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News from around the WorldFebruary 2002 News about IALILabour Inspection: the global view A feature in the February 2002 edition of Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Occupational Safety and Health Journal explains what the International Association of Labour Inspectorates (IALI) is doing to ensure that labour inspection works in practice. The article by Sheila Pantry OBE looks at the goals of IALI which was founded in 1972 in order to provide a professional forum for the exchange of information and experience about the work of Labour Inspection and to promote closer cooperation between the authorities and institutions concerned with such work. The Association is a non-governmental international organisation recognised by the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. During the May 2000 IALI conference which took place in Croatia, more than 100 participants from 20 countries discussed three main priorities for inspectors in the new Millennium:
presents challenges both for developed and undeveloped countries. There is a strong recognition of the importance of labour inspectorates working together and the role of IALI in assisting this process. IALI goals
The Association, which has members from 80 countries, exists only for ideal ends. It renounces and bans any political or religious activity, any criticism of national systems of Labour Inspection and any interference in their working. In the addition it renounces any statement or attitude constituting an interference in affairs of the social partners' business. For further information contact: News from the UKThe Definitive Guide to Emergency Safety Showers, Eyebaths and Facewash Fountains Since the start of manufacturing of chemical in bulk quantities for use by industry for cleaning and manufacturing purposes, there has been a requirement for emergency safety showers, eyebaths and facewash fountains. The first legislation in the UK covering first aid in the workplace, where strong acids and dangerous corrosive liquids are used was The Chemical Works Regulations 1922 which remained in force for over 66 years until it was superseded by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988. The 1922 legislation required that for use in emergency the following:
Recently published by Hughes Safety Showers is The Definitive Guide to Emergency Safety Showers, Eyebaths and Facewash Fountains that provides guidance on design standards, types and applications, water temperature, materials of manufacture, location and installation, servicing and training. The 20 page booklet is filled with good advice and guidance and is a must for all inspectors, safety and health practitioners. Contact: Hughes Safety Showers Ltd, Whitefield Road, Bredbury,
Stockport, Cheshire SK6 2SS, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 161 430 6618 | Fax: +44
(0) 161 430 79228 | Email: info@hughes-safety-showers.co.uk
| website www.hughes-safety-showers.co.uk News from the UK TUCWorking Time Directive having little impact on women working long hours Despite Europe's working time directive, over 750,000 women in the UK are working in excess of its 48-hours-a-week limit according to a UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) report just published. The TUC report, About Time: a new agenda for shaping working life, finds that the European Working Time Directive has had very little impact on the long hours women work. TUC General Secretary John Monks said: The UK tops the European long hours league, and is the only country that allows staff to opt out of the 48 hour limit. The average working week is 43.6 hours in the UK compared to an EU average of 40.3 hours. Many European countries, including those more productive than the UK, have tougher limits on hours. Austria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Spain and Sweden all have 39 or 40 hour limits, and France has a 35 hour week. But the EU is certain to end the UK opt out following a review in 2003, so the UK must start to tackle the long hours culture now, says the TUC report. Info on the TUC's work-life balance work can be found at: www.tuc.org.uk/changingtimes News from GermanyMachinery Safety....impetus for early revision of EN 12999 Loader cranes says report in KANBRIEF European standard EN 12999 Cranes - loader cranes contains safety requirements for the design, analysis and testing of leader cranes with hydraulic drives. After successfully passing the final vote with three abstentions (those of Germany, Portugal and Switzerland) the standard was ratified by CEN on 8 March 2001. The abstention by the German standardization body DIN was the consequence of a unanimous vote by German occupational health and safety representatives who had already expressed reservations in 2000 regarding safety aspects of the standard, certain provisions of which ran contrary in their view to the requirements of the Machinery Directive. One aspect concerned the facility for the crane operator to bridge the load torque limiter, which could potentially lead to component failure or tipping of the crane. As EN 12999 had been ratified by CEN but its reference not yet published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the safeguard clause had not initially been invoked formally against the standard. At a European level, a session of the responsible CEN Working Group was convened in which the experts reached agreement on an amendment of EN 12999 which took the German reservations into account. Further information can be found in the very informative quarterly KANBRIEF 4/01 published by the Kommision Arbeitsschutz und Normung (KAN), Alte Heestr.111, D-53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany. Tel: +40 (0) 2241 231 3455 | Fax: +49 (0) 2241 231 3464 | Email: info@kan.de | web: www.kan.de News from the USAFire Fighter Deaths from Tanker Truck Rollovers Is the title of a new leaflet from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health contains case studies and a list of recommendations to reduce the risk of tanker truck rollovers. It also has references to further publications. Copies can be downloaded from the NIOSH website and in print format DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-111 Fire Fighter Deaths from Tanker Truck Rollover from: Publications, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati OH 45226-1998, USA. | Tel: +1 800 356 4674 | Email: pubstaft@cdc.gov | web: www.cdc.gov/niosh NIOSH conducts the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Programme to determine factors that cause or contribute to fire fighter fatalities suffered in line of duty and to develop strategies for preventing similar incidents in future. More information is available at web: www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire. News from the European FoundationWorking for a living.... new publications Gender, Employment and working time preferences in Europe Working Time Preferences at different phases of life Working Conditions in Atypical Work All available from the Office for Official Publications of the
European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. For further details about the
content of the reports contact: News from the NRPBKnow which Radiation Monitoring equipment to use!
Guidance on the choice, use and maintenance of hand-held radiation
monitoring equipment, by P H Burgess Guidance on the choice, use and maintenance of hand-held radiation
monitoring equipment, by P H Burgess. NRPB R326 ISBN 085951 461 7 £10.00 Titles you may have missed.......Replace anecdotal guesswork with quantitative fact when evaluating
safety management........ New titles from the US Government Institutes Environmental Biotreatment: Technologies for Air, Water, Soil, and
Wastes Integrating Quality, Environmental, Health, and Safety Systems Implementing an ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System including
Safety and Environmental Considerations |