SafetyNet JOURNAL
SafetyNet Journal 133
Issue 133 - SafetyNet Journal 133
Welcome to SafetyNet Journal 133 - Your source for all the latest news from the local and global OHS world.Union News
Research
WorkSafe News
International News
Events
Union News
Activities for reps
Libs drop WorkChoices but AWAs to linger
The Coalition has finally agreed to pass the ALP Government’s IR agenda, ending months of uncertainty on the dismantling of WorkChoices. Workplace Relations Minister, Julia Gillard, says she is confident laws can be passed before Easter, so long as the Opposition does not employ stalling tactics in the Senate.
However, the ACTU has warned that despite the backflip from the Opposition there are no assurances that AWAs are off their agenda. Data released by Julia Gillard shows that many AWAs strip award conditions including rest breaks, shift loading and penalty rates. Unions say the data is an indictment of the previous government’s workplace agenda and shows they can’t be trusted on IR issues.
ACTU media release
Melbourne’s intensive care ambulance service in meltdown
The Ambulance Employees Australia has called for urgent attention to Melbourne’s MICA intensive care ambulance service with high fatigue and worker attrition rates endemic in the system.
The union has released new data which shows there have been almost 130 occasions when MICA has been suspended or downgraded over the last six months due to a critical shortage of elite MICA paramedics. The union argues that the system is at breaking point, with high turnover of experienced and qualified paramedics a significant concern.
AEA Secretary, Steve McGhie, says the union has repeatedly outlined the problems without an adequate response from the state government over the past two years.
“MICA is supposed to be used for acute and high level emergency clinical care, yet there are often significant delays or unavailability across Melbourne. That’s happening because MICA is being used to support the wider ambulance service.”
Whilst case loads have increased by up to 19% across the system, the resourcing levels have only increased by 3-6% with MICA paramedics often forced to make up the shortfall, he said. In the past 14 months around 50 MICA paramedics have left the service, citing factors including high fatigue and overtime.
AEA media release
The Federal Safety Commissioner has released a report [pdf] showing the rate of fatalities in the construction industry is significantly higher than for other industries.
FSC Tom Fisher describes the building and construction industry’s OHS performance as completely unacceptable.
‘The statistics demonstrate that the building and construction industry is not achieving the level of OHS improvements, particularly in relation to fatalities, that other industries are achieving,’ the FSC says in the report.
‘For example, the number of building and construction industry compensated fatalities has decreased by 27% between 1996/97 and 2002/03. During the same period, agriculture, forestry and fishing industry fatalities reduced by 43%, mining by 54% and manufacturing by 63%.’
Dave Noonan, National Secretary of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU recently spoke out on the “completely unacceptable level of carnage amongst construction workers which needs to be addressed with urgency”.
WorkSafe investigates alleged ARREO breaches
WorkSafe is investigating alleged breaches of health and safety laws which allow court-authorised union representatives to visit workplaces to enquire into safety concerns. Three officials were allegedly prevented from boarding the semi-submersible floating oil rig, Ocean Patriot at Portland last week. The rig is in Portland for a major refit.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, allows Authorised Representatives of Registered Employee Organisations (ARREOs) to visit workplaces if they reasonably suspect a contravention of the Act or the regulations has occurred or is occurring.
Obstruction and hindering an ARREO is an offence. If prosecuted, the company could be fined more than $30,000. Individuals can be fined more than $6000.
WorkSafe media release
The NSW Govt will reportedly intervene in a case involving the CFMEU and John Holland concerning OHS right of entry at a NSW construction site.
Unions had called on the government to intervene in the dispute at Kurnell desalination plant construction site.
As previously reported in SafetyNet the case could have a major impact on OHS and union right of entry provisions which are protected under some state OHS laws but not under Comcare.
Source: OHN 769
CFMEU launches national health campaign
The CFMEU has launched a new national health campaign aimed at encouraging men to help a mate with medical problems and to get advice about their own health problems.
