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WE’RE “SO GOOD”! Hazards has won a top UK journalism award. At a 23 January 2007 ceremony held at Bafta in London, the Hazards editorial team received The Work Foundation’s Workworld Media Award 2006 for online journalism. The judges said Hazards “is so good that it not only renders the material detailed and probing, but also lively and gutsy as well."
The Work Foundation press release

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LATEST NEWS
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Global: New union push on work cancers
Union bodies worldwide are increasing the pressure for an end to workplace cancer risks. Australian national union federation ACTU has launched a zero cancer campaign and says more than 1.5 million workers may be exposed to cancer-causing substances on the job without even knowing it.
BWI news releaseGlobal Unions occupational cancer prevention campaignRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Australia: Union alert on formaldehyde cancers
Australia's biggest building union is calling on the federal government to start an urgent investigation into the use of formaldehyde in household products. CFMEU said formaldehyde poses a real cancer risk to workers and must be subject to stringent laws.
CFMEU news release • Atsuya Takagi and others. Induction of mesothelioma in p53+/- mouse by intraperitoneal application of multi-wall carbon nanotube, Journal of Toxicological Sciences, volume 33, number 1, pages 105-116, 2008 [pdf]Risks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Safety reps get well active!
The TUC is to train up thousands of workplace safety reps to target prevention efforts at the work-related health problems that affect over two million workers. A new occupational health guide from TUC intends to improve the skills and activity level of safety reps. Over the next year, the TUC hopes that around 15,000 workplace safety reps can be trained using the new educational workbook, ‘Occupational health: Dealing with the issues’.
TUC news releaseUnionlearnRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

USA: Latinos worst affected by deaths hike
Workplace fatalities have increased sharply for Latino and immigrant workers in the US, according to a shocking new report. The new edition of ‘Death on the job: The toll of neglect’, published by the US national union federation AFL-CIO, reports that 2006 fatal injuries among Latino workers increased by seven per cent, with 990 fatalities.
AFL-CIO news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Computer chip firms in cancer ‘fantasy’
The microelectronics industry is inhabiting an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ fantasy world when it comes to facing up to possible cancer risks to its staff, the union Unite has warned. It is pressing for the UK computer components and semiconductor industry to initiate industry-wide research into the risks.
Unite news releaseGlobal Unions zero cancer campaignRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Protest at HSE’s bad move
Unions in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have warned its planned HQ move from London to Bootle will lead to a haemorrhage of experienced staff. Over 100 PCS members working at HSE’s London HQ joined Workers’ Memorial Day protesters outside the building.
PCS news releaseContract JournalRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Unions make work safer
Trade unions are by far the best vehicle to win better safety at work, transport union RMT has said. RMT said that Britain's new corporate manslaughter law still lets killer bosses off the hook - and that unions remain workers’ best friend.
RMT news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Dead teen’s family calls for maximum sentence
Lawyers acting for the family of Daniel Dennis, killed aged 17 after falling through a skylight, have called for company boss Roy Clarke to be given the maximum sentence available to the court. Clarke, the owner of North Eastern Roofing, admitted manslaughter in March after the family’s five year campaign for justice.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Dog attack man gets nine months
A dangerous dog owner has been jailed after his two dogs savaged a Sheffield postal worker. Post union CWU has welcomed the nine month jail term handed down to Jamal Richards at Sheffield Crown Court, following the savage mauling of postie Paul Coleman.
CWU news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Widow gets six figure asbestos payout
The widow of a Unite member has secured £120,000 in an out of court compensation settlement after her husband died from the asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma. The unnamed 71-year-old from Mold in Wales was exposed to asbestos while working for the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company in Trafford Park, Manchester, now known as AEI.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Safety’s not first for many bosses
Many employers put other business concerns ahead of worker safety, a major employee survey has found. When asked to rank their boss’s business priorities, 31 per cent felt that keeping customers and clients happy was their boss’s top concern.
IOSH news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Boards must gave safety priority
Companies have been told they have to take safety seriously at board level, or there could be consequences. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) chair Judith Hackitt reminded board members and senior business directors to put effective health and safety performance high on their agendas.
HSE news release, leadership conference news release and leadership webpagesJudith Hackitt podcastRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Another six figure death fine for Corus
An incident that saw a Corus worker crushed to death has cost the company £200,000 in fines and costs – the second time it had received a six figure fine related to a fatality in less than three months. It was also fined £125,000 in August last year after a worker suffered horrific, near fatal burns at its Scunthorpe plant.
HSE news releaseMore on recent Corus deaths and prosecutionsRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Cost-cutting firm cost worker an eye
Weldex UK, a Gateshead company that failed to properly maintain machinery or train its staff, has been fined £10,500 following an incident that left a worker blind in one eye. Magistrates blamed the horrific incident on bosses looking to save money.
HSE news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Morocco: Murder charge call after fire deaths
Moroccan police have arrested the owner and manager of a Casablanca mattress factory engulfed by a fire that killed at least 55 people. The global union federation for the garment sector, ITGLWF, had earlier called for murder charges to be brought against those responsible.
ITGLWF news releaseITUC news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Glass firm fined after worker severs artery
A company has been fined after a worker severed an artery after falling from a ladder while repairing a window. Carlisle Glass Ltd was fined £10,000 by Carlisle magistrates and ordered to pay costs of £1,100 after admitting the safety breach.
HSE news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Finger loss costs glue firm £9,000
A Corby firm has been fined after a worker lost part of her middle finger in a machine. Melissa Graham, 31, was working for glue manufacturer Chemence Ltd when the 18 July 2007 incident occurred.
HSE news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Quarry fined after rock smashes head
A Bromsgrove company has been fined £5,000 after an employee suffered a serious injury when a 66lb lump of sandstone fell on his head. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Wildmoor Quarry Products Ltd following the 21 March 2007 incident.
HSE news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: Worker narrowly escapes quarry death
A quarry company and one of its employees have been fined after an incident which “could have killed” a worker. Northumberland firm W&M Thompson (Quarries) Ltd and foreman Alan Armstrong admitted breaching safety regulations when they appeared at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court.
HSE news releaseRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

