Neals Notes March 2001
March for the IOSH
Conference and exhibition. The IOSH Conference and Exhibition is being held in Bournemouth on the 7th and 8th of March in the International Centre. The conference will examine the key aspects of the Human Rights Act and its implications and other recent legislation and government policies such as Revitalising Health and Safety. Free visitor tickets are available for the exhibition or visit the web site at http://www.ioshconference.co.uk or you can E mail Uma Kapoor on uma.kapoor@informa.com , Make haste this event approaches rapidly.
Sixty Six Thousands sufferers from Skin Problems.
It is estimated that in 1995 around 66,000 people in GB suffered from a skin disease brought out by their work and that 95% of these cases were the result of exposure to chemicals. Guidance on Assessing and Managing Risks from Skin Exposure to Chemical Agents has been published. by the HSE (Hot Line 0871 545500) in three parts,
- HSG205 Assessing and managing risks at work from skin exposure to chemical agents (£8),
- HSG206 Cost and effectiveness of chemical protective gloves for the workplace (£8