News from around the World

News Archive

November 2002

News for the fire industry

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Titles you must not miss......

Corporate Killing: a Manager's Guide to Legal Compliance

by Michael G. Welham, Mphil, MSc, DIPOHSM, Dip Law, FIOSH, RSP, FIRSM

One of the hot topics in the occupational health and safety world, particularly in the UK is corporate killing. This is a specific offence which is intended to make companies accountable in the criminal law for manslaughter at work. The penalty will be an unlimited fine and directors may also be disqualified. The other offences under the UK legislation which will affect the individual are:

• Reckless killing - where a person is aware of the risk that their conduct will cause death or serious injury. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
• Killing by gross carelessness - when there is a risk that the conduct would cause death or serious injury and the person concerned is capable of appreciating the risk. The maximum penalty is ten years' imprisonment.
• Killing when the intent was to cause minor injury. The maximum penalty is ten years' imprisonment.

The work includes specific chapters for directors and safety officers. The practical, user-friendly format will make this an invaluable reference source for the 3.5 million UK enterprises and other organisations working in the UK that could be affected under the new law.

Contents of each chapter:

1. Current deaths at work legislation
2. Workplace accidents and disasters
3. Corporate manslaughter cases and key elements of manslaughter at work
4. Corporate killing
5. Reckless killing
6. Killing by gross negligence
7. Killing where intention to cause minor injury
8. Enforcement and fines
9. The legal system, process and enforcement agencies
10. Management of health and safety

There is also a Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, Table of Statutory Instruments, Index.

This authoritative, up-to-the-minute guide is written by Mike Welham who is a leading authority on corporate and individual manslaughter. He is employed by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and is a member of the HSE Manslaughter at Work Project Team, and has extensive working experience of investigating and prosecuting individual and corporate manslaughter at work cases.

The Guide provides clear, easy-to-understand commentary on the Act and advises managers on the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the legislation and implementation of new practices and procedures. It also helps managers to avoid fines from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the courts.

Corporate Killing, Michael G Welham
Publisher: Butterworths Tolley, 2 Addiscome Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 5AF, UK | Tel: +44 (0)208 686 9141 | Fax: +44 (0) 208 86863155
Product Code CKNL01. ISBN 0754510662. 2002. 266 pages. Paperback

Violence at Work: Causes, Patterns and Prevention

edited by Martin Gill, Bonnie Fisher and Vaughan Bowie

Workplace violence has emerged as a growing concern in today's interdependent political economy, and increasing attention is being paid to the phenomenon by both business and in the academic world to identifying its causes and to devise strategies to prevent it.

In this book a distinguished international team, composed of both academics and practitioners, identify and address the key issues. It reviews the earlier literature on workplace violence, identifying and assessing key trends and patterns of violence at work, and reapplying traditional theories of victimisation and approaches to prevention, security and safety. Particular attention is paid to case studies which reflect innovative practice from the UK, USA and Australia in prevention strategies, and in assessing informal frameworks which have been developed in response to this.

Overall this book provides a foundation on which to base ways of better explaining, predicting, understanding and preventing workplace violence

Contents of each chapter:

1. Defining Violence at Work (Vaughan Bowie, University of Western Sydney, Australia).
2. Occupational violence in industrialised countries: types, incidence patterns, and 'at risk' groups of workers (Claire Mayhew, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra, Australia).
3. Causal factors of violence in the workplace: a human resource professional's perspective (A. Giles Arway, Executive Training and Consultation, New Canaan, Conn., USA)
4. Developing a framework for understanding patterns of abuse and violence against businesses (Matt Hopkins, Nottingham Trent University, UK)
5. The process of employee violence: the building of a workplace explosion (James F. Kenny, School of Criminal Justice, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Piscataway, NJ, USA)
6. Workplace violence in the United States: are there gender differences? (Shannon A. Santana and Bonnie S. Fisher (University of Cincinnati)
7. Prevention of violence affecting workers: a systems perspective (Mark Braverman, CMG Associates Inc, Newton, Mass., USA).
8. Standards for violence management training (Brodie Paterson, University of Stirling, Scotland, and David Leadbetter, CALM Training Services, Scotland).
9. Why workplace bullying and violence are different: protecting employees from both (Oonagh Barron).
10. Dealing with violence in the workplace: the experience of Canadian unions (Anthony Pizzino).
11. The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP): ten-year analysis of empirical findings (Raymond B. Flannery, Director of Training, Massachusetts Department of Health, Boston, Mass., USA).
12. Violence at work: supporting the employee (Noreen Tehrani).

Concluding thoughts

Index

Violence at Work: Causes, Patterns and Prevention
edited by Martin Gill, Bonnie Fisher and Vaughan Bowie.
November 2001 240pp ISBN 1-903240-62-X (hardback) extensive reading lists
Publisher: Willan Publishing, Culmcott House, Mill Street, Uffculme, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3AT, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1884 840337 | Fax: +44 (0)1884 840251 | Email: info@willanpublishing.co.uk | www.willanpublishing.co.uk

Building-related Sickness: Causes, effects and ways to avoid it

edited by Anu Palmer and Rosie Rawlings

This publication identifies the significant parameters most likely to play a role building-related sickness. It also provides a discussion and guidelines on good practice for all significant aspects of building-related sickness.

It is estimated that up to 30% of refurbished buildings, and an unknown but significant number of new buildings may harbour symptoms of building-related sickness. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 25 - 30% of office personnel complain of building-related sickness that occur during working hours and diminish when people leave the building for weekends or holidays.

