News from around the World

News Archive

August 2017

UK Grenfell Tower Inquiry terms of reference published

On 15 August 2017 Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s terms of reference for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and Prime Minister Theresa May’s response have been published:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grenfell-tower-inquiry-terms-of-reference-published

USA Contact Lens Health Week 2017 – August 21-25

The week of 21-25 August 2017 marks the US fourth annual Contact Lens Health Week.

This year’s campaign theme “Healthy Habits Mean Healthy Eyes” focuses on encouraging youth to start healthy habits early, for healthy eyes later.

Contact Lens Health Week aims to increase public awareness and promote healthy contact lens wear and care.

Increasing awareness about the importance of proper contact lens hygiene can encourage wearers to adopt healthy habits that can help reduce their chances of getting an eye infection.

There are some videos to be able to learn from some people how eye infections affected their lives, and how they changed the way they wear and care for contact lenses.

UK Department for Communities and Local Government Building Safety Programme, Grenfell Tower

A co-ordinated national response to the fire at Grenfell Tower, and for all the updates visit:

www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-programme#screening-testing-and-wall-cladding-systems-programme

Event: ISO 45001 Workshop – What is the new standard?

19 September 2017

Book your place to get the inside track and an invaluable head start into the new international health and safety management standard ISO 45001. Discover how to prepare for the transition from OHSAS 18001 certification and much more.

Programme outline:

• Why the need for a new international standard for OHSMS?
• How the ISO 45001 standard has been developed
• The significant changes from OHSAS 18001 standard
• Examine and review the ten clauses and sub clauses of the new ISO 45001(ISO/DIS 45001.2) standard
• Practical exercises on implementing the clause requirements
• How to prepare for transition to the new standard
• Current timescales for publication of ISO 45001
• Gap analysis tool to use on the day.

The event includes a networking lunch to share best practice.

Speaker

David Parr, Head of Audit and Technical Services, British Safety Council

https://www.britsafe.org/awards-and-events/events/conferences-and-workshops/2017/iso-45001-workshops-what-is-the-new-standard-london-19-september

Grenfell inquiry must listen to us, say firefighters

The UK Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is urging the inquiry team and the government to listen to firefighters, emergency fire control operators and to the FBU itself, when the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster gets underway.

The union call came amid concerns that the inquiry will focus narrowly on simply what happened on the night of the fire, rather than questions about the wider safety regime and how such a devastating incident could take place.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048277

To vape or not to vape at work?

Allowing vaping in the workplace is a bad idea, the UK TUC has reiterated. The union body clarification came in wake of series of misleading articles in the press suggesting that the government’s Five Year Tobacco Control plan for England released last month supported vaping at work. In fact, “there is very little about the workplace in the government plan and it simply states that employers should continue to encourage workers to stop smoking,”

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said. He said that journalists had confused the new official guidance with ‘ambivalent’ Public Health England (PHE) advice released last year. But ACAS guidance “tends to come down on the side of not allowing vaping in the workplace”, he said. In the light of concerns about possible health effects the British Medical Association (BMA) has said there should be a ban on electronic cigarettes in public places, he added.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048278

Pilots welcome crackdown plan on laser pointers

Buying powerful laser pens could require a licence in future, the government has said, amid concerns over the number of attacks on aircraft. Ministers say the move, which has been welcomed by pilots’ union BALPA, could also see new measures to license retailers and restrict advertising after warnings about the risks to pilots and planes. Last year, 1,258 incidents of lasers being shone at aircraft were recorded by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has launched an eight-week consultation on the issue. Business minister Margot James said: “Used irresponsibly or maliciously, these products can and do wreak havoc and harm others, with potentially catastrophic consequences. That’s why we want to hear from business groups, retailers and consumers about the best way to protect the public from this kind of dangerous behaviour and improve safety.” Licensing schemes already exist in countries including Australia, Canada and the US. In the UK, shining lasers at aircraft can incur a fine of up to £2,500.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-813-19-august-2017#_Toc490723987

Slavery ‘widespread’ in the UK

Modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK is “far more prevalent than previously thought,” the National Crime Agency has said. The government agency said there were more than 300 live policing operations currently, with cases affecting “every large town and city in the country.” The NCA said previous estimates there were 10,000-13,000 victims in the UK were the “tip of the iceberg,” with visible injuries one of the tell-tale signs to look out for when identifying slave labour.

NCA vulnerabilities director Will Kerr said he had been shocked with what he had seen during this year’s intensive efforts to break up gangs, with almost every major operation triggering even more investigations. “The more that we look for modern slavery the more we find the evidence of the widespread abuse of vulnerable [people],” he said. “The growing body of evidence we are collecting points to the scale being far larger than anyone had previously thought. The intelligence we are gaining is showing that there are likely to be far more victims out there, and the numbers of victims in the UK has been underestimated.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-813-19-august-2017#_Toc490723988

Canada: Prison staff on high alert after opiate exposures

A highly potent opiate which has become a major public health concern in North America, is now placing Canadian prison staff in danger. A union says in recent weeks, at least nine federal correctional officers have been exposed to the prescription pain killer fentanyl, which is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Fentanyl has become a major concern both when used as a prescription and as an illicit drug. There have been no reported fatalities involving Canadian correctional officers, but there have been several inmate deaths owing to fentanyl exposure. “The problem with fentanyl is that it’s so small that it can be easily hidden or mixed in with substances,” said Ryan DeBack, the Prairies region vice-president for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO).

In mid-July, several Correctional Service staff members were exposed while inspecting inmate mail. “Someone was sending fentanyl through institutional mail,” Mr DeBack said. “There were drugs in this one letter that was opened on a desk. Minutes later six staff are exposed.” The opioid antidote naloxone was administered to two of the workers. In another case, fentanyl powder blew into a correctional officer’s face while inspecting an inmate’s book.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-813-19-august-2017#_Toc490723994

USA: Protecting what really makes America great

A flurry of recent activity by the Trump administration aimed at rolling back workplace safety protections is compromising worker safety, top experts Kathleen Rest and David Michaels have warned. They say if you work, or know someone who does, you need to pay attention – people’s lives are literally at stake.

