CIS NEWSLETTER
No.169 October 2003
CIS Newsletter celebrates 15 years & still going strong! Bringing news to over 135 countries in the CIS Network and beyond!
Contents
p.1 Editorial
p.2 EW2003 = Health and safety week in Europe
p.4-6 News from Tunisia, EU, USA
p.7 Resisting the return of paraquat
p.8-12 News from Ireland, UK, Canada, plus
Road Safety news and Problems in Call Centres
p.14News from the ILO and China
p.15Book titles
p.16 GoPop; Reducing accidents
p.17EurOshe2003 conference
p.18 Chemicals and preparedness.
p.21 Radioactivity
p.22 Influenza at work
p.23OSHE web sites
p.27Diary of Events... to make you think
Editorial
Dear CIS Colleagues
October 2003 sees a concerted effort in the Europe when the Week for Health and Safety 2003 on Dangerous Substances takes place - more details in this Newsletter. It is an information campaign aimed at making Europe a safe and healthy place to work by promoting activities to reduce the risks of working with dangerous substances.
Concern is growing about the need to understand and apply the risk assessment concept into health. Perhaps for many people there is always the thought that "it won't happen to me". And perhaps for companies and other organisations not to think long-term about the future of the employees' well-being and health.
Some would argue that this is short-sighted and that the health of the business really relies on the health of the employees. I would be interested to hear from you if you know of examples of where long-term health IS the concern of companies and what systems and schemes are in place where the concept of risk assessment has been applied to the health of workers.
For CIS members in Europe I hope the European Week for Safety and Health which takes place throughout Europe this month will be successful.
Your news makes my day..... As always many thanks to those who have very kindly sent information .... and to those who have not sent any - I look forward to receiving your news item as soon as possible.
An ever increasing number of CIS newsletters are delivered by email - well over 100 individuals/organisations receive the emailed version. Many of the e-mailed recipients are those working in the wider OSHE field but who are NOT CIS Members. CIS Newsletter is also on a number of web sites, eg. Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, CIOP in Poland etc. Now, you can also get it on via your editor's website If you have the CIS Newsletter on your web site let me know and I will publicise it for you.
Finally please note the very important EurOhse2003 conference to be held in London UK, on 4 and 5 November 2003 - there is still time to book - click onto for details. The conference looks Forward and the speakers from around the world will be addressing the future of health and safety. Book now and be in the vanguard!
Best wishes to you and your colleagues.
Sheila Pantry, OBE
85 The Meadows, Todwick,
Sheffield S26 1JG, UK
Tel: +441909 771024
Fax: +441909 772829
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CIS NETWORK OF NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTRES......
WORKING TOGETHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER....
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EW2003
Across Europe, millions of employees are exposed to dangerous substances in their workplaces.
Failure to control the associated risks can harm people's health in many different ways including: asthma; skin irritation or dermatitis; cancer; reproductive problems and birth defects. It can also result in damage to the nervous and immune systems, affecting vital organs such as the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver. In turn, organisations can suffer through lost productivity and increased liability to prosecution and claims for compensation from employees.
European legislation sets out the obligations of employers to prevent the exposure of workers to harm from dangerous substances in the workplace. These include risk assessment, the prevention of risks associated with dangerous substances, arrangements for dealing with accidents and emergencies, and information and training for workers. In addition, employers are required to involve workers in the development of their safety and health policies.
According to recent European research, 22% of EU workers report being exposed to toxic vapours for a quarter or more of their working time. In addition, 16% of employees have to handle dangerous substances as part of their daily work. Such exposures can harm workers' health in a variety of ways, with effects ranging from mild eye and skin irritations to chronic lung disorders and cancer. That's why this year's European Week for Safety and Health at Work is focusing on reducing the health risks of using dangerous substances.
The European Week 2003 is an information campaign aimed at making Europe a safe and healthy place to work by promoting activities to reduce the risks of working with dangerous substances. With the backing of all Member States and enlargement countries, the European Commission and Parliament, trade unions and employers' federations, this annual initiative has become the largest workplace safety and health event in Europe. It provides a unique opportunity to focus attention on the importance of safety and health at work.
It is being co-ordinated by the Bilbao-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and will run in all 15 EU Member States, the candidate countries, and beyond. The Agency is the European Union organisation responsible for occupational safety and health information.
European Week will take place throughout the month of October 2003, with each country deciding precisely which week is designated. However, the campaign will run throughout 2003.
