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Health and Safety Whats Hot:
European H&S Week 20 to 25 October 2008
The European Agency for Safety and Health at work has launched a two year campaign on risk assessment covering European Week in 2008 and in 2009.
The Agency argues that risk assessment is the cornerstone to good health and safety management. If the risk assessment process - the start of the risk management approach - is not done well or not done at all, the appropriate preventive measures are unlikely to be in place. As the Agency campaign leaflet explains ‘What is needed is an integrated risk assessment approach that takes into account the different steps of risk assessment, the different needs of individual employers, the changing world of work, and a participatory approach involving everyone in the workplace.’ As in previous years, the HSE is promoting the European campaign in the The HSE is working with the TUC to provide training courses on risk assessment for safety reps and the TUC has also produced its own guide to risk assessments. To find out more about the safety rep training courses go to http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/education/learn-2407-f0.cfm
Usdaw Warehousing Guidance
A new Usdaw guide is available for safety reps working in warehouses. ‘Distributing Safety’ is based on the HSE’s Warehousing and Storage – A Guide to Health and Safety’ (HSG76).
The guidance was launched at Usdaw’s Warehousing Conference in According to the HSE, 10,000 work related accidents in storage, warehousing and road haulage were reported to the HSE in 2005/6. Over 1,700 of these accidents were classified as major injuries such as fractures and amputations. The main causes of deaths are being run over by workplace vehicles and falls from height. Over 20,000 Usdaw members work in distribution in warehouses handling large volumes of goods. ‘Distributing Safety’ contains guidance on slips and trips, manual handling, vehicle movements, lift trucks, falls from height, working in chillers and freezers, storage systems and welfare.
Hazards Conference 2008
The 19th National Hazards Conference takes place at Keele University Newcastle-under-Lyme on 18 to 20 July.
The conference is the New TUC Hazards at Work Guide now available
A completely new and revised 2007 version of the TUC Hazards at Work book is now available from the stationery department at Central Office.
The book is available to Usdaw safety reps at the reduced price of £14 + postage and packing, a total of £16.00. The book also has the Usdaw logo printed on the front cover.
The Hazards at Work manual is an essential book for safety representatives. A complete new edition will continue to be published every two or three years to ensure that reps are kept fully updated, this is the second edition.
To order a copy contact your Branch Secretary or your local Usdaw office. A copy of the order form can be downloaded from the website at http://www.usdaw.org.uk/healthandsafety/toolkit/
Slips Shatter Lives
HSE is running a new campaign in February and March 2008 on slips, trips and falls in the workplace with a focus on higher risk workplaces in retail and the food industry.
More than 1,000 workers a month suffer a serious injury following a slip, trip or fall. The campaign is aimed primarily at those most at risk of a slip, trip or fall at work and those best placed to take action - construction workers, electricians, gas fitters other tradespeople, and site managers, kitchen managers and chefs, food retail staff, area and store managers, food operatives and their shift managers. However slips, trips and falls accidents do happen in any workplace and we would urge anyone where slips, trips and falls are a risk to get involved in the campaign. To find out how you can get involved sign up for the free regular update. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the risks and help those involved to take simple action that will prevent slips trips and falls. Slips, trips and falls at work shatter lives. RSI Action Day 29 February
International RSI Action Day is held on the last day of February every year (as this is the only non-repetive day in the calendar). This year it falls on Friday 29 February.
To mark the event, the Hazards campaign has produced a special 'Repeat after me' RSI day poster. The massively popular posters, produced by Hazards magazine, say: 'Repeat after me: Too much, too fast, too often is too painful too stand. Repetitive strain injuries. Don't let them repeat the same old mistakes.' Copies of the poster can be ordered from mail@gmhazards.org.uk . Manchester RSI Support an Action Group (MARSAG) is also organising a public meeting to raise awareness at 6.30 p.m. on 29 February in the Friends' Meeting House in Manchester. For further details email mail@gmhazards.org.uk or phone 0161 636 7557. RSI Action is also organising an awareness day from 9.15 am to 4.45 pm on Saturday 1 March at the Friends House on Euston Road in London. Anyone wishing to attend the London event is asked to register in advance - email info@RSIAction.org.uk .
HSE Falls from Vehicles Campaign
Approximately 2000 workers are seriously injured every year as a result of falling from a vehicle with an average of 5 workers dying. 90% of the falls are from below head height and the estimated economic and human cost of the incidents we know about is £36.7 million.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risk of falling that workers are exposed to when accessing and/or working at height on vehicles and the actions that should be taken to minimise these risks. We are targetting key audiences with the message that; Click here to sign up for e-bulletins about the campaign. Musculoskeletal Disorders - TUC short course for European Safety & Health Week 2007
The TUC and the European Agency for Safety & Health at Work are organising a two-day course for safety reps at 4 venues around the country to promote awareness of Musculoskeletal Disorders as part of European Week for Safety and Health in October.
