Get yourself covered!

Very recently we featured a handy UV Index chart, which we said would be a good addition to any site office or canteen.

Following on from that, and almost certainly prompted by the sunshine we have been experiencing recently, there has been a large number of articles in both national and trade press about the risks of melanoma as a result of exposure to the sun. Having read most of the articles, two statistics stand out. Firstly, at present 50 people per year are dying as a result of malignant melanomas attributable to exposure to solar radiation while at work. That is almost 1 person per week and if that was not bad enough 5 people per day, on average, are being diagnosed with a form of skin cancer contracted at work.

We make no apologies for repeating this subject as, while in numerical terms it is not comparable with asbestos related diseases, this is something we can do something about very easily. Simply covering up and using high factor sun cream is usually all it takes, although you will find more comprehensive advice here:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/indg147.pdf

To finish on a personal note, those of you who know John Woodward well, will know that his father died from skin cancer, almost certainly from service in the far east during World War 2 and long hours in his garden at home. So it is something we believe needs addressing and we will continue to get the message out there.

Be Aware! Summer is on its way

Two “non-election” headlines caught the eye this week, with summer rapidly approaching. First off there was the annual promise of a “barbecue” summer, where have we heard that before? This was closely followed by the story that the rise in Melanoma skin cancers now, can be directly attributed to the growth of the cheap package holiday from the 1960s onwards.

Clearly our understanding of Melanoma has increased, to the extent that, with guidance, we can recognise them ourselves and also that we can act to stop them developing. Given that prevention is better than a cure and that a very large proportion of construction and demolition staff will be working outside this summer, this UV Index guide issued by the World Health Organisation is a useful tool to keep around the office.

Remember using sun cream is a simple solution and may turn out to save your life in the future. Also, like Asbestos, the exposure levels are important too, so even if the Sun does not seem to be strong bear in mind the amount of time you will be out in it, and act accordingly.

No Time To Lose

Ask your average site worker or contractor to name half a dozen occupational hazards and you can be fairly confident they would be able to do so. You could probably bet that the usual suspects of trips and slips, working at height and asbestos etc. would be in the list of just about all those questioned.

But what about the issues that don’t immediately spring to mind, what about, for instance, occupational cancer?

Cancer caused by work claims 666,000 lives a year worldwide – that’s one death every 47 seconds. IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign, launched this month, aims to get the causes of occupational cancer better understood and help businesses take action.

At a recent launch event in Westminster many of the industry big players got together with household name cancer charities to raise awareness of the issue and to establish a collaborative effort to tackle workplace cancers.

Find out more about the campaign, see how you can get involved, and download free resources at www.notimetolose.org.uk

Teenage Cancer Trust sends IDE Members a thank you letter

As you all know, the very brave and terminally ill young man by the name of Stephen Sutton has passed away. But his memory will live on due to how he presented himself to the public in the final months of his life. One of those public appearances involved speaking to over 200 demolition men back in February.

His aim was to raise £500,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, but he blasted through that total and ended up reaching £3.5 million. IDE Members did their part to help reach that total, with a cheque for £1,079.42 being sent to the charity. They have since written back with a thank you letter, which you can read online.

Thanks to everyone who donated, and if you do have money to give, please consider the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Source: IDE

Male Testicular Cancer Awareness Website and Charity launched

C&D are constantly striving to bring safety awareness to everyone in the demolition industry, and support health initiatives that save lives. So we are really pleased to see a new charity formed in the Black Country to promote awareness of testicular cancer - Balls to Cancer!

Over 200,000 men die in the UK each year from cancer of one sort or another. Traditionally men have been reluctant to visit their GP if they suspect that there may be something wrong with them, preferring to ignore the symptoms due to the fear and anxiety that the thought of cancer raises in us all. However, when confronted, advances in treatment now mean that cases of testicular cancer diagnosed and treated in the early stages have an excellent success rate so the message from C&D is:

1. Visit the website for a self check examination.
2. Visit your GP if you suspect a lump.
3. Say "Balls to Cancer"
4. Support the charity.

Rise in deaths of absestos-related cancer in West Midlands

Regular readers of this page will know that C&D have, over the last 5 years, carried out UKATA approved Asbestos Awareness training somewhere in the UK several times every week and when we started that training in 2007 we fully expected that asbestos related deaths would bottom out.

The HSE Campaign "The Hidden Killer" was launched as evidence showed that asbestos related deaths were in fact continuing to rise because general maintenace workers, carpenters, electricians, plasterers and roofers were not aware of the dangers from the lethal fibres.

As we continue to deliver asbestos awareness training, the next open course is in Solihull on 15 December, we now hear from the Birmingham Post that asbestos related deaths in our own backyard have risen again this year. The article below states that asbestos related deaths in males has increased once again but the really frightening numbers are the female deaths as working with asbestos is seen as a male dominated profession.

My thoughts on this are that those female deaths will come from one of the following areas:-

- School teachers or caretakers who have, unwittingly, been exposed to asbestos by pinning drawings to classroom notice boards that were made of asbestos or entering a boiler house where lagging has been disturbed.

- Cleaning staff who may have been exposed during their normal work of cleaning offices and work areas.

- Housewives who did nothing more than wash the overalls of their husbands each week not realising that the deadly dust was on the overalls and now in the washing machine and transferred to other clothing. "Take Home" asbestos such as this is a major problem in the USA and we cannot allow it to become a major problem in the UK.

The key to prevention is education of the workforce and the public that "Asbestos Kills" and the only way to protect yourself is to prevent inhalation of the fibres so "WEAR A MASK".

Batman wore a mask to hide his identity, I wear mine to save my life.

Source: Birmingham Post

Goodbye to you my Old Friend

It is with a heavy heart that I have to say Goodbye to my old friend David “Ross” Turner who died at home on Thursday morning after a long battle against cancer.

David taught me a great deal during my time at Detech Environmental Limited, and during my time on the IDE Council of Management during his period as Vice President to John Law and then as President of the IDE.

He always had an opinion and was willing to give that opinion, he was a good orator and a great speech maker, and was always around to discuss demolition over a pint of real ale.

I will miss him.

BBC reports asbestos-related deaths at all time high

The male death rate from mesothelioma is at an all time high. Between 1982-84 it was gauged at 14.8 per million. For the period 2006-08 it had increased to a staggering 66.4 per million, and that was just in the east of England. The greatest increase seems to have occurred in the West Midlands.

Just as worrying is the prediction by the HSE that the death toll will continue to rise over the next 5 years. The reason is related to the use of asbestos until 1999 when the final ban came into effect. But that has left many buildings with asbestos installed. Without the correct procedures being implemented during building work or demolition of these buildings, more workers will be put at risk.

Visit the BBC News website to watch their video on the disease and the rise in cases of mesothelioma.

C&D Consultancy carry out asbestos awareness training throughout the UK. If you'd like to know more please contact John Woodward directly and he'll be happy to discuss the options available or help formulate a training course to suit your particular needs.