive working hours, GMB published a dossier of recent public and workplace deaths linked to overwork.
GMB news release and dossier • UCATT news release • PCS news release • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Work injury ends football career
A printer who also played semi-professional football has been forced to retire from the game after he was injured at work. Unite Neil Yapp, 27, seriously hurt his knee when he fell after a faulty stair gave way at Trinity Mirror Printing in Watford.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
USA: Worker advocates issue safety wish list
Worker health and safety advocates in the US have published a wish list of seven key priorities for the incoming Obama administration. ‘Protecting workers on the job - Priorities for Federal action in 2009’, released by the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health and the American Public Health Association’s occupational health and safety section, sets out to reverse the erosion of the worker safety protections that has put the nation's workers at a heightened risk of injury, illness and death, the groups say.
APHA news release • National COSH news release • The Pump Handle • Washington Post • Protecting workers on the job - Priorities for Federal action in 2009 • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Hospital fall leads to retirement
Health service union UNISON is calling for a crackdown on workplace hazards after a carpenter was forced to retire after a workplace fall. Michael Perrin received a five-figure payout at Swansea County Court after he lost the full use of his ankle as a result of a trip at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, in 2003.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Four ton weight leaves mark on head
A Unite member has been left with a deep 7cm scar on his forehead after machinery weighing four and a half tonnes fell on him. The 46-year-old from Pontnewydd in Wales, was trapped under a huge coal cyclone, a piece of machinery used to remove fine particles of coal, after it fell as he helped load it on a lorry.
Thompson Solicitors news release • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Global: Firms fail on corporate codes
Consumers should know that some high profile brands are failing to live up to their own hype when it comes to corporate social responsibility, the global union representing workers in the clothing, textile and footwear industries has said.
ITGLWF news releases on CSR and Wal-Mart • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Scots schools fail sick stressed staff
Teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has challenged Scotland's local authorities to improve staff wellbeing and occupational health policies in order to reduce sickness and stress-related ill-health.
EIS news release • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Employers ignorant of deadly silica risks
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has vowed to step up its ‘Clear the Air!’ campaign warning workers against the dangers of silica exposure after it concluded that smaller companies still know very little about the potentially fatal health risks. However, late last year a succession of industry contributors to an HSE online forum on silica risks complained a failure of HSE inspection and oversight was leading to widespread abuse of safe practices and substantial exposures to the cancer causing dust.
HSE news release • Contract Journal • Building • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Lafarge recalls cancer risk cement
Construction materials multinational Lafarge has recalled 280,000 bags of cement after discovering a batch contained high levels of cancer-causing chromium VI. In total, about 2,500 tonnes of the Blue Circle cement have been recalled.
Wiltshire Times • Contract Journal • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Dockworkers win asbestos test case
Two former Liverpool dockworkers have won compensation from the government for asbestos-related diseases contracted under the auspices of the then National Dock Labour Board (NDLB).
John Pickering and Partners news release and full judgment • BBC News Online • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Global: A bloody year for the news media
More than 100 journalists and media support workers died covering the news in 2008, according to a new analysis. The International News Safety Institute (INSI) counted 109 casualties in 36 countries, and says the great majority were murdered apparently because of their work.
INSI news release and fatal incidents listing • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Workers wary of compensation claims
Many workers avoid making compensation claims for workplace injuries, new research suggests. Reasons for this wariness include a fear of losing their job, according to the study for personal injury solicitors Hubbard Pegman & Whitney (HPW).
HPW news release [pdf] • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Taylor Woodrow fined for Welsh assembly death
Construction giant Taylor Woodrow has been fined £200,000 over the death of a worker during the building of the Welsh assembly's debating chamber. John Walsh, 53, was a supervisor at the Cardiff Bay building site in March 2004 when a cavity wall he was filling with concrete collapsed, causing him to fall from near the top of a 10ft ladder.
HSE news release • Building • BBC News Online • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Death vessel firm fined £500,000
A Norwegian shipping company has been fined nearly £500,000 after eight people were killed when one of its vessels capsized off Shetland. The Bourbon Dolphin tipped over as it towed an oil rig's anchor and chain during the routine manoeuvre in April 2007.
Maritime Journal • Press and Journal • The Guardian • BBC News Online • The Scotsman • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Britain: Ship death sailor 'needed permit'
A crew member who suffocated in a cruise ship's ballast tank did not have the necessary hazard permit, a formal investigation report has revealed. Filipino Joselito Zordilla, 43, died testing water on the Saga Rose as it docked at Southampton on 11 June 2008.
MAIB Saga Rose report • BBC News Online • Risks 388 • 10 January 2009
Hazards news, 20 December 2008
Britain: Small worker suffers serious strain injury
A petite shopworker has successfully sued her employer after developing a strain injury caused by reaching for the till and the shop's chip and pin device. Usdaw member Jill Hyndman, 51, who is only four feet nine inches tall, claimed her employer, the Co-op in Cinderford, did not take her small stature into account when they redesigned their till areas a few years ago.
The Sun • The Citizen • The Telegraph • Personnel Today • Usdaw healthy checkouts guide • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Europe: MEPs vote to end working time opt-out
The European Parliament has voted decisively to end the UK's opt-out from Europe's 48 hour average working week. MEPs voted by 421 to 273 to remove the opt-out from a revised working time directive approved by EU employment ministers in June; the European Parliament will now open negotiations with the Council of Ministers to seek agreement with them on the issue.
TUC news release • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Forty-eight hour opt out must go
Ending the UK’s opt-out from Europe’s 48 hour average working week would cause business little difficulty, the TUC has said. A TUC report published on 15 December, ahead of the vote at the European Parliament on the working hours rule, said the move would also improve the health and safety of long hours workers and reduce the risks of accidents caused by overtired and stressed workers.
TUC news release and report, Ending the opt-outs from the 48 hour week - Easy steps to decent working time [pdf] • NUJ news release • PSI news release • Socialist Group in the European Parliament news release • The Guardian • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
USA: Report derides nanotech risk strategy
The US government's plans to research the potential health and environmental risks from engineered nanomaterials are woefully inadequate, an expert panel of the National Research Council has said. The highly critical report describes serious shortfalls in the Bush administration’s strategy to better understand the environmental and health and safety risks of nanotechnology and to effectively manage those potential risks.
National Research Council news release. • Review of the federal strategy for nanotechnology-related environmental, health and safety research •
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies news report • ENS newswire • New York Times • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Rail unions to fight job cuts and zero hours
Rail unions have pledged to fight job cuts and plans to introduce zero hours contracts at the Deutschebahn-owned railfreight company EWS. Condemning the firm’s plan to sack 530 workers, RMT challenged EWS to confirm that there will be no compulsory job losses and that the firm will end the “disgraceful” practice of employing people on zero-hours contracts.
RMT news release • TSSA news release • ASLEF news release • Lloyd’s List • Road Transport • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Royal Mail slammed for exhausting post haste
Postal workers are facing pressure to complete unrealistic delivery routes at a breakneck pace, according to the communication workers’ union CWU. Workers say they are being told to complete rounds at an impossible 4 miles an hour – a brisk walking pace even without lugging mailbags, posting mail and leaving notes for absent householders.
CWU news release • Royal Mail statement • BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Concern at silence on pleural plaques
A construction union is urging the government to act promptly to sort out compensation for the victims of an asbestos related condition. UCATT says it is concerned at the Ministry of Justice’s failure to take action on pleural plaques, a scarring of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos.
UCATT news release • The Mirror • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Higher education stress way above normal levels
The stress experienced by workers in higher education greatly exceeds levels laid down in the Health and Safety Executive’s management standards, according to the college union UCU.
UCU news release • Tackling stress in higher education, UCU survey findings [pdf]. 2008 occupational stress survey - responses by HEI [pdf] • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Australia: Groundbreaking asbestos project takes off
In what they describe as “a first of its kind”, the Australian Workers' Union and construction materials giant Cement Australia have embarked on an investigation into the health of current and former employees at a cement plant that once produced asbestos cement products. Some of Australia's top researchers will look at health screening, the history of the plant and research into the wellbeing of the workforce over time.
AWU news release • AWU Tasmania news release • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: HGV worker driven to claim compensation
Employers are being urged by UNISON to clean up their acts after a worker was awarded thousands of pounds for injuries sustained in a fall. Gary Harper, 41, who worked for Quadron Services in Leicester, was forced to take a year off work after tearing cartilage in his knee as a result of tripping over a piece of timber that had not been cleared away.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Christmas cancelled due to slippery platform
A GMB member who was forced to cancel Christmas when she broke her leg on a slippery train station platform has received compensation, thanks to her union’s legal support. Margot Keats, 61, broke her leg when she slipped on a wet platform at Nottingham train station on November 2006.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Don’t treat claimants like scroungers
The TUC has said the government should provide support for workers losing their jobs instead of treating all claimants like would-be scroungers.