The course will run in London, Manchester, Glasgow and South Wales. It is designed to equip Health & Safety Reps with the skills to address work related issues that pose a potential risk of causing Musculoskeletal Disorders to workers. HSE trainers will attend the course to introduce new tools that reps can use for this purpose. London - 22/23 October at Congress House. Download the application form here Monday is WMD
Its International Workers’ Memorial Day is on Monday (28 April). This year’s theme is ‘Good Occupational Health for all Workers’.
To mark the day, wear your purple 'forget-me-not ribbons' the symbol of Workers Memorial Day (available from Greater Manchester Hazards Centre)www.gmhazards.org.uk/wmdribbonof.doc. Talk to colleagues at work and make them aware of the Day (an Usdaw leaflet about WMD and the main issues has been circulated to all branches). Check with your local Trades Council or TUC education centre to find out about local meetings or events and encourage members to attend. As WMD falls on the Monday of the Annual Delegate Meeting, purple ribbons will be available at conference along with copies of the Usdaw leaflet. For more information about the international event go to www.hazards.org/wmd/. TUC National Inspection Day 24 October
The TUC has designated the Wednesday of European Health and Safety Week as "National Inspection Day". They want trade union safety reps to get out into their workplaces on 24 October to carry out workplace inspections.
This year the theme for European Health and Safety Week is musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs like back pain and RSI are a significant risk for many Usdaw members, so the theme offers a good topic for Usdaw safety reps to inspect on. When doing an inspection make sure that you talk to the workers (both members and non-members) to find out what their concerns are.
The HSE has added new resources for union reps to its web pages for European Health and Safety Week. The resources for health and safety reps on the HSE web pages include checklists on upper limb disorders, manual handling and VDU workl-stations. They can be downloaded at www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/euroweek/safetyrepresources.htm. The HSE also provides inspection report forms at www.hse.gov.uk/workers/safetyreps/index.htm so you can give managers a written report of the result of the inspection.
Tesco reps should already be in the middle of a campaign on manual handling promoted by the company. A key part of the campaign is the use of inspection checklists to identify possible manual handling risks. Wherever you work, if you are an Usdaw safety rep, please get out and inspect on National Inspection Day! Workers Memorial Day
28th April is Workers Memorial day when workers everywhere remember colleagues who have died in workplace accidents or as a result of occupational illness such as mesothelioma.
Usdaw has been supporting WMD since1995 and was one of the first unions in Britain to do so. The theme of this years day is inspection and enforcement. This is aimed at making sure that rogue employers are brought to book as a result of more scrutiny by the HSE. Dorothy Wright is a founder member of FACK ( Families Against Corporate Killers) and she has put a petition on the Prime Ministers pm petition site asking for WMD to be declared a national day of mourning. Please use the link below to sign up and pass it on to TU branches, friends, family, MPs MEPs and anyone else you can think of. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/workersmemorial/
Improving worker involvement
Consutation about workers involvement in health and safety is taking place until 8th September 2006
The involvement of people who actually do the job is seen a vital by the HSC in reducing the number of accidents at work and improving health and safety in general. They are proposing some improvements to safety rep rights that the unions want to support. A number of public meetings are being organised around the country by the HSE as part of the consultation in late May/early June. Click here for details. Members who can't make it to the meetings can get copies of the consultation documents from the HSE website and can reply online. Please do let the HSE know your views and support the case for extended rights for safety reps. Ban Bullying at Work Day
Bullying at work is a major cause of stress for millions of workers in the UK. The TUC is calling for all unions to support national Ban Bullying at Work Day on 7 November.
Bullying is a daily reality and a serious issue for many Usdaw members. Bullying can often be carried out by managers and supervisors. Violence and abuse from customers is also part of the growing problem of bullying at work. Figures from the British Retail Consortium show that around 350,000 retail staff are verbally abused or threatened at work by members of the public every year. Ban Bullying at Work Day on 7 November is being promoted by the Andrea Adams Trust. More information about the event is available on the Ban Bullying at Work website. If you are concerned about bullying where you work, have a look at Usdaw's own advice leaflet for workplace reps - Lets Put a Stop to Bullying at Work. Or you may find the recent TUC guide for safety rep helpful. This year the International Stress Management Association has also moved National Stress Awareness Day to 7 November. The link between bullying and stress is clear. Your view of the value of ISMA's top stress-buster (to 'Smile away stress') might be affected if you are on the receiving end of some workplace bullying!
