SafetyNet JOURNAL
SafetyNet Journal 125
Issue 125 - SafetyNet Journal 125
Fri 12 Oct 2007Welcome to SafetyNet 125 – your source for all the latest OHS news from Victoria, Australia and the world. Feel free to pass this news on to your fellow workers and other reps.
A printer-friendly version of this newsletter can be downloaded here.Union News
Research
WorkSafe News
Worksafe Prosecutions
International News
Events
Union News
Activities for OHS repsVTHC's Annual Conference for OHS Representatives
Have you registered for this year's Reps Conference? If not you can register online now for the biggest and best event of Victoria's OHS Week: the VTHC's Annual OHS Representatives Conference: OHS in Victoria - Unfinished Business. The conference will be on Wednesday October 24 at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. Numbers are strictly limited this year, so make sure you register as soon as possible. You can register online, or email, faxed or post the registration form either to the VTHC OHS Unit or your union.
In addition to our function, there are many other activities being run during WorkSafe Week – such as the Awards Dinner. There are events all around Victoria on topics such as Manual Handling, Machinery and Equipment Safety, Return to Work and much more. To find out more, including a full list of events and how to get your own workplace involved, go to the WorkSafe Week ‘microsite'.
WorkSafe Awards
WorkSafe had a record 160 entries for this year's awards. Eight finalists will find out who is the Health and Safety Representative of the Year at the WorkSafe Awards Dinner at Crown Palladium on Tuesday 23 October 2007.
Each of the finalists was chosen because of their commitment to OHS and their representation and achievement in the field.
Fatalities
A man working on a ride-on mower on a grass verge of Melbourne's West Gate Freeway was killed last Monday in a freak accident when a passing truck's tyre came loose and struck him. The ambulance crew called to the site was unable to revive him. At the time of the incident, it was not clear who the employer of the man was. A WorkSafe Victoria spokesman said the workplace safety authority would be investigating.
Source: The Age
In addition to our function, there are many other activities being run during WorkSafe Week – such as the Awards Dinner. There are events all around Victoria on topics such as Manual Handling, Machinery and Equipment Safety, Return to Work and much more. To find out more, including a full list of events and how to get your own workplace involved, go to the WorkSafe Week ‘microsite'.
WorkSafe Awards
WorkSafe had a record 160 entries for this year's awards. Eight finalists will find out who is the Health and Safety Representative of the Year at the WorkSafe Awards Dinner at Crown Palladium on Tuesday 23 October 2007.
Each of the finalists was chosen because of their commitment to OHS and their representation and achievement in the field.
Fatalities
A man working on a ride-on mower on a grass verge of Melbourne's West Gate Freeway was killed last Monday in a freak accident when a passing truck's tyre came loose and struck him. The ambulance crew called to the site was unable to revive him. At the time of the incident, it was not clear who the employer of the man was. A WorkSafe Victoria spokesman said the workplace safety authority would be investigating.
Source: The Age
This week's FAQ:
My employer wants to introduce a health promotion program, providing advice on diet and exercise at our workplace. Is this is a good idea?
Employers have a clear legal duty under the OHS Act to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. This means identifying hazards and eliminating or if this is not practicable, reducing any risks created by those hazards. This is where employers and companies must focus their attention, and ensure that the necessary funds are available to do this. This is the law. (More information on employer duties)
‘Health promotion' programs and related activities are not related to occupational health and safety. Such programs can shift the focus away from addressing the hazards at the workplace at the expense of focussing on individual behaviours and what workers do outside the workplace. Changing workers' lifestyle does not get rid of hazards such as work overload, stress, bullying, hazardous chemicals, asbestos, etc. Consequently, the VTHC's general position is that such programs should not be supported by unions and union members.
The role of elected OHS reps is to represent their fellow workers and bring work-related hazards and issues of concern to the attention of the employer with a view to having these resolved. If reps are asked to be involved in the implementation of health promotion programs, they should first ensure that the employer has ‘got their own house in order first', and is properly addressing and taking action on the hazards at the workplace. Ask your employer to spell out what the program is, where and how much money they are proposing spending. Then ask the workers what they would rather have the money spent on.
