ARCHIVE - December 2001

Corporate health and safety crime at work

Archived news from Hazards magazine on the corporate safety criminals.

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Cute toy rabbits belie ordeal of Chinese labour camps China Updated: 28 December 2001

Toys for multinational Nestlé are made by Chinese forced labour, says ex-prisoner. Nestlé denies using forced or prison labour... See: Sydney Morning Herald

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Toys of misery China/USA Updated: 26 December 2001

A union-backed campaign group has identified widespread labour abuses in Chinese factories producing Christmas toys for sale in rich nations. See: Risks 34

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Barrister calls for company asbestos manslaughter law Australia Updated: 24 December 2001

A barrister whose father died from asbestos exposure has called for companies who continued to use it after health risks were revealed to be held criminally liable. See: Brisbane Courier Mail article

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Victory for Cape's asbestos victims South Africa/UK Updated: 22 December 2001

UK multinational Cape plc has finally agreed to a compensation settlement of £21 million for thousands of South African asbestos victims. This brings to an end a legal battle fought by 7,500 claimants since 1997. See: Risks 33

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Farm death sparks manslaughter charge USA Updated: 18 December 2001

Prosecutors have filed what is believed to be California's first involuntary manslaughter case involving the death of a farm worker in a workplace accident. See: The Sancramento Bee

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Workers sue Philips Lighting USA Updated: 18 December 2001

Nearly 800 former light bulb factory workers are suing Philips Lighting Co. and its suppliers for crimes including fraud, negligence and wrongful death.... See: News report

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Dock company convicted again Australia Updated: 18 December 2001

Australian dock company Patrick Stevedores is convicted of safety crimes for the third time in four years... See: The Age news report

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Double standards at Nestlé UK/Brazil Updated: 18 December 2001

In 1997 Nestlé UK officially recognized the problem of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) among its production workers. It announced that it was developing a prevention programme. In the same year Nestlé management in Brazil denied the existence of this workplace injury... See: IUF news update

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Westbury worker dies after firm snubs union Britain Updated: 13 December 2001

A man was crushed to death at Westbury’s Birmingham manufacturing plant just weeks after the house builder snubbed a safety meeting with construction union Ucatt. See: Construction News

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Protest highlights the need for deaths action Britain Updated: 8 December 2001

Thirty supporters of the Simon Jones Memorial campaign blockaded Euromin's Shoreham dock where Simon Jones was killed in 1998. Five were arrested... See: Risks 31

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Union says factory owner must be charged South Africa Updated: 6 December 2001

The South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) is urging the police to charge the factory owner with culpable homicide, after the death of twins born to a nightshift worker locked inside the factory. See: Natal Witness News and earlier report

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Student death let off proves the case for a corporate killing law Britain Updated: 1 December 2001

The Director of Public Prosecutions and the TUC have both called for a change in the law after the acquittal of agency firm Euromin and its general manager, Richard James Martell, who had been charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of casual worker Simon Jones… See: Risks 30 and Statement from the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign, Risks 29 feature on enforcing corporate responsibility

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Firing fight of the nuclear whistleblower USA Updated: 1 December 2001

The US Department of Energy has been found by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration to have twice illegally fired a nuclear plant worker in retaliation for raising safety concerns… See: Risks 30

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Workers’ death costs employers a million Britain Updated: 1 December 2001

Two major construction companies were told to pay over £1m in fines and costs after health and safety failures resulted in the deaths of four men when a gantry over the Avonmouth gorge collapsed… See: Risks 30

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Tipper driver fined over death crash Britain Updated: 1 December 2001

A teenager tipper driver responsible for a crash that caused two deaths has been fined £1,000 and has had his licence revoked… See:  Risks 30

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Safety criminals named and shamed Britain Updated: 1 December 2001

The HSE 'naming and shaming' file identifies hundreds of companies and organisations convicted of health and safety crimes during 2000/2001… See: HSE news release. HSE's public register of convictions provides full details of each conviction. The site is notoriously difficult to navigate – try this Hazards magazine HSE site made workable shortcut to a listing of many of the guilty companies. Health and safety convictions secured by local authorities are published in a separate HELA Offences and Penalties Report [pdf file]

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Work deaths up in all UK industries Britain Updated: 1 December 2001

Workplace deaths in all the UK’s major industries are up, latest official statistics show…. See: Risks 30

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Irresponsible chemical firms to be named and shamed Global Updated: 1 December 2001

The world's chemical industry unions have launched a new drive for a global agreement with employers on the industry's Responsible Care programme - and says it will “name and shame” those refusing to sign…. See: ICEM news release and conference documents

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