TUC news release • DWP news release • BBC News Online • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
USA: Starbucks payout for victimised barista
Global gourmet coffee chain Starbucks has been ordered to reinstate an employee who was fired after raising safety concerns and to pay him back wages. Starbucks was found to have unlawfully terminated the barista in retaliation for filing a complaint about a perennially leaking roof.
Grand Rapids Starbucks Workers Union news report • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Unions concerned at welfare reform
Telling the unemployed they have to take jobs that don’t exist and handing over control of the system to private companies looking to make a profit are both big mistakes, unions have said. The welfare proposals are closely linked to the government’s health and work agenda, which aims to move sick and disabled workers off benefits and into the workforce.
GMB news release • PCS news release • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Europe: Stress agreement makes a difference
A European Union-wide workplace stress agreement between business and unions has led to real improvements, a report has concluded. The report was presented in the presence the EU employment commissioner by the key signatories, business organisations CEEP, BUSINESSEUROPE and UEAPME and union federation ETUC, who said the initiative has been “a catalyst for action.”
ETUC news release • Implementation of the European autonomous framework agreement on work-related stress • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Blood and feathers firm pays for gassing
A firm that processes blood and feathers has received a six figure fine after a near fatal gassing incident. JG Pears (Newark) Ltd was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £38,052.44 costs at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to safety offences.
HSE news release • The Star • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: SITA fined after baling machine death
A major waste management firm has been fined £180,000 after a worker died at one of its recycling centres. SITA UK Limited pleaded guilty to a criminal breach of safety law.
HSE news release and waste industry webpages • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Britain: Redundancy advice from the TUC
A comprehensive package of advice for workers who have been made redundant, or are at risk of redundancy or of losing their homes due to the economic downturn, has been published online by the TUC. The package includes two new free booklets – Coping with the Economic Downturn and Facing Redundancy – as well as updated information about redundancies, how to use JobCentre Plus, how to look for a new job, and what training and benefits individuals are entitled to.
TUC workSMART redundancy advice pages • Risks 387 • 20 December 2008
Hazards news, 13 December 2008
Britain: New HSE strategy needs new resources
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the Health and Safety Executive’s new strategy consultation, but has warned the safety watchdog will need more resources to do its job effectively.
UCATT news release • HSE news release and full draft strategy document, The health and safety of Great Britain - Be part of the solution [pdf] • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Europe: Commission disappoints on electronics hazards
The European Commission has disappointed toxics campaigners by rejecting calls to strengthen a Europe-wide law that would have set targets for phasing out additional hazardous substances in electronic products.
ChemSec news release [pdf] and statement calling for the extension of the list of substances identified for phase-out [pdf] • ChemSec website • HEAL website. Clean Production Action • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Further education causes further stress
A survey of 3,000 further education staff has found their stress levels exceed the averages for British workers on all seven key indicators.
UCU news release • UCU reports: Tackling stress in further education [pdf] and Tackling stress in prison education [pdf] • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: High price for ligament damage
A Unite member has received compensation after he tore his ankle ligaments in an unsafe workplace – but has seen his earnings limited and has had to ditch his hobby.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Union protection for injured rep
A mechanical fitter and union branch secretary from Cumbria has received a £10,000 payout after suffered a slipped disc whilst attempting to lift a half tonne metal cover. GMB rep Gerard Mayne, 55, was manually moving the cover from lifting gear when he injured his back.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Times and Star • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: National Grid pays out for hearing loss
A retired GMB member who was exposed to dangerous levels of noise in the workplace for over three decades has been compensated, with support from his union. Stanley Owston from Hull now requires a hearing aid. The 67-year-old received £4,000 in damages after suffering occupational deafness caused by his job as an assistant distribution fitter for National Grid.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Rolls Royce to blame for vibration injury
A Unite member has received compensation after his hands were left permanently damaged by the vibrating tools he used while working for Rolls Royce. John Smith, 62, from Derby was diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) following years of using hand held air powered tools while working for the famous jet engine manufacturer.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Evening Telegraph • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Construction fatalities inquiry moves forward
The government has announced more details of an inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatalities, promised in the summer after unions raised concerns about stubbornly high death rates in the sector.
DWP news release • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Site workers must have their say
Construction union UCATT has pledged to play a full and active role in the government’s inquiry into construction fatalities, but says the investigation must listen to the construction workers facing the risks, not the “faceless bureaucrats defending their own little fiefdoms.”
UCATT news release • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Major injuries soar offshore
Major injuries offshore have increased dramatically, latest figures show. Newly published Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show major injuries were up by nearly 13 per cent (12.8 per cent) in 2007/08, from 39 to 44. The major injury rate was up by 13 per cent, from 138.4 major injuries per 100,000 workers to 156.41.
HSE news release • Offshore injury, ill health and incident statistics 2007/2008 [pdf] • Where is the justice?, Hazards magazine, October-December 2008 • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Browned off at cancer rebuff
Campaigners who petitioned 10 Downing Street urging the prime minister to take action to prevent breast cancer have said they are “sorely disappointed with the response.” The petition raised concerns about the failure of leading cancer charities to recognise the environmental and occupational causes of breast cancer.
Cancer campaign news release • Petition and response • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Australia: Union alarm at Qantas testing push
An airline union has warned that Qantas is using new regulations as a “smokescreen” to introduce a draconian drug and alcohol testing policy. The Australian Services Union (ASU) says “there is no real evidence of a culture of drug and alcohol abuse at Qantas and the unions believe that many of these changes represent an unwarranted intrusion into your private lives.”
ASU news release • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Wife killed by asbestos-covered laundry
A pensioner has been awarded £250,000 compensation after his wife died following years of washing his asbestos-contaminated clothes. Retired pipefitter Alfred Eccles received the money from former employer Universal Grinding Wheel Company, in Stafford, in an out-of-court settlement.
Ashton Morton Slack news release • The Seninel • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Fines for staff asbestos exposures
A Kilkcaldy leisure firm and its director have been fined after at least 15 tradespeople were exposed to airborne asbestos fibres over almost two months. Edward Dean Melville, a director of the company, allowed work to continue on the project despite concerns being raised by workers about the possible presence of asbestos within the building - work was finally stopped by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after they were contacted directly by one of the site workers.
HSE news release • HSE hidden killer campaign • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Firms pay for lost limbs
Workers who lose fingers or even limbs as a result of their employer’s negligence might be surprised at the size of fines this month for related criminal safety breaches.
HSE news release (PAS Grantham Ltd case) and HSE news release (MJ Curle case). The Citizen • Building • Shropshire Star • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Firm fined after foot is flattened
A Midlands firm has been fined £10,000 after a young worker was seriously injured when a commercial oven fell on him. The 22-year-old employee of Caltherm (UK) Ltd, whose name has not been released, was helping to move an industrial steam-heated 'DMT' liquid oven weighing 800kg - over threequarters of a ton - when the oven fell from the two pallet trucks.
HSE news release and risk management webpages • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: £100k fine over worker death
A Nuneaton company has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £44,000 after a worker was killed in a warehouse incident. Engineer Peter Hudson, 51, was carrying out maintenance work at RS Components when the tragedy happened in January 2005.
Coventry Telegraph • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Britain: Diver’s widow loses compensation battle
A Scottish widow whose husband was killed in a horrific North Sea oil rig incident 25 years ago has failed in a bid to win compensation from the Norwegian government. The decision is the latest blow to Ruth Crammond, who for many years wrongly believed her husband Bill, a diver, was responsible for the Byford Dolphin explosion in Norwegian waters in 1983.
Dunfermline Press • NSDA website • Risks 386 • 13 December 2008
Hazards news, 6 December 2008
Britain: Coroner warns of deadly contract pressures
A coroner investigating the killing of a BBC journalist in Somalia has called on the corporation to ensure journalists are never put under pressure to go on dangerous missions. Dr Peter Dean recorded a verdict of unlawful killing in the case of Kate Peyton who was shot dead in Mogadishu in February 2005.
NUJ news release • IFJ news release • The Guardian • The Times • The Telegraph. BBC News Online • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Scottish news goes from bad to worse
Glasgow’s Herald newspapers, already facing complaints of serious safety abuses by stressed out journalists on its under-staffed titles, has responded by dropping a Christmas bombshell. Newsquest-owned titles the Glasgow Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Herald has made all its journalists and publishing staff redundant and asked them to re-apply for their jobs.
NUJ news release and earlier release • The Scotsman • The Guardian • The Times • BBC News Online • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Study uncovers stress management problems
A report from public sector union UNISON has revealed workplace stress is not being tackled effectively in many Scottish workplaces. UNISON Scotland is calling for improved monitoring of stress at work, so that better anti-stress policies can be implemented.
UNISON Scotland news release and related report • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Solder flux sensitised staff
Two GMB members from Cumbria have received compensation after being exposed to dangerous fumes in the workplace. Joanne Moorby and Lorraine Sharpe suffered from flu-like symptoms while working for Marl International in Ulverston.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • North West Evening Mail • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Union fears over university’s bullying culture
A “serious and growing problem” of workplace bullying at Aberystwyth University has prompted a union survey. Lecturers’ union UCU says it is running the institution-wide survey of all academic, professional and managerial staff after witnessing a rising number of complaints.
