Violence at work: When someone with a grudge against a Housing worker takes a can of petrol...

Last week was European Health and Safety week. This is a time to think about work related safety matters.

Early this month I was rang by the radio programme "BBC 5 Live investigates". They asked if I was available to be interviewed by the programme about housing officers facing violence at work.

My name and contact details had been given out by UNISON. They were not sure if I would be needed but wanted me as a reserve. Which is fair enough and the way media works.

The programme went out live on Sunday 2 October and I had to wait to see if I was called. As it happened they did not ring me about my experiences of violence at work as a housing officer. I have no complaints about that since they did interview Joanne, a housing worker in the South East of England and her story was simply shocking.

She described how a resident had thrown a chair at her in a meeting and had waited outside her office for her with knives. The police had also contacted her to warn that this person had been caught with a canister of petrol and admitted that they had intended to attack her, pour petrol over her and set her alight.

This is obviously an extreme event and thankfully very rare. However, the programme also referred to a recent Inside Housing survey where 7/10 Housing officers said that they had been punched, attacked with a weapon or held hostage. Violence at work is completely unacceptable and while some housing organisations work well with staff and unions to make safety a top issue, some don't.

I was quoted in the article about the survey:

"John Gray, housing association branch secretary at Unison, fears that as staff cutbacks continue, staff safety could end up getting overlooked.

“Organisations are cutting jobs, they’re merging, they’re reducing the number of employees,” he says.

“A housing manager has a huge amount of work to do. Will they be updating the risk assessment every year? Will they be encouraging staff to report properly on assaults or near misses, after which they would have to generate a report? Will they be going to health and safety committees or will they be going to the void panels? Generally there is less infantry to deal with the problem.”

According to the TUC in a unionised workplace you are twice as safe as in one where unions are not recognised.

European Health and Safety Week 2016 - 24 October - 30 October

Healthy Workplaces for All Ages (this advice has gone out this week on my employer's website. We will be carrying out joint union and management safety inspections)

Each year, European Health and Safety Week aims to promote good health and safety practice. This year’s theme is Healthy Workplaces for All Ages.

With increased life expectancy, no default retirement age, changes in pension age and provision, workers will continue to work as they age. At the same time, modern apprenticeship schemes may see more young people entering the workplace.

Employers have responsibilities for the health, safety and welfare of all their employees. However, employers do need to consider vulnerable groups including younger, older, and women of child-bearing age. Working for longer, new technology and ways of working, may result in longer exposure to risks (whether muscular-skeletal or otherwise).

There may be more workers with disabilities and long term health issues so measures such as rehabilitation and return to work will also be of increased importance.

Good workplace design, and well managed health and safety, benefit all of us.

How you might get involved:

• Inspect the workplace or assist a safety rep to do so. [Joint inspections by Facilities staff, Health and Safety Advisors and Trades Unions are planned this week]
• Raise awareness in your day to day work
• Carry out a risk mapping exercise to identify areas of concern
• Hold a “spot the hazards” competition and award a prize
• Devise and undertake a survey to identify concerns
• Review relevant risk assessments, policies, and procedures
• Cover the theme of healthy workplaces for all ages in your team meetings.

The Health Workplaces for All Ages website includes:

• an e-guide;
• poster, guide, and leaflet;
• HSE European Health and Safety Week Campaign 2016.
• HSE vulnerable workers page with links to information on older, young, and disabled workers; plus gender and maternity.

https://www.unison.org.uk/get-…/knowledge/health-and-safety/

European Health & Safety Week 2016: “Healthy Workplaces for all Ages" 24-30 October

