News from around the World
August 2003
Sheila Pantry, OBE
Driving whilst using a hand-held mobile telephone is to be made a specific
offence in the UK. from 1 December 2003. The Government's aim is to make UK
roads safer: initially offenders will be subject to a GBP £30 fine, which can
be increased to a maximum fine of GBP £1,000 if the matter goes to court. The
Government is also planning to legislate to make it an endorseable offence, so
that drivers will get three points on their licence each time they are caught.
RoSPA advises that people should switch off their phones when they get into
their vehicles and not use them again until they are parked in a safe spot.
RoSPA are worried that people will switch to hands-free devices, because
research has shown that whether the equipment is hand-held or hands-free,
talking on a phone makes drivers four times more likely to have an accident. So
RoSPA would like drivers prohibited from using hands-free phones as well whilst
driving.
Road Safety Minister David Jamieson says "driving (and texting) whilst
using a mobile phone is dangerous".
A report, The Risk of using a mobile phone while driving, was
commissioned by the UK Department for Transport from the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The summary of information available on the
use of mobile phones and driving can be found at www.rospa.com/roadsafety/advice/driving/mobile_phones.htm
The European Fluorocarbon Technical Committee (EFCTC) welcomes in general
the proposal for a EU Regulation on fluorinated gases which has just been
issued by the European Commission. The industry group supports legislation that
seeks to harness the environmental benefits of F-gases, through enhanced energy
efficiency and emission reduction but is concerned that the proposed
restriction on the use of enhanced R-134a, in car air-conditioning could be
counterproductive.
"The draft Regulation presents a clear set of rules for the trade and
use of Fluorinated gases, including end of life issues across the EU" says
Dr. Nick Campbell, chair of EFCTC". With the exception of the automotive
sector, it will assist in reducing the large degree of uncertainty which is
discouraging new investment and innovation in energy efficient equipment and
technologies, much of which will use F-gases". The proposal provides a
common system for data reporting, and lays down a framework for emission
prevention. These aspects have been strongly advocated by industry as part of
Responsible Use.
Mobile air conditioning
"We welcome the recognition that the commission gives to a range of
options for mobile air-conditioning, which includes the long term use of HFCs
with a low Global Warming Potential. Given the current lack of a proven
alternative, that is commercially operating, we believe the setting of a phase
out schedule for enhanced HFC134a systems in cars is inappropriate",
continued Dr. Campbell. Investment in enhanced R-134a has been shown to have a
superior environmental performance when compared to other systems, in regions
where there are hot traffic conditions. A rapid phase out in Europe will stop
investment in this technology, which is currently delivering significant
improvements in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This could be
counter-productive for the environment, leading to the adoption of less energy
efficient and heavier mobile air-conditioning systems that could, ironically
lead to greater emissions of carbon dioxide. Also it could undermine the move
from CFCs (which have a much higher Global Warming Potential) to HFCs in
developing countries. The focus on the phase-out of R-134a in mobile
air-conditioning contradicts the conclusions of the final report of the
European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), endorsed by the Council of Ministers
in December 2001. These conclusions were clearly orientated toward containment
of these gases and monitoring of actual emissions, which minimise their
environmental impact. Better containment in current systems and enhanced R-134a
air-conditioning systems should be a priority.
The benefits of F-gases, vital in many daily life applications. There are
strong arguments in support of the use of F-gases, bringing substantial
benefits to society. F-gases (fluorinated hydrocarbons and sulphur
hexafluoride) are used in many vital applications of our daily life such as
refrigerators, air-conditioners, thermal insulation and medical sprays. They
are particularly safe (because their low toxicity and low flammability) and
consequently can have distinct environmental benefits such as improved energy
efficiency when used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems or in foam
used for thermal insulation.
Their improved energy efficiency can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions, which is why all avenues should be explored to use these gases
responsibly, rather than proposing phase-out of their use. The proposed
regulation confirms the long-term sustainability of F-gases in their vast
majority of applications and clearly establishes common rules for the EU.
F-gases and climate change into context
To put F-gases into context, it is important to note that all together they
currently contribute less than 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.
By 2010 this figure is expected to remain less than 3% but the benefit F-gases
bring through improved energy efficiency is thought to outweigh this, as they
contribute to reduced CO2 emissions in many of their applications. By contrast,
the CFCs progressively replaced by the HFCs represented about 25% of all
greenhouse gas in 1990.
www.fluorocarbons.org
SHEILA PANTRY ASSOCIATES LTD offer the following products, using
SilverPlatter WinSPIRS or WebSPIRS software, which are available on CD-ROM and
via the Internet. All are updated quarterly.
ENVIRONMENT PLUS
So you need up-to-date environment and integrated pollution prevention
control (IPPC) information? Looking for essential environment and IPPC
legislation and guidance? Don't look any further! It's all on ENVIRONMENT PLUS
which is the definitive source to help you to meet your ISO 14001 information
needs for accreditation requirements. Thousands of full text pages of
information are instantly accessible in ENVIRONMENT PLUS.