At the centre of the campaign is the Help-a-Mate calendar, which has information about prostate cancer, stress, depression, asthma, hearing-loss and foot care and will be distributed to construction workers around the country.
The calendar is the brainchild of former CFMEU shop steward and OHS representative David Bevens, who came up with the idea while studying for his OHS Diploma with the CFMEU education and training unit.
“As a shop steward and OH&S rep with the CFMEU, I worked on a lot of building sites and talked to a lot of blokes about health and safety issues.,” he said. “What I realised was that while construction workers had a lot of information about safety at work, they didn’t know where to go for information about non-work related medical issues.”
CFMEU media release
SA Unions Secretary resigns from Workcover Board
SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles has resigned from the state Workcover Board saying she can not fight for the rights of injured workers while she remains on the board.
The decision comes as the SA Government moves to cut payouts to injured workers following economic advice aimed at reducing Workcover’s liabilities. Unions have vowed to campaign strongly against any cuts to entitlements.
“I’m resigning from the Board because it’s my job to defend workers – and I cannot do this with the restrictions placed on board members,” Ms Giles said.
“I also will not be gagged from scrutinising the motives of the business lobby, which seeks to cut their levy rates at injured workers’ expense. The challenge that some employers continue to avoid is to ensure workplaces are safe and assist in the safe return to work of their injured workers.”
SA Unions media release
Asbestos News
Landmark ruling awards $840k for mechanic's asbestosis
A former Perth mechanic has successfully proved Ford’s negligence caused his asbestosis in a landmark ruling in the WA Supreme Court. The court found the company should have inserted warnings on the brake-lining boxes. The company’s break linings contained asbestos.
The 58-year-old worker sued the Ford Motor Company, after contracting asbestosis. He worked for the company in dealerships from 1970 to 1987 during which time he regularly cleaned out brake drums with compressed air, blasting out asbestos dust in the process.
He was awarded $840,000 in damages and has become the first mechanic in Australia to win an asbestos exposure case against a car manufacturer.
Source: Workplace OHS
Bernie Banton honoured in Federal Parliament
New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd paid tribute to asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton during the first session of Federal Parliament.
Mr Rudd said Bernie Banton had occupied a special place in the public eye during the hard-fought campaign to bring asbestos manufacturer James Hardie to justice. He paid tribute to his work with the union movement.
In the tribute Mr Rudd described Bernie as a “symbol of basic human decency” and “a genuine Australian hero, an ordinary bloke with an extraordinary heart who led an extraordinary life—a man of faith, courage and conviction".
“In his fight for justice Bernie somehow reached out and touched the Australian soul, reminding us all of what it is to be Australian, reminding us all of the need to look out for one another and reminding us all that we need a fair go for all, not just for some.”
APH Hansard, p 35
Asbestos FAQ: Do regulations cover work I do in my own home?
The short answer is no. The regulations governing the removal of asbestos only cover workpaces. So if you are doing your own home renovations the regulations don't apply, however if you hire someone to do any work in the house it then becomes a workplace with the regs coming into force.
The new asbestos regulations are online now and explain in detail how the laws work. Professional removal of asbestos is always advised. Visit the VTHC's list of approved asbestos removalists to find someone in your area.
US: Campaign to tell Congress to totally ban asbestos!
The US Congress is expected to hold hearings soon on whether to implement a total ban on asbestos-containing products.
Unions are alarmed that asbestos industry lobbyists are pressuring Congress to institutionalise the allowance of up to 1 percent of asbestos in industrial materials, consumer products, toys, and other products on American store shelves. They have launched a campaign to ban asbestos in all American products and are asking people to sign an online petition.
Sign petition
,
International Ban Asbestos Secretariat
Global: Governments told to act on asbestos
The global asbestos industry is planning a massive promotional push as part of its response to efforts to ban the deadly substance. Governments are being urged to act immediately to ban asbestos worldwide campaigners have warned.
Eighty delegates from unions, asbestos groups and international tripartite, enforcement and expert bodies from 33 countries met in Vienna this month to devise an effective response to the occupational and public health menace posed by asbestos.