Rest, who heads the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Michaels, a university professor who was the head of the US safety regulator OSHA under Obama, note: “Since January, we’ve seen delays and rollbacks in workplace protections. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed weakening protections for workers exposed to cancer-causing beryllium and delayed enforcement of its silica rule, increasing the likely incidence of lung disease. It has delayed the electronic submission of injury and illness data and stopped releasing public information about enforcement actions, inhibiting public and researchers’ access to data that can inform prevention. And Congress has permanently terminated OSHA’s ability to fine employers with a long-standing pattern of injury and illness record-keeping violations, a previously important signal to others in the industry.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-813-19-august-2017#_Toc490723997

USA: New NIOSH Web Page Provides Resources for Fire Service

NIOSH recently launched a new web page with resources for fire service personnel. The web page includes information about the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, which conducts independent investigations of select fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to provide recommendations to prevent similar deaths and injuries.

As part of the investigations, NIOSH staff also assist in the evaluation of self-contained breathing apparatus.

AIHA Highlights NIOSH Young Worker Safety Training

A recent article by the president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) highlights a 1-hour, interactive training module called Safety Matters, which was developed by NIOSH for AIHA. The goal of the training is to raise awareness among young people about workplace safety and health and to provide an understanding of the skills they need to become active participants in creating safe and healthy work environments. The materials presented in this module are based on a full curriculum from NIOSH called Talking Safety.

Event: 2018 Total Worker Health Symposium – Call for Abstracts

The call for abstracts for the NIOSH-sponsored 2nd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health is now open.

The upcoming symposium, focused on the theme Work & Well-Being: How Safer, Healthier Work Can Enhance Well-Being, will congregate scientists and practitioners engaged in innovative research and programs aligned with Total Worker Health approaches.

The symposium will be held 8-11 May 2018, on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, just minutes from Washington, DC.

NIOSH is seeking abstract submissions for poster presentations, plenary sessions, concurrent sessions (symposia and brief scientific paper or practice/intervention sessions), and pre-conference workshops. The deadline for abstract submission is October 31.

More information: www.eagleson.org/conferences/2nd-international-symposium-to-advance-total-worker-health

Events: HSE Training Courses

5 September 2017 – Managing asbestos in domestic and non-domestic premises

Many people now dying from asbestos-related diseases are tradesmen – people who work on and maintain buildings. Building operators and their management systems are under increasing scrutiny from enforcing authorities, their own staff, and the public. This course gives you the knowledge to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises to the standards required by Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR 2012). The course information is also applicable to the management of ‘domestic premises’, such as landlords’ duties for rented accommodation.

Book on the Asbestos course

12-13 September 2017 – PPE Essentials

No PPE provides 100% protection. However, PPE that is correctly selected, used and maintained is capable of providing effective protection. This course will increase your knowledge and understanding of PPE and its limitations, so that you can use PPE as an effective workplace control measure. It will provide training in what a successful PPE programme is, what you need to consider, and what actions are required. The course includes hands-on elements to enhance learning and provide practical skills.

Book on the PPE Essentials course

Event: The Role of Fire and Rescue Authorities in Ensuring Public Safety Strengthening

9 January 2018

In addition to coordinating an emergency response to the Grenfell Tower fire, including the announcement of an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the Government is proceeding with the ambitious reform agenda for FRAs outlined in The Policing and Crime Act 2017. This programme seeks to build capability, improve efficiency, increase public confidence, and further enhance local accountability, by placing a ‘duty of collaboration’ on the three emergency services and empowering PCCs to assume governance of FRAs where a robust local business case has been made. HMIC is moreover becoming a single inspectorate for policing and fire, charged with ensuring services are as professional, effective and efficient as possible.

However, considerable challenges exist in simultaneously managing fire risk, realising government ambitions, and reassuring the public against the backdrop of the Grenfell Tower catastrophe. Central funding to all fire and rescue services in England is scheduled to drop to £864 million by 2019-20 (FBU, 2017). The Public Accounts Committee Enquiry into the Financial Sustainability of Fire and Rescue Services (April 2016), not only criticised poor understanding, “of the potential impacts of future funding reductions on fire and rescue services”, but also sought to counter any conflation of collaboration with efficiency concluding that, “it is not yet clear to what extent such (co-responding) projects represent value for money”.

With an interim report on the Government review into building regulations and fire safety due at the end of 2017, and Essex’s Roger Hirst recently announced as the first PCC to take charge of a FRA, this symposium will offer FRAs, local authorities, the police service, housing associations, and the health sector with a timely and invaluable opportunity to engage with government reforms and formulate strategies towards collaboration and public safety. It will also provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to highlight good practice and identify areas where they need to improve.

More information: www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/events/IA09-PPE

Ambulance service report confirms harassment plague

A damning report into an ambulance trust has confirmed union concerns about a culture of bullying and harassment and the ‘toxic’ atmosphere at the UK South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (Secamb). After complaints were raised by GMB in February the trust commissioned an independent review. The trust said the report revealed “unacceptable” behaviour.

In his report, Prof Duncan Lewis from the University of Plymouth said: “Common decency is a right, not a privilege, and harassment or bullying, including sexual harassment must end now.” He pinpointed Coxheath in Kent and Tangmere in West Sussex as areas “plagued by poor practices/behaviours.” In parts of Kent there are “serious questions of sexual harassment and sexual grooming,” with newly qualified women often targeted.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048280

Prospect defends over-stretched air traffic controllers

Air traffic union Prospect has slammed airline Ryanair after it called for the ‘resilience’ of air traffic control to be improved, but also made clear that it does not want to pay for the extra staff this would require. The union said overworked air traffic control officers (ATCO) cannot continue to take the strain in the under-funded, under-staffed ‘safety critical’ service.

Ryanair’s comments came after a new report by the Civil Aviation Authority found that short staffing at NATS – the body that runs the UK’s air traffic control – led to a lack of operational resilience and delays to flights. Ryanair said NATS should improve performance but should not increase charges to airlines in order to do it.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048281

Summer schedules pushing pilots to the limits

Pilots are warning that demanding schedules, lax controls of pilots’ hours of duty and a failure to recruit adequate numbers of pilots are pushing the system to the limits. Pilots’ union BALPA said the start of the summer holiday season on 21 July saw a new record when more than 8,800 flights left or entered UK airspace. The union said it is analysing routes to identify those that could cause serious fatigue. It added it is working with airlines and regulators to challenge these duties and adjust them to prevent already tired pilots becoming dangerously fatigued.

