Health and Safety Bulletin
May 2007
BECTU Conference
BECTU Conference 2007 coincided with Workers' Memorial Day.
Thanks to the efforts of BECTU H&S activists, there was a strong emphasis on this issue at Conference, with a presentation from the rostrum by John Howcroft, purple WM Day ribbons for delegates, a collection for the Hazards Asbestos Group, a stall and a DVD. Leaflets produced by Austin Hepburn were placed on every delegates' seat prior to Conference.
BECTU asbestos register
The union's asbestos register is now available online (having previously functioned through a hard copy form).
The aim is for everyone who suffers asbestos exposure to register relevant details (especially employer/workplace) while they are fresh - so that these can quickly accessed in the event of a personal injury legal claim which might be decades in the future.
JACE
JACE (Joint Advisory Committee for Entertainment) is the new name for HSE's previously entitled FBJAC. It is the HSE's joint advisory committee for our sector, comprising representatives from unions, employers and other industry bodies.
Long working hours
JACE recently established a Task & Finish Group (ie a Working Party) on the issue of working hours. Andy Egan was BECTU's representative.
The Group's report - which was intended to identify some possible priorities for action in the short/medium term - focussed on two issues: the dangers of driving home after an excessive working day (which has led in the past to fatigue-related accidents, including some fatalities) and the need for pre-production planning to avoid excessive schedules.
The report will be discussed at the next JACE meeting in November. The focus on driving ties in with BECTU's own concerns in this area of 'Work Plus Travel'.
BECTU National H&S Committee
The Committee met on 19 March 2007 and heard representatives' reports from areas such as theatre (tallescopes, indoor fireworks), BBC (control of contractors, asbestos) and regional production (new electricity regulations for OBs).
The Committee noted the new environmental handbook produced for the New Zealand screen industry; and the forthcoming meeting for Radio Frequency Radiation Workers.
Safety Reps
The HSC consultation on 'worker involvement' - to which BECTU submitted evidence effectively calling for roving safety reps' rights for freelances - still shows no signs of producing meaningful improvements to the regulations. Discussions are continuing, involving HSC, TUC and CBI.
A survey of unions in Hazards magazine has indicated that the top problems facing safety reps are: getting employers to act on safety concerns; and achieving time-off for safety rep duties and training.
According to the TUC, the safety reps' role in proactively identifying hazards and unsafe working practices reduced the number of days' sickness by 616,000 per year.
Workplace deaths
HSE figures for the first 6 months of its reporting year 2006-07 indicated that workplace deaths totalled 124 (compared to 212 for the whole of the previous 12 months).
Linked to this and other enforcement concerns, unions have called for a reversal in the planned cuts in HSE resources, including the inspectorate.
Corporate Manslaugher and Corporate Homicide Bill
At the time of writing the Bill had received its third reading in both Commons and Lords and was due to return to the Commons. The issue of deaths in custody - raising broader issues than H&S - had threatened to delay its passage.
The Bill is regarded as basically helpful though lacking in important respects such as the need for penalties (including custodial ones) for individual company directors found culpable.
Jimmy jibs
HSE is conducting an investigation on the use of jimmy jibs - including visits to suppliers and users. Initial conclusions are that the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 should apply; and that single person operation is not advisable. The full investigation has yet to be concluded.
Disability Rights Commission (DRC)
The DRC has produced a joint statement with HSC, including the following points:
- 'Risk assessment should not focus unduly on an individual's disability. It should look more broadly at the overall demands of the work and how best to manage associated risk'.
- 'H&S should never be used as a false excuse to justify discriminatory treatment. It will be the exception rather than the rule to exclude disabled people from particular jobs and tasks'.
New Minister for H&S
A new Minister covering Health and Safety issues has been appointed to replace Lord Hunt as Under Secretary at the Department of Work and Pensions. He is Lord McKenzie of Luton.
Film Industry Safety Group (FISG)
At the latest meeting of FISG, items under discussion included Film London's Code of Practice for Filming in London; and the revised version of 'H&S in Film Production'.
Training day for BECTU officials
All BECTU officials attended a one-day training session on health and safety run by Roger Sutton of GFTU. This was a refresher on the basics of health and safety law/regulations, prompting wide discussion on issues such as risk assessment, rights to time off for training and the lack of clear safety representation for freelances.