UCATT focusing on stress

This week is European Safety Week and the main focus will be on STRESS! UCATT are so concerned about the issue that they have issued a free to download leaflet and a statement. They also recommend carrying out stress audits on site.

If you want to be involved and feel that this will be beneficial to your company (and I am sure that it will) then why not arrange a stress audit for your site by contacting john.woodward@demolishdismantle.co.uk

Equally if you would like a stress awareness course for the company please contact jill@demolishdismantle.co.uk

Stress is a real issue in today's working world and results in thousands of lost person hours so please do not ignore it.

Labour government promises to assist victims of asbestos

The construction union UCATT has both brought our attention to, and welcomed news of the possible next Labour government promising to offer fresh assistance to victims of asbestos.

The announcement was made by Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves earlier this month, she said her party would:

"Be enshrining in a law a levy on the insurance industry, to secure a sustainable funding stream for improved compensation for victims and ongoing research into the disease and its treatment. To ensure there is no short-changing of those who have already paid far too much."

UCATT is also hopeful that if Labour get back into power they will continue plans to introduce a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD). With that, more research could be done into treatment and ultimately cures for asbestos-related diseases.

HSE responds to Hidden Killer campaign cancellation claims

The HSE has responded to claims by UCATT that the Hidden Killer campaign has been cancelled never to return.

Here's the response for Karen Clayton, director of the HSE's long latency helth risks division:

"“HSE's Asbestos: the Hidden Killer campaign has not been cancelled as it has been claimed. It is usual for us to take stock at the end of each phase of our campaigns to see how successful they have been. Hidden Killer is currently in one of those periods.

“All the Hidden Killer information is freely available online and we continue to publicise every asbestos prosecution we take to raise awareness of the issue and the threat posed to high risk groups such as tradesmen.

We continue to actively work with a range of stakeholders to further increase awareness of the risks of asbestos and the action tradesmen should take to protect themselves, reinforcing the messages of Hidden Killer.

HSE will continue to make tackling asbestos a priority, both in terms of our communications activity and our enforcement work."

Source: The Construction Index

Budget cuts end HSE asbestos awareness campaign

Asbestos is an ongoing threat in the demolition industry, so we were all glad when the HSE introduced their Hidden Killer campaign in 2008. It even had the backing of former England striker Ian Wright.

But the campaign that has educated so many is being brought to an end according to construction union UCATT. That means no more advertising across newspapers, radio and television, and no more campaign packs, posters, stickers, flyers, or leaflets. There will generally be less information around or at least it won't be as readily available.

UCATT has confirmed that the HSE has no intention of running the campaign again. The union's general secretary Alan Ritchie is very clear on what that means:

"The cancellation of the Hidden Killer campaign will cost the lives of construction workers. This is directly a result of the Government’s cuts. I challenge Iain Duncan Smith, who is ultimately responsible, to look me in the eye and tell me cutting this campaign is justified and will not endanger the lives of workers.

The lack of knowledge about asbestos among many workers is frightening. The government has a duty to ensure that workers know the dangers and are fully protected. They must not play Russian roulette with workers lives."

We would all like to see the campaign return, but the 35% cuts the HSE has to make to its budget by 2015 make that seem unlikely.

Fortunately there are alternatives and training courses can be taken to educate staff. We run asbestos awareness courses on a regular basis, the details of which can be viewed on our training pages. Please get in touch and we can discuss your needs and overcome the hole left by the Hidden Killer campaign.