"There’s only six weeks to go until the European Health and Safety Week 2016, with the theme this year of: “Healthy Workplaces for all Ages.”  Further information about the event can be found here, but as we count down each passing week, we’ll take a brief look at one of the relevant topical issues.   This week we’re considering the ageing workforce.   Although the term ‘ageing workforce’ is often used, in reality we are all ageing, and throughout our working lives our bodies undergo numerous changes.  In many cases these changes are not significant; or are more than made up for by other positive attributes such as greater experience, improved judgement, and more job related knowledge.   However, employers must consider these changes when managing the health and safety of their staff.  UNISON’s guide, “The Ageing Workforce” advises branches on how they can work with employers to ensure they meet these responsibilities in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.  Employers will also need to do more to adapt work to the changing needs of employees if the desire of successive governments to increase the employment rates among older workers is to be achieved.   Employers should carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments of the hazards their employees may be exposed to at work, and should consider any particularly vulnerable groups.  They must not discriminate against workers because of their: age (unless that there is an objective justification where such treatment is proportionate to a legitimate aim), or disability (which therefore requires an employer to make reasonable adjustments).  What can safety reps do?   Make sure sickness absence polices recognise that older workers may take more time off for chronic health problems (but are less likely to have frequent short term absences). Ensure as a reasonable adjustment, that time off work due to disability is managed separately to sick leave. If due to changing capabilities, job tasks or demands need to be altered or even a complete redeployment is required, make sure this is handled sensitively and with the worker's agreement. Ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to the working environment. Make sure that relevant risk assessments, policies, procedures, and adjustments are gender and age neutral, and consider those who may be particularly vulnerable due to their age.   For further information have a look at UNISON’s guide, “The Ageing Workforce.”

"Cut Stress Not Jobs" - how to use H&S issues in workplaces to aid Organising and Recruiting #uNDC14

I went to the lunchtime fringe on health and safety. This was Chaired by Malcolm Harrington, from the National H&S committee. First speaker was Hilda Palmer from National Hazards campaign  & FACK (Families against Corporate Killers).

Hilda introduced herself as a "trouble maker and shit stirrer". She promoted the Hazards conference which takes place 29-31 August at Keele university (which UNISON is a strong supporter)

Health & Safety faces a perfect storm of attacks by this right wing government. As well as attacks on public services and the benefit safety net there is a  "Neo feudalism" race to the bottom.

The attack on H&S is not just about cuts but the government wants more power for employers and to get rid of minimum standards.

The Government say we should be competing with countries such as Turkey, where 200 miners were recently killed to due management negligence; Qatar, where it is estimated 1400 workers will die building the football stadiums for the next world cup and China were they have to fit suicide nets outside factories to stop workers killing themselves by throwing themselves off the roof.  Instead why don't they want us to complete with countries such as Norway which has a successful economy with high H&S standards.  

There has been neo liberals in Government since the 1970's but this one is on steroids, rowing back a century of progress. We didn't vote to die at work. It is worse now than we possibly thought. All the evidence is that regulation saves lives and money

We love red tape. Better than bloody bandages. Remember that its not 148 who die at work each year (HSE) but nearer 50,000 who die each year from work incidents and disease. Compare this is the 532 murders. Don't forget the impact of ill health on peoples lives.

While the Health and Safety Executive estimate it costs £8 billion per year due to cancer deaths, Hazards think it is nearer to £60 billion.

The damage by Con-Dems since they took power in 2010 is immense. They have had 4 "reviews". The requirement to report accidents (RiDDOR) has been reduced resulting 30,000 less reports per year. There has been a 44% cut in the HSE. While there has been a 90% reduction in pro active inspections by local authority inspectors.  The Lofstedt report said that there was no need for radical change in H&S but the self employed are being exempted from the law and if they hurt anyone they cannot be prosecuted under H&S.

Tracey Harding, the Head of UNISON H&S unit spoke next on the new campaign "Cut Stress Not Jobs". Stress is one of the top 5 hazards identified by members. Cutting jobs and increasing work load leads to stress on those workers who are left. There are 2 main aims. Campaign against cuts and support for those affected.

UNISON will relaunch stress guidance in time for European Health and Safety week (EH&SW) and provide leaflets and other information. EH&SW will focus on Stress.

Branches need to try and engage with employers and encourage them to have a stress management strategy, conduct a stress audit and carry out stress risk assessments

Stress audits help employers pin point issues rather use a scatter gun approach. Also look at staff turnover and exist interviews,

Engage with members as well and and urge then to report stress issues and provide them support mechanism.