UCU news release • BBC News Online • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: UNISON calls for safer needles
Hospitals should be required to use safer needles to protect their staff, health service union UNISON has said. The call follows the case of a care assistant compensated after she was stuck in the leg by a needle at Kettering General Hospital.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Safer Needles Now • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: New cases highlight vibration risks
Two settlements for a classic occupational disease caused by vibration show old workplace conditions are persisting in modern workplaces. GMB member Mark Twinn, 51, was awarded £5,000 compensation for Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and Ben Wright, 29, received a £60,000 payout after developing the same condition.
Pattinson and Brewer Solicitors news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: TUC welcomes new HSE strategy
The TUC has welcomed the Health and Safety Executive’s draft strategy to make UK workplaces safer. The plan, ‘The health and safety of Great Britain - Be part of the solution’, was launched by the HSE in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff on 3 December, and is the start of a three month consultation on its future direction and role.
HSE news release and full draft strategy document, The health and safety of Great Britain - Be part of the solution [pdf] • TUC news release • Building •
HSE consultation: Comments can be submitted online or in writing. so by visiting where they will find the HSE strategy and its supporting documents. The consultation closes on 2 March 2009 • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Concern about work health blueprint
More organisations have raised concerns about measures announced by the government last month to improve the health of the workforce. Sayeed Khan, chief medical adviser to manufacturers’ body EEF and a member of the Health and Safety Executive board, said the decision not to introduce tax incentives for employers providing occupational health support was “stupid”.
CSP news release • Personnel Today interviews with Sayeed Khan and James Purnell • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Bullying linked to sickness and disability
Workers with disabilities or those with long term ill-health are facing higher levels of hostile and negative treatment in the workplace, according to new research. In a survey of nearly 4,000 workers, the British Workplace Behaviour Survey 2008, conducted by Cardiff University and the University of Glamorgan, found employees with a disability or long-term illness reported they were more likely to have negative experiences at work.
EHRC news release • Disability Alliance news release • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Council fined for sawdust asthma
A Scottish council has been fined £5,000 after a woodwork teacher developed asthma caused by exposure to sawdust. Sheriff William Gilchrist said he would have fined Stirling Council even more - but lawyers claimed it would come out of their children's services budget.
HSE news release • Daily Record • BBC News Online • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Companies fined over oil rig tragedy
Two multinational energy companies have been fined £150,000 each after a court heard how a rig worker plunged to his death because proper safety measures were not in place. Norwich Crown Court was told that industry giants Shell UK, which owned the rig, and Amec Group, which employed David Soanes and provided maintenance staff, were both responsible for health and safety.
HSE news release • Norwich Evening News • Norfolk Eastern Daily Press • Financial Times • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Britain: Most sites too dangerous to work
An inspection blitz on construction sites in a London borough led to work in threequarters of the workplaces visited being shut down. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) crackdown in Waltham Forest saw inspectors order all work stopped on 12 of 16 sites visited.
HSE news release • Building • Construction News • Epping Forest Guardian • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Global: Corporate responsibility is still missing
According to Garrett Brown, who co-ordinates the US-based Maquildora Health and Safety Support Network: “The balance sheet of 15 years of CSR programmes is only marginal improvements for global supply chains as a whole; uneven, haphazard progress among industry leaders; while the vast majority of transnational corporations have no occupational health and safety (OHS) programmes for their supply chains at all.”
Genuine worker participation - An indispensable key to effective global OHS, Garrett Brown, 2008 Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene, November 2008 [pdf] • American Industrial Hygiene Association power point presentation and resource flyer [pdf].
Related resources: Prospect CSR webpages and Negotiator's guide to corporate social responsibility • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
South Africa: Some progress on mines safety
Legislation on safety in South Africa’s notoriously hazardous mines has been beefed up following a lengthy union campaign. While welcoming the new law, which will introduce stiffer penalties for safety breaches, mining union NUM has expressed dismay that the findings of a presidential mine safety audit have yet to be published.
NUM NEC report • ICEM news report • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
USA: Democrats urged to act on safety crisis
A major US newspaper is urging lawmakers to get past politics and take occupational health and safety seriously. The Las Vegas Sun, which earlier this year ran a hard-hitting series on safety and enforcement problems in construction, says in an editorial that lawmakers should see worker safety for what it is — a public health crisis that costs America billions of dollars a year.
Las Vegas Sun editorial and related story • New York Times • AFL-CIO Now • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
USA: Wal-Mart stampede death ‘preventable’
The death of a temporary Wal-Mart worker trampled by sales shoppers at a New York store could have been avoided, UFCW - the union that represents retail workers - has said. Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of the Long Island store at 5am on Friday 28 November.
Wal-Mart statements • CNN report and video • The Oregonian • The Times • BBC News Online • Risks 385 • 6 December 2008
Hazards news, 29 November 2008
Britain: Union victory on asbestos payouts
A union-backed legal case has successfully defended the rights of asbestos victims from an insurance industry attempt to evade liability. The High Court ruled that employers’ liability insurers remain liable to pay compensation for mesothelioma caused by workplace exposure to asbestos if they insured the employer at the time the asbestos exposure occurred.
Unite news release • UCATT news release • Thompsons Solicitors news release • Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news release • The Times • The Mirror • BBC News Online • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Widow receives six figure meso payout
The widow of a UNISON member who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma has received £276,000 in damages. The member, who has not been named, was exposed to the dust while working for WL Miller and Sons, a food manufacturer, based in Poole, Dorset.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 384 •29 November 2008
USA: Obama signals tougher line on regulation
US president-elect Barack Obama has signalled his administration will toughen regulations at and support enforcement by federal agencies that oversee consumer products, environmental policy and workplace safety. Workplace safety regulations will be up for an overhaul, Mr Obama and his advisers have suggested in pre-election letters to AFGE members at federal agencies.
Letters from Obama to AFGEl • Wall Street Journal • Risks 384 •29 November 2008
Britain: Fight over grenade injuries goes on
Journalists’ union NUJ has released video and photographs that show a British photojournalist being blown up by a stun grenade thrown by a Geneva police officer. The images will form part of an appeal by photographer Guy Smallman against a Swiss court ruling that police were not to blame for the injuries he suffered while covering protests outside a G8 summit in June 2003.
NUJ video clip and news release • Photographs – NUJ warns the content is “extremely graphic” and shows Guy Smallman’s “horrific” injuries [pdf] • Risks 384 •29 November 2008
Britain: Injury costs harbour master his job
A harbour master had to take early retirement after seriously injuring his back when he slipped on dangerous stairs that staff had complained about for years. UNISON member Michael Leggett, 58, said: “My colleagues and I had reported our concerns about the stairs to Waveney District Council several times over about four or five years but they did nothing to make them safer.”
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 384 •29 November 2008
USA: Hateful tactics to deny death payout
The 11-year-old son of a US woman who was stabbed to death at her retail clerk's job is being denied his mother’s workers’ compensation death benefits by the store's insurance company. The insurer claims Taneka Talley was killed because of her race, not her job, so her dependants should receive nothing.
Contra Costa Times • Risks 384 •29 November 2008
Britain: Plater shocked by faulty equipment
A plater who received a massive electric shock at work has received a “substantial” sum in compensation. GMB member William Vaughan, 55, recovered from his injuries he was left with post traumatic stress disorder.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Nautilus condemns “rustbucket” ship
Seafarers’ union Nautilus UK has condemned the “appalling” conditions discovered by ship inspectors on a “rustbucket” detained in the port of Liverpool. Some of the crew members onboard the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Pistis complained of the condition of the murky brown drinking water they were forced to use en-route to Liverpool from South America.
Nautilus UK news release • MCA news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Global: Deadly price of the fight for rights
The International Trade Union Confederation’s 2008 survey of trade union rights violations has reported 91 trade unionists met violent deaths last year - 39 of them in Colombia, once again the most dangerous place in the world to belong to a union. Guinea is the next most deadly location for trade unionists, with 30 killed by President Lansana Conte's regime.
ITUC global and Europe news releases and YouTube pages • ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations • TUC news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: BT’s crude performance slammed by union
British Telecom workers have been penalised for going sick and discouraged from reporting accidents as a result of the company’s “crude” approach to productivity assessment, the union CWU has said. Scores of CWU members gathered outside BT offices in the centre of Coventry to protest at a raft of issues relating to management style and performance management.
CWU news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Ministers back 'fit note' plans
Employee “fit note” are to be brought in as part of government efforts to cut the amount of money lost to the economy from workplace absenteeism. The idea is for GPs in England to spell out those tasks workers can perform rather than the traditional “sick note” focusing on what they cannot do.
DWP news release and Improving health at work: Changing lives, full document [pdf] • Working for Health news release • IOSH news release • CIPD news release • BBC News Online • The Times • Personnel Today • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: TUC wants more prevention
The TUC has said the government’s proposals on work and health should have been more ambitious, with a greater focus on prevention and on the needs of the worker.
