the CWU's Annual Report for 2006-2007

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8. TUC UNION HEALTH AND SAFETY SPECIALIST COMMITTEE (UHSS) The Officer continues to sit on the TUC UHSS Committee on which CWU plays an active roll. This is a TUC wide body attended by all UK Trade Union National Health & Safety Officers and headed up by the TUC’s Head of Health & Safety. The Body discusses and co-ordinates Trade Union activities and interests in health and safety issues and is directly involved with the Trade Union wide basis in liaison with Ministers and Government Departments. The Health and Safety Commission, Health and Safety Executive, HELA and other Health and Safety Organisations. 9. EUROPEAN HEALTH & SAFETY WEEK AND NATIONAL INSPECTION DAY The European Health & Safety Week 2006 focused on Young Workers promoting a preventative health and safety culture among young people, young workers and their employees. The HSE campaign theme was ‘Safe Start’ This annual initiative has become the largest workplace health and safety event in Europe. The CWU promoted and publicised the week and the Health, Safety & Environment Dept once again gave its full support to the week, producing and distributing our own poster along with thousands of HSE and European Health and Safety week packs, contact was made and discussions took place with all the main employers to gain their support and joint participation of events during the week. BOB No 041/06 paragraph 609 (3rd November 2006) as well as Voice publicity was given to the event with the aim of building and continuing support next year. LTB 692/06 (18th October 2006) refers. In addition, the HS&E Department gave full support to the TUC National Workplace Inspection Day, which fell on Wednesday of the week forming part of the week’s activities and Safety Representatives were urged to carry out Workplace Inspections. Both Telecoms and Royal Mail were informed of the activity and their support requested. LTB 687/06 (18th October 2006) refers. 10. WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY (REMEMBER THE DEAD – FIGHT FOR THE LIVING) International Workers Memorial Day takes place each year on 28th April and has traditionally received CWU support and involvement. WMD is an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. In a world where death, injury and illness at work are hidden away and taken for granted, it is an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health and to promote campaigns and union organisation in the fight for improvements in workplace safety. Trade Unionists across the globe demonstrate their commitment to mourn the dead and fight for the living and over recent years the CWU has become actively and progressively more involved in helping make the day a success. It is important for the CWU as a major UK Trade Union to participate and support Workers Memorial Day and to press for the continued support of Ministers and MPs, as well as the Health and Safety Commission and globally from the International Labour Organisation. Involvement shows that workers’ health and safety is a concern for society as a whole and not just Trade Unions. This year’s Workers’ Memorial Day theme is ‘ Health & Safety needs not just regulations, but also enforcement & Inspection’ LTB 047/07 (17th January 2007) sets out a strategy for participation in WMD with a list of suggested activities for Safety Reps, Regional Safety Forums, Branches and Members. 11. HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE – ENGINEERING & UTILITIES GROUP) The Health, Safety & Environment Department has continued to work very closely with the new Head of the HSE’s Engineering and Utilities Group, Mark Dawson, who is now responsible for both main employers, Royal Mail Group and British Telecom and other telecom companies. A number of meetings have taken place with the HSE during the year and the close working relationship that has been established with the HSE at this level has proved to be very effective and useful in not only dealing with generic company-wide issues, policies and procedures, but also in dealing with local site specific health and safety issues and in reaching agreement in certain circumstances to provide HSE support for local authorities where enforcement is provided via Environmental Health Officers. LTB 786/06 (20th November 2006) refers. 12. CWU REGIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY FORUMS The ten Regional Health & Safety Forums are now firmly established as part of the unions health and safety structure and are attended by Safety Representatives from all Businesses, Organisations and Companies which the CWU has established. The Regional Health and Safety Forum Constitution calls for a headquarters presence at these meetings and the Health Safety & Environment Department has continued to support the Regional Forums both financially and physically in line by ensuring that either a National Officer, members of the Health, Safety & Environment Sub-committee or representatives from the Health, Safety & Environment Department are in attendance at Forum meetings. An 85% attendance rate was achieved in 2005-2006. A communication was sent to all Regional Health and Safety Forum Secretaries confirming the continuation of this commitment along with a firm commitment to provide headquarters support and attendance at Forum meetings. Regional Safety Forums also have the ability to invite guest speakers to attend meetings and the Regional Forums themselves play an important and influential part in the Health & Safety Policy making process within the Union and having the ability to submit motions to Conference. 13. SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES TRAINING 13.1 GENERAL Fundamental to the success of our Organisation and support for our Safety Representatives is the provision of a comprehensive Safety Representatives Training Programme. Through the close working relationship that the Health, Safety & Environment Department has developed with the Education and Training Department, the training of Safety Representatives has undergone progressive development and improvement. The CWU currently provide training to the TUC Safety Reps course programme with stage 1, 2, and 3 one week courses available plus the Occupational Safety and Health Certificate course provided over four one week blocks over an eight month period and additionally a Stress at Work one week course is available. 20 l National Executive Council Annual Report 2006-2007