FIRE WORLDWIDE
Aimed at everyone in the fire industry internationally with the emphasis
on all aspects of fire management principles, practices and research.
- Fire Worldwide is the World's premier collection of validated,
authoritative information contains two major collections - the Full Text
Collection and the Bibliographic Collection.
There is information on every subject from airport fire safety, to the use
of abandoned buildings for fire training, facemasks, forest fires, loss
prevention, sprinklers, and wildland fires. One of the databases - from the
British Standards Institution contains references to over 2500 fire and fire
related standards.
OSH-IRELAND
OSH-IRELAND has become THE essential OSH source for organisations and
practitioners seeking up-to-date information on all aspects of health and
safety in Ireland. OSH-IRELAND is published with the co-operation of the Health
and Safety Authority, Dublin, Ireland and other organisations, and contains 11
databases of all the appropriate occupational safety and health information.
There is no equivalent product to OSH Ireland. Easy to use and gives
immediate information to a wide range of essential OSH information.
OSH-ROM
OSH-ROM is one of the world's oldest collections of health and safety
information. Started in 1986, by Sheila Pantry and SilverPlatter Information it
brings together six complementary bibliographic databases covering critical
international occupational health and safety information. OSH-ROM is a unique
and vital resource for information concerning occupational health and safety,
hazardous incidents, and the handling of dangerous materials. The individual
databases contain over 1.2 million citations from over 5000 journals and
100,000 monographs and technical reports.
- RILOSH Ryerson International Labour Occupational Safety and Health Index
is produced by the Ryerson Technical University Library, Toronto, Canada,
and is included in OSH-ROM by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd.
RILOSH is a comprehensive database of bibliographic references and covers
international as well as Canadian and American health and safety, chemical
toxicology, environmental health, safety engineering, biotechnology,
biohazards, workers' compensation and workplace disability information. Other
major databases are:
- HSELINE from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Information Services
- CISDOC from the International Occupational Safety and Health Information
Centre (CIS) of the ILO
- MHIDAS the Major Hazard Incident Data Service, created by AEA Technology
Plc on behalf of the Major Hazards Assessment Unit of the UK Health and
Safety Executive
- MEDLINE Advanced OEM Subset: Occupational and Environmental Medicine a
subset of the US National Library of Medicine's (NLM) MEDLINE database
- NIOSHTIC and NIOSHTIC2 from the US National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH)
30 DAY FREE TRIALS
All the products are available on a 30 day free trial. Why not try these for
yourself and check out the contents of these exciting sources of information
against your own workplace/academic needs.
Contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield
S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0)1909 772829 | email: sp@sheilapantry.com
Eminent speakers from Europe AND AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD to
the future world of work ... can you afford not to attend? Bookings
already made from places as far apart as Luxembourg, New Zealand, Russia, USA.
Click onto www.eurohse2003.com
for all details and book form or for further details contact: Mary Meadows,
Office and Logistics Manager, European Occupational Health and Safety Magazine
(EurOhs), Angel Business Communications Ltd, 34 Warwick Road, Kenilworth CV8
1HE, Warwickshire, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1926 512424 | Fax: + 44 (0)1926 512948 |
email: mary@angelbc.co.uk
This handbook describes effective methods for the control of mineral dusts
in mines, and it assumes the reader is familiar with mining. The first chapter
deals solely with dust control methods, irrespective of the application. It
serves as a brief tutorial on mining dust control, and will be of help to the
reader whose dust control problem does not conveniently fit any of the mining
equipment niches described in subsequent chapters.
In the subsequent chapters, dust control methods are described for different
kinds of mines and mining equipment. This includes underground coal and hard
rock mines, as well as surface mines, stone mines, and hard rock tunnels.
Because dust sampling has so many pitfalls, a chapter on methods used to sample
dust is included. For those occasions when there is no practical engineering
control, there is a chapter on respirators.
www.cdc.gov/niosh
How many companies across Europe, let alone the rest of the world, can prove
they take health and safety seriously by publishing more information on their
websites? The UK based Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
have issued a new report, Going Public on Performance that looked at the
websites of Britain's top 350 companies and found that only 129 included health
and safety information. Of those, 123 reported on policies and principles, 77
on performance data and 64 on their health and safety targets. Only on 13 of
the sites was the information on health and safety judged "very easy to
find".
RoSPA is recommending that all organisations should consider providing
details of their health and safety policies, performances and targets on their
websites.
The report makes recommendations to help companies who want to being health
and safety reporting on the web. RoSPA's GoPOP site will eventually have links
to companies with health and safety reports on their sites.
www.gopop.org.uk
The Convention on the Future for Europe explores issues of legitimacy and
subsidiarity in the debate about the Future of Europe. It looks at the
assumptions behind the Constitutional Convention and its working methods as
well as its implications for reform processes in the European Union.
It also analyses the concept of subsidiarity both from the perspective of
the division of powers and as a factor legitimising the political structures of
Europe. Furthermore, the book provides an analysis of how the Constitutional
Convention fits into the broader constitutionalisation process of the European
Union.
Contents include:
- Will the EU be more legitimate after the Convention?
- What is in a Convention? Process and substance in the project of European constitution-building.
- The convention on the Future of Europe: thought on the Convention-Model
- Rethinking the methods of dividing and exercising powers in the EU
The Federal Trust series is essential reading for all practitioners and
students of European integration, as well as for national policy-makers,
business and the media.
The Convention on the Future for Europe by Jo Shaw, Paul Magnette, Lars
Hoffmann and Anna Verges. Published by Kogan-Page 144 pages
2003 ISBN 190340360X
Email: orders@lbsltd.co.uk | www.koganpage.com
by Carole Spiers
Stress-related illness can be costly to companies in terms of lost
productivity, sickness absence and ill-health retirement. Management practices
that are good for the health of the employees are likely to be good for their
productivity. Good management policy is therefore in the interests both of the
organisation and the workers.
Managing Stress in the Workplace is a practical, accessible guide to the
legal and moral obligations that employers face with regard to their employees.
Contents include:
- The Nature of Stress
- Current legislation and the employer
- The health and safety framework
- Identifying current workplace stressors
- Effects of stress on an organisation
- Bullying at work
- Effects of stress on the individual
- Trauma and coping with the aftermath of a critical incident
- Stress and health
- Developing and maintaining a healthy organisation
- Personal stress Management strategies
- The future of stress
The author draws upon her substantial experience in the field of stress
management to provide an indispensable manager's guide, which covers
identifying stress, stress management and intervention techniques. As well as
containing useful checklists, best practice guidelines and case studies
throughout, it explains the significance of the new UK Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) Guidance Notes and provides worked examples of formulating a
stress policy and what constitutes best practice.
Carole Spiers is a RELATE trained counsellor and one of the first validated
UK International Stress Management Association trainers. She founded Carole
Spiers Associates in 1987.
Managing Stress in the Workplace by Carole Spiers. Reed
Elsevier (UK) Ltd 2003 424 pages
Email: customer.services@lexisnexis.co.uk
| www.lexisnexis.co.uk
A new method has been pioneered to enable accident investigators to analyse
human error alongside technical data allowing companies to pro-actively reduce
the number of accidents occurring in the workplace.
Developed by Professor John Davies, Director, Human Factors Analysts Ltd and
colleagues from the University of Strathclyde, the method is highlighted in a
new book 'Safety Management: A Qualitative Systems Approach' which is
aimed at risk managers and safety experts working particularly within safety
critical industries such as utilities, transport and energy.
The book illustrates how companies can monitor verbal reports and
perceptions of staff to reduce, and often pre-empt, serious accidents from
occurring in the workplace. By adopting an innovative reporting system,
companies can combine eyewitness accounts and opinions with engineering and
technical data to provide critical information which companies can then use to
prevent accidents from occurring.
A practical application of the system, described extensively in the book is,
CIRAS, a confidential reporting system for the UK railways which was developed
by Human Factor Analysts Ltd. (H.F.A.L), based in Glasgow. CIRAS enables staff,
at all levels, to confidentially report safety concerns allowing the rail
companies to act on the new knowledge. Over 80,000 staff across 52 companies
operate CIRAS.
Historically hard data and facts have formed the key basis for establishing
the cause of an accident, with less emphasis based on eye-witness accounts.
Instead of finding someone to blame, investigators should be seeking to find
out the root cause to also ensure that it doesn't happen again.
Founded in September 2000, Human Factors Analysts Ltd (HFAL) based in
Glasgow is an international consultancy specialising in human performance and
the reduction of human error, particularly in accidents, across a broad
spectrum of industries. The company currently works for European clients in the
rail, nuclear and health sectors offering services including confidential
reporting systems, accident and investigation tools, root cause coding systems
and risk assessment management.
"Looking at what people say is often the only way to find out why
accidents happen and why people do certain things. Safety depends on a flow of
information to show weaknesses in systems therefore ignoring them can be
extremely dangerous," said Professor John Davies, Director, H.F.A.L.
John Davies, who is also the Professor of the Centre for Applied Social
Psychology at the University of Strathclyde, challenges existing theories
within the book on human error and offers practical and reliable solutions to
help risk managers.
Safety Management: A Qualitative Systems Approach, by John Davies,
Brendan Wallace and Linda Wright. Published by Taylor & Francis. 2003
ISBN 0-415-30371-0.
Further information on HFAL is available from www.hfal.co.uk.
|