TUC news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Docs won’t police sick system
Top doctors have had said government proposals on work and health may be a step in the right direction, but have warned GPs should not be used to police sick leave.
BMA news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Sweden: Bad bosses are bad for your heart
Badly behaved and incompetent bosses not only make work stressful, they can increase the risk of heart disease for their employees, new research suggests. The study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, concluded feeling undervalued and unsupported at work can cause stress, which often fosters unhealthy behaviours, such as smoking, that can lead to heart disease.
BBC News Online • Personnel Today
A Nyberg and others. Managerial leadership and ischaemic heart disease among employees: the Swedish WOLF study, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2008, doi:10.1136/oem.2008.039362 [pdf] • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Italy: Study finds solvent cancer link
Exposure to the industrial solvent benzene increases a person's risk of developing multiple myeloma, according to new research. Adele Seniori Constantini of Italy’s Center for Study and Prevention of Cancer and her colleagues also found two other common workplace solvents in the same aromatic hydrocarbon group and often used as substitutes for benzene, xylene and toluene, were also tied to greater chronic lymphoid leukaemia risk.
Reuters • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Insurers check Facebook in compo claims
A personal injury law firm is warning injured workers that insurers are now trawling social networking sites in a bid to discredit compensation claims. Insurers have previously been caught using video surveillance and private eyes to monitor claimants, but probing personal webpages is through to be a new strategy.
Camps Solicitors news release • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Firm fined £3,000 for severed finger
A Yorkshire firm has been fined £3,000 after a worker’s finger was sheared off by an unsafe machine. Napier Brown & Company Ltd was also ordered to pay costs of £2446 at Wakefield Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
HSE news release • Building • HSE work equipment and risk assessment pages • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: Sellafield fined after demolition death
Nuclear firm Sellafield Ltd and a demolition contractor have received six figure fines after a worker died when he fell almost 100 metres. The Cumbrian firm and sub-contractor PC Richardson & Co (Middlesbrough) Ltd (demolition contractors) were fined after pleading guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to charges brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the death of 36-year-old Neil Cannon on 9 January 2003.
HSE news release • NW Evening Mail • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Britain: India’s asbestos timebomb photo exhibit, 1-5 December, London
A photo exhibit revealing the asbestos timebomb facing India as a result of massive and increasing imports of white asbestos opens at the TUC’s London HQ on 1 December.
Further information: India’s asbestos timebomb photo exhibit, 9.30am - 7.00pm, 1-5 December, TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. Free. For more information on the photo exhibit, contact Eve Barker, tel: 0207 485 0476.
See the book behind the exhibit, India’s asbestos timebomb [pdf] • Risks 384 • 29 November 2008
Hazards news, 22 November 2008
Britain: TUC calls for work cancer action
Employers who risk the future health of their employees by exposing them to cancer-causing chemicals at work should be prosecuted under UK safety laws, the TUC has said. The call came as the union body launched a campaign to raise awareness of the toxic chemicals and substances that can make workers ill sometimes years after leaving their jobs.
TUC news release • TUC occupational cancer guide [pdf] •Global Unions cancer prevention campaign and prevention kit • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
South Africa: Twenty-three die in danger truck
The death of at least 21 forestry workers in South Africa when travelling in an unsafe open truck has been condemned by trade unions. National union federation COSATU said it is “shocked and angry” at the death of the workers when the open truck on which they we being transported to work collided with a KFC truck.
COSATU news release. BWI news release • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
South Africa: Manganese poisoning scandal exposed
A US medical expert drafted in by a manganese processing giant accused of poisoning its workers resigned a prestigious post after it was revealed he was a major recipient of industry cash, a South African government inquiry has heard. The ongoing inquiry heard Dr Warren Olanow, who was brought in by Assmang in May 2008 to provide medical reassessments when the company disputed the poisoning diagnoses, resigned from his chair at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital around the time a US judge disclosed industry payments to medical experts related to manganese litigation.
Hazards magazine • The Mercury • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Lift worker gets cancer payout
A GMB member diagnosed with the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma has received £140,000 in compensation. The man from Derbyshire, who does not wish to be named, installed lifts in hospitals, factories and commercial premises and worked alongside other trades who used asbestos based materials.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Public service violence up in Scotland
Violent incidents against Scottish public service staff have risen again, underlining the need for further action, according to a union report. UNISON Scotland says new figures reveal a total of 32,263 violent incidents against public service workers, more than half of which were NHS employees.
UNISON Scotland news release. UNISON violence at work poster, It’s not part of the job [pdf] • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Italy: Murder charges follow factory blaze
An Italian judge has ordered murder and manslaughter charges to be brought against managers of a ThyssenKrupp plant where seven workers died last year in a blaze. The fire at the German steelmaker's plant in Turin prompted widespread calls for improved safety in the workplace.
International Herald Tribune • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Union warning on dirty needles
Construction union UCATT has warned workers involved in housing maintenance to be vigilant for dirty needles when entering or working on properties. The union says in some cases anti-social tenants have booby-trapped light switches and sockets with needles.
UCATT news release and needlestick injury advice • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Print payout leads to safety review
A major print company has reviewed its safety procedures after paying out £140,000 in compensation to an injured worker. Unite member Kenneth Blair suffered a broken wrist requiring three operations, including a bone graft from his hip and the insertion of a metal plate after a fall on a machine with which he was unfamiliar.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Blame admitted in road worker death
A family’s fight for justice has come to a close after the insurer of the driver of a car that hit a road worker accepted the driver was partly responsibility for his death. GMB member Tony Gate from Hartlepool suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after he was hit by a car in 2003 as he put out signs for road works, never coming out of a coma and dying three years later.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Hartlepool Mail • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Turkey: Prada and Mulberry ignore abuses
High fashion brands Prada and Mulberry have been accused of ignoring labour rights abuses by Turkish supplier Desa in the production of their high cost merchandise. Unions say scores of workers have been fired for seeking improvements in working conditions.
ITGLWF news release. Hurriyet • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Action: Send off a message to DESA's customers - the luxury fashion brands - telling them that you support the DESA workers in their struggle
Britain: HSE chair wants more reps
The benefits of trade union safety reps are beyond all doubt, the chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said. Judith Hackitt told SERTUC’s worker involvement conference: “Throughout my working life it has always been the case that the workforce has been fully involved in health and safety and the importance of safety representatives has never been questioned - because it’s never been in any doubt.”
HSE news release and worker involvement webpages • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Just who is really shirking at work?
Employers should sort out unhealthy jobs before they start lecturing workers about their lifestyles, according to a new report in a trade union health and safety journal. Hazards magazine notes: “They’ll weigh us, keep tabs on our bad habits and ask questions when we are sick,” but adds “when we fall short of perfection, they label us shirkers, sickos and slobs.”
You big fat liars, Hazards magazine, number 104, 2008 • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: RMT urges greater effort to counter piracy
Maritime union RMT has called on the government to lead the way in marshalling greater international co-operation to counter the “growing threat” of piracy faced by seafarers in international waters.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Europe: Pesticide reductions edge closer
A top European Parliament committee has resisted pressure from agribusiness and industry and has approved proposals for bans on toxic pesticides. Members of the parliament’s environment committee voted on two legislative proposals from the European Commission, one on approval of pesticides and the other aiming to reduce their use across the EU.
ETUI-HESA news report • The Guardian • BBC News Online •
Campaign group HEAL has launched a new Pesticides and cancer (sick of pesticides) campaign website • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
USA: Pesticide linked to Parkinson's
A widely used fungicide has become the latest pesticide linked to elevated rates of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers have found a strong connection between the debilitating neurological disease and long-term exposure to pesticides, particularly to the common fungicide Ziram.
Fresno Bee • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: Safety reps get Hazards
Hazards magazine’s latest edition includes the usual mix of news, features and resources. There’s also ‘Souped-up safety reps’, a centrepage special feature highlighting TUC’s plans for new, improved safety reps.
Hazards magazine • Souped-up safety reps • Contents page, issue 104 • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Britain: PCS online bullying guidance
Civil service union PCS has published new online bullying guidance. The resource covers the definition of bullying and harassment, information on bullying behaviours and effects, a guide to relevant law and action points.
PCS online bullying guidance • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Canada: Video nasties miss the point
Hard-hitting and sometimes gruesome videos are being used in a Canadian province in a drive to cut injuries to young workers. But unions and safety experts in Alberta have warned the initiative misses the point, blaming “unengaged” and “unmotivated” workers for their injuries, rather than unsafe and poorly supervised work.
Vue Weekly • Bloody Lucky campaign • Risks 383 • 22 November 2008
Hazards news, 15 November 2008
Britain: Unite wins landmark disability case
The union Unite has secured a “great victory” for workers with disabilities. An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that dismissed employees can be awarded future loss of earnings when they are receiving incapacity benefit.
Unite news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Shocking rise in firefighter deaths
A sharp rise in firefighter deaths has been linked to a lack of training, investment and government safety guidance. A report from firefighters’ union FBU says in the five years since 2003, at least 22 firefighters have died while on duty, significantly more than in the five years prior to this.