Britain: HSE migrant worker webpages
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has improved its multi-lingual migrant worker webpages to provide guidance for workers from overseas and their employers. HSE says the pages for workers have been translated into several languages, and are also available in English.
HSE news release and migrant workers webpagesRisks 354
Hazards news, 3 May 2008

 

EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Superhub safety rep sorts out chutes
Parcelforce Worldwide has agreed to a £1.4m package of improvements to Coventry’s ‘superhub’ distribution centres after a union report highlighted major health and safety problems. A briefing from CWU national health and safety officer Dave Joyce noted: “This can be regarded as a hard fought and well won victory for the CWU which I take pride in and so should the Coventry engineers who stuck by their insistence that action needed to be taken.”
CWU briefing [word]Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

USA: Doctors feel push to downplay injuries
A leading group of US occupational doctors has spoken out against pressure from companies to downplay workplace injuries. “Our members feel they are being methodically pressured... to under-treat and mistreat," said Dr Robert McLellan, president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Charlotte ObserverRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: River Clyde pilots in safety strike
Workers who provide safe passage for ships on the River Clyde have taken strike action over safety. The Pilots Group, which is represented by the union Unite, said the action was to defend the health and safety of the pilots and of maritime traffic.
Unite news releaseBBC News OnlineRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Global: Sportswear industry’s Olympic shame
As the clock ticks down to the Beijing Olympics, workers producing for the international sportswear companies that spend millions on Olympic and athletic sponsorship deals are still working excessive hours in exchange for poverty wages. ‘Clearing the hurdles,’ a damning new report from the labour rights coalition Play Fair 2008 (PF08), reveals violations of worker rights is still the sportswear industry norm.
Play Fair 2008 webpage and full report, Clearing the hurdles: Steps to improving working conditions in the global sportswear industry, Play Fair 2008 (PF08) [pdf]Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Napoli inquiry says profits override safety
The container ship industry is putting profits before safety, marine safety inspectors have warned in a report on the “catastrophic” failure of the MSC Napoli, which was beached off the coast of Britain in gales last year.
Nautilus UK news releaseMAIB news releaseRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Global: Unions call for asbestos ban support
Global union federations representing tens of millions of workers in the construction and metal sectors have renewed their call for a global asbestos ban. The Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI) has written to the Canadian Labour Congress appealing for help from Canadian trade unions to end the export of Canadian chrysotile asbestos to the developing world.
BWI news releaseCanadian asbestos: One killer export, Ban Asbestos Canada Network • Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Shipyard exposures caused asbestosis
A Unite member has been awarded £20,000 in provisional damages after exposure to asbestos in a shipyard wrecked his health. Peter Guy developed asbestosis after being exposed to the dangerous dust while working for Harland & Wolf shipyard during the 1960s.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Bangladesh: Latest death leads to rights call
The death of yet another Bangladeshi garment worker as a result of employer negligence highlights the need for trade union rights to be reinstated in the country, global union federation ITGLWF has said. Trade union rights were suspended under emergency rule over a year ago.
ITGLWF news releaseRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Payout deal for stressed teacher
A teacher who said his job ruined his health has been paid a “substantial” sum as compensation for his ordeal. NUT member Andrew Massey, 54, has been unable to work since going sick with stress from New College in Leicester.