BALPA said it is seeing increasing numbers of pilots who are looking to go part-time or have become long-term sick as a result of fatigue and “burnout” caused by inadequate rest and unworkable patterns of duty. It warns that it is “vital” commercial pressure does not have a detrimental effect on flight safety. It is challenging regulators and airlines to tackle the problem and look at the “serious issue of under reporting of fatigue.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048282

Canada: Shorter routes call as postie injuries rise

The rate of disabling injuries to Canadian postal workers is rising, with their union blaming the disturbing trend on expanded routes and heavier mail loads. “I’m seeing back injuries, I’m seeing shoulders. A lot of knees and feet from pounding on the pavement all the time, lifting the heavy parcels and stuff,” said Suzie Moore, health and safety officer with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

As part of Canada Post’s transformation project, mail carriers are lugging more parcels for home delivery. The company’s shift from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes has left mail carriers physically taxed, Moore said. “Our routes have doubled if not tripled in size,” she said. Disabling injuries among postal workers have jumped 93 per cent in three years, a report on occupational injuries among federal employers revealed. In 2013, before door-to-door delivery ended, fewer than four out of every 100 full-time postal delivery workers suffered a disabling work-related injury.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048291

China: Stihl leaves workers jobless and hurt

Workers in China who toiled in hazardous conditions for a German multinational have been left suffering work-related ill-health and without a job after the firm relocated a factory. A two-week strike by hundreds of workers at the tool giant’s Zama manufacturing plant demanding health guarantees and compensation was broken up by riot police last month. The Zama Precision Industry in Shenzen province in southern China, a subsidiary of Stihl, recently announced plans to relocate its factory. Its 2,000 strong workforce had been organising through the factory since April when they heard of the factory’s plans to relocate.

Workers presented demands covering health and safety grievances, social insurance, and severance payments. They say many were suffering long term symptoms from working with dangerous chemicals without safety equipment, masks or gloves.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048292

South Africa: Mining giant’s $101m lung disease contingency

British mining multinational Anglo American has set aside $101 million (£77.5m) to cover potential damages claims from former South African employees who contracted the fatal occupational lung disease silicosis. The company’s announcement last month came in the wake of a Johannesburg High Court ruling in May that former and current mine workers, employed by South Africa’s main gold mining firms since 1965, could proceed with a class action against those companies.

Press reports said the court decision cleared the way for up to half a million miners to sue for damages resulting from silicosis – a deadly respiratory condition developed from breathing in the fine silica dust found in places such as mines.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048293

USA: Tesla’s safety ‘worse than sawmills’

A group of Tesla workers has asked the electric car maker’s board to provide a plan to address employee safety concerns. The Tesla Workers’ Organising Committee, which hopes to become part of the autoworkers’ union UAW, said Tesla had a safety record worse than that of “sawmills and slaughterhouses.” In a statement, Michael Catura, a Tesla production associate, said: “We’re tired of suffering preventable injury after preventable injury.”

A letter from the committee to independent board members at Tesla asks the company to inform employees of the risks associated with working at the factory, make safety audits readily available, and allow workers to have a voice in the company’s safety plan. Employees at the electric carmaker’s Fremont factory in California have been seeking union protection since Jose Moran, a production associate at the factory, wrote a blog post detailing damaging work conditions at the flagship plant. The bulk of the demands have since centred on getting new equipment to reduce workplace injuries.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-812-12-august-2017#_Toc490048294

Event: USE 2017 – Health and Safety for Small Enterprises Conference

The US NIOSH and the Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health are hosting the fourth international Understanding Small Enterprise (USE) Conference in Denver, Colorado on 25-27 October 2017. The conference brings together small businesses, health and safety researchers, and industry experts from around the globe. Early bird registration is available until June.

In 2015, 350 construction workers perished due to falls, accounting for nearly 40% of all construction sector fatalities. Learn more about efforts to prevent fall in construction on the NIOSH Science Blog.

Recent media reports have over-stated the cancer risks for firefighters. The NIOSH research in this area is summarized on the NIOSH Science Blog.

Event: 12th International Conference on Performance Based Codes and Fire Safety Design Methods – Fire Engineering Solutions for the Built Environment – Call for Abstracts

23-27 April 2018, Oahu, Hawaii

The application of fire safety engineering to develop innovative and robust fire and life safety solutions for the built environment has expanded considerably over the past 30 years. In many countries, this has been facilitated by the implementation of performance based building and fire codes. The focus on performance has enabled fire protection engineers to more actively participate in the creative design process and work collaboratively with architects and other engineers to achieve the functionality, aesthetics, and cost effective construction solutions sought by developers and owners, along with meeting the fire and life safety objectives of the regulations.

However, in some jurisdictions, performance based codes and fire engineering design methods are being challenged by some as not delivering adequate levels of safety, or are being undertaken by practitioners not having the required competency.

At another level, some countries are still deciding whether to adopt performance based building codes and standards, or continue with prescriptive requirements, as they grapple with professional standards, access to fire protection engineering education, and how best to develop the regulatory and approval systems necessary for sound fire safety solutions.

In either case, it is timely to ask what the future holds for performance-based codes and design methods, and how the building regulatory system and the fire safety engineering profession need to evolve to allay concerns and meet future needs. This is especially important as new construction materials, new technologies, and new societal issues and objectives emerge.

This 12th International Conference on Performance Based Codes and Fire Safety Design Methods to be held in Hawaii will provide an excellent global opportunity to address current and future trends in building and fire regulatory systems, the contribution of fire protection engineers to innovative design solutions, and the latest developments in fire modelling, risk assessment and analysis in support of those solutions and their approvals.

The conference will also provide a forum for discussion of the issues of fire protection engineering education, professional competence, product certification and inspection, fire safety maintenance and management, verification methods and all the regulatory and administrative provisions needed to ensure that effective fire safety outcomes result from performance based design solutions.