FBU news release and related release Full report: In the line of duty - firefighter deaths in the UK since 1978 [pdf] • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Site union wants accountability for deaths
There are wide regional disparities in construction deaths, the union UCATT has found. General secretary Alan Ritchie commented: “Unless the number of prosecutions and the penalties increase, bosses will believe that they can continue to get away with cutting corners on health and safety.”
UCATT news release • Fife Free Press • The Herald • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Check-in staff check out heavy bags
The union Unite is urging airline passengers to cut the weight of their luggage for safety’s sake. It says as well as landing passengers with big bills for excess baggage, heavy bags could be contributing to accidents and injuries to the baggage and ground handling workers who have to lug them around. Unite news release and Lighten up campaign • 15 November 2008
Britain: Meat inspector injured by escaped cow
A meat inspector trampled by an escaped cow has received a £6,000 compensation payout for his injuries. UNISON member Melvyn Treen, 62, who was working at Chitty Wholesale abattoir in Guildford, suffered injuries to his right shoulder, neck and back.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Vibration disease leads to payout
A GMB member has received £10,000 in an out-of-court settlement after his hands were left permanently damaged as a result of using vibrating tools at work. Frederick Roebuck, 61, was left with debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) - also known as vibration white finger (VWF) - after using a vibrating poker for up to five hours a day in his job at manufacturing firm Charcon Tunnels.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Downturn could lead to more bullying
The economic downturn could lead to more bullying at work, the TUC has warned. The alert comes as new figures from TUC have identified workplace bullying as one of the top 10 workplace problems identified by safety reps.
TUC news release and TUC safety reps survey 2008 • Ban Bullying at Work Day • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Call for action on occupational cancers
Urgent government action is needed to avert the “major public health disaster” caused by occupational cancers, Stirling University researchers have warned. Writing in the European Journal of Oncology, Professor Andrew Watterson reports that more people die in Scotland from occupational cancers than from road accidents, murders and suicides combined.
University of Stirling news release. Andrew Watterson and others. Occupational cancer prevention in Scotland: a missing public health priority. European Journal of Oncology, volume 13, number 3, pages 161-170, 2008. Hazards cancer resources. Sunday Times • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Disappearing inspectors can’t enforce safety
The dwindling band of frontline Health and Safety Executive inspectors do not have the capacity to properly enforce criminal safety law, a new report has concluded. ‘Where is the justice?’, an analysis published this week in the trade union health and safety magazine Hazards, concludes: “It has far fewer inspectors to do the gruntwork, far more workplaces to inspect and a government intent on less enforcement activity in fewer places.”
Where is the justice?, Hazards magazine, number 101, 2008. The Herald. Fife Free Press. Morning Star • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Fair employment board starts work
Business groups, unions and the government joined forces last week for the first meeting of the Fair Employment Enforcement Board. Ministers say the board will lead the fight to protect vulnerable workers from the minority of unscrupulous employers who exploit their staff and undercut their competitors.
BERR news release • TUC Commission on Vulnerable Employment • Agency workers: You’re your rights. BERR information booklet [pdf] • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Nanotechnology controls are ‘inadequate’
Nanomaterials are likely to kill people in the future unless extensive safety checks are put in place, a Royal Commission report has said. The team of experts assessing the likely impacts of the emerging technology called for urgent action after concluding current testing arrangements “are inadequate” and there are “areas of particular concern regarding governance and regulation of nanomaterials.”
Royal Commission news release [pdf] • Novel materials in the environment: The case of nanotechnology: Full report [pdf], summary report [pdf] and supporting studies. The Times • Telegraph • Daily Mail. BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Widow receives £172,000 asbestos payout
The widow of a former electrician has been awarded £172,000 in compensation after her husband died of an asbestos related cancer. The former electrician, whose identity has not been disclosed, was exposed to asbestos while working for Greater London Council (GLC) and the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) from 1966 until the late 1980s.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Shopfitter fined after tower scaffold fall
An East Sussex firm has been fined £20,000 after a worker suffered serious head injuries when he fell from an unprotected mobile tower scaffold. E&F Joinery pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
HSE news release and falls from height webpages • Construction News • Building. Bracknell Forest Standard • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Fine after worker engulfed in flames
A Nottinghamshire scrap firm has been fined £2,000 after a worker was engulfed in flames. Thomas Cooper, 59, suffered severe burns to the backs of his legs, hands and arms, covering 17 per cent of his body, after a spark from cutting equipment ignited a fuel spill. A district judge sitting at Nottingham Magistrates Court found Phoenix Autoparts 2000 Ltd negligent in not identifying the potential risk or carrying out a sufficient assessment.
HSE news release • Nottingham Evening Pos • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: Customer service is the sickest job
Customer services workers, such as call centre operators, are more likely to take days off sick than any other occupation, according to official figures. Almost 5 per cent of employees in customer services questioned during the 12 months to the beginning of June had taken at least one day off in the week before they were surveyed.
ONS news release [pdf] • Financial Times • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Britain: TUC health and safety diploma online
Experienced safety reps who want to take the TUC Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety can now apply for next year’s intake of the online course. The course gives reps the opportunity to question the development and function of health and safety law, discover how to build trade union organisation for health and safety and tackle health, safety, welfare and environmental problems.
TUC course details and online application form •Hazards news, 15 November 2008
Britain: Safety reps – your rights, official
A copy of the newly revised 1977 Safety Representatives and Consultation Regulations, the related Approved Code of Practice and associated guidance can now be downloaded from the TUC website. The new, improved resource replaces the ‘Brown Book’ and is the key resource on safety reps’ legal rights at work.
New ‘Brown Book’ of safety reps’ rights [pdf] • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Australia: Minister leads union site 'raid'
A senior state government minister in New South Wales (NSW) has led a group of union officials onto the site of Sydney's proposed desalination plant to conduct a safety audit. NSW water minister Phil Costa visited the site run by construction firm John Holland.
The Australian • Business Spectator • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Australia: Unions want clampdown on unsafe work
Unions in Australia have said they support new proposals to increase the maximum fines for companies and directors who cause death or injury to workers, but say the penalties proposes are not severe enough to be an effective deterrent. They are also concerned that bad employers will still find it easy to escape prosecution.
ACTU news release • National Review website and news release • Canberra Times • ABC News. The Australian • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Global: Toxic trade defenders condemned
Global trade union confederation ITUC has joined the chorus of condemnation of the decision last month to exclude chrysotile asbestos and the pesticide endosulfan from the list of dangerous products under the Rotterdam Convention, the international agreement which regulates exports of hazardous chemicals.
ITUC news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Russia: Safety training protects journalists
The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has provided safety training to 35 Russian conflict reporters and other media staff working in danger areas in the Caucasus. Organised jointly with the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), the free two-day course was held last month in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
INSI news release • Risks 382 • 15 November 2008
Hazards news, 8 November 2008
Global: Treaty wreckers protect toxins
Governments doing the dirty work of toxic exporters have succeeding in blocking listing of chrysotile asbestos and the pesticide endosulfan on a global safety warning system. A handful of governments ignored dire health problems linked to the two candidate substances, and vetoed their including on the “Prior Informed Consent” list, which would require importing nations to be given notice of the dangers posed by the product.
Rotterdam Convention news release • International Ban Asbestos Secretariat reportHESA news release • The Dominion • Toronto Star • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: HSE injury investigation levels fall further
Official investigations into major workplace injuries have dropped dramatically, a Unite report has revealed. Research for the union found investigations into major injuries declined by 43 per cent between 2001/02 and 2006/07. In 2006/07, the most recent year for which statistics are available, only 1-in-10 major injuries (10.5 per cent) reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were investigated.
Unite news release • Incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive: Lack of investigation 2001-2007 [pdf] • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Philippines: High-tech industries hurt health
High-tech firms who claim to be “going green” are being far from frank, an expert on microelectronics health and safety has said. Ted Smith, a founder member of the San Jose, USA, based Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, was speaking at a Quezon City forum on electronic waste, organised by the EcoWaste Coalition, an alliance of Philippine NGOs that focus on environmental issues.
Manila Times • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Scottish dismay at loss of safety protection
Unions in Scotland have expressed concern at cutbacks in Health and Safety Executive frontline inspectors at a time when work injury levels are remaining stubbornly high. Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), said: “The number of HSE inspectors has fallen from 182 to 158 since 2004, ironically the same years as the ICL explosion, the worst loss of life in an onshore industrial accident since 22 workers lost their lives in the upholstery factory in James Watt Street 1968.”
STUC news release • BBC News Online • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: ‘Shameful’ increase in NHS violence
Health service union UNISON is calling for tough action to cut down on NHS violence, following new statistics showing that 55,993 NHS staff were physically assaulted in England in 2007/8.
UNISON news release • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Protest at plaques lawyer award nomination
Union representatives and asbestos and safety campaigners protested outside a Café Royal award ceremony, where a lawyer was nominated for an award for his work in blocking compensation to those with pleural plaques, an asbestos related lung scarring.