BBC News OnlineLeicester MercuryHazards suicide reportRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Global: Dangers of mind-numbing jobs
Boring jobs turn our mind on to autopilot, say scientists - and this means we can seriously mess up some simple tasks. Monotonous duties switch our brain to “rest mode,” whether we like it or not, the researchers report in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.
Tom Eichele and others. Prediction of human errors by maladaptive changes in event-related brain networks, PNAS, volume 105, number 16, pages 6173-6178, 22 April 2008 [abstract]Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Lecturers are stressed and insecure
An independent report on college staff satisfaction has revealed a dedicated workforce that is deeply dissatisfied and facing stress, bullying and insecurity. 'FE colleges, the frontline under pressure?', produced for lecturers’ union UCU, found that while students are happy with college staff, the staff are far from happy with their jobs.
UCU news releaseRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: MPs warn safety is under-funded
There is “widespread concern that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is inadequately funded,” undermining its ability to carry out its work, MPs have warned ministers. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee report called for more “front line” health and safety inspectors, more frequent site visits, bigger fines and more prosecutions, all measures running counter to HSE’s practice over recent years.
The role of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive in regulating workplace health and safety, House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, 21 April 2008 • Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Ministers urged to heed report findings
The TUC and the unions representing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) staff have urged the government to act on the recommendations of the House of Commons select committee on work and pensions.
TUC news releaseProspect news release PCS news release Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Action call on ‘toothless’ HSE
Unions have said the government must respond positively to the House of Commons work and pensions committee’s call for an increase in Health and Safety Executive (HSE) funding and enforcement activity. Bud Hudspith, Unite’s national health and safety officer, said: “A toothless Health and Safety Executive has been starved of resources and the power to penalise those who disregard the safety of workers and the public.”
Unite news releaseUCATT news release • UNISON on the report and directors’ dutiesRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

USA: Formaldehyde linked to Lou Gehrig's disease
New preliminary research suggests that exposure to the chemical formaldehyde, present in workplaces from laboratories to hospitals to MDF factories, could greatly increase a person's chances of developing Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Those who reported more than 10 years of exposure to formaldehyde were almost four times more likely to develop ALS.
Marc Weisskopf and others. Prospective study of chemical exposures and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mortality, AAN Meeting 2008; Abstract # S25.005. AAN news release [pdf] Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Not much naming, less shaming
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commitment to name and shame dangerous firms is failing because of the watchdog’s “simply extraordinary” failure to publicise most convictions. A Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) analysis found in 2007 HSE issued news releases after only 33 per cent of safety convictions, just 167 cases out of 502; of the 84 convictions that involved a death, HSE only issued a news release following 45 cases, or 54 per cent of the total.
CCA news releaseRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Family critical after man's death
The family of a man who died after a sugar factory explosion has said he would still be alive if more “care and attention” had been paid to equipment. Robert Howe, 52, was showered with hot coals when a boiler exploded at British Sugar’s Allscott factory.
Shropshire StarBBC News OnlineRisks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