More information: www.sfpe.org/page/18FPES

Event: International Symposium on Occupational Safety and Hygiene – SHO 2018

26-27 March 2018, Guimarães, Portugal

The website of SHO 2018 has been launched. Check now all the details about this event at and do not miss the opportunity to submit your work to SHO 2018.

The deadline for Scientific Articles (4-5 pages) submission is 31 October 2017.

The deadline for Technical Articles submission is 10 January 2018.

Please be aware that papers’ submission should be exclusively done through the online platform indicated on the site of the event.

More information: https://www.sposho.pt/sho-2018-en

Manchester man guilty of trying to carry out suicide attack on plane

A man from Bury in Greater Manchester on 8 August 2017 been found guilty of trying to board a Ryanair flight to Italy with a viable pipe bomb in his hand luggage.

The bomb, built inside a sealed marker pen barrel, was designed to be activated manually; it could not have been detonated remotely or automatically.

The prosecution argued that the only reason for Nadeem Muhammed (dob 1/1/1974) to take the device through airport security was to detonate it in the confined space of the plane, endangering the lives of passengers while causing serious damage to the aircraft.

Muhammed was arrested on 12 February 2017. When questioned he initially claimed that one of his five children – the oldest of whom is 11 years old – may have put the pipe bomb in his luggage. During the trial he asserted that he was not aware of the device and that it must have been placed in his bag by an unknown third party.

He will be sentenced on 23 August 2017 at Manchester Crown Court.

Sue Hemming from the CPS said: “Despite extensive investigation, Nadeem Muhammed’s motive for attempting to take this device onto a plane remains unknown. However it is clear that the consequences, had he been successful, could have been disastrous.

“The CPS put a strong case to the jury resulting in him being found guilty today. He will now be held accountable for his actions.”

More information: www.cps.gov.uk/news/latest_news/manchester-man-guilty-of-trying-to-

World Suicide Prevention Day

10 September 2017

Every year, more than 800,000 people die by suicide and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt. Behind these statistics are the individual stories of those who have, for many different reasons, questioned the value of their own lives.

Each one of these individuals is part of a community. Some may be well linked in to this community, and have a network of family, friends and work colleagues or school mates. Others may be less well connected, and some may be quite isolated. Regardless of the circumstances, communities have an important role to play in supporting those who are vulnerable.

This sentiment is reflected in the theme of the 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day: ‘Take a minute, change a life.’ As members of communities, it is our responsibility to look out for those who may be struggling, check in with them, and encourage them to tell their story in their own way and at their own pace. Offering a gentle word of support and listening in a non-judgemental way can make all the difference.

More information: https://iasp.info/wspd2017

Fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain 2016/17

Latest figures show that 30 people were killed last year in agriculture. A shocking figure on its own but as a fatality rate it shows agriculture to be 6 times worse than construction and 18 times worse than the national average for all industries.

This is made worse knowing that the precautions and controls to prevent these needless deaths are well known and usually straightforward to implement.

Over the last 35 years the fatal injury rate for agricultural workers has shown no clear trend, although there are some signs of improvement in the last 5 years. Clearly there is still much to do to properly manage and control risk of injury to farmers, their workers and the public, including children. During Farm Safety Week we called on the Farm Safety Partnerships and other stakeholders to build on their work and increase the momentum to improve the industry’s record.

www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/resources/fatal.htm

Harvest – Plan your bale handling and stacking

Fatal and serious accidents can arise from work activities associated with bales including falling from stacks or vehicles during transport and being struck by falling bales.

Harvest is an intense time for bale stacking and transport activities – Stop and plan your work with bales. Check and follow the guidance Safe working with bales in agriculture.

Event: Workplace Healthy Lungs Summit

22 November 2017, Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London

In agriculture lung diseases/respiratory disorders are a serious health problem contributing to the UK’s estimated 12,000 workplace deaths a year.

Thousands more workers suffer with life limiting conditions. Workplace lung disease is therefore one of the key topics in HSE’s Health and Work Strategy.

This Summit will describe what HSE is doing about it, what you can do about it and what science and evidence can tell us. One of the afternoon sessions will focus on occupational asthma (common amongst agricultural workers with a rate several times the national average).

The summit will be of interest to a wide range of people including employers, Unions, health and safety advisors, academics and other health and safety professionals.

Further details of the Summit can be found at: https://www.hsl.gov.uk/healthy-lungs

Event: IOSH National Safety and Health Conference

14 September 2017

This conference will be held at The Nottingham Belfry, Mellors Way, off Woodhouse Way, Nottingham, NG8 6PY

Enhance your knowledge and debate current issues with a panel of inspiring speakers who will look at occupational health challenges.

It is aimed specifically at those who work in the public, health and social care, education, environmental and waste management sectors.

Keynote speakers include HSE’s Peter Brown, Head of HSE Health and Work Programme.

To view further information please visit the IOSH website.

Event: Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Management

6 September 2017

HSL is to run a 1-day course on DSE management (including office risk assessment and risk management of mobile device).

Display screen technology, such as computers, laptops, smartphones and tablet PCs are common in all aspects of our lives. Our exposure to these devices continues to increase, with reported levels of up to 9 hours per day spent consuming media on a display screen device. While the musculoskeletal (MSD) risks from such device are relatively low, the increased exposure does mean that the effects of preventable risks such as poor or fixed postures can accumulate and lead to problems. HSE statistics (2014/15) indicate that 44% of cases of work related illness involves MSDs, which result in 40% of working days lost. Data from the general practitioners scheme (THOR-GP) suggests that “keyboard work” are significant contributors to both lower back and upper limb disorders.

This course, delivered by experienced HSL ergonomists, will provide you with an understanding of DSE risks and approach to risk management and with the documentation to provide your employer with risk assessments. The course covers the key elements for office DSE risk assessment and management and provides the information and techniques required to enable anyone to become a DSE assessor.

HSL also discuss risk management for less common DSE issues such as hot-desking and dual screens, and mobile technology such as tablet pcs, smartphones and laptops. Guidance on how to set up a computer workstation in the office is mirrored for home activity or when you are on the move with DSE.

Further information: https://www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/display-screen-equipment-(dse)-risk-management

Unison secures second legal victory

Following last week’s massive win in the UK Supreme Court by the trade union Unison which made tribunal fees unlawful, the union has chalked up a second win.