My comment in the Q&A at the end was that one of the best way to improve all forms of health and safety is to increase union membership and organisation. The more people in the union the safer we all are at work.

Health & Safety in the Voluntary and Community Sector

My next workshop was led by the Head of UNISON Health & Safety, Hope Daley. Hope had a tough job to remain positive and upbeat about safety in the face of Government attacks on workplace safety measures and cuts in funding for those bodies who are suppose to protect us.

While cuts in funding for our sector means that many employers are taking risks with their employees and our clients. Staff numbers are being cut to the bone. Support services are being down graded. For example "Waking night" staff are being replaced by so called "sleep overs" which means that staff in residential projects will face working a 8 hour late shift, then have a disruptive nights sleep (possibly being awoken several times during the night) and then do a 8 hour early shift. 

I made a brief contribution that health and safety is an organising issue. The "cuts" show that you can not trust the Government, the law or your employer to protect you at work. The only friend you have at work is your union. The best way to make you safer is to help build trade union density and organisation. Recruit a work colleague to the union and volunteer to be a safety rep.

Hope stressed the importance of using Worker Memorial Day (April 28th) and National Inspection Day (which takes place on the Wednesday of European Health and Safety week). She also used the opportunity to promote the new UNISON guide to "Disability and Health & Safety" which was published in December. I had to leave before the end to go to a Service Group Executive meeting.

European Health and Safety Week 24-28 October 2011

Apologies this is a little late.  This week is European Health and Safety week.  The theme for 2011 is "Safe Maintenance". 

You can download the HSE poster here.  Futher details here and here.

I've just applied for a place at the SERTUC health and safety conference on November 25 at Congress House.  It is already fully booked so I have been placed on a waiting list.

As well as getting rid of employment rights for workers, this Tory led Coalition government is also trying to dismantle health and safety protections.  So it is important that everyone keeps up-to-date with what is happening.

I posted in March about the HSE and Socialist realism style safety posters. 

National Health & Safety Inspection Day: Wed 27 October

 The Wednesday of "European Health and Safety week" (25-29 October 2010) is also "National Health & Safety Inspection Day".  All trade union safety reps are encouraged to carry out a safety inspection of their workplace with their local management on that day.

This year's theme for European Health & Safety week is "Maintenance" (click on word for TUC guide).

Even if you are not trained (yet) as an appointed trade union safety representative encourage your line manager to walk around your workplace with you, look out for obvious danagers such as trip hazards and speak to staff and ask if they have any safety issues or concerns.

Tate & Lyle fined £270,000 over workers' death in Silvertown

I came across today this Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report on the conviction last Friday of sugar giant Tate & Lyle over the death of one of its workers in 2004. Tate & Lyle have a refining factory in Silvertown and are an important employer in my borough Newham. They generally have a very good reputation. I am however shocked by three things about this avoidable death.

Firstly the “accident” occurred in March 2004 and has only now come to Court? Justice delayed is Justice denied?

Secondly the victim 53 year old Keith Webb died while he was in the cab of in a 9 tonne digger which was being hoisted by a crane from the dock inside a massive raw sugar container ship. The digger came away from the crane and crashed into the ship and then into the harbour killing Keith. Check out this article in the Independent.

How anyone ever thought that it was a safe practice to transport both driver and machine via a crane at the same time is beyond me? The risk must have been clearly and wholly foreseeable? The company has been fined £270,000 (and £90,000 costs) for serious managment failings but why hasn’t anyone been held individually responsible for this death? Hopefully recent changes to Corporate Manslaughter law will change things for the future (and help prevent such incidents happening again).

The Judge on Friday held that the death was the direct result of the company "failing to discharge its duty". It had not "provided and managed a proper means of access to ships being unloaded". He said it had also "failed to manage and control its staff properly to prevent being carried in vehicles lifted by crane". Although there were guidelines in place regarding the use of ladders "the unavoidable conclusion is that the actual practice on the site was that instructions were sometime ignored". "This is a serious failure of management and supervision for which the company must bear responsibility, and I sentence on that basis."