Risks 343
NZ fire gives rise to asbestos fears
A massive fire which destroyed a freezing works in the NZ town of Patea has led to fears of asbestos contamination.
The freezing works burned down on Waitangi Day, February 6, causing partial evacuation of the town and concerns about a public health risk. A Patea leader says about 50 people had still not returned to their homes by last week because of contamination fears.
Local authorities have been urged to undertake clearance work at the site with the help of the Government. Dust suppressants and other short-term solutions have been offered as ways to stabilise the large amount of asbestos on the site.
Wanganui Chronicle
Overseas Union News
UK: Bullying in workplace ‘endemic’
Bullying in the workplace is 'endemic' in the UK, affecting 80 per cent of employees, the charity group the Samaritans has warned. The charity said a third of those it surveyed were so unhappy they had considered leaving their job while just under half felt their bosses were prepared to put them under pressure to get as much work out of them as possible, regardless of the consequences.
The Samaritans.
BBC News Online
Source: TUC’s Changing Times News
More on
Bullying on OHS Rep
Research
Get out of that office chair
New research from the University of Queensland shows that sitting in an office chair can increase your likelihood of developing diabetes and heart disease. The study, which will appear in the April issue of Diabetes Care, shows that moderate exercise may not lessen the impact as much as taking more frequent breaks from sitting.
The study measured the intensity of physical activity in 168 over seven days. It found that regardless of how much exercise they did or how long they were sedentary for, those who took more breaks fared better with lower waist circumference, lower body mass index and lower levels of harmful triglycerides and glucose in their blood.
Source:
The Age online
Australian research on industry groups and chronic illness
New research unveils links between various industry groups and a range of chronic illnesses prevalent to people who work within them.
The study, by researchers at the University of Sydney, sought to determine which industries and occupational groups are associated with employment of older workers with chronic work-limiting health conditions.
It looked at 4228 people who were in the workforce and aged between 45 and 64.Of these, 2721, 64%, said they had at least one of the top 20 work-limiting medical conditions.
The study found health and community workers were twice as likely to suffer from cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Café workers' chances of contracting bronchitis, musculoskeletal, endocrine and cardiovascular conditions were also double that of other workers.
‘Where are older workers with chronic conditions employed?’, Australian Medical Journal, MJA 2008; 188 (4): 231-234, Deborah J Schofield, Susan L Fletcher, Arul Earnest, Megan E Passey and Rupendra N Shrestha, Abstract
Workplace stress causes road rage
Stressed, overworked and undervalued workers are among drivers most likely to take their anger out on other motorists, a study of Adelaide drivers has found.
The study, by the Work & Stress Research Group at the University of SA, looked at 130 Australian workers and suggests employers need to take more responsibility for the impact of workplace stress on the wider community.
The findings, published in the Accident Analysis & Prevention Journal, showed work stress could influence the frequency and intensity of anger experienced while driving.
"Individuals who suffer a perceived imbalance between high effort and low reward in the workplace may develop increased over-commitment and general anger, which increases the individual's tendency to experience frequent and intense anger in driving situations."
Events most likely to induce road rage in drivers who felt undervalued at work included cutting in and taking a parking spot, tailgating or following closely with bright lights on.
Benjamin L Hoggan and Maureen F Dollard. Effort-reward imbalance at work and driving anger in an Australian community sample: Is there a link between work stress and road rage? Accident Analysis and Prevention, volume 39, pages 1286-1295, 2007 Abstract
Hairdressers, truck drivers and fruit growers in cancer risk list
New research warns a number of occupations have an increased risk of workers developing cancer. Occupations at risk include fruit growers, hairdressers, truck drivers, sewing machinists and meat workers.
The study from Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research in New Zealand conducted studies on Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and bladder cancer and possible links to occupation. Researchers looked at adults in New Zealand where occupational cancers account for 330 deaths per year.
Risk factors included exposure to pesticides, cleaning chemicals and petrochemicals. Hair dressers and sewing machinists were at higher risk of developing bladder cancers due to exposure to carcinogens in regularly used products.
