Hazards Campaign 2008 report
This year the conference is held on the Keele University campus, near Stoke-on-Trent.
I arrived here in the pouring rain but soon found the Atmosphere was very good from the delegates. It really is good to meet up with friends from previous conferences and to making new friends at this one. Tonight’s session entitled Drama on Death at Work kicked off the conference at 7.30pm followed by a video/dvd showing the following
This concludes the first day at around 10pm
Saturday starts at 9am with the Formal plenary in the main theatre
I’m looking forward to the following Campaign The Black approach – the way for occupational health? By Professor Andy Watterson (Sterling University) & our very own Doug Russell (head of H&S USDAW)
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Saturday 19/07/08
Busy day.
Started at 7am with breakfast
9am, Formal plenary in main theatre
10am – 11am Coffee break
11am -1pm 1st Workshop session
1pm – 2.30pm Dinner
2.30pm – 4pm Campaign Debates
4pm -4.30 Coffee break
4.30pm – 6pm Fringe & Information meetings
7.30pm Dinner, Social/Bar/Music.
Speakers at the plenary included;
Karen Messing (Gender & Work Technical Committee, International Ergonomics Association)
Gave a take on women’s musculoskeletal problems in Québec, Canada.
Gave a great talk on the above subject with some quick witted remarks thrown in. Plenty of facts and figures to prove just how so-called company eggheads where getting there facts wrong.
Mike Ironside UCU Keele
Talked about Keele University, how and why it was formed. To give the working glass a better education back in the 1950/60’s. And why today they are getting rid of 35/40 lecturers himself included and asking for the support of delegates to sign the partition…….which was dually done.
Andy Turner ROHAS/Hazards Campaign
His talk was about accidents fatal and non-fatal, what the government said it had done and what the facts shown it had done. Startling evidence that when a government of any political persuasion bend the facts to suit themselves, i.e. government state that their was 141 works accidental deaths when the true figure was 369. They omitted casual workers, emigrants workers and students!
Shocking was the following facts;
1500 – 1700 workers killed each year due to works accidents where companies
50,000 work related accidents, this figure included non-employees. i.e. Customers having slips, strips and falls, etc.
Michael Lees. Gives talks on Mesothelioma (Asbestos Cancer)
His wife a teacher died 7yrs ago due to breathing asbestos dust in the classrooms of the 25 schools she taught in during her career.
How that government, local and national had so called experts to say the asbestos did not cause cancer! And how they then put a plan to get rid of the asbestos which has yet to be completed.
My 1st Workshop was Fire Safety.
This was more of a question/answer which allowed the speaker Andy Glass from the Brigade to elaborate on the answer bringing in fact above how the government and LA’s (local authorities) are going to spend 9.2 million setting up a task force of private companies and 9.0million to run it JUST in case the Brigade go on strike as they do not have any army, navel or air force personal as they are away fighting.
If they would only spend the money on the Fire Brigades you would not have a possibility of them going out on strike!
Hazard Campaign 2008
Advice centres, victim support groups, local and national campaigns, other sources of information and support The Hazards Campaign is a national network established in 1988, financed by donations from supporting groups and individuals. It draws together hazards centres, occupational health projects, health and safety groups, safety reps networks and Trades Union Councils’ Safety Committees, specific campaigns and individual health and safety activists. Specific campaign groups include the Construction Safety Campaign, bereaved relatives groups, asbestos support groups, RSI support groups, pesticide sufferers groups, campaigns against hazards affecting black and ethnic minority groups and toxic waste groups.
The campaign works by: sharing information and skills; campaigning on specific issues; acting as a national voice; issuing press releases; holding conferences; establishing national initiatives, including Workers Memorial Day; lobbying MPs, MEPs and statutory bodies. The Campaign organises the annual Hazards Conference and holds meetings about five times a year which are open to anyone sharing the aims of the campaign.
Scottish Hazards Campaign network
From Kathy Jenkins
As you may be aware, the STUC worked in partnership with both the current and last Scottish governments on the development of the Scottish Health and Safety Action Plan. The period covered by that plan is now coming to an end and the attached report (draft at this stage) is being prepared to inform ministers regarding progress on the plan and the way forward. Scottish Hazards was not part of that process but has now become, as you know, part of the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland. So, we have also been asked for our comments on this report. I would welcome your comments and those of others in your branch/organisation.
In order that the report can be finalised for submission, I will need your responses by Friday, 8 August.
Thank you in advance.
Take care – Kathy
Kathy Jenkins
Secretary
Scottish Hazards Campaign
0131 477 0817
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Is the main union that represents the shop workers in Stores & Supermarkets in Dundee and the rest of the UK
This Blog-site is for members of USDAW. And workers who would like to join USDAW.
About your trade union, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers. It looks at the union at work, taking up members’ problems and negotiating with employers, in order to improve members’ wages and conditions.