Last and not at all least thirdly "Above all, however, this is a human tragedy as Mr. Webb leaves a widow, two grown up children, and two grandchildren, one of whom he was sadly never able to meet. This terrible accident should never have been allowed to happen." HSE Inspector John Crooks.

Mr. Webb's widow Avril, who was present in court, said: "Although Keith died five years ago, for me, it's like yesterday. My husband was ripped from my life, from our family's lives. There was no illness to prepare us for our loss. "I'm still trying to fill the huge void left by his death, still trying to pick up the threads of a life that I can no longer enjoy. I am half of a whole person. I am no longer part of a couple."

Later this month it is European Health and Safety Week which will aptly concentrate on making sure that all work activities are covered by suitable and adequate risk assessments.

Report to UNISON National Health & Safety Committee

Below is a copy of the report I submitted to last week’s National Committee. Each UNISON region and service groups should submit a quarterly report on health & safety. I’ll post on the actual national meeting another time.

UNISON London Regional Health & Safety Committee report.

Committee Elections
The last meeting was on 31 March 2009 which was our AGM. Officers and representatives were elected. I was elected as the London representative again for the UNISON National Health & Safety Committee.

Conferences
Committee members reported on training and conferences attended. It was agreed to fund one member of the committee to attend the Hazards Conference from our budget and encourage all branches to also send delegates.

Work Programme
The committee has as part of its work programme investigated the purchase of suitable yellow high visibility jackets and clip boards with UNISON safety logos on them. This is to encourage and facilitate workplace safety inspections. Branches will be asked to buy jackets and clip boards for all active and trained representatives. We will also encourage the use of the UNISON model safety inspection check list as a template. If any other regions want details of costing etc then please contact the secretary to the Committee, Stuart Barber at London regional office.

Campaigning
On going discussion on how to further the European Health & Safety campaign focus on Risk Assessments. There was a discussion on possibly future lobbying of London Councils and NHS Trusts on this issue. Also, possible meeting with London HSE on joint working on this important issue.

Workers Memorial Day.
There will be the central London rally outside the Tower Of London on the 28th April and a special evening event at Congress House organised by SERTUC. There is a number of UNISON events planned across London (see UNISON website).

London Health & Safety Network
After the main committee meeting ended there was a network meeting where branch Health and Safety officers from the region were invited to join the committee. A speaker from trade union solicitors Thompsons (Andrew Hutson) gave a very informative legal update on risk assessments and Stress at work. There appears to have been some improvements in law. If anyone wants a copy of his handout please contact me.

After that committee members and branch officers discussed local safety issues and “best practices”.

National Inspection Day

Today is National Inspection Day. Part of European Health & Safety Week. I have just finished inspecting my workplace with the office manager and safety advisor. I'll write up the report later. UNISON and the TUC have plenty of advice and support materials on their web site.

Of course if you don't have time to do an inspection today - you can always do it another time. I know activists are busy - but regular safety inspections should be a key trade union activity and frankly a priority.

Prevention is much, much better than cure.

Start of European Health & Safety Week Today

Today marks the start of European Health & Safety Week. The poster to the left is from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work which is co-coordinating activities across Europe.

In Britain the Health & Safety Executive is taking the lead (see here). The theme for the next 2 years is risk assessments.

Don’t forget that this Wednesday is National Inspection Day – inspect your workplace for hazards.

The advice below is from the UNISON web site safety pages on risk assessments.

No one should be put at unnecessary risk at work. UNISON believes that work related deaths, injuries, ill-health, and “accidents” are not acceptable.

Your employer has a responsibility to ensure that your work does not cause you harm. Not only is it the right thing to do – it’s the law.

UNISON is campaigning to ensure that every employer carries out proper risk assessments and keeps those risk assessments under review and up to date. The safety of staff, visitors and the public depends on it. So we’re taking part in this years Health and Safety Campaign, are you?

Health and Safety Week 2008

This years Health and Safety Week and will part of a two year campaign on risk assessment. The campaign is aimed at a wide range of stakeholders, including: employers, workers and safety reps; and is intended to promote the benefits of completing and implementing a risk assessment. The campaign seeks to demystify the risk assessment process to show that risk assessment is not necessarily complicated, bureaucratic, nor a task only for experts.