If you have any questions or need help with any OHS related issue, Ask Renata. You are guaranteed an answer, usually within a couple of working days.
New OHS Reps @ Work website Poll
The new poll on the website asks Reps where they need more support from - management, WorkSafe or the Union (or all of these!)
Vote now: Go to the homepage
Results are in from the last poll and they are interesting - 39% of respondents said the new consolidated regulations were easier to use, while 31% said it was harder to use. However 29% said there was no difference!
Plumbers issue Hazard Alert: Working with raw sewage or medical wastes
The CEPU Plumbing Union has issued a Hazard Alert after a number of plumbers have been found working with human and medical wastes without being vaccinated against hepatitis.
Asbestos News
Asbestos Awareness Week
Asbestos Awareness Week this year will be 26 – 30 November. More information of all the events unions, support groups and others will be organising will be in the next edition of SafetyNet. Advance notice, though of the ADSVic commemoration service which is being held at The Edge Theatre at Federation Square on Tuesday Novemer 27 at 11am. Everyone whose life may have been touched by an asbestos-related disease is invited. The service will be followed by a BYO BBQ lunch on the banks of the Yarra River.
Alimta campaign
Have you taken action in the Alimta campaign yet? Alimta is the only treatment drug known to be effective in combating mesothelioma and access to the drug is inequitable in Australia. The campaign will be spoken about at the OHS Reps Conference on October 24.
More information
US: New laws for asbestos management in non-residential premises
The US Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an organization dedicated to serving as the voice of asbestos victims, last week praised the passage of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)'s Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 by the U.S. Senate on October 4. The Ban Asbestos in America Act is an effort to ban all production and use of asbestos in America, launch public education campaigns to raise awareness about its dangers and expand research and treatment of diseases caused by asbestos.
Source: ADAO Media Release Senator Parry Murray's Media Release
ILO/WHO: Outline for the Development of National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases
The ILO and the WHO have jointly prepared the Outline for the Development of National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases [pdf]. This Outline has been developed to give effect to the ILO 2006 Resolution on Asbestos [pdf] adopted by the International Labour Conference in June 2006 and to the WHO position paper on the elimination of asbestos related diseases.
The document is intended to assist countries in establishing their national programs for the elimination of asbestos-related diseases (NPEAD). It is a tool for increasing policy coherence for reducing and finally phasing out the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials.
Source: The International Occupational Safety and Health Information Service
Growth in hidden cameras in workplaces
Last week a tax accountant was sentenced to fourteen months jail after being convicted recording and storing 1308 video images on his laptop taken from the tiny spy camera he had secretly installed in the roof of one of the cubicles at his workplace's female toilets. The camera was in place for 20 months before a maintenance worker found it by accident.
According to police, the problem with spy cameras is that they are open to abuse because the latest technology means they can be fitted anywhere or hidden in teddy bears, VCRs, smoke alarms, lamps, light bulbs, wall clocks, air purifiers and radios. The pinhole camera lens can be less than two millimetres wide.
This case follows last month's conviction of a Wye River publican who installed a miniature video camera inside a hotel bathroom to spy on his staff as they showered. The Colac Magistrates Court found him guilty of installing an optical surveillance device, and fined him $5000. He is appealing, claiming he was only testing a new security camera in the staff bathroom. Tough new laws were introduced in Victoria on July 1 to protect workers' privacy bans bosses from spying on workers in toilets, washrooms and change rooms.
Source: The Sunday Age
Tasmanian workers exposed to toxic fumes
More than 100 workers at a Tasmanian zinc smelter have been exposed to carcinogenic fumes for the past two months, according to the CFMEU, with management at the Nyrstar smelter in Hobart doing nothing to resolve the situation.
Tasmanian secretary Tony Benson said a number of workers had sought medical help for serious nosebleeds, headaches, and eye and skin irritation, with reports increasing over the past 10 days.