The Court of Appeal has now agreed that businesses should consult unions before making changes to contracts that will affect their members. The case was specifically about a failure to consult on redundancies but the court ruled that the union could also bring a claim if the terms and conditions of contracts or the rights of their members had been affected more generally. This will make it much harder to ignore unions when changes were being made in the workplace.

Prior to last Friday’s Court of Appeal ruling, employers only had to consult with unions where the law explicitly said they must, for example, in TUPE or redundancy negotiations. Although there is a requirement on an employer to consult on health and safety issues, many did not consult on wider issues that affect the health of workers such as shift patterns or working hours. The decision is likely to mean that employers will now be legally required to do so.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449497

Event: Air Pollution in the UK Post-Brexit Conference – Tackling air pollution and delivering a cleaner, greener and healthier future for the UK

Tuesday, 5th December 2017, Central London

According to analysis commissioned by the Labour Party, almost two-thirds of the population in the UK are living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution. Furthermore, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health estimate that up to 40,000 premature deaths linked to air pollution occur in the UK each year. These figures highlight the need for environmental reform. However, following the 2017 snap General Election, and most notably, the Brexit decision, there is a substantial amount of uncertainty surrounding the future direction of UK environmental policy.

In recent years, the British Government has taken steps to reassure stakeholders that air pollution remains at the top of the policy agenda. Chief among these steps is the UK Air Quality Plan. The plan is quoted by DEFRA as being ‘ambitious… combining national and local measures. It is focused on targeted interventions that form part of a wider approach exploiting new, cleaner technologies, such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles’. In July 2017, the Government also announced a plan to ban the sale of all diesel and petrol cars by 2040 in an effort to combat air pollution on congested roads.

Despite this Government commitment to tackling air pollution, many practitioners and stakeholders still hold misgivings about the potential void of advocacy and support left in the absence of EU environmental guidance post-Brexit. It is estimated that between 80-90% of existing UK environmental legislation originates from the EU. Bills such as the Ambient Air Quality Directive, the Air Quality Standards Regulation, and the National Ceilings Emissions Directive have been central to shaping contemporary UK environmental policy. Practitioners, therefore, view it as vital to instil a sense of clarity and certainty as it pertains to future UK strategy on the issue of air quality and climate change post-Brexit.

More information: www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/events/HL05-PPE

Union exposes big rise in construction self employed

UK Trade union Unite has said employment rights need a major overhaul after new figures demonstrated bogus self-employment in construction is out of control. A Freedom of Information request by Unite has revealed that, in the past year, at least 1,076,000 construction workers were paid via the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), an 8% increase over twelve months. In total 47 per cent of the entire construction workforce is now paid via CIS the stand-alone tax system for construction workers who their employer classifies as (usually bogusly) self-employed.

In 2014 the government introduced measures that barred construction workers operating via engagers (employment agencies and payroll companies) from being self-employed, however the figures revealed by Unite show that this has failed and instead has led to a huge increase in workers being paid via umbrella companies. This means the worker having to pay both employers’ and employees’ national insurance contributions as well as a plethora of other deductions from their wages.

These workers have all the employment characteristics of an employee but are denied even the most basic employment rights such as holiday and sick pay and can be instantly dismissed without warning. However the employers win by not having to pay employers’ national insurance contributions of 13.8 per cent or employee benefits such as holiday pay.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449498

Fire Union publishes its first submission on Grenfell

The Fire Brigades Union have published their submission to the Inquiry into the Grenfell fire which has just finished consulting on its terms of reference. The Union states that the public inquiry into the disaster must look at the failures in the fire safety regime that led to the worst blaze in the U.K. since World War Two.

They have stated that in addition to the reasons behind the fire happening and spreading so quickly the inquiry must consider the capacity of fire and rescue services nationally to respond to fires of this scale along with any matters that have impacted on the fire safety regime over recent years and have created the environment where the aforementioned defects, acts and omissions could arise.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449499

TUC welcomes review of building regulations

The TUC has welcomed the decision to set up an independent review of building regulations and fire safety following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.

The review is to be led by Dame Judith Hackitt, who is currently the chair of the employers body the EEF, but who was previously the chair of the HSE. According to the Government, the review will look at current building regulations and fire safety with a particular focus on high rise residential buildings. In particular, it will examine the regulatory system around the design, construction and on-going management of buildings in relation to fire safety as well as related compliance and enforcement issues.

The TUC had previously written to the Secretary of State calling for such as inquiry and had been critical of the current regulations. The Fire Brigades Union had also criticised the current regulation and guidance, as well as the government’s refusal to update them.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449500

Unions give cautious welcome to Grenfell ‘corporate manslaughter’ probe

An announcement by the police that they were investigating possible corporate manslaughter changes in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which led to the death of an estimated 80 people has been generally welcomed by unions. The Metropolitan Police have indicated that they are looking at corporate manslaughter charges in relation to the actions of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who owned the block and the Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), who managed it.

Many of those who died in the fire, or who lived in the block, were union members and many unions have supported those affected in a number of ways.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449501

IOSH calls for action on diesel

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) which is the professional health and safety officers body has called on the government to reduce worker exposure to cancer-causing diesel particulates. Responding to the UK’s newly published Air Quality Plan, IOSH is encouraging the government to support its No Time to Lose campaign, which aims to tackle the burden of occupational cancer and help to offer solutions to businesses looking to reduce the impact of diesel particulates.

According to IOSH the Government’s plan fails to address the cancer-causing elements of diesel exhaust emissions. In Britain, it is estimated that more than 650 people die every year of lung or bladder cancer linked to exposure to diesel exhaust fumes at work, while around 800 new cases of cancer caused by diesel-exhaust-fumes exposure are registered each year.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449505

Cardiff University Report says seafarers’ mental health deteriorating

A report by Cardiff University into the health of seafarers between 2011 and 2016 has found that sleep quality has reduced in the period 2011-2016. The research showed that fatigue scores for seafarers have risen over this period and there was also a deterioration in some aspects of seafarers’ mental health.

The responses to a questionnaire suggested that there has been an increase in psychiatric disorders amongst serving seafarers and more seafarers felt that their health was less robust than that enjoyed by other people around them.