Britain: Depression hidden because of work stigma
A third of people with clinical depression say they have been turned down for jobs because of their mental health problems, a study has found. More than two-thirds (71 per cent) feared that disclosing their depression to colleagues would have a detrimental impact on their careers, according to the research by charity Depression Alliance.
Depression Alliance news release [pdf]Risks 353
Hazards news, 26 April 2008

 

 

 

 

 


EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Thailand: Migrants face death or deportation
Survivors of a human smuggling tragedy in Thailand, in which 54 migrants including two children were found suffocated in a locked container truck on 10 April, will be deported back to army-ruled Burma (Myanmar), a Thai court has ruled.
Seattle TimesANROAV reportRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Thailand: Migrants start compensation test case
Three Shan workers are seeking to overturn a policy which is denying migrant workers in Thailand compensation for their work-related ailments. With support from the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), which last year launched a migrant workers’ health and safety project, the trio decided to bring their case to the court after the workers’ compensation authority in January denied them compensation.
ANROAV news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Union vigilance call after Corus death
Construction union UCATT has said companies must strive to improve safety, after a young member was killed at a Corus plant on Teesside. Kristian Norris, 29, was a refractory bricklayer employed by sub-contractor Vesuvius UK to perform maintenance work.
UCATT news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Jail terms needed to deter work killers
There must be a root and branch review of health and safety on construction sites to tackle the persistently high death rate, construction union UCATT has said. The union warning came after provisional Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures revealed 69 construction workers were killed at work in 2007/8.
UCATT news releaseHSE news release and fatality statisticsRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Concerns at ultrasonic rail inspections
Rail union RMT is warning that prompt action to address track defects is being hampered as a result of a new ultrasonic track testing system. The union says the technology trial poses a serious safety risk to rail staff and passengers.
RMT news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Cleaner solution to hospital infections
Hospital cleaners need greater resources to defeat health care-associated infections, the union UNISON has said. Delegates to the union’s health conference heard the government’s target of halving MRSA incidents by April 2008 looks like it hasn’t been met, and called for more cleaners, better paid and with modern equipment.
UNISON news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Six figure settlement for explosion stresses
A gas worker whose career was wrecked when he was traumatised by an explosion has received a £230,000 payout. GMB member Danny McLoed, 50, a Transco employee, received the payout from Schememade Limited, which admitted liability for cutting through the gas pipe when laying cable.
GMB news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Rail worker gets asbestos payout
A former British Rail worker has been awarded £180,000 in compensation after developing the incurable asbestos cancer mesothelioma. ASLEF member Kenneth Chapman, 74, worked for New Southern Railway, part of British Rail, from the 1950s until he retired in 1996 and was exposed to asbestos while working as a fireman, boiler cleaner and train driver.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Union improves the odds of safer bookies
The union Community has launched a campaign to end violence against betting office staff in Scotland. It is asking trade unionists and members of the public to sign an e-petition calling on the Scottish parliament to ask bookmakers in the country to display a purpose designed poster highlighting the legal penalties facing those abusing their staff.
TUC briefing document Community Respect at Ladbrokes campaignRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Council fined over gardener's death
York Council has been fined £20,000 after the “entirely avoidable” death of gardener Frank Smith, 54, who crushed by a mower on an embankment. The council, which had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay £20,425 in prosecution costs, including the £9,332 cost of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation.
Yorkshire PostRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Firm guilty after worker set on fire
A utility firm has been fined £32,000 for failing to make safe a live cable which then turned a worker into a human fireball. SP Power Systems, a Scottish Power subsidiary, should have tackled the danger five months earlier, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
BBC News OnlineRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Six figure penalty after sub-contractor dies
Edeco Petroleum Services has been fined £200,000 after a sub-contractor was asphyxiated on a drilling job. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £47,400 at Hull Crown Court on charges relating to the death of Neil Millar, a 36-year-old sub-contractor.
Hull Daily MailRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Tiny fine for massive brick maker
The world’s largest clay brick and tile manufacturer has received a £2,000 fine after two employees developed a classic metal fume related occupational disease. Wienerberger Ltd pleaded guilty to two breaches of the chemical control regulations COSHH following an incident in May 2007 which led to one of the employees being hospitalised with welding fume fever.
HSE news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: More white collar asbestos victims
A former benefits officer and a nurse are the latest workplace victims of mesothelioma, the incurable asbestos cancer.
Thompsons news releaseIrwin Mitchell news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Family members face asbestos peril
Asbestos exposure is so dangerous it is killing the family members of workers who brought home the dust on their clothes.
Evening PostGazette and HeraldRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Britain: Study highlights cancer in hairdressers
Hairdressers probably face an increased risk of cancer because of the dyes and other chemicals they work with, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A Lancet Oncology report of a IARC working group’s findings concludes. “Because of the few supporting findings by duration or period of exposure, the working group considered these data as limited evidence of carcinogenicity and re-affirmed occupational exposures of hairdressers and barbers as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans.’”
ETUI REHS news report • Robert Baan, Kurt Straif, Yann Grosse, Béatrice Secretan, Fatiha El Ghissassi, Véronique Bouvard, Lamia Benbrahim-Tallaa, Vincent Cogliano, on behalf of the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. Carcinogenicity of some aromatic amines, organic dyes, and related exposures, The Lancet Oncology, volume 9, number 4, pages 322-323, April 2008 • Risks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