The campaign also aims to raise awareness on this issue, provide information and practical advice, encourage activities that have a positive impact in the workplace, and identify and recognise good practice.

Whilst the campaign is a rolling programme, the European Health and Safety Week for 2008, when much of the focus will take place, begins on 20 October.

Risk Assessments are the foundation to health and safety – so get involved!

UNISON encourages all branches to take part in this campaign to ensure that risk assessments are in place to protect all workers. Risk assessments are the foundation to health and safety, so start thinking about how your branch can get involved. What hazards cause concern in your workplace? Are there risk assessments in place, are they any good, and are they applied? Does the accident, sickness absence, or occupational health statistics suggest otherwise? What tasks haven’t been assessed? Consider asking your employer to jointly review the risk assessments, and/or conduct new ones.

Alternatively, you may want to organise workplace safety inspections or conduct a series of risk and body mapping as a first step towards identifying areas where a review of risk assessments might be needed. Once you’ve identified a source of concern, UNISON produces a range of topical information which give guidance on various hazards and how they should be tackled.

Of course, if you’re aware of a serious health and safety concern now, don’t wait until October. Raise the issue with your local safety rep now.Resources There are a number of materials and resources that will be of use to branches. UNISON has guidance on risk assessments; workplace safety inspections; risk and body mapping.

You can access all of these and our A-Z list of topical guidance from the dropdown menu on our homepage.The latest issue of our newsletter for safety activists, Health & Safety Organiser, Issue 57 takes a detailed look at the campaign and what UNISON branches and safety activists can do. It's out now to all UNISON safety activists.A new campaign poster and leaflet for members and non-members will also shortly be available - watch this space!

Regional Health & Safety – “Violence at Work” compensation

Last week I went to the UNISON London regional health & safety committee meeting. First, we have a normal “business” meeting regarding safety issues in London. Then we usually have a guest speaker. This month we were pleased to see again Henrietta Phillips from the trade union solicitors Thompsons. Henrietta in fact spoke at the last meeting on “work related stress, bullying and harassment”. This time she talked about legal remedies following “Violence at Work” (see new UNISON safety guide here).

During the committee meeting we discussed planning for this year’s European Health & Safety week (20-24 October) and National Inspection Day. It’s too late for this year, but to encourage inspections we talked about buying clip boards and reflective safety bibs with UNISON logos for London safety reps. Maybe all new safety reps should get these things included in the “Welcome Pack” they automatically receive when they become reps?

My favourite agenda item is when each committee member gives a local report on issues in their workplace. For some reason one committee member recalled the issue he came across in his housing department where they had to deal with a tenant who kept his horse in his home. Now, this is not a particularly sensible thing for anyone to do, especially since he lived on the 9th floor of a tower block and he used to take the horse up and down in the lift.

On a far more serious issue it was reported that 104 housing officers in one employer were tested for exposure to TB and 4 (all British born) were found to be in danger of developing the disease and had to be given 6 month courses of treatment. I think we should all review risk assessments for visiting officers to take account of such biological hazards.

Another committee member reported that in their workplace they were getting rid of unnecessary safety signage. These just cause clutter and confuse people. For example, in their main office staircase there was a sign saying “Hold the rail on your Left”. Which is just plain silly - such things give health & safety a bad image.

One organisation had not only introduced home working and hot-desking but had got rid of all desk telephones and issued staff with mobile phones (with email etc). There was an issue regarding the risk to pregnant women from using such phones. Any risk is hotly denied by the mobile companies themselves, but there have been a number of reports about theoretical dangers. It would therefore appear to make sense that such staff should be issued with a normal desk phone for purely precautionary measures.

There is one issue that UNISON needs to get sorted ASAP. Many UNISON branch offices are not accessible to disabled members. This should not happen in this day and age.