The report covers thermal comfort, ventilation, relative humidity, lighting, noise and ventilation, negative ions, micro-organisms, respirable particulates and filtration, volatile organic compounds, gaseous contaminants.

There is a checklist that addresses the adequacy of the working environment based on good engineering, maintenance and management practice. In addition there is a glossary of terms and abbreviations and a reading list.

This publication is an update of BSRIA Technical Note TN 4/88 Sick Building Syndrome.

Building-related Sickness: Causes, effects and ways to avoid it
edited by Anu Palmer and Rosie Rawlings.
BSRIA Technical Note TN2/2002 ISBN 086022581X. 2002. 43 pages
Contact: BSRIA Ltd, Old Bracknell Lane West, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 7AG, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1344 426511 | Fax: +44 (0) 1344 487575 | Email: bsria@bsria.co.uk | www.bsria.co.uk

Dates for your 2003 Diary: EUROSHE 2003 and FSE2003

Two major events are planned for 3, 4 and 5 November 2003, Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London, UK, by the EurOhs: the Magazine for European Occupational Health and Safety. They are:

4 and 5 November 2003
EUROSHE 2003
European Occupational Safety Health and Environment 2003 Conference
Aiming for a Healthier and Safer European Workscene

This conference looks at the major themes of the European Commission's Adapting to change in work and society: a new Community Strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006.

Eminent speakers with backgrounds in government, industry, research and education will discuss future ways of working and training, the need for risk assessment for all aspects of everyday and work life, corporate killing, fire safety, managing road risks, fitness for work. Speakers will also cover researching for tomorrow's workplace, enabling the disabled in the workplace and the roles of the social partners in securing a healthier and safer workplace.

This conference will provide key points for future activities for all those responsible for securing good standards of health and safety in the workplace.

3 November 2003 FSE 2003
Food Safety Europe 2003
This conference will cover the major topical subjects on all aspects of food safety.

Both conferences will shortly have web sites.
For further details of both EUROSHE 2003 and FSE2003 contact:
Mary Meadows, Angel Business Communications Ltd, 34 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1HE, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1926 512424 | Fax:+44 (0) 1926 512 948 | Email: mary@angelbc.co.uk

New course... for those at a distance

Professionals who deal with risk on a daily basis are being offered a new approach and a new course from the UK University of Bath

This course, the first in a series of Integrated Risk Control modules, can be studied at a distance, uses multi-media and e-learning techniques and aims to achieve the skills and understanding needed to practice risk management effectively.

Students will to understand what risk assessment actually measures, recognise and allow for the effects of human responses to risk and to decide upon the most appropriate method for measuring risk in their organisation.

The module is CD-ROM based and supported by textbooks, video media and access to a wide range of online study and support material. Live web links, automated lectures, interactive activities, video clips, and on-line and traditional texts, are also used, together with on-line assessment and discussion opportunities.

Measuring Risk can be studied at home or at work meaning students can study at their own pace, completing computer assessed tasks which give immediate feedback to gain 10 CPD points (for members of The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health).

Future modules in the series will include:

• Making risk decisions
• Using monitoring and feedback
• Risk and organisational behaviour

Further details can be obtained from Miss Rae Deane, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7A, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1225 386452 | Fax +44 (0) 1225 386849 | Email: cde@bath.ac.uk
To see a sample of the module, visit www.bath.ac.uk

NIVA, Finland New Training Courses for 2003

Advanced Courses in Occupational Health and Safety

NIVA is the Nordic Institute for Advances Training in Occupational Health and Safety based in Helsinki, Finland and for 2003 offers 12 advanced courses on current themes of work life, ranging from indoors air quality, assessment of risks and psychological factors, bullying and harassment, to the methods of toxicology and epidemiology, good occupational health practice, and health promotion.

The training is based on research results and practical experience in occupational health and safety. The courses are available to Nordic participants, but also to international guests, and specialists from the Baltic countries and other neighbouring regions

Details of each course in available on the NIVA website, and are individually listed in OSHWORLD Diary of Events. The full printed catalogue of 2003 courses are available from:
Pirjo Turtiainen, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, FIN-00250 Helsinki Finland | Tel: +358 9 4747 2349 | Fax: +358 9 4747 2497 | E-mail: pirjo.turtiainen@ttl.fi | Web: www.niva.org

Make your workplace safer......

UK St. John Ambulance launches new training brochure

The UK's leading training provider, has produced a new brochure listing a range of First Aid and related courses for local businesses. The new brochure also lists a new national number that links the caller directly to their local St John Ambulance Country Office, has been designed to make it even easier to book training courses with the organisation. Clearly listed are a range of courses for the workplace, course content and duration and gives guidance on who should attend.

The brochure also lists the legal requirements for business to help them ensure that they make their work environment a safe place for their employees.

St John Ambulance has over 200 training venues in the UK so business are able to choose training venues convenient for their employees. The organisation trained over 250,000 people commercially last year.

For a copy of the brochure call 08700 10 49 50 or www.sja.org.uk
St John Ambulance National Headquarters, 27 St. John's Lane, London EC1M4BU, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7324 4210 | Fax: +44 (0) 207324 4001

News from the UK HSE

Videos titles to help in training sessions

The UK Heath and Safety Executive has produced a large number videos covering a wide range of subjects such as agricultural tractors, safe driving on slopes, falls from or through fragile farm building roofs, leisure and entertainment safety, dermatitis, manual handling and back injuries and more.

Copies of the full catalogue of HSE Video Titles can be obtained from:
HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA | Tel: +44 (0)1787 881 165 | Fax: +44 (0)1787 313 995