Sign our road risk petition!
Usdaw is supporting an e-petition from Preston Trades Council calling for work-related road traffic accidents to be reportable.
20 people on average are killed weekly by work-related road crashes (UK Government statistics). Employers often cause or contribute to these deaths by excluding driving from their Health & Safety arrangements, placing responsibility on individual drivers' behaviour, not satisfying legal duties to assess/mitigate risk, pressurising by unreasonable targets, occupational hazards - long hours, stress, bullying, and not recognising driving is integral to many peoples’ work. Health and Safety Executive annual work-related accidents/deaths statistics are wrong, as work-related road incidents are excluded. The Government must act immediately to make reportable under RIDDOR all injuries and deaths to workers/members of the public from work-related traffic incidents, improve enforcement by HSE, local authorities & police of employers’ statutory duties under existing legislation and enable the prosecution of negligent employers for corporate killing. The petition is endorsed by all UK trade unions representing members who drive whilst at work. HSE slips and trips campaign
In October the HSE is running a major campaign to prevent slipping and tripping in the worklpace. They want all safety reps to play their part.
The HSE is running a major national partnership campaign from 3 to 28 October to reduce the incidence of slipping and tripping injuries at work. Called "Watch Your Step" the aim is to raise awareness about the seriousness of these accidents. Far from being minor, they cause over 11,000 major injuries every year. Often they can be prevented by simple improvements in house-keeping or changes in working practices. The campaign will focus on the sectors where the risk is highest - including retails and food manufacture. Usdaw wants all safety reps to use the Union's Risk Mapping Tool to focus on slipping and tripping hazards during TUC National Inspection Day on 26 October. Work your proper hours
We've knocked off for the day. See you Monday!
Over five million people at work in the For more information and resources to help you with Work Your Proper Hours Day go to the TUC Worksmart website
Working Together for Healthy Workplaces - North West TUC conferenceThe North West TUC is organising a conference for safety reps on 8 February 2007 at Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Old Trafford, ManchesterThe conference will focus on what safety reps do in the workplace around occupational health, the successes they achieve and how Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities officers can support them - Working together for healthy workplaces.
For further information and to book a place at the conference contact: North West TUC, Cotton Exchange, Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9UD E mail: amanning@tuc.org.uk Tele: 0151 236 5432 Last chance to enter for food and drink industry award
The National Food, Drink and Hospitality Health and
Safety Awards aim to stimulate original thinking in the
food, drink and hospitality industry. There are two
awards. One is open to safety representatives and employee representatives working in the sector.
The second award is open to health and safety advisers, occupational nurses, hygienists, ergonomists, engineers and process operators.You can enter the awards as an individual or as part of a team. Two winners will each receive a trophy and £500 to be presented at the Food This new Award scheme is being staged by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), supported by the Food Manufacture Health and Safety Forum, which includes food and drink trade associations, the food industry trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive. The deadline for applications is 1 August 2007. So if you have made a difference as a safety rep and you work in food or drink manufacturing go to the IOSH website and download the details or contact Ruth Thorpe at IOSh (email ruth.thorpe@iosh.co.uk or phone 0116 257 3144 ) TUC/CBI statement on HIV/Aids
To mark World AIDS Day, the TUC and the CBI have released a statement calling on employers and unions to work together to combat the spread of the disease and the devastating impact it is having upon people and productivity around the globe.
HIV/AIDS is having a devastating impact on labour, productivity and economic growth in many countries. While the highest prevalence continues to be in sub Saharan Africa, Asia, too, has a large number of people living with HIV and other regions are impacted as well. Globally, around 40 million people are currently living with it and nine out of ten of these are in the prime of their life. The statement welcomes the work that is being done by many UK multinationals and by trade unions to provide education, treatment and support. It acknowledges the comitment of international organisations like the Global Business Coalition, the International Trade Union Confederation and the global Union Federations to work with their members and with development partners. It warns against complacency in the UK. Much has been done to tackle discrimination associated with the disease including the application of the Disability Discrimination Act to people living wth HIV/AIDS. But there is concern that awareness of the threat to public health has diminished in recent years. The statement concludes 'The CBI and the TUC are committed to working together to help our respective members deal with the issues raised by HIV/AIDS and we will look for opportunities to collaborate with others too. We will help to spread good practice by companies and unions whenever the opportunity arises. As we mark World AIDS Day, we hope that we can make our own small contribution to the collective attempt to eliminate HIV/AIDS.' Wed 1 November - Stress Awareness Day
Stress is still the biggest problem facing UK workplaces, with excessive workloads, job cuts and rapid change the most common triggers for rising stress levels amongst employees, according to new research published by the TUC.