Workplace exposure to carcinogens in New Zealand; Andrea ‘t Mannetje, Neil Pearce, Dave McLean, Jeroen Douwes, Evan Dryson, Chris Walls, Lis Ellison-Loschmann, Sunia Foliaki, Tania Slater [ Abstract ] Source: Massey University News
Temps, part-timers at higher risk
Part-time, temporary or contract workers are at higher risk for occupational injuries and illnesses than workers in traditional employment situations, according to a report from NIOSH in the US.
These so-called ‘contingent’ workers face greater risks including a rate of fatal injuries at twice the national US average.
A range of possible reasons include: he outsourcing of more hazardous jobs, lack of experience and familiarity with operations in a dangerous workplace, inadequate safety training and protective equipment, and limited access to preventive measures such as medical screening programs.
Source: NIOSH Science Blog
‘Contingent Workers and Contingent Health: Risks of a Modern Economy,’ by Kristin J. Cummings, M.D., M.P.H., and Kathleen Kreiss, M.D., January 30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, is available
online
as a subscription.
WorkSafe News
Dangerous high work under the hammer
WorkSafe inspectors will target dangerous work at height on housing and small-to-medium construction sites across Victoria during February and March. The inspections are part of a national safety campaign targeting falls prevention in the construction industry.
Eight people died and there were 1,070 compensated injuries due to falls from height in Victoria’s construction sector over the past three financial years.
In 2007 two Victorian construction workers fell to their deaths and almost 300 more made injury claims as a result of falls.
WorkSafe media release
Safer shops to the north and the south
WorkSafe inspectors will return to the Northland and Southland shopping centres to follow-up on safety problems identified during visits in January.
Inspectors visited 257 businesses at Southland, resulting in 73 Improvement Notices, one Prohibition Notice and 30 problems identified by an inspector, but which were fixed on the spot.
At Northland there were 201 visits resulting in nine Improvement Notices and two voluntary compliance matters. Among the issues identified at both centres where - inadequate maintenance; the need to tag and test electrical leads; failure to provide safety information bout common workplace chemicals; inappropriate storage; dangerous ladders; fire protection – not enough fire extinguishers, some out of date.
WorkSafe media release
ASCC sets priorities for 2008
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) has released a plan outlining upcoming priorities for 2008. These will include reporting on indicators of occupational disease and evaluating self-insurers’ approaches to injury management.
Although facing impending replacement, the ASCC has released a business plan [pdf], agreed to by Workplace Relations Ministers at their 1 February meeting.
The plan says OHS activities will be focussed on progressing key areas identified through the first triennial review of the National Strategy. On compensation it advises Ministers on the implications for workers compensation schemes as they seek a nationally consistent system.
Workplace OHS
ASCC releases comparative performance reports
The ASCC has also released
The Comparative Performance Monitoring Report 9th Edition [pdf]. The Report offers a comparison of occupational health and safety and workers' compensation schemes in Australia and New Zealand.
National Employment Standards released for public consultation
The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of its proposed ten National Employment Standards (NES), together with a discussion paper [pdf] calling for public feedback.
The NES will cover the key minimum entitlements for all Australian employees, to apply from 1 January 2010. These entitlements will be guaranteed in legislation so that they cannot be excluded or modified in a way that undermines the safety net.
Govt media release
Resources:
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Guidance on the new construction regulations
New housing construction industry guides issued jointly by New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. These are consistent with workplace safety regulations in the three eastern states:- Site security and public access onto housing construction sites
- Amenities on housing sites [pdf]
- What is adequate site supervision
- WorkSafe Alert after excavator operator drowns in NSW
- Wiring rules information sessions. Energy Safe Victoria is running a number of information sessions, across the state for registered electrical contractors/electricans and electrical inspectors, on the new AS/NZS 3000:2007 Wiring Rules.