Canada: Resign call over ‘death’ rebates
A Canadian union body has called for a compensation board’s executives to resign after it was discovered some companies were receiving cash rebates for “good” safety performance when another arm of government had prosecuted them for safety offences involving workplace deaths. The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and other groups say Steve Mahoney should be fired from his post as chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in the province.
NUPGE news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

China: Journalists raises Olympics safety concerns
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed concern over the safety of journalists and media staff in the run up to the Beijing Olympics. “In the last few weeks some journalists have been threatened and there has been an increase in violations of promises to let media work without interference,” said IFJ’s Aidan White.
IFJ news releaseRisks 352
Hazards news, 19 April 2008

 

EARLIER NEWS

Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Global: Are you read for Workers’ Memorial Day?
Check out the Hazards Workers’ Memorial Day webpages for news on 28 April events from Angola to Zimbabwe.
Global 28 April webpageYouTube Workers' Memorial Day resources and video clipsAFL-CIO Workers' Memorial Day, 28 April, online resource packRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Experts highlight spreading cancer risks
A global epidemic of preventable industrial cancers is killing hundreds of thousands each year because governments and employers are failing to take simple and effective preventive action. Top cancer prevention experts and trade union officers and workplace reps from around the world, meeting in Scotland later this month will reveal the full extent of the problem and will call for the use of safer substances and processes and a phase out of the worst cancer-causing culprits.
Stirling University news releaseGlobal union zero cancer campaignRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Campaign wins manslaughter admission
The owner of a roofing company has admitted manslaughter following the death of a 17-year-old employee who fell through a store skylight. On the eve of a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Roy Clark admitted the charge relating to the death of Daniel Dennis in April 2003.
South Wales EchoBBC News OnlineRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