The researchers made a number of recommendations, including that ship operators ensure that effective means of screening out daylight are provided in all seafarer cabins, minimise exposure to environmental factors which disturb sleep, even when this requires that they prioritise crew welfare over commercial concerns and place sufficient numbers of seafarers on board in order to produce a reduction factors such as long working hours.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-811-5-august-2017#_Toc489449506

2017 Hazards conference reports available online

The first reports of the 2017 Hazards Conference, held in Keele, UK between the 28-30 July 2017 are now available online.

350 union safety representatives and activists attended.

Copies of presentations will also be available on the Hazard Campaign website shortly.

More information: www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/blog/category/hazards-conference

New rules to regulate drone use in the UK

Drones will have to be registered and users will have to sit safety awareness tests under new rules to better regulate their growing use, the government has announced.

The move comes after a campaign for tighter controls by pilots’ union BALPA, which was concerned about a series of incidents that could have put passenger flights in danger. The new rules will mean owners of drones weighing 250 grams and over will in future have to register details of their drones “to improve accountability and encourage owners to act responsibly”, the government said.

A new drone safety awareness test means owners will have to prove that they understand UK safety, security and privacy regulations. Aviation minister Lord Callanan said: “By registering drones, introducing safety awareness tests to educate users we can reduce the inadvertent breaching of airspace restrictions to protect the public. These measures come after a consultation looking at ways to make drone use safer while maximising their potential.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839708

Unite backs call for safety drive on London buses

Authorities in London must ‘as a matter of urgency’ implement the recommendations of a London Assembly transport committee to drive up safety and reduce the stress and fatigue hitting London’s 26,000 bus drivers, Unite has said. The call on London mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) came after the committee’s report, ‘Driven to distraction’, identified long shifts, inadequate breaks and irregular shift patterns as causing high levels of stress among the capital’s bus drivers.

Warning ‘against speed increasingly being put before safety’, Unite backed the report’s call to revise the incentive scheme for bus operators and place the emphasis on bus safety rather than solely on punctuality. Unite regional officer John Murphy commented: “London bus drivers do one of the most stressful jobs in the capital. It will alarm passengers that they have to work in regime which places speed ahead of safety, driving under constant pressure to run on time on some of the busiest streets in the country.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839703

More ‘modern-day slavery’ uncovered by ship unions

Three ships abandoned in UK waters have revealed a culture close to modern day slavery in some parts of the shipping industry, seafarers’ union Nautilus has said.

Working with the global transport union ITF, Nautilus has been assisting the crews of the vessels. The three cases all involve one owner, Voda Shipping of Istanbul, Turkey. The abandoned ships are the Reggae in Port of Leith, Scotland; Tahsin in Sharpness, England; and Seccadi in Ellesmere Port, England. ITF inspector Darren Proctor, who secured unpaid wages and repatriation for the crew of the Panama-flagged Tahsin, said: “The vessel entered Sharpness, Gloucestershire on 31 May and was detained by the MCA [Marine and Coastguard Agency] after a complaint was received regarding outstanding wages and drinking water.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839705

Farming remains ‘riskiest sector’ says UK HSE

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged everyone involved in agriculture to talk about how they can prevent ill-health, injury and death on farms. The safety regulator says agriculture, forestry and fishing “remains the riskiest industry sector in the UK with 27 workers being killed on farms last year and three members of the public, making a total of 30 people according to HSE’s recently released fatality figures for the sector.”

HSE was speaking out at the start of National Farm Safety Week, which ran from 24 to 28 July. Organised by the Farm Safety Foundation, the event offers support and guidance for those working in the industry.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839709

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces comprehensive regulatory plan to shift trajectory of tobacco-related disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just announced a new comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation that will serve as a multi-year roadmap to better protect kids and significantly reduce tobacco-related disease and death. The approach places nicotine, and the issue of addiction, at the centre of the agency’s tobacco regulation efforts. The goal is to ensure that the FDA has the proper scientific and regulatory foundation to efficiently and effectively implement the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. To make certain that the FDA is striking an appropriate balance between regulation and encouraging development of innovative tobacco products that may be less dangerous than cigarettes, the agency is also providing targeted relief on some timelines described in the May 2016 final rule that extended the FDA’s authority to additional tobacco products. The agency will also seek input on critical public health issues such as the role of flavours in tobacco products.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths every single year. In addition to the devastating human toll caused mainly by cigarette smoking, tobacco also causes substantial financial costs to society, with direct health care and lost productivity costs totalling nearly $300 billion a year. A key piece of the FDA’s approach is demonstrating a greater awareness that nicotine – while highly addictive – is delivered through products that represent a continuum of risk and is most harmful when delivered through smoke particles in combustible cigarettes.

More information: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm568923.htm

Charities forced to pick up the slack on mental health

UK Firefighters and police are turning to a charity for support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amid reports of managers mishandling the cases of mental health issues among their frontline workers. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks, around 30 police officers and firefighters have contacted PTSD999 – which offers advice and treatment from people who have worked in the emergency services.

Sean Starbuck, lead officer for mental health with the firefighters’ union FBU, said the number of counsellors serving the entire London Fire Brigade was cut from 14 to two under former mayor Boris Johnson. He said some staff members have turned up to work when not fit to do so, adding there have been some “pretty horrific stories about how it’s been mismanaged.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839711

Award for union skin cancer prevention push

A union campaign to prevent work-related skin cancer has received a national award. Dave Joyce, national safety officer with the communication workers’ union CWU, received the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) certificate. CWU was one of only four organisations recognised for their ‘outstanding’ contribution to IOSH’s ‘No Time To Lose’ occupational cancer prevention initiative, launched 18 months ago.

CWU members including postal workers and telephone engineers can spend large parts of their working day outdoors, so are an at-risk group for skin cancers if not properly protected.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/tuc-risks-810-29-july-2017#_Toc488839701

HSE’s Draft Sector Plans Launched

HSE’s Draft Sector Plans detail what HSE’s Manufacturing Sector are doing to help Great Britain work well.

The Plan covers a diverse range of activities, from engineering, small-scale motor vehicle repair, woodworking and metal fabrication, paper and plastic manufacture, food and drink production to car manufacture, heavy engineering and shipbuilding.