The figures, released in advance of International Stress Awareness Day, show that six out of ten union safety reps (61 per cent) questioned by the TUC for its 2006 biennial safety reps survey found stress to be their most pressing concern at work. Two years ago when the TUC last carried out its survey, 58 per cent of reps cited stress as the number one hazard at work, whereas in 2002, this figure was just 56 per cent. And stress seems to be more of an issue in larger workplaces. In firms employing less than 50 staff, stress was the top concern for 58 per cent of safety reps, but in organisations with more than 1,000 employees, the figure rises to 67 per cent. TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said, 'With time taken off work because of stress costing UK businesses some £3.7 billion a year, it makes no sense for employers to be ignoring the problem. The Health and Safety Executive has made it easy for them and produced new management standards to help them tackle stress. Bosses should be doing all they can to make sure their workplaces become as stress-free as possible.' When asked what were the factors most likely to lead to problems with stress at work, over three-quarters of the reps (76 per cent) said that excessive workloads were to blame. Other issues cited include cuts in staffing levels (57 per cent), rapid change (53 per cent), long hours working (34 per cent) and bullying (33 per cent). New Version
A completely new version of 'Hazards at Work' is now available from the Central Office Stationery Department.
'Hazards at Work' is the definitive TUC guide to health and safety for trade union safety reps. The new version consists of 52 chapters in a 334 page A4-sized book. It has been completely revamped to make it even more practical and user friendly than the previous ring-binder version. Single. copies direct from the TUC will cost around £15 (+ p/p) for safety reps. Usdaw’s Health and Safety Section has secured a bulk purchase discount. If you order your copies from the Usdaw's Stationery Department they cost Branches and Safety Reps £12 + p/p (£13:20 in total). They also carry the Usdaw logo on the front cover. The 'Hazards at Work' manual is an essential book for safety representatives. A complete new edition will be published every two or three years to ensure that reps are kept fully updated. Order now to avoid disappointment by downloading an order form here 'Tis the season to be jolly!
The works ‘Christmas do’ season is upon us and the TUC and RoSPA have come up with a Christmas safety guide to the office party called the Office Party Planner!
The problems can be the same whether in the office or the staff canteen. The guide on the TUC's Worksmart website points out that it’s always safer to book your works bash at a hotel, bar or restaurant. The facilities there are designed for people to have a good time. But many workplaces end up having the Christmas do in the office, canteen or similar place then there are risks that people need to be aware of. The guide gives sensible advice about the pitfalls to avoid from putting up the decorations to serving the drinks to illicit use of the photocopier! There are also seasonal e-cards to send and advice for those who have to work over the festive season. And for those who like to give each other pressies, there's an electronic Secret Santa organiser. Seasons Greetings from the H&S team at Usdaw! Club and bar staff need protection too
The TUC is calling on the Government to extend the proposed smoking ban in England to all indoor workplaces. Show your support before 5 Sept.
In England, the Government's present proposals to ban smoking in public buildings would exempt private clubs and pubs where no food is served. The TUC argues that workers in those pubs and clubs need the same protection as workers in other workplaces. The Department of Health’s consultation on their proposals finishes on 5 September. The TUC is urging all pub and club workers who might be affected by the proposed loophole to let Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt know what they think. It has set up a special website to allow workers to send a standard letter or to add their comments – www.tuc.org.uk/smokefreebars TUC National Inspection Day - 25 October
Wednesday 25 October is TUC National Inspection Day. So safety reps around the country need to get their clipboards out and go inspecting!
The TUC has designated the Wednesday of European Week for Safety and Health at Work as National Inspection Day. The right of safety reps to inspect the workplace on a regular basis is one of the key functions in the Safety Representative and Safety Committee Regulations.This year the European Week coincides with the HSE's Better Backs campaign. For the first time, the HSE has produced two leaflets aimed exclusively at trade union safety reps. One is a simple manual handling inspection checklist that can be used to inspect for manual handling tasks that carry a risk of back injury at work. The HSE checklist is a fantastic tool for Usdaw safety reps to use to make their contribution to the Better Backs campaign and TUC National Inspection Day. To help Usdaw reps who work in retail, the union has also produced its own 'Health Check for Check Outs'. This quick 10-point checklist covers some of the common risks for check out operators and advises reps on how to make further investigations if they think there is a problem. So wherever you work, if you are an Usdaw health and safety rep, on Wednesday this week - get inspecti |
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