USA: Unions urge action on serial offenders
US unions have called on politicians to take urgent action to ensure greater safety oversight of companies with a history of serious safety violations. Eric Frumin, health and safety coordinator for the Change to Win partnership, told the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety earlier this month: “Employers bear the primary responsibility for protecting workers, but too often, companies would rather squeeze out extra profit than save employees' lives.” Teamsters news release and In harm’s way reportChange to Win news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: TUC looks for manslaughter action
The TUC has said the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act is a step in the right direction, but would have been more effective if it had provisions to see dangerous directors in the dock.
Ministry of Justice news releaseTUC news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Unions seek stronger work death measures
Unions have said additional measures are necessary to make negligent employers fully accountable for workplace deaths.
Unite news release and corporate manslaughter webpage. GMB news releaseUCATT news release Risks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: STUC challenge on Scottish work deaths
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is urging Scotland’s government to act quickly to remedy deficiencies the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act. STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: “While this legislation is being peddled as the machinery to deliver that justice for bereaved families, it is clear that the governments in both Westminster and in Holyrood have let down the families of workers killed by their employers.”
STUC news releaseThe HeraldBBC News OnlineRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Assaults register call after stabbing tragedy
Public sector union UNISON is demanding a national system to register attacks on local government workers. The call comes after the tragic death of a council worker in Lancashire.
UNISON news releaseBBC News OnlineRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Colleges warned after acid explosion injury
Lecturers’ union UCU has urged colleges to learn urgent safety lessons after the prosecution of City of Bristol College. The legal action came after a UCU member was injured in an acid explosion.
UCU news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: MoD ignored work injury warnings
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) stores assistant who suffered a serious back injury due to continuous heavy lifting and whose employer then failed to shift her to lighter work has received £60,000 in compensation.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: New rail ballots on control room safety
Safety critical operators in electrical control rooms (ECR) in Cathcart and Romford are being balloted for strike action in an escalation of a dispute over plans to slash staffing levels in the electrical control rooms.
RMT news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Tube strike averted after safety guarantees
A three day strike on London’s Tube system was averted after unions won a string of safety and staffing guarantees. Rail unions RMT and TSSA say London Underground (LUL) has now abandoned what they saw as a fundamental attack on Tube safety standards and the casualisation of safety critical work.
RMT news releaseTSSA news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Australia: Union push for stronger safety rules
Australian unions are to call for stronger workplace safety rules, in response to the new Labor government’s review of the country’s safety system. The federal government has said it is seeking to harmonise laws across all states and territories in the country.
ACTU news releaseAustralian government news release and review terms of referenceRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Lung cancer survivor gets payout
A man who developed lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos in the workplace has been compensated by his former employers. Widower, Joseph Douglas, 66, from Ellesmere Port has received £65,000 in damages after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: NHS workers sidelined and under attack
Health service union UNISON has called for action to better involve NHS staff in the running of the service and to address the stubbornly high rates of attacks and other injuries to staff.
Healthcare Commission news release and report, National survey of NHS staff 2007UNISON news releaseRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: Firm falls short on work at heights
A Leicester firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe back injuries in a fall from a stepladder. Air Plant Dust Extraction Ltd was fined £5,000 with £5,147 costs at Norwich Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to a breach of safety law.
HSE news release and shattered lives campaignRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

Britain: McDonald’s fined after teen worker is scarred
Burger giant McDonald's has been fined £20,000 after a teenage worker was left scarred for life. The 17-year-old girl slipped on a piece of cardboard left to soak up cooking oil and, as she put out an arm to save herself, plunged it into the scalding hot liquid.
Leicester MercuryRisks 351
Hazards news, 12 April 2008

 

 

EARLIER NEWS
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Global: Conference to work out work cancer solution
Occupational and Environmental Cancer Prevention - from research to policy to action at international, national and workplace levels, Friday, 25 April 2008, University of Stirling, Scotland.
Further information
, including conference programme, contact details and fees (including union reductions) • Risks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Hit-and-run firefighter gets £280k damages
A firefighter knocked from his bike on his journey home from work has received over £280,000 in damages. David Frith, a member of the firefighters’ union FBU from Leicester, received the award via the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) untraced drivers scheme after the hit-and-run incident.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