13.2 DEGREE LEVEL COURSE Following discussions with the Education and Training Department, CWU Safety Reps can now apply to study to degree level with the Union. The Union will support a number of students in a programme of part-time, flexible distance learning which may lead to a certificate in higher education, a diploma or a full degree, which will be provided by London Metropolitan University. The course has been designed specifically for trade unionists and full support will be provided for students. The course will lead to a BA. Safety Reps applying for this programme should normally have completed the CWU Health and Safety Stages 1, 2 and 3. It will be an advantage if they have also completed the TUC/CWU Occupational Health and Safety Further Education certificate. Depending on student preferences the course may last from 1-5 years. Students to attend a number of short residential block courses each year supplemented by distance learning with tutor support. 13.3 REFRESHER/UPDATE TRAINING To assist our Safety representatives to maintain, develop and broaden their knowledge skills and experience to keep pace with the health and safety demands that are made upon them a short 2-day Refresher/Update course was developed with the Education and Training Department with a Pilot course run at South Thames College London. 14. ACOUSTIC SHOCK – ACOUSTIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN CONFERENCE Acoustic Shock or noise interference is caused by exposure to sharp loud noises in close proximity to the ear usually through headphones or headsets, experienced by a number of call centre workers. Acoustic shock is a devastating injury ruining many call centre workers lives and careers and it costs the call centre industry £millions. The CWU Legal Services Department and Union Solicitors has been pursuing Personal Injury Damages claims for members since the late 80’s, early 90’s and the Health, Safety & Environment Department has been campaigning on the issue since Motions were carried at CWU Conference in 2000 and 2001. A second ASP Annual Acoustic Safety Conference took place in Glasgow on 27& 28 November 2006, covering Noise in the Workplace Legislation, ASP NPL research into the cause and effect of noise interference, ASP NPL equipment testing. The Conference Programme took place over two days with expert speakers plus seminars and exhibitions giving practical advice on the problems affecting hearing in call centres. In addition the ASP has now launched the new ‘We Care About Hearing’ campaign, the purpose of the campaign is to raise money for much needed research into the causes and affects of noise interference and acoustic shock on telephone and headset users. LTB 763/06, LTB 764/06 and also 765/06 (10th November 2006) all refer. 15. HSC/E STATISTICS 2005/2006 The 2006 HSE statistics show a decline in numbers injured at work which mask a number of worrying trends and the CWU has added its voice to that of the TUC and other major Unions expressing alarm over a further fall in the number of employers being prosecuted for breaking the health and safety laws. The latest statistics from the HSE show that enforcement notices and prosecutions have fallen for the last three years and Workplace safety inspections have plummeted to a new low, increasing the chances of workers being injured by their jobs or killed. Enforcement figures suggest the reported fall in accidents could have been much greater if HSE was more effective. The HSE figures confirm that UK employers are now less likely to be inspected, less likely to be prosecuted, less likely to be convicted of safety crimes, and less likely to receive a notice from an HSE inspector demanding safety improvements. The HSE admitted during last May’s RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) consultation that there is a significant level of under-reporting and current figures suggest that employers only report around 40% of workplace injuries and for the self-employed it is less than 5%. The evidence shows that enforcement is the most effective way of ensuring that employers comply with health and safety laws. The CWU wants a strong HSE with a well resourced Field Operations Division and strong Local Authority Environmental Health Inspectors. The HSE Dept would like to see more inspections and more enforcement in 2007 than in 2006 because all the evidence shows us that it is the most effective way to stop employers breaking the law. Our union has also made it clear to the Government that it is unhappy that budget cuts faced by the HSE could see the organisation having to cut the number of Inspectors out on the streets – that is a big concern. 2007 should see the new Corporate Manslaughter Act on the statute books – however, it will only be effective if it is accompanied by specific health and safety duties on Directors and Senior Managers. Unless business leaders feel the heat of the law they will not change their behaviour on health and safety. Employers need to know that if they kill or injure a worker because they have not complied with their responsibilities under safety law, they will be prosecuted. At the moment this is not happening. Fewer inspectors, fewer visits and fewer prosecutions mean more unsafe workplaces. The Communications Industry has benefited in recent times from close scrutiny and a concerted HSE and Local Authorities Inspection Programme – the question for 2007 however, will it continue? We hope this will be the case in 2007, under the HSE’s new ‘LOPP’ (Large Organisations Pilot Programme) scheme. Occupational Road Risk (ORR) and Workplace Transport is a big problem area and ORR the biggest at work killer certainly warrants closer attention and involvement from the HSE in 2007. RIDDOR also needs reviewing in 2007. We have had the consultation in 2006 and at work road accidents should also become reportable under RIDDOR and investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. Stress remains a big issue in the UK workforce and maybe the HSE’s Stress Management Standards have gone about as far as they can. It is time to consider firming them up and for Regulations or an Approved Code of Practice to be considered. Acoustic Shock is a big problem for the 1.2 million call centre workers in the UK and with the evidence there for all to see, the HSE Noise and Vibration Unit is out on a limb and needs to come off the fence in 2007 and start supporting these workers and helping them tackle the problem. 16. NATIONAL HAZARDS CAMPAIGN The CWU continues to support the National Hazards Campaign and its Conference. The Hazards Conference is the UK’s biggest event for Trade Union Safety Representatives and activists, it is l National Executive Council Annual Report 2006-2007 21
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the CWU's Annual Report for 2006-2007

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