The Week is aimed at people in organisations, companies and workplaces of all sizes and sectors. Everybody involved in occupational safety and health matters is invited to take part, especially safety and health institutions and occupational insurance organisations, trade unions and employers' organisations, companies, managers, employees and safety representatives.
What can be done?
The ideal situation is to stop using a dangerous substance altogether, or if this is not possible, to substitute the substance for a less dangerous one. The key to minimising the risks of dangerous substances lies in risk assessment and following through the requirements of the various EU directives that cover the use of dangerous substances at work. Guidance on how to do this can be found on the European Week website at Member States have also produced their own practical guidelines and preventive tools.
Reducing the risks of working with dangerous substances is not just a moral and legal imperative. There is a strong business case as well. More effective controls can lead to improved staff morale and improved productivity by reducing the amount of raw materials used. The most successful businesses usually have the best safety and health performance. Good health is good business.
more information on
News from Tunisia
Those of us attending the Workshops, talks and annual meeting in May 2003 had a preview of the Tunisian National Centre's web site content. It is now launched - congratulations to Rachida and all the team who have produced a very informative and interesting website......
Institute for Health and Safety in the Workplace ISST TUNISIA
The Tunisian Institute for Health and Safety in the Workplace contains details on medical and technical assistance available from the Institute, the Laboratories, research and studies being undertaken, training and information. Available in both English and French. The Institute is also the Tunisian National Centre for the International Labour Office Health and Safety Information Centres network.
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Member States failing implement EU legislation
The latest figures compiled by the European Commission show a further deterioration in member states' implementation of internal market laws that they themselves, together with the European Parliament, have signed up to. This comes despite repeated pledges made by EU leaders to speed up the implementation process.
In July 2003, eight member states had a "transposition deficit" (the percentage of directives that have not been implemented in national law in due time) more than double the target of 1.5%. Only two member states (Denmark and Spain) met this target, while Austria, Italy and France were furthest away from meeting it. Worryingly, the average deficit for the EU as a whole was up to 2.8%, from 1.8% in May last year. The "zero tolerance" target set by EU heads of state at the Barcelona European Council in Spring 2002, under which no directives should remain unimplemented more than two years after the due date, is still far from being realised. Only four member states (Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Finland) met this target by the end of July. France had the worst record in this respect, followed by Luxembourg and Belgium. ______
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions seeks your help
The Foundation is running a user survey to find out more about your information needs and to help us improve the Eurofound website. Please complete the online questionnaire at
The Foundation want to take your views into account. It should take 10 minutes. Any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential, and will not be shared with any third party. Thank you for your contribution!
Willy Buschak
Deputy Director
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions .
Loughlinstown House
Wyattville Road
Co. Dublin Ireland
Tel: +353 1 2043100
Fax: +353 1 2826456
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News from the USA
The US National CIS Centre - the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued it latest newsletter which you can find at
Among the items in this latest issue are the following:
> Preventing Deaths and Injuries While Compacting Refuse
NIOSH Alert document contains important safety recommendations for operating baling and compacting machines.
National Agricultural Safety Database Wins Web Award
Protecting Employee Health While Helping People with Developmental Dsabilities NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation generates recommendations for improving the safety of adult care workers.
In addition are the following:
Highlights from the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Protection Program
National Fire Prevention Week is October 5-11, 2003. There are currently 1.2 million fire fighters protecting U.S. citizens and property from losses caused by fires. An estimated 105 fire fighters die in the line of duty each year and 87,500 more are injured. At NIOSH, research to prevent fire fighter fatalities and injuries is an ongoing priority. As part of the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, NIOSH collaborates with private and public organizations to conduct a number of activities designed to increase awareness of dangers and prevent future fatalities and injuries from occurring. This edition of eNews focuses on the program, highlighting several of the key components.
Fire Fighters At Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Heart attacks are the most common cause of line-of-duty deaths for fire fighters. NIOSH investigates these fatalities by assessing the contribution of workplace and personal factors. The workplace evaluation includes estimating the immediate physical demands placed on the fire fighter, estimating the fire fighters acute exposure to hazardous chemicals, and assessing the fire department's efforts to screen for coronary artery disease risk factors and implementing a fitness and wellness program. Like the FACE model, each investigation generates a report summarising the incident, and includes recommendations for preventing future similar results. These can be found on the NIOSH website
For more information on the cardiovascular disease program, contact Tom Hales at email:
Communicating Fire Fighter Safety Information Is Critical
The programme disseminates the investigative reports and other related safety publications to fire departments, fire fighters, program planners, trainers, and researchers to help prevent future line-of-duty deaths and injuries. The investigation reports are used in fire fighter training to demonstrate real-life dangers associated with the job.