USA: Site workers rushed to an early grave
In the shadows of the cranes, steel and concrete upon which Las Vegas has pinned its addiction to growth, a body count has emerged. Nine construction workers have died in eight accidents since the end of 2006 at the towers that are redefining the Las Vegas skyline - workers describe construction sites that are crowded with equipment and people, combined with consistent - though often unstated - pressure to do everything at top speed, and nervously refer to the CityCenter site as “CityCemetery” or “CemeteryCenter.”
Las Vegas Sun and follow up article on the official enforcement failure • The Pump HandleRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Don’t blame the workers for terminal troubles
Heathrow unions have said their members didn’t cause the chaos at Terminal 5’s opening last week, but they can help to solve it. Problems with baggage handling facilities led to flight cancellations, baggage mountains and a massive amount of passenger frustration.
GMB news releaseUnite news releaseRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Teaching union calls for risk assessments
Schools must carry out proper risk assessments to protect staff and pupils, teaching union NASUWT has said.
NASUWT news releaseHSE news releaseRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Wire industry campaign success
A wire industry safety campaign backed by unions and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has led to dramatic improvements in accident rates. Steel industry union Community says the UK Steel Live Wire Accident Reduction Campaign, launched in July 2006, has surpassed its target of a 10 per cent reduction in accidents “by a significant margin.”
Community news releaseRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: New regulating rules for safety watchdogs
Revised standards for health and safety enforcers have been released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in response to a new government code covering official regulatory activity. The Regulators’ Compliance Code, which from 6 April applies to all regulatory agencies including HSE and local authority workplace safety inspectors, “is a statutory code of practice intended to encourage regulators to achieve their objectives in a way that minimises the burdens on business,” says HSE in an online briefing.
HSE short guide on its role and the Regulators’ Compliance CodeUsdaw news releaseLocal authority enforced sectorsRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: HSE absorbs HSC
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) merged on 1 April. The new combined body will be called the Health and Safety Executive.
DWP news releaseHSE merger statementRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: What difference will the killing law make?
The new corporate killing law, effective from 6 April, has received a mixed welcome, with some staying it will lead to greater corporate accountability and others suggesting while there may be some large firms facing charges it lets negligent bosses off the hook. Prosecutors will no longer have to prove that an individual acted as a ‘directing mind’ and was responsible for a death - they can charge a company instead.
Financial TimesBBC News OnlineHSE and Ministry of Justice corporate manslaughter law webpages • TUC corporate accountability webpagesFACKRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Oil boat deaths report highly critical
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is considering whether there were any breaches of UK legislation before the Bourbon Dolphin tragedy off Shetland. The rig support vessel capsized with the loss of eight lives in April last year – however, because the eight deaths occurred offshore and were not investigated by HSE, they will not be included in this year’s official UK work fatality statistics.
Norway ministry of justice news release and reportBBC News Online and earlier reportRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: Aga fined for work injury
Luxury cooker manufacturer Aga has been fined £25,000 after an employee lost a thumb in an incident at its Coalbrookdale foundry. Anthony Bridgewater had been checking to see whether sand had clogged machinery when his hand hit a rotating blade, amputating his thumb and breaking his finger.
Shropshire StarRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