- NSW: Fact Sheet - LP Gas Cylinders: Storage, Handling and Disposal outlines how to safely handle, store and dispose of unwanted LP gas cylinders. It provides assistance to employers, employees, managers, supervisors, contractors and householders who require information about dealing with unwanted or unidentifiable LP gas cylinders that appear unpredictably in the waste stream.
- Queensland: Electrical Safety Outlook - for electrical licence holders and others involved in the industry. It provides news and practical information about the industry on a range of topics from policy development to dealing with asbestos on the job.
International News
Canada: First conviction under industrial fatalities law
Canada has successfully convicted a company over the death of a worker in a first under the country’s workplace deaths law. Transpavé, a manufacturer of concrete blocks, pleaded guilty to criminal charges relating to the death of a 23-year-old worker who was crushed by a machine.
The conviction is the first criminal conviction of a corporation since laws were introduced in March 2004 following a lengthy union campaign. The law says organisations must take all reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to persons, including workers, contractors and the general public.
The law also allows for the conviction of executives and officers of the company.
Risks 343
Europe: More workers hit by psychosocial risks
Modern workplace issues are taking an increasing toll on workers according to new reports from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
The agency cites new forms of employment contracts, job insecurity, work intensification, high emotional demands, violence at work and a poor work-life balance as critical factors putting pressure on workers’ wellbeing and health and safety.
Jukka Takala, director of EU-OSHA, said: 'Working life in Europe is changing at an ever-increasing speed. Job insecurity, multiple jobs or high work intensity can all lead to work-related stress and put workers' health in danger.'
'Constant monitoring and improving of psychosocial work environments are necessary to create quality jobs and retain workers in good condition.'
EU-OSHA news release and factsheet on emerging psychosocial risks . Expert forecast on emerging psychosocial risks . OHS Reps page on stress Source: TUC’s Changing Times News.
Events
Public Lecture
“Asbestos related cancer deaths – The past, present and future”.
Venue: Sunderland Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, Medical Building, corner of Grattan Street and Royal Parade, Parkville
Date: Tuesday 22nd April, 2008
Time: 6.00 – 7.00pm (unless otherwise stated)
RSVP and further information: mdhs-rsvp@unimelb.edu.au, (03) 8344 9800.
Explanation of the long-term effects of asbestos exposure in causing lung cancer and mesothelioma. Includes projections about the numbers of future cancers that can occur from exposures that have happened in the past, and from asbestos exposures that are still continuing.
Training at VTHC
The OHS Training Unit has a range of courses coming up in 2008. Check out the training page of the website for all the latest news and sign up for courses.
Contact Judith Rodda on 03 9663 5460 for more information on scheduled courses or what we can do for your workplace, and to enrol.
Initial 5-Day Metropolitan (for Elected OHS Reps under the Victorian OHS Act - this course is approved by the VWA under Section 67)
March 3 - 7 Initial Frankston
March 3 - 7 DET (Education) Carlton
March 3 - 7 Initial Carlton
March 17, 18, 26, 27, 28 Initial Carlton
Course hours: 9am - 5pm. Course fee $620.00Initial 5-Day Country
February 25 – 29 Initial Ballarat
Course hours: 9am - 5pm. Course fee $650.00Comcare 5-Day Ohs Reps Course (for Elected OHS Reps under the Comcare Act)
April 28 - May 2 Carlton
Course hours: 9am - 5pm. Course fee $650.002-Day Metropolitan
This 2-day course is an overview designed for managers, supervisors and committee members. It is NOT a replacement for the VWA approved 5-day training for elected reps.
March 17 and 18 General Carlton
Course hours: 9.30am - 4.30pm. Course fee $350.001-Day Refresher
The Refresher course is approved by the VWA under Section 67 of the Victorian OHS Act 2004 for elected reps and deputies.
March 13 Manual Handling Carlton
March 13 Legislative Update Geelong
March 14 Legislative Update Carlton
March 19 Legislative Update Bendigo
March 20 Legislative Update Frankston
March 20 Legislative Update Ringwood
Course hours: 9am - 4.30pm. Course fee $180.00
Go to the 2008 Training program page to download an application form.