Recent production increases at the plant have forced up temperatures inside the smelter which the union says has lead to a dissipation of a protective foam covering the sulphuric acid used in the production. The union is calling on the company to conduct a full risk assessment.
Source: CFMEU media release
UK and other international union news
UK: Bullying at work guidance
The UK TUC has produced Bullying at Work - Guidance for Safety Representatives. The guidance is specifically for reps and includes a sample survey to assist in identifying bullying. The guidance offer advice on how to deal proactively with bullying at work.
More information on bullying and violence at work.
New Zealand Unions seek progress on flexible hours
New Zealand's Council of Trade Unions is working with 50 other groups in the Coalition for Quality Flexible Work and calling for progress on flexible hours legislation. They want a legislative right to request flexible working hours in order to tackle issues of work-life balance. Long work hours are becoming the norm in NZ with 20% of workers now working 50 hours or more per week and 46% experiencing work-life conflict.
NZCTU news release Source: Changing Times Newsletter 89
Research
Dad's occupational exposure to electro-magnetic fields risk factor for cancer in their childrenNumerous studies have implied that paternal occupational exposures, in particular electromagnetic fields (EMF) and ionizing radiation, may be involved in the etiology of childhood cancers. Researchers in a case-control study from the North of England investigated whether an association exists between paternal occupations at birth involving such exposures and cancer risk in offspring, using data from the Northern Region Young Persons' Malignant Disease Registry (NRYPMDR).
This large case-control study identified a significantly increased risk of leukemia among the offspring of men likely to have been occupationally exposed to EMF, with differing associations between males and females. Increased risks of chondrosarcoma and renal carcinoma were also seen, although based on smaller numbers. The researchers concluded that further detailed investigations in this area are required to understand this association.
Paternal occupational exposure to electro-magnetic fields as a risk factor for cancer in children and young adults: A case-control study from the North of England (p 280-286)
Mark S. Pearce, Donna M. Hammal, M. Tevfik Dorak, Richard J.Q. McNally, Louise Parker Pediatric Blood Cancer. 2007 Sep;49(3) [abstract]
Interventions to job stress are best at work and individual levels
Interventions aimed at countering job related stress work best when they are conducted at both the individual and workplace level. A new study [pdf] from researchers at the Melbourne University School of Population Health found that a combination approach to reducing stress was far more effective than attempting to tackle stress at the individual level.
Treating workers for stress without tackling the workplace issues that caused the stress delivers fewer long-term benefits for both the worker and the employer. Researchers say the prevalent practice is worker-directed rather than on interventions in the workplace.
Source OHNews 755
UK: Smoke bans make workplaces healthier
Smoking bans in the UK have led to healthier workplaces for workers in the hospitality industry according to new research. The first research since the bans came into effect in July show that workers now have much lower levels of cotinine - a nicotine by-product which indicates levels of exposure. Air quality in venues also indicated that hazardous “small particles” had dropped from near hazardous levels before the bans to negligible levels now.
Source: Risks 326
WorkSafe News
Activities – WorkSafePublic Comment - WorkSafe “Positions”
WorkSafe “Positions” are intended to provide certainty to people who have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. These documents state the way in which, in WorkSafe's opinion, the Act or the regulations made under the Act apply.
There are two draft WorkSafe Positions available for public comment:
How WorkSafe applies the law in relation to identifying and understanding hazards and risks
The public comment period is from 28 September 2007 – 26 October 2007
More information
VicRoads: Fatigue Management Kit for Freight Industry
A new fatigue management kit, developed by VicRoads Manager, Drugs Fatigue and Alcohol, Dr Philip Swann, in association with Greg Rowe, was launched on Thursday 20 September at Freight Week 2007. The information bulletins and DVD provide advice about managing fatigue, and information to assist heavy vehicle operators and drivers comply with legal driving hours and working times. It suggests approaches to ensure drivers have suitable rest periods, and also contains a list of organisations that offer fatigue management training.