On average, 27 workers are killed each year in this sector, accounting for almost 20% of all workplace fatalities.

The priorities for the manufacturing sector in relation to health are to reduce the incidence of work-related ill-health conditions such as occupational lung disease; MSD’s and work-related stress.

The plan will be formally launched at an event in September 2017.

More information: www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/sector-plans

Event: Workplace Healthy Lungs Summit

Lung disease remains a serious problem in the workplace and this Summit will describe what HSE is doing about it, what you can do about it, and what science and evidence can tell us.

You will benefit from attending if you are an employer, a health and safety professional, an occupational health advisor or a consultant. It will also be of interest to trade and sector bodies, unions and academics and professionals working on workplace lung disease.

For more details on the Summit that is being held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on 22nd November 2017, visit HSL’s Events Page or email healthylungs@hsl.gsi.gov.uk.

Launch of Breathe Freely for manufacturing

British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, has launched a major new phase of its Breathe Freely initiative to prevent occupational lung disease in the manufacturing sector, urging the industry to get on board with effective controls to protect the respiratory health of their welders.

The new campaign is run in partnership with EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, HSE, TWI, TUC, JCB, Toyota and BAE Systems.

For more information, free resources and to add your support to the initiative visit the Breathe Freely web pages.

Event: European campaign – Healthy workplaces for all ages

EU-OSHA’s Healthy Workplaces Campaign is ‘Healthy workplaces for all ages’ focusing on the promotion of sustainable work and healthy ageing throughout your working life.

More information on how you can get involved and for practical tools and guidance visit Healthy Workplaces for All.

Austerity implicated as life expectancy rise stalls in England

Rising rates of life expectancy are grinding to a halt in England after more than 100 years of continuous progress, a leading health expert has said, adding that poor living and working conditions could be among the factors responsible.

University College London (UCL) expert Sir Michael Marmot said he was “deeply concerned” by the situation, calling it “historically highly unusual”. He said it was “entirely possible” austerity was to blame and said the issue needed looking at urgently. Using Office for National Statistics projections for babies born since 2000, Sir Michael, who has advised both the government and World Health Organisation on health inequalities, showed the rate of increase in life expectancy had nearly halved since 2010 in England. Between 2000 and 2015, life expectancy at birth increased by one year every five years for women and by one year every 3.5 years for men. But this compares to one year every 10 years for women and one for every six for men post-2010.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-809-24-july-2017#_Toc488653948

Australia: ‘Dodgy’ safety certificates rife on building sites

Fraudsters are making fake safety certificates for building products, an Australian Senate inquiry has been told. The inquiry into non-conforming building products has gathered pace since the Grenfell Tower fire in London last month, in which 80 people are thought to have died.

Travis Wacey, national policy research officer at the construction union CFMEU, told the inquiry that dodgy certificates pretending building products comply with local safety rules were rife on Australian building sites. He said site workers “can’t have confidence in some of the declarations that are being made about products... due to the prevalence of fraudulent behaviour.” He told the inquiry that thousands of buildings in Australia are potentially a high fire risk due to non-compliant, highly flammable combustible cladding, adding: “It needs to be looked at, whether they’re dangerous or not.”

The Australian authorities were criticised for their inaction since a November 2014 fire in the Lacrosse tower block in Melbourne’s Docklands. The non-fatal fire was caused by a cigarette butt but fuelled by flammable cladding.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-809-24-july-2017#_Toc488653955

Bangladesh: Accord redux is good news for garment sector

Global union federation ITUC has welcomed the signing of the new Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, as a further step towards protection of workers and a means to improve Bangladesh’s garment industry. ITUC says the economically crucial industry suffered massive reputational damage in the wake of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory building collapse that killed over 1,100 workers. The new Accord, which will come into effect at the expiry of the current Bangladesh Accord in May 2018, includes global union federations IndustriALL and UNI and leading fashion brands.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary, said “this new Accord underlines the successes already achieved under the existing 2013 Accord, and will provide vital protections for workers who, while producing vast export wealth for Bangladesh, are at risk of workplace injury and death.” She warned: “Local factory owners are putting pressure on the government of Bangladesh to turn back the clock to the days of Rana Plaza, and we urge the government to give its full support to the tens of thousands of workers who produce that wealth, by backing the new Accord.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-809-24-july-2017#_Toc488653956

Global: Ivanka Trump criticised on factory conditions

On Inauguration Day in January 2017, President Trump stood in front of the US Capitol and vowed that his “America First” agenda would bring jobs back to the United States. “We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs,” he declared, adding: “We will follow two simple rules – buy American and hire American.”

Looking on from the front of the stage was Trump’s daughter Ivanka, the fashion entrepreneur who would soon join him in the White House. But critics say her decision to outsource her fashion range to low wage countries in factories with substandard working conditions, sits uneasily with the president’s declaration. For example, Chinese factories that make his daughter’s products have gained public attention in recent weeks after the detention of three activists from China Labor Watch (CLW), who were investigating the facilities.

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-809-24-july-2017#_Toc488653957

USA: Court OK with firing workers exposing sick abuse

A US federal appeals court in St Louis has ruled that it is acceptable for the boss of a fast-food chain to fire workers for being “disloyal.” The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversed a ruling issued by the Obama-era National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a case rooted in a union organising drive at the Jimmy John’s fast-food chain. The court held that Miklin Enterprises, the owner of Jimmy John’s franchises in Minneapolis, had the right to fire six pro-union advocates because they demonstrated “disloyalty” by distributing flyers in 2011 that implied the company was selling unsafe food contaminated by employees forced to work while sick.

The organisers designed and distributed memes that showed images of identical Jimmy John’s sandwiches. One was “made by a healthy Jimmy John’s worker,” the other by a “sick” worker. “Can’t tell the difference?” the poster continued. “That’s too bad because Jimmy John’s workers don’t get paid sick days. Shoot, we can’t even call in sick. We hope your immune system is ready because you’re about to take the sandwich test.”

More information: https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-809-24-july-2017#_Toc488653958

Event: A+A Ergonomics Village 2017 at A+A Dusseldorf

17-20 October 2017

Visit the Ergonomics Village 2017, the meeting point for ergonomics and wellness at work.