GMB news release • Personal Injury Awards 2008 shortlist • The Telegraph • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Pleural plaques protest hits parliament
Hundreds of campaigners packed a House of Commons meeting on 28 October to protest at a House of Lords decision to deny compensation to workers with asbestos related pleural plaques.
International Ban Asbestos Secretariat report • GMB news release • Unite news release • CWU news release • North West Evening Mail • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
New Zealand: Mines need worker inspectors
A New Zealand union has called for the reintroduction of elected worker safety inspectors in mining, to improve the industry’s safety record. The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) was commenting after a government announcement that it will develop further measures to improve mine safety and expects that to include legislation for “health and safety check inspectors.”
EPMU news release • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Groups call for asbestos database
Campaigners have called for a nationwide survey of all public buildings amid concerns that growing numbers of teachers, doctors and nurses are dying from asbestos-related diseases. Unions and support groups also want a national database so that employees and the public can check how much asbestos their workplaces contain.
The Independent • BBC News Online • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Concerns surface about safety watchdog
Concerns about the condition of Britain’s shrinking workplace safety watchdog have been raised by campaigners and safety professionals. Hazards Campaign spokesperson Hilda Palmer said the figures played down deaths from occupational diseases and omitted entirely work-related road traffic accidents and workplace deaths in coastal waters or in aircraft incidents, and warned that a trend away from inspection and enforcement was extremely damaging.
Hazards Campaign news release • IOSH news release • BBC News Online • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Firms fined £130,000 after work death
Two firms have been fined a total of £130,000 after a worker died in a 23 metre fall on a Maidstone construction site. Lentjes UK Ltd (formally known as Lurgi (UK) Ltd) and Rafako SA were fined at Maidstone Crown Court after pleading guilty to health and safety offences.
HSE news release and falls webpages • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Ireland: Union says deaths dwarf official figure
Work-related deaths in Ireland are over 20 times the official figure, a union has said. SIPTU safety and health adviser Sylvester Cronin criticised official record keeping and enforcement and called on the Irish government to officially acknowledge all work-related deaths in Ireland.
SIPTU news release • Irish Times • The Corkman • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Serious injury leads to £10,000 fine
A firm has been fined £10,000 after a driver was seriously injured when he fell down an unguarded and unlit stairwell. Logistics company TDG UK Ltd was also ordered to pay £2,400 costs, after pleading guilty at Halton Magistrates Court to a safety offence.
HSE news release • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Forklift fall leads to fine
A Halifax company has been fined £10,000 after an employee fell from the raised forks of a forklift truck while transferring waste to a skip at the company's premises. Lynwood Products Ltd was also ordered to pay full costs of £2,089.50 at Halifax Magistrates Court after pleading guilty a safety offence.
HSE news release • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Polish worker in machine horror
A food firm has been fined £30,000 after a Polish worker lost a finger after being told to help clean a machine with which she was unfamiliar. Natures Way Foods Ltd received the fine at Chichester Crown Court and was also ordered to pay costs of £16,282 after earlier pleading guilty to breaches of the management and the work equipment regulations.
HSE news release and food manufacturing webpages • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Europe: MEPS vote to scrap work hours opt-out
The TUC has welcomed a decision by the employment and social affairs committee of the European Parliament to scrap the Working Time Directive opt-out within three years. The amendments proposed by the committee will be the considered at a plenary session at the European Parliament’s December meeting, and will need an absolute major vote to be adopted.
European Parliament news release • TUC news release • ETUC news release • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Britain: Worker dies after inhaling anthrax
A drum maker from London who inhaled anthrax spores while handling imported animal skins at his workshop has died in hospital. Fernando Gomez, 35, died from inhalation anthrax rather than cutaneous anthrax, which is contracted through the skin.
HPA news release • BBC News Online • The Guardian • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Global: Corporate accountability portal online
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has launched a free online portal, pulling together information on lawsuits across the world alleging human rights abuses by companies. Occupational and environmental health abuses feature prominently among the initial collection of cases.
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre news release • Corporate legal accountability portal • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Australia: Truckies union moves government on safety
A campaign by Australian transport union TWU to stop abuses including a pay-per-mile system that induced drivers to drive at unsafe speeds has led to a government investigation. The National Transport Commission (NTC) announced it will investigate and report on options for implementing a national system of safe rates for employees and owner-drivers.
TWU news release • Northern Star • NTC investigation • Risks 381 • 8 November 2008
Hazards news, 1 November 2008
Britain: Work’s stresses and strains are top concerns
Stress or overwork, injuries and illnesses caused by the poor use of display screen equipment and repetitive strain injuries (RSI) top the list of workers' safety concerns, according to the TUC's biennial survey of safety reps.
TUC news release • Wales TUC news release • Northern TUC news release.
TUC biennial survey of safety reps 2008 • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Pakistan: Call for protection for hot spot journalists
Journalists and camera operators in Pakistan's violence hot spots must be provided with training and protection to deal with the extreme conditions in which they are working, journalists’ organisations have said.
IFJ news release • INSI news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Bank holiday needed to ease stresses
As recession and work worries hit home, workers need a break – and a new bank holiday could be just the job. On 27 October - the halfway point of the longest gap between UK bank holidays - the TUC and the UK's leading voluntary organisations put their case for a new Community Day bank holiday.
TUC news release • Community Day campaign • Why the UK can afford a Community Day [pdf] • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Commute times starting to decline
The number of people spending more than one hour per day commuting to work fell by 206,000 in 2007, according to TUC. The TUC analysis of official Labour Force Survey (LFS) figures - produced to coincide with Workwise UK's Commute Smart week, the last week in October - shows a fall of one per cent from 2006 in employees undertaking commuter journeys of longer than one hour.
Work Wise UK news release and Commute Smart Week webpages. TUC news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Global: Real life work nano risks revealed
A paper published online in October in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene found that measures of real-time worker exposure during a nanoparticle manufacturing process showed “elevated number concentrations during production, which can be an order of magnitude higher than background levels.” The authors conclude: “These results are important for workers, employers and regulators in the nanotechnology field as they provide information on encountered exposures and possibilities for mitigation measures.”
Evangelia Demou, Philippe Peter and Stefanie Hellweg. Exposure to manufactured nanostructured particles in an industrial pilot plant, Annals of Occupational Hygiene Advance Access, published online on 17 October 2008. doi:10.1093/annhyg/men058. [abstract] • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: NUJ welcomes progress on police behaviour
Journalists’ union NUJ has welcomed a commitment from the Home Office to work with the union to improve police behaviour towards journalists.
NUJ news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: One in 10 shopworkers physically assaulted
One in every 10 shopworkers has at some point been physically assaulted, according to shopworkers’ union Usdaw. The union revealed its survey findings in the run up to ‘Respect for Shopworkers Week’ at the beginning of November.
Usdaw news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Global: Trade unions demand nano protection
Holland’s main union federation has called on the Dutch labour minister to introduce preventive measures for workers exposed to nanomaterials. In a letter dated 9 October, FNV notes: “The FNV cannot accept the existing indistinctness on the protective measures that should be taken by companies to assure sufficient protection when working with nanoparticles.”
HESA news report including a link to the full English language FNV letter • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Unions lobby for pleural plaques payouts
Hundreds of union members descended on Westminster on 28 October to lobby parliament for justice for asbestos victims and the restoration of compensation for victims of pleural plaques. Unite, UCATT and GMB believe thousands of “seriously wronged” workers have been plunged into compensation limbo by a House of Lords decision in October 2007, which ended the right of those with asbestos-related pleural plaques to receive compensation.
Unite news release • GMB news release • The Scotsman • The Herald • Telegraph and Argus • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Australia: Health checks won’t check work health
Progress on a major programme to introduce health checks at work for some Australian workers has stalled – because employers are refusing to entertain a union request to include possible workplace risk factors. The state government had hoped to press ahead with the Aus$218 million (£86m) WorkHealth initiative.
The Age • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Unions call for more asbestos protection
Unions have called for greater efforts to protect workers from asbestos. Construction union UCATT said asbestos could be killing up to 10,000 people a year, far in excess of official Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates. HSE puts the figure at 4,000 – an estimate that has been disputed by both unions and occupational cancer experts - and suggests the material kills on average six electricians, three plumbers, six joiners and five other workers every week.
HSE news release and hidden killer campaign • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: New figures confirm work deaths plateau
The workplace fatality rate has not changed appreciably in the last six years, latest Health and Safety Executive figures show (HSE). Statistics released this week reveal 229 workers were killed in 2007/08, and show the number of HSE prosecutions, convictions and enforcement notices were all lower than 2006/07.
HSE news release • HSE statistics 2007/08 • HSE statistics webpage • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: More enforcement will mean fewer deaths
Greater emphasis on enforcement of safe workplaces is the best way to reduce the workplace fatality rate, unions have said. Responding to the latest statistics, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added “greater enforcement can only happen if the government increases resources to local authorities and the HSE for inspection and enforcement activities.”
