Health and Safety Bulletin
January 2007
Asbestos
After campaigning by BECTU reps, the BBC has established an asbestos register for individuals exposed to asbestos at Television Centre in Studios TC2, TC3 and TC5 over the period 1990 to 2005. The register is open to relevant staff, freelances and former staff and has been publicised within the industry.
BECTU, through our lawyers Thompsons, is currently acting on behalf of the widow of a member who died of mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos at Pinewood Studios during the 1960s and 70s. Anyone who worked at Pinewood during this period and may have been exposed should contact BECTU. The problem particularly concerns members - eg scenic painters, carpenters -working on the wooden film sets which were lined with asbestos.
The Compensation Bill - as mentioned in the last H&S Bulletin - has become law as the Compensation Act 2006. It reverses a damaging House of Lords decision which restricted the scope for asbestos claims.
Labour Research Department are producing a booklet on asbestos in February 2007. All safety reps have been circulated with a questionnaire as part of the background research for this publication.
Safety Reps' training
All safety reps should note that they need to undertake at least Stage 1 Health & Safety training.
BECTU runs its own H&S courses for members. Relevant courses are listed in the diary.
BECTU National Committee
The Committee met on 20 November and heard reps' reports from areas including SMG (breaks; template inspection notice), Arq2006 iva (long hours), ENO/CBSO (noise at work), BBC (workplace H&S assessments; asbestos; new H&S software; status of National Joint Committee on H&S; camera operations and cancer), theatre (Theatre Safety Committee; tallescopes), Odeon/UCI (ladder/scaffold training).
Two of the BECTU National Officials with new H&S advisory roles attended and addressed the Committee.
Workers' Memorial Day
Workers' Memorial Day 2007 takes place on 28 April and therefore coincides with BECTU Conference. At the suggestion of National H&S Committee rep Anastasia Ahern, the union plans to mark this by providing information, taking a collection and possibly having a speaker to make a presentation.
Westminster H&S Inspectors
Westminster Council has taken over responsibility for West End Theatres from HSE. As a result, BECTU officials have met reps from Westminster Environmental Health Team.
Key issues which were drawn to the attention of the Inspectors were the use of tallescopes, working at height, evacuation procedures and poor staff facilities. Agreement was reached for the further exchange of information.
An inspection programme was planned for 2007 and it was emphasised that local safety reps should be consulted during any such inspection.
Jimmy Jibs/camera cranes
A specific Inspector has been assigned the role of investigating H&S concerns on this issue.
Film Industry Safety Group
BECTU is seeking additional reps from safety-critical areas to attend FISG meetings. Anyone interested should contact Andy Egan at BECTU Head Office.
Hazards Campaign
The Hazards Conference 2007 will take place at the University of Manchester on 27-29 July 2007. BECTU has made a sponsorship donation towards the Conference costs.
Working at height
The HSE has commissioned a consultants' report relevant to our sector. This was published in November 2006 as Review of Work at Height Practices in the UK Broadcasting Industry [pdf] on the HSE website.
Issues highlighted focussed on falls from height and concerned poor training/equipment/rescue plans.
Proposal for production safety register
A proposal is currently under consideration for a register of staff/freelances with appropriate H&S competence. The minimum competence levels would be agreed at an all-industry level by reps from the employers and BECTU. The body undertaking the work would be JIGS (Joint Industry Grading Scheme).
HSE
New HSE figures for the year 2005/06 indicated that major injuries to workers were down by 7% to 28,605. However, H&S prosecutions over the same period fell by 23% (to 1,012), although this downward trend had apparently been reversed in recent months.
There were further HSE budget cuts in August 2006. The total number of HSE Inspectors in 2005 was 1,530 of which 900 could be identified as front-line (as opposed to policy/management roles). Only 400 of these inspectors are available for general field operations - with many others being reserved for specific roles/sectors eg 180 engineers/specialists, 100 for construction, 80 for chemicals and 120 for the offshore industry.