More information
Updated Comcare handbook for OHS reps
The Health and Safety Representatives Handbook - A guide for HSRs in the Commonwealth jurisdiction has been updated. The new version (September 07) has been amended to reflect recent legislative changes and to correct minor typographical errors in the previous version. Hard copies of this publication will soon be available from our publications area. We will advise when they are available.
Interim 'Common elements' document released
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) has released an interim document outlining the common elements of general duties of care for OHS. The document, developed in consultation with the states and stakeholders, and endorsed at the August ASCC meeting, aims to assist in progressing work on national standards and codes. The document will be amended or extended as necessary to better reflect contemporary working relationships as harmonisation progresses.
ASCC Interim Common Elements Document [pdf]
WA checks find rest break non-compliance
A recent roadblock exercise of commercial vehicles by WorkSafe WA checking compliance with fatigue safety laws found a level of non-compliance with mandatory rest breaks during its roadblock exercise this month. However, transport companies were generally complying with major aspects of the fatigue regulations.
173 commercial vehicles were stopped, with nine improvement notices and one prohibition notice issued to drivers who had not taken the seven-hour rest break. WorkSafe WA will follow up with 58 transport companies on other fatigue-related issues such as medical checks, training and record keeping.
Source: OHS Alert
NSW: Call for more 'proactive' approach to nanotech regs
WorkCover NSW has released another paper in a long list of publications calling for a more “proactive” approach to nanotech regulations to better safeguard workers and the public. Nanotechnology: OHS overview [pdf] says the pace of nanotech industry development means researchers and regulators are lagging behind and that existing regulations are not adequate.
Current OHS regulations focus on the chemical compositions of substances rather than the shape of the structures as is the case with nanoparticles. This has led to a “crucial gap” that will not be filled until more knowledge of measurement procedures and exposure levels is gained.
More information on Nanotechnology Source: OHNews 755
Useful New Resources
From WorkSafe WA two new safety alerts on articulated tractor cranes [pdf] and excavators [pdf]
Worksafe Prosecutions
Company convicted and fined for unsafe manual handlingMelbourne company Manassen Foods Pty Ltd recently received its first conviction after nearly 60 years in business. It pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide a safe workplace, was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay court costs in excess of $5500. In August 2005, a WorkSafe inspector saw workers at risk of manual handling injuries at the company's Rowville warehouse and issued a safety Improvement Notice, to complied with by October. However, when WorkSafe returned in October and again in only small changes had been made each time. It was not until December 23, when new racking was installed, that the notice was deemed to be complied with. Magistrate Maurice Gurvich said people performing order-picking work were among the most vulnerable and needed protection from manual handling injuries.
Source: WorkSafe Media Release
SA: Two employers fined
A roofing contractor who left fall protection in the hands of workers was fined $27,000 after a worker fell from a roof and sustained serious injuries. Despite safety equipment being available, the worker was not wearing a harness or lanyard and scaffolding was not in use.
The magistrate found that the employer failed to request workers use the safety equipment and left it up to individuals to decide whether to use it or not which contributed to the incident. Furthermore the worker's supervisor had no formal training in OHS supervision and had left the site immediately before the incident.
Retail company Harris Scarfe Aust Pty Ltd was fined $20,400 for not adequately training staff in the safe use of trolleys to move stock through its Adelaide CBD dept store. SA SafeWork successfully prosecuted the company over a 2005 incident in which a woman shopper was struck by a trolley being pushed through the store.
Harris Scarfe pleaded guilty to breaching the OHSW Act requiring companies to ensure the safety of non-employees. The company had not completed a hazard identification and risk assessment for the handling and manoeuvring of stock and trolleys and had no policies or procedures in place to control the processes. The company had failed to report the incident and SafeWork investigated only after the woman's family complained.
Source: OHSAlert, OHNews 755
SA: Two employers fined
A roofing contractor who left fall protection in the hands of workers was fined $27,000 after a worker fell from a roof and sustained serious injuries. Despite safety equipment being available, the worker was not wearing a harness or lanyard and scaffolding was not in use.