TUC news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Triple death highlights Corus corporate role
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said the explosion at the Corus steelworks in Port Talbot highlights failures to manage safety at a corporate level. Three Corus employees - Andrew Hutin, Stephen Galsworthy and Len Radford - died in the November 2001 incident, while a further 12 employees and contractors suffered serious injuries.
HSE news release • Port Talbot Guardian • South Wales Evening Post •
Corus health and safety record • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Europe: Special report on occupational cancer
The latest newsletter of the European trade union health and safety think tank, HESA, includes a ‘Special report: Work-related cancers - Seeing through the smokescreen.’ The report includes details of French grassroots action against occupational cancers, asbestos litigation, using Google Earth to improve workplace conditions, cancers in Scotland’s Silicon Glen and an innovative Italian approach to addressing cancer risks.
HESA newsletter, No.34 • Global unions occupational cancer prevention campaign • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Man was killed by ammonia fumes
A Wigan cold storage company has been fined £35,000 following an incident in which a man was killed. Engineer Alan Golden, 54, died following a massive leak of ammonia at the Golborne premises of Cold Move Ltd on 27 September 2005.
Wigan Observer • Shropshire Star • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Network Rail blamed for Grayrigg crash
Track maintenance failures contributed to a train crash in Cumbria which left one person dead and dozens injured, a report has concluded. A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report said rail infrastructure company Network Rail incorrectly set up points that failed and were the ultimate cause of the derailment.
RAIB news release and report • RMT news release • ASLEF news release • New Civil Engineer • BBC News Online • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Britain: Firm fined after agency worker fall
A firm has been fined £3,500 after an agency worker fell from a platform, breaking his pelvis. Oil & Gas Systems Ltd (OGSL) was also ordered to pay costs of £2,457.80 after pleading guilty to safety offences.
HSE news release • Risks 380 • 1 November 2008
Hazards news, 25 October 2008
Canada: Asbestos ‘death-dealing charade’ slammed
Canada’s federal government is being accused of the “shameful political manipulation of science”. Three medical journals are blasting prime minister Stephen Harper's government for “suppressing” a Health Canada report on the health dangers posed by asbestos and supporting exports of asbestos to developing countries.
Amir Attaran, David R Boyd, and Matthew B Stanbrook. Asbestos mortality: a Canadian export, Canadian Medical Association Journal, volume 179, pages 871-872, 2008 • Related CMAJ news item • National Post • Globe and Mail • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: TUC launches safety reps charter
The TUC has launched a new charter to enhance the role of safety representatives in the workplace. TUC also wants employers breaking consultation rules or denying safety reps training to face prosecution. And it is calling for measures to create more safety reps covering many more workers.
TUC news release • Safety representatives - A charter for change • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Plasterer paid out for loss of eye
A plasterer who lost the sight in one eye in a workplace incident has secured £32,000 damages from Cardiff County Council. GMB member David Perry, 52, was working in the council’s maintenance services department, when he caught his right eye on the handle of a cement mixer.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: NUJ tells MPs of police harassment
A Westminster committee has heard evidence from media union NUJ of the “intimidation and obstruction” many journalists face in their dealings with the police. The union is calling on the authorities to improve the training of the police to ensure they understand their responsibility to the media and to better enforce the existing guidelines.
NUJ news release • Watch the evidence session on the UK parliament’s website • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Anger at crane death inaction
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) decision not pursue a prosecution relating to the death of Polish carpenter Zbigniew Swirzynski “is a kick in the teeth” for construction workers, site union UCATT has said. Mr Swirzynski was killed on 15 January 2007, when a tower crane collapsed and crushed him on a construction site in the centre of Liverpool.
UCATT news release • HSE news release • Contract Journal • BBC News Online • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Firefighters let down on safety
Most firefighters think insufficient or inadequate training is compromising their safety, a poll for their union FBU has found. A majority want an end to cuts in frontline personnel, and most firefighters do not feel the government values them.
FBU news release • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Toothless enforcement ‘invites disasters’
Health and safety enforcement in Britain is withering away and Scotland has been hit particularly hard, academics have claimed. Figures obtained by the University of Stirling’s Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group (OEHRG) show that the number of people employed by workplace safety enforcement body the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have fallen by 13 per cent in Scotland.
University of Stirling news release • Official ICL Stockline enquiry website • ICL Stockline campaign website • BBC News Online • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Haulage firm fined £5,000 over death
A Scottish haulage company has been fined £5,000 for breaking safety rules after one of its drivers died in a fall from his tanker. Glasgow-based Carntyne Transport pleaded guilty to safety offences at Cupar Sheriff Court.
HSE news release. BBC News Online • The Scotsman • Daily Record • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Firm fined £300k over electrician's death
Engineering firm Mitie Engineering Services (Edinburgh) has been fined £300,000 after one of their electricians died at work. Michael Adamson’s sister Louise Adamson said: “Scotland still has one of the worst work-related death records and until you have individuals held responsible for these, they are unlikely to sit up and take real notice.”
HSE news release • Daily Record • BBC News Online • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Minister praises union safety role
The trade union safety role has been praised by health and safety minister Lord McKenzie. Speaking at a North West TUC conference in Manchester, the minister said: “Organisations that have good worker involvement deliver better performance on health and safety.”
HSE news release • Video of HSE chair launching HSE’s new worker involvement guide • HSE worker involvement webpages • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Asbestos ‘hidden killer’ campaign push
The Health and Safety Executive has warned that “every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases,” and this number is set to rise. Former plasterer and England and Arsenal footballing legend, Ian Wright, is the “ambassador” fronting HSE’s ‘Asbestos: The Hidden Killer’ campaign.
HSE news release and hidden killer campaign • Podcasts featuring former footballer Ian Wright and HSE chair Judith Hackitt • Daily Mirror •
For a free asbestos information pack, call 0845 345 0055 • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Workers need mental health support
The UK needs a major rethink of workers' mental health during the current economic uncertainty, government advisers have said. Professor Cary Cooper, one of the authors of the report from the Foresight group, said a pressing issue was the number of workers who did not feel able to take time off when they were sick or stressed.
Foresight Mental Capital and Well-being webpages and report executive summary [pdf] • DIUS news release • BBC News Online • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Britain: Safety group backs site union demands
The British Safety Council (BSC) has backed demands by construction union UCATT to make construction sites safer and healthier. BSC chief executive Brian Nimick expressed support for the extension of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to construction, a call for more Health and Safety Executive inspectors and the re-establishment of the worker safety adviser scheme.
UCATT news release • Risks 379 • 25 October 2008
Hazards news, 18 October 2008
Papua New Guinea: Workers ‘paid to die’ in dust
Workers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been “paid to die” instead of being supplied with protective gear against volcanic ash fallout, a top government official has said. David Tibu, secretary of PNG's industrial relations department, said some businesses were paying risk allowances instead of providing safety wear, so in effect their workers are “getting paid to die,” he said.
Sydney Morning Herald • The Australian • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Payout after work-related heart attack
A social worker who suffered a heart attack after becoming stressed at work has received £175,000 in compensation. Unite member David Walker, 63, was employed as a team manager by Northumberland Care Trust between 1995 and November 2004, working long hours on an under-staffed project for young people with disabilities.
Beecham Peacock news release [pdf] • The Journal • More on work and heart attacks • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
USA: Unions criticise mines drug test plan
US unions have criticised proposed federal rules to expand drug testing to include more than 116,000 coal miners, declaring them a “distraction” from serious safety problems and asking for sweeping changes to the proposal or for it to be dropped.
Washington Post • Herald Dispatch • Union responses to drug testing at work • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Violence up against police staff
UNISON is calling for a crackdown on violence against police staff in the wake of new statistics showing that almost 15 per cent have been subjected to violence at work. The latest union survey shows that custody officers are most at risk, with a “shocking” 21.8 per cent needing medical treatment following an attack.
UNISON news release • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Apology call after exoneration of rail workers
Rail union RMT is to seek an apology from transport police after two track workers arrested in connection with the Grayrigg train crash and kept under caution for eleven months were this week cleared. added that systematic management failings, lack of resources and imposition of unrealistic workloads were at the heart of the fatal derailment that took place at Grayrigg, Cumbria, in February 2007, causing the death of an elderly woman.
RMT news release • BBC News Online • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Housing chief ‘must go’ after asbestos scandal
Construction union UCATT has called for the sacking of the managing director of Carlisle Housing Association, after it was revealed that its workers and tenants had been needlessly exposed to asbestos.
UCATT news release • BBC Inside Out’s asbestos report [video] • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Verbal abuse hits retail staff
Over half of shopworkers have suffered verbal abuse from customers in the past year, according to a survey by shopworkers’ union Usdaw. Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said: “Our latest survey of members shows that the majority (56 per cent) of respondents were verbally abused at sometime in the last 12 months, with 4 per cent claiming they are verbally abused on a daily basis.”