South Africa: Lobbyists fail to block asbestos ban
A new law banning asbestos in South Africa took effect in late March. Environmental affairs and tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said the regulations prohibit the use, processing, manufacturing, and import and export of any asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
South African government news release and asbestos regulations webpageMail and GuardianInternational Ban Asbestos SecretariatRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: MPs vow support for meso sufferers
Members of parliament have vowed support for a campaign for better compensation for sufferers of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health’s asbestos sub-committee made the promise after watching a short film calling on the government to amend the law on government asbestos payouts.
Thompsons Solicitors news releaseRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Japan: Government releases asbestos firms list
The Japanese government has grudgingly released the names of 2,167 companies and offices around the nation where workers had received compensation for asbestos-related illnesses. Campaigners say the list will enable those who lived near the companies or who had family members who worked there to get checked for diseases such as the asbestos cancer mesothelioma.
Asahi ShimbunRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Britain: MP raises alarm over nail bars
A Labour MP is campaigning for increased protection for customers and staff in nail bars. Dr Phyllis Starkey’s 10 Minute Rule Bill, which would extend licensing for nail bars to areas outside London, was debated in the Commons last month and will have a second reading on 25 April.
Nail Bars and Special Treatment Premises (Regulation) Bill 2007-08, HansardCIEH news reportRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Australia: Brain cancer linked to mobile phone use
A top Australian neurosurgeon has warned the world's heavy reliance on mobile phones could be a major threat to human health. Vini Khurana, who conducted a 15-month “critical review” of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumours, said using mobiles for more than 10 years could more than double the risk of brain cancer.
Mobile phone-brain tumour, Public Health Advisory, www.brain-surgery.us
Sydney Morning HeraldRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

USA: Pesticide exposure ups Parkinson’s risk
There is strong evidence that exposure to pesticides significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's disease, experts have concluded. A study of people with the neurological disease found that sufferers were more than twice as likely to report heavy exposure to pesticides over their lifetime as family members without the disease.
Dana B Hancock and others. Pesticide exposure and risk of Parkinson's disease: a family-based case-control study, BMC Neurology, volume 8:6, 2008, doi:10.1186/1471-2377-8-6, abstract and full paper [pdf]Risks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

UK: Toxic plane fumes inquiry call
Airline staff and passengers are at risk from toxic fumes leaking into aircraft cabins, according to the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive pressure group. The group wants a public inquiry into why more has not been done to protect people and inform them of health risks and charges that the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority “have failed to ensure that airlines abide by health and safety guidelines and basic principles.”
GCAQE news releaseGlobal Cabin Air Quality ExecutiveRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Australia: Work exposures up vet miscarriage risk
Female vets run twice the risk of miscarriage as a result of exposure to anaesthetic gases and pesticides, suggests a study. Women carrying out surgery and exposed to anaesthetic gases that were not filtered out of the atmosphere, for an hour or more a week, were almost 2.5 times more likely to miscarry, those who used pesticides during the course of their work were also twice as likely to miscarry, and those who performed more than five x-rays a week were around 80 per cent more likely to miscarry than those performing fewer procedures. Maternal occupational exposures and risk of spontaneous abortion in veterinary practice Online First, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 3 April 2008, doi: 10.1136/OEM.2007.035246 [abstract]Risks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

USA: The Construction Chart Book
If you know the problem, then you can start working out the solution. For US construction unions, this task has just got a whole lot easier, with the publication of the Construction Chart Book - a useful resource for construction unions anywhere, giving a well-structured and detailed overview of major issues facing site workers wherever you find them.
The Construction Chart Book: The US construction industry and its workers, 4th edition, 2008 • Health and safety chapterCPWR (Center for Construction Research and Training)Risks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

France: Stress crisis prompts national action
An apparent workplace stress crisis afflicting French workplaces had prompted the government to launch an evaluation of the extent of the problem and to plan a surveillance system for work-related suicides.
REHS news releases on the Peugeot report and the French government stress studyHazards work-related suicides webpagesRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Europe: Lidl accused of spying on its staff
German supermarket group Lidl has denied that it spied on its staff, but has admitted that it placed secret cameras in its stores. The multinational company, which also confirmed it had employed private detectives, insisted that it carried out the measures simply to combat shoplifting.
BusinessWeekThe TimesRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

Global: Studies reveal neglected toll of work cancers
New studies have confirmed the numbers of workplace cancers has been massively under-estimated. Investigators from Massey University's Centre for Public Health Research in New Zealand say work-related cancers affect between 700 and 1,000 people a year in the country and kill 400 yet fewer than 40 cases a year are notified to the Labour Department.
Sunday Star Times Massey University research outlineGlobal union zero cancer campaignRisks 350
Hazards news, 5 April 2008

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