The magistrate found that the employer failed to request workers use the safety equipment and left it up to individuals to decide whether to use it or not which contributed to the incident. Furthermore the worker's supervisor had no formal training in OHS supervision and had left the site immediately before the incident.
Retail company Harris Scarfe Aust Pty Ltd was fined $20,400 for not adequately training staff in the safe use of trolleys to move stock through its Adelaide CBD dept store. SA SafeWork successfully prosecuted the company over a 2005 incident in which a woman shopper was struck by a trolley being pushed through the store.
Harris Scarfe pleaded guilty to breaching the OHSW Act requiring companies to ensure the safety of non-employees. The company had not completed a hazard identification and risk assessment for the handling and manoeuvring of stock and trolleys and had no policies or procedures in place to control the processes. The company had failed to report the incident and SafeWork investigated only after the woman's family complained.
Source: OHSAlert, OHNews 755
International News
EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiationEurope's top environmental watchdog, the European Environment Agency (EEA), is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi (wireless internet connection), mobile phones and towers. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol. The warning follows an international scientific review which concluded that safety limits set for the radiation are ‘thousands of times too lenient', and an official British report which concluded that it could not rule out the development of cancers from using mobile phones. Professor Jacqueline McGlade, the EEA's executive director, said, ‘Recent research and reviews on the long-term effects of radiations from mobile telecommunications suggest that it would be prudent for health authorities to recommend actions to reduce exposures, especially to vulnerable groups, such as children.' The EEA's initiative will increase pressure on governments and public health bodies to take precautionary action over the electromagnetic radiation from rapidly expanding new technologies. The German government is already advising its citizens to use wired internet connections instead of Wi-Fi and landlines instead of mobile phones.
The scientific review, produced by the international BioInitiative Working Group of leading scientists and public health and policy experts, says the ‘explosion of new sources has created unprecedented levels of artificial electromagnetic fields that now cover all but remote areas of the habitable space on Earth', causing ‘long-term and cumulative exposure' to ‘massively increased" radiation that "has no precedent in human history".
Source: The Independent, 16 September 2007
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U.S. withdraws from Forum on Chemical Safety
"I am writing to inform you that the United States is withdrawing from participation in the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety," Daniel T. Fantozzi, director of the State Department's Office of Environmental Policy informed the UN body's secretariat on Sept. 12. The Forum is a unique body in which United Nations organizations, and environmental and labour groups and experts can participate fully with governments and industry in discussions of international chemical policy issues and priorities. The forum operates under the aegis of the World Health Organization. Over the years, discussions at the Forum have led to major changes in international approaches to chemicals, including development of the Stockholm Convention (POPs Treaty), safety guidance for agricultural workers and other global initiatives for voluntary and binding codes to protect public health and curb hazardous chemical poisons. An anonymous source at the State Department explained that the U.S. has "limited resources" and will focus instead on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management. Withdrawal from IFCS is consistent with the "Administration's policy of undermining the multilateral initiatives and institutions that are so important for protecting the global environment," said Jack Weinberg, global chemical safety program director at the Environmental Health Fund, a Massachusetts-based environmental group.
Read more
Vietnam: Dozens killed in bridge collapse
A section of a bridge under construction in southern Vietnam collapsed on 26 September, killing dozens of workers. Casualty figures are uncertain, but some reports say up to 60 workers died and 150 were injured. The bridge was being built across the Hau River, a branch of the Mekong River, in the southern city of Can Tho. The 2.75km mile Japanese-financed bridge, started in 2004, was to be the largest suspension bridge in Vietnam. Local hospitals were running out of beds, officials said and medical staff were sent from Ho Chi Minh City, 170 kilometres away, to help. Official media said the collapse of a section of bridge on land next to the Hau River was the worst bridge accident in Vietnam, which is ramping up infrastructure projects to keep pace with an economy growing at more than 8 per cent a year. Most of the dead and injured are Vietnamese. Three Japanese contractors - Taisei Corp, Kajima Corp and Nippon Steel Engineering Co Ltd - were on site the day of the collapse.