Usdaw news release and Freedom from fear campaign • Retail Bulletin • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Minister backs union safety reps
Trade union safety reps have been crucial to securing improvements in Britain’s safety record, the government’s health and safety minister has said. Lord McKenzie of Luton, speaking at the October launch of new guidance on worker involvement in health and safety, said: “I see it as one of my tasks to take every opportunity to go out and meet with employers, workers and their health and safety representatives to understand the health and safety issues facing people at work and to promote worker involvement as widely as possible.”
Lord McKenzie’s speech at the launch of the new guide • HSE news release • HSE worker involvement webpages • Usdaw news release • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Company guilty over electrocution
Mitie Engineering Services (Edinburgh) Ltd has been found guilty of breaching health and safety laws after Michael Adamson, 26, was killed in 2005 while working on a live wire which had been marked “not in use” at a JJB fitness centre.
Statement from the Adamson family • BBC News Online • STV • Edinburgh Evening News • Building • Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Union anger as bosses again get off
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has welcomed the guilty verdict in the Mitie Engineering prosecution but said individual managers should be held to account after deaths at work. Assistant secretary Ian Tasker said: “Yet again we witness a bereaved family left cheated by a justice system that appears powerless to punish those who take management decisions which place the lives of their workers at risk.”
STUC news release • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: £1.2m fines over offshore worker’s death
Fines of £1.2m have been handed down to two companies over an incident on board a North Sea support vessel that killed one oil worker and injured another. Pipefitter Matthew Grey was killed and his colleague Norman Jackson injured when they were struck by falling steel clamps on the Bleo Holm floating production and storage installation when a lifting operation went wrong.
HSE news release • The Journal • BBC News Online • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Mexico: Action call after killings of journalists
The Mexican authorities must carry out a full investigation into a series of murders of journalists, international unions have said. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional organisation, the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC), made the call after journalist and editor Miguel Angel Villagómez Valle, was found dead with six bullet wounds the day after he was kidnapped.
IFJ news release • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Recycling firm fined after lorry fall
A recycling company has been fined £2,500 after an agency worker suffered serious injuries in a fall from a lorry. European Metal Recycling Ltd was also ordered to pay £2,454 costs by Lincoln magistrates after pleading guilty to a breach of the work at height regulations.
HSE news release and falls from vehicles webpage • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: New law introduces stiffer penalties
The Health and Safety (Offences) Bill became law on 16 October. Under the new legislation, the Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008, the maximum fine in magistrates' courts will be raised to £20,000 for most offences and imprisonment will be made an option for a wider range of breaches.
DWP news release • Health and Safety (Offences) Bill [pdf] • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Arthritis support is missing at work
People with arthritis are being forced out of work because employers are not providing the necessary support, a new report has concluded. Health charity Arthritis Care presented its finding to MPs on 15 October, spelling out the extent of avoidable arthritis-related unemployment in the UK.
Arthritis Care news release • Working together? Matching work ambitions with health provision for people with arthritis [pdf] • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Work cancer victim’s call for witnesses
A West Yorkshire cancer survivor is urging his former work colleagues to come forward to provide information about his exposure to chemicals at work. Michael Savage, 65, from Halifax was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2005 after working as as a maintenance fitter by ICI, at the Leeds Road, Huddersfield site from 1972 to 1977.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Anyone who worked with Mr Savage at ICI Huddersfield during the 1970s or who was employed in the 824 Beta Nap building should contact Marion Voss on 08000 224 224.
Britain: Justice committee backs plaques payouts
Scottish victims of an asbestos-related condition have received the support of an influential body of MSPs in their fight for compensation. People with pleural plaques – a scarring on the lungs that is benign, but is associated with an increased future risks of developing the asbestos cancer mesothelioma - should be able to claim damages, the Scottish parliament's Justice Committee has recommended.
Scottish Parliament Justice Committee news release • Damages (Asbestos-related conditions) (Scotland) Bill webpage and Committee report. IOSH news report • Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Britain: Organising for health and safety
The difference between knowing something is bad for your health, and getting something done about amounts to a big ‘O’ – Organisation. That’s why TUC’s safety strategy has union organisation at the centre. With four new guides, available in print and online, set out “to show how union organisers, at both national and local level, can use health and safety as a tool in a campaign for union recognition as well as to develop activists and grow the union in already organised workplaces.”
TUC publication alert • TUC health and safety organisation webpages.
Organising for health and safety: A workplace resource [pdf].
Organising for health and safety: Safety reps course [pdf].
Organising for health and safety: Union officers course [pdf].
Organising for health and safety: What makes health and safety a good organising issue? [pdf]
Risks 378 • 18 October 2008
Hazards news, 11 October 2008
Britain: Six figure payout after crushing death
The family of a Gloucestershire man killed at work in May 2003 has been awarded £335,000 compensation at the High Court in London. The claim was brought against the employer of Unite member Dean Thomas who worked for JR Crompton Limited and was crushed by a hydraulic lowering device whilst working inside the enclosure of a paper slitter-rewinder machine when a workmate pressed the wrong button.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • The Forester • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
USA: Watchdog says hectic pace was deadly
Nevada workplace safety regulators say a building contractor's poor safety practices and the rush to finish work at a major development on the Las Vegas Strip led to the death of a construction worker in June. The findings by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration contained the most explicit connection to date between safety and speed in the midst of the $32 billion building boom on the Strip.
Las Vegas Sun news report and related editorial • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Wrong step led to elevator injury
A 45-year-old PCS member from Birkenhead has been awarded compensation of £3,250 after injuring her back, hip and knee when entering a lift at work. The social security worker’s claimed successfully against her employer and sub-contractors.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Childhood exposure caused fatal cancer
The family of a UNISON member who died as a result of being exposed to asbestos as a child has received a “substantial” compensation payout. George Dickerson developed the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as a consequence of playing in dust which blew out of the Cape asbestos factory in Barking, east London.
Thompsons Solicitors news release • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: We told you we were sick
People who have long spells of sick leave are at far greater risk of an early death than healthier employees, researchers have found. The study of absence records for 6,478 British civil servants between 1985 and 1988, a part of the long running ‘Whitehall II’ research programme, showed that people who had one or more medically certified absence in three years had a 66 per cent increased risk of premature death compared to those with no such absence.
Washington Post • BBC News Online • The Telegraph •
Head J, Alexanderson K, Westerlund H, Vahtera J and Kivimäki M. Diagnosis-specific sickness absence as a predictor of mortality: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study, BMJ Online First, 2 October 2008 [pdf] • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Canada: Work refusals win safety assurances
Workers who refused to work at Canadian firm IMP Aerospace because of concerns over safety returned to the job this week after receiving a commitment their complaints would be addressed. The workers, members of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), had refused to start work at the IMP facility at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
CAW news report • The Chronicle Herald • Globe and Mail •
CAW Right to refuse • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Scots body will probe accidents at work
A body to investigate accidents in Scottish workplaces has been set up in an effort to improve safety. The Specialist Health and Safety Division will examine cases reported to the procurator fiscal by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC said the creation of the department will produce a concentration of expertise and help to identify bad practice.
COPFS news release • STUC news release • BBC News Online • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Victims ‘shocked’ at flawed meso scheme
A new government scheme to pay a lump sum to all mesothelioma sufferers, irrespective of occupational exposure, could leave many asbestos disease victims out of pocket. The scheme, which came into effect on 1 October, had been sought by campaigners to ensure all those with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma received payouts.
Asbestos Forum news release [pdf] • DWP news release • Rochdale Observer • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Working through mental problems
The government says it is pushing new funds into its Access to Work scheme with the aim of helping people facing mental problems to say in work. Work and pensions secretary James Purnell said the funding increase would allow support to be made available for people with mental health conditions either already in work and experiencing difficulty, or those about to enter employment, as well as for their employers.
DWP news release • Shifting responsibilities, sharing costs: The mental health challenge for welfare reform, Jessica Prendergrast, Beth Foley and Tom Richmond, SMF, October 2008 • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Australia: Piggery workers get heart infection
Two Australian piggery workers have survived a potentially deadly disease of the heart valves after contracting a bug from animals bound for the abattoir. Doctors at Canberra Hospital treated a 46-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man for fevers, sweating and severe weight loss caused by endocarditis, a serious condition that damages heart valves.
Sydney Morning Herald • News.com.au •
Karina J Kennedy and others. Two cases of Streptococcus suis endocarditis in Australian piggery workers, Medical Journal of Australia, volume 189, number 7, page 413, 2008 • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: Firm fined over falls risk
A North East roofing company has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,028 after it failed to ensure that roofing work was carried out safely on an industrial building on Wearside. Abercorn Homes Ltd was found guilty at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court of two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE news release and information on the Work at Heights Regulations • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
Britain: HSE office checklist for safety reps
The Health and Safety Executive has published an online display screen equipment assessment checklist “to help safety reps and other officials to assess the risks to workers from visual display units and comply with legal requirements.” The eight page document covers display screens, keyboards, trackball/computer mouse, software, furniture, environment and, finally, questions to ask the person actually using the workstation. Use it and tell us what you make of it.
HSE checklist [pdf] • How was it for you? • Risks 377 • 11 October 2008