Initiated by Ergonoma Journal (10th year) European quarterly magazine, a bilingual English / French, whose motto is “Men behind the machines”, every two years, and only in Dusseldorf, as part of A + A, the No. 1 tradeshow for health and safety at work (in 2015, 65,000 visitors from 69 countries), the Ergonomics Village in the heart of Hall 10, dedicated to ergonomics, health and wellness at work, is the European and international meeting point not to be missed, to discover and try solutions to improve and manage workstations.

From tertiary to industry, the exhibitors, distributors and manufacturers offer for 4 days, materials, processes and training, fully in line with the health of the man at work.

Fighting against TMS, improving physical handicap situations, giving the keys to end and “evacuating” psychosocial risks, that have serious consequences for all employees of communities, as well as the private sector.

All the participants in the “Ergonomics Village” will help you to better understand the impact of technological change on the workstations, by offering tools and concepts for qualitative optimization of health prevention at workstations.

More information: http://ergonoma.com/2017/06/ergonomics-village-2017-at-aa-dusseldorf-october-17-20-2017

Event: Air Pollution in the UK Post-Brexit – Tackling air pollution and delivering a cleaner, greener and healthier future for the UK

Central London, Tuesday 5 December 2017

According to analysis commissioned by the Labour Party, almost two-thirds of the population in the UK are living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution. Furthermore, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health estimate that up to 40,000 premature deaths linked to air pollution occur in the UK each year. These figures highlight the need for environmental reform. However, following the 2017 snap General Election, and most notably, the Brexit decision, there is a substantial amount of uncertainty surrounding the future direction of UK environmental policy.

In recent years, the British Government has taken steps to reassure stakeholders that air pollution remains at the top of the policy agenda. Chief among these steps is the UK Air Quality Plan. The plan is quoted by DEFRA as being ‘ambitious… combining national and local measures. It is focused on targeted interventions that form part of a wider approach exploiting new, cleaner technologies, such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles’. In July 2017, the Government also announced a plan to ban the sale of all diesel and petrol cars by 2040 in an effort to combat air pollution on congested roads.

More information: www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/events/HL05-PPE

Event: Asset 2017 – Integrity, ageing and life extension for oil and gas assets

5 October 2017, Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen

Attending this conference will give you the opportunity to learn from industry experiences, to share cross-industry lessons learned, and to keep on top of the latest developments. In addition to knowledge-sharing opportunities, you will meet with delegates from around the world representing operators, suppliers, consultancies, and academia, presenting you with new business and project opportunities.

Topics include:

• Industry insights and outlook
• Regulatory updates
• HSE practices
• Design and installation
• Asset integrity systems
• Ageing asset maintenance and life extension
• Corrosion management
• Fatigue management
• Inspection, monitoring and analysis
• Strategic opportunities for asset integrity
• Planning for decommissioning

The full programme will be announced next week. In the meantime, you can find out more about the event – and book your early-bird place at: www.energyinst.org/asset-integrity

National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) health & safety technical guidance titles freely available to download

With immediate effect all NASC Health & Safety and Technical guidance titles, other than pocket guides and the TG20 suite of publications, will be available to download free of charge from the NASC website.

The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation publishes a comprehensive and expanding range of industry guidance titles, all of which are regularly reviewed and updated by its Health & Safety and Technical committees.

Copies of these titles have always been available to purchase in hard copy format from the NASC website https://www.nasc.org.uk

Until now free downloads have been restricted to NASC member companies only, with one notable exception.

In 2015, and by agreement with HSE, the confederation issued the latest version of its iconic management guidance titled SG4:15 Preventing Falls in Scaffolding Operations. This 60-page A4 management guide has been freely available to download from the NASC website ever since publication.

More information: https://www.nasc.org.uk/nasc-health-safety-technical-guidance-titles-freely-available-download

Event: HSE Training Workshop – Occupational Noise Control

21 September 2017, London

The increasing burden of hearing damage on individuals and businesses through insurance claims shows that the current approach to noise management is failing.

HSE research has shown that hearing protection is very often ineffective.

HSE Training are offering a 1-day workshop in Central London that demonstrates how most noise problems can be dealt with quickly and cheaply using simple engineering solutions, removing reliance on ineffective hearing protection.

The workshop includes detailed, easily installed solutions to the top 10 most common noise problems that can actually enhance productivity and reduce operating costs.

More information: https://www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-training-courses/noise-control-workshop

Event: Taming Tigers – Safety Excellence in Engineering, in partnership with The University of Manchester

13-14 September 2017, Health & Safety Laboratory, Buxton, UK

One of the biggest challenges facing the engineering leadership community in high-risk industries is delivering value to the business. Whilst traditional safety management courses tend to focus upon technical risk assessment methods and their application, this master class has been designed to take a holistic view across technical, operational and organisational dimensions.

More information: www.hsl.gov.uk/health-and-safety-seminars/taming-tigers-safety-excellence-in-engineering---in-partnership-with-the-university-of-manchester

Event: Safety Excellence in Energy – The Future of Gas Conference

1 November 2017, Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, UK

The energy sector is rapidly changing as technologies across power, heat and transport continuously evolve. At this event, keynote speakers will focus on the technical challenges of ensuring that health and safety underpins and enables this technological change.

The Health and Safety Executive expert teams will share their expertise in managing risks related to energy storage, integrating renewables, hydrogen, bio-syngas production from biomass and the safety aspects of introducing alternate gasses into the UK’s gas grid.

Benefits of attending:

• Hear the latest thinking from keynote speakers within industry and government
• Learn about key challenges to the sector and how the energy sector is preparing to meet them
• Understand the importance and challenges of technologies such as Power to Gas
• Learn about the increasing diversity and complexity of the gas system and the steps being taken to understand, control and regulate it
• Engage with, and learn from, others in the energy sector who are facing these challenges

Who should attend:

• Directors of Gas suppliers, distributors, end users, equipment manufacturers and researchers
• Energy sector representatives responsible for innovation, R&D, Health and Safety
• Risk management professionals
• Process Safety engineers
• Senior Gas Engineers who will be affected by the impact of changes in the energy sector

More information: www.hsl.gov.uk/safety-excellence-in-energy