Source: The Age
UK: HSE resources
Health and safety for disabled people and their employers
The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have produced a website that promotes good practice in disability equality at work and provides information on risk assessments.
Vibration in Tools reports describing the programme of work carried out to test the manufacturers declared vibration and actual vibration:
1 - Fastener driving tools (i.e. nail guns, heavy wire staplers and corrugated fasteners) [pdf], and
2 - sanders and polishers.
Updated resources for safety representatives
Updated some of its checklists for use by safety representatives to help them carry out risk assessments in the workplace and to discuss findings with employers. HSE Resources pages
Topic inspection pack on stonemasonry
The HSE is targeting stonemasons as part of its inspection intervention at workplaces where hazardous substances are in use. The aim of the intervention is to reduce the incidence of work-related ill health such as occupational asthma and longer latency diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and silicosis.
As part of the intervention, the HSE has produced an information pack [pdf] to raise awareness and provide information on enforcement activities.
Also of interest, the HSE essentials about silica.
Events
VTHC EventsChilean Music Concert: Saturday 20 October 2007, 7pm
Trades Hall - Corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets Carlton
The Latin American Solidarity Network Melbourne had to postpone this concert, originally planned for October 6, of Ismael "Bandolero" Duran (Latin American New Song Movement, singer, songwriter) and Gonzalo "Payo" Gondona (singer, songwriter, composer of the Chilean New Song Movement).
$20 waged, $15 unwaged, $30 Solidarity. Bookings: (03) 9481 2273 - 0402 754 818 (more information)
Colombian Solidarity Night, Saturday October 27, 6.30pm
Trades Hall Council Ballroom. The Colombian Solidarity Network is organising an event to raise funds for the cost of legal action being brought by villagers in Northern Colombia against BHP and other owners of the Cerrejon coal mine.
Live Latin music, food provided, drinks at bar prices. $20 per head. For further information/tickets, contact Renata Musolino on 9659 3571 or rmusolino@vthc.org.au
Training at Trades Hall
Lots of elected reps are not taking up their right to do an annual refresher course – if this is you, then it's time to register for a course now. It's also important for managers and supervisors, and committee members to get appropriate training. Go to the training section of the website to check the courses scheduled at the VTHC OHS Training Unit.
Contact Judith Rodda on 03 9663 5460 for more information either scheduled courses or what we can do for your workplace, and to enrol.
Young Unionists Network: Union Summer 2008
The Young Unionists Network is inviting people to apply for its Union Summer (US) 2008 program. US gives people committed to social justice and workers rights the opportunity to do an educational internship working in trade unions with organisers and union activists. It aims to encourage participants to become activists in their workplaces, universities or TAFE colleges and support workers organising in strategic sites and industries. It aims to increase the number of young people who become strong union members.
Read more and download applications
Return to Work Forum Nunawading: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 6pm – 8pm
The Victorian Trades Hall Council Return to Work Unit is running a free information session on the Rights of Injured Workers. It will be held at the Whitehorse Centre, 397 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading.
Hear from the Honourable Minister for WorkCover, Tim Holding, the Victorian WorkCover Authority, Unions, and lawyers about workers' compensation, injured workers returning to work and how WorkChoices impacts on injured workers.
Finger food, coffee and tea will be provided - For further information please contact Ellen Kleimaker on 0408 339 720 (or email: ekleimaker@vthc.org.au) or Bronwyn Halfpenny on 0431 749972
Other Events
Low Paid Work in Australia Symposium: 17 October 2007
The Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne in association with the Brotherhood of St Laurence is holding a symposium on low paid work. A range of speakers with a broad experience in employment and social policy will explore the links between low wages and poverty and canvass policy options to reduce the negative impacts of low-paid work.
Tickets are $110 and available online.