"I used the Firefighter Fatality reports published by your organization. These are invaluable as case studies to represent to our young rookies the true hazards of their job. These reports bring the aspect of safety into a reality for them. I know they are safe for having reaped the rewards from the hard work your staff puts into the reports. This is a great and invaluable service to my profession." Quote from Deputy Fire Marshal submitted through CDC Public Inquiry email.
In addition to the investigation reports, NIOSH develops other documents on specific hazards to the fire service, such as tanker rollovers, traffic hazards, structural collapses and exposure to electrical hazards during wild land fire operations.
"I find the NIOSH Reports and Alerts on fire fighter deaths very informative. We utilise the information to change attitudes." Quote from the reader response cards in a NIOSH Alert. To access the complete list of fire fighter safety publications, visit
NIOSH Product Wins Excellence in Technology Transfer Award
The technology application "Hand Wipe Method for Detecting Lead" was recently selected to receive the 2003 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer by the Southeast Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer. Through a simple colour change, the hand wipe can quickly and easily detect the presence of lead on skin, steering wheels, and other vehicle surfaces in industries where lead is produced or used and surfaces such as tables, floors, walls, and window sills. This alert prompts the worker to perform more thorough hand washing to decrease the risk of ingesting lead during eating, drinking, or smoking. The Southeast FLC recognises outstanding technologies that have significant potential to improve the quality of life and the efforts of federal laboratory personnel to move appropriate technologies into the marketplace. For more information on the hand wipe method, contact Eric Esswein at Email:
Protecting Employee Health While Helping People with Developmental
Disabilities
A recent case study in the journal Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene from a 2002 NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) recommends practical measures for reducing potential risks to employees providing direct care to severe mentally and developmentally disabled individuals. The HHE came at the request of employees at an Ohio Adult Developmental Center who were concerned about work-related stress and potential hazards to infectious disease agents. The recommendations illustrate that health and safety for employees can be combined successfully with compassionate care for individuals in such facilities. Further information, including a link to the 2002 HHE report, is available at
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Trade Unions and Environmental Groups Join Forces to Resist Return of
Paraquat
Trade unions and environmental groups have joined together to urge the European Union not to relax current restrictions on the highly toxic .herbicide paraquat.
At the time of writing ....
At the opening of the meeting of the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (1 - 2 October 2003) which will decide on proposals to put paraquat on the EU positive list, the IUF and the Pesticides Action Network are calling on member states to vote against the proposal and to maintain restrictions on paraquat.
Paraquat is the world's second most widely used herbicide, after glyphosate (Monsanto's "Roundup"). The largest manufacturer is the Swiss-based Syngenta corporation, although Paraquat has been banned in Switzerland since 1989.
Paraquat is a non-selective herbicide, which kills green plant cells on contact. Paraquat is widely used for weed-control in fruit orchards, on non-agricultural cropland and on plantation crops including coffee, cocoa, coconut, oil palms, rubber, bananas and tea. It is also used as a drying agent in the production of pineapples, sugar cane, soybeans and sunflowers. While the USA is the largest single-country market for paraquat, the two regions with by far the greatest use are Asia and Latin America.
Paraquat accounts for a substantial number of the 40,000 deaths which the WHO has determined to be the global number of annual pesticide related fatalities. Paraquat is highly toxic to humans and animals. Once absorbed through the skin or lungs or orally ingested, its effects are irreversible. There is no known antidote to paraquat poisoning Agricultural workers are regularly exposed to this toxic substance during handling and mixing, spraying and working in freshly-sprayed
fields. Paraquat is persistent and accumulates in the soil with repeated
applications.
Countries where Paraquat is banned...
Because of its acute toxicity, Paraquat is banned in Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and seriously restricted in Germany since the federal biological institute determined that it persists and accumulates in soil. Malaysia has implemented a phased ban on paraquat in recognition of the dangers it poses. Its highly toxic nature is acknowledged by Syngenta, which however contends that it can be safely applied when the requisite precautions are observed. The greatest use of Paraquat, however, is on plantations in tropical countries where elementary protective equipment is often lacking. In Kenya, for example, where Paraquat is widely used, the cost of a pair of protective gloves is equivalent to a day's wage for a plantation worker.