Next item was report backs from conferences attended by committee members. Two had gone to this year’s Hazard Conference in the University of Keele. This is probably the most important conference for safety reps. Both committee members found the conference very useful and would encourage people to attend the conference in the future. One mentioned being shocked at a presentation made by the widower of a teacher who had died of an asbestos related disease despite the fact that she had been a teacher all her life and had no other known risk factors. Many, many schools are riddled with asbestos containing materials. Between 2001-2005 nationally 62 teachers were reported to have died of such diseases. A sobering thought.

The meeting agreed that I could attend a conference on 24 November run by the CCA on the “Future of Safety Enforcement”.

I gave a report as the London representative on the UNISON national health & safety committee. I had already been asked to bring up safety concerns over “hot-desking” and to ask UNISON if there are any plans for up-to-date guidance on this topic.

After the close of the committee meeting Henrietta gave her presentation on “Violence at Work” to the Health & Safety network, to which all UNISON branch safety officers are invited.

All UNISON members injured in an accident or assault at work are entitled to free legal advice and assistance form Thompsons. Members can contact UNISON direct on 0845 355 0845 to be referred.

There are 3 possible routes to compensation – claim against the employer, the assailant (not normally any use) or via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

The key issue with regard to any possible legal case against an employer is to establish “failings”. An employer has a duty of care to provide a safe place of work and a safe system of work. To win a claim you have to prove that the employer was in breach of that duty, either by breaching safety law or by being negligent and that breach or negligence caused injury.

Usually it is difficult to win since you have to persuade a court that the employer is responsible for a third party assailant. However, if you can establish a pattern of “failings” and negligence you can be successful. Henrietta suggested a checklist of things that should be done after an assault.

Such as report attacks to the Police and record details of crime numbers etc, write you account about what happened as soon as is possible, take copies of all reports you make, ask for copy of employer investigation and RIDDOR reports (if applicable) get full contact details of any witnesses, have photographs taken of injuries, record details of any visits to doctors or hospital, keep any receipts for any expense you incur.

She encouraged all “near misses” or incidents of aggressive behaviour to be recorded. This may help prove that the employers should have been aware of the risk.

At the beginning Henrietta had pointed out that personal injury cases are for workers who have already been hurt, while the whole point of safety reps is to try and prevent injuries occurring in the first place. While I am in favour personally of a “no fault” compensatory payments scheme rather than resorting to legal claims for compensation. If a claim is strong and compensation is paid then this would have the welcome effect of encouraging the employer to change and improve its working practices. As usual - Money talks.

European Health & Safety Week - Monday 20 October to Friday 24th

This year’s theme is “risk assessments”. This is a superb campaigning issue for trade union safety reps to take up in their workplace.

Despite clear legal (and common sense) requirements of organisations to have sufficient and suitable risk assessments to protect their employees from significant risks, it is I think pretty clear that many organisations to do not comply. They may indeed have detailed "assessments" filed on shelves, but in practice many workers will have no idea whatsoever that they are there and that they are supposed to be protected by these “assessments”.

The Wednesday of European Health & Safety week is always “national inspection day” in UNISON. So on this day all safety reps are encouraged to inspect their workplace. As part of the inspection process also audit all the site risk assessments.

In all probability you will find that in many cases either they do not exist, are out of date or otherwise inadequate. In that case bring it up with your local safety committee and if that does not result in an appropriate response make an official complaint to the Health and Safety Executive or the Local authority environmental health department.

It is always a failure if you have to involve outside agencies over internal safety issues. But sometimes it is necessary. Make sure that you can demonstrate to the enforcement agencies that you have tried your up most to work with your employer to get them to comply before having to complain to the HSE or EHO.

But if it is necessary do not hesitate to complain, because your members lives are at risk.

Health and Safety Questionnaire

Last week was European Health & Safety Week". On Wednesday it was "National Inspection Day". So I carried out a workplace inspection and this is a copy of the Health and Safety Questionnaire that I have distributed. I amended it from a TU survey. You may be able to adapt it for your own workplace?

Health and Safety Questionnaire

I am the UNISON Health and Safety representative. I would be grateful if you could spare a few minutes to fill out this important survey and return it to me: -
PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL – TRADE UNION, John Gray, UNISON, All staff (regardless of trade union membership) are invited to complete this questionnaire.

Please circle your answer Y/N when appropriate

1. Do you feel that you are stressed by your work? YES/NO

2. Is the level of stress unacceptable or causing you harm? YES/NO

3. Do you feel that you have control over work? YES/NO

4. Do you have enough resources and support to do your job? YES/NO

5. Have you felt ill due to your working conditions? YES/NO

6. If you have felt ill, what are the symptoms? (For example frequent headaches, depression, anxiety attacks, sleeplessness, indigestion, constant tiredness)

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. Did you report this illness if so, was anything done?………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Do you have regular team meetings when health and safety is discussed? YES/NO

9. Do you have regular “one-to-ones” with your manager? YES/NO

10. Do you have a copy of your risk assessments? YES/NO

Any other comments? (Please include your name and telephone extensions if you are interested in finding out about joining UNISON). However, you do not have to since this survey is entirely confidential

…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………….

Please return to me by Monday 12 November 2007. Many thanks in anticipation

Go “walkabout” this Wednesday - National Inspection Day 24 October

We have got ourselves in a right mess over health & safety in this country. The right wing dismiss practically all safety concerns as just “unnecessary nanny state meddling”. If people die at work then that is just bad luck. These things “happen”.

Likewise, there are also people in our great trade union movement, who consider health & safety not to be a “proper” union issue. Yes, they will use it to recruit and wind members up but… “What! work with the bosses? Fill out their forms? Write reports? How will this further the revolution?”

Even pretend left wing journo's such as columnist Simon Jenkins in today’s Sunday Times, unconsciously uses the same arguments that Victorian supporters of Child labour and opposers of the early nineteenth century Factory Safety Acts made. For example “Risk Assessments”, Jenkins describes today as “one of the most useless generators of red tape and maladministration ever invented”, actually save lives and protect people in vulnerable jobs.

Middle class berks such as Simon who live and type, in their protected privileged cloisters, inhabit a world a million miles away from those who actually do real work for a living.

Anyway, as previously posted this week is European Health & Safety Week. Each year there is a different campaign, the 2007 campaign is called ‘Lighten the Load’ and is targeted at supporting employers, workers and safety representatives to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs – back and muscle injuries). A million workers per year are affected by MSD.

Also on Wednesday it is "National Inspection Day" when all trade union safety representatives are asked to inspect their workplace. So this Wednesday, even if you have not been trained as a safety rep, then at the very least walk around your workplace with your manager looking out say for obvious slip, trip and fall hazards. Better still; also contact your union branch, regional office or the TUC about being trained as a trade union safety rep.

Jenkins can also go walkabout …down the plank!

Lighten the Load: Health & Safety Week 07

Ignore dinosaurs such as Jeremy Clarkson, there is only just over a month before this year’s European Health and Safety week (22nd – 26th October 2007. The campaign is organised by the European Agency for Safety & Health at Work. In Britain the Health and Safety Executive and the TUC (and even the CBI) work together to promote the event.

Every year there is a different theme. In 2007 is called “Lighten the Load” and is about trying to prevent Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This is more usually known as backache and muscular problems. MSD is the most common form of work related illness in the UK and Europe. It affects about a million people in the UK each year and 25% of the population report MSD problems.

On the Wednesday of this week (this year 24 October 2007) the trade unions designate it as “National Inspection Day” and encourage safety reps to carry out workplace health & safety inspections on this day. I’ll go with our caretakers to check out their equipment and have a look at their manual handling assessments. However, many MSD injuries occur in offices, so use this day to review your display screen and work station assessments.

The aim of the week is to raise awareness and encourage prevention. Good health & safety at work is not rocket science, organisations can reduce sickness by working with trade union safety reps. By ensuring ongoing good quality training, meaningful consultation, supporting regular inspections and reviews of risk assessments. Also, proper investigation of incidents when things go wrong and people get hurt.

Photos above of Jeremy being presented with a "custard pie" by HSE Chief Executive, Geoffrey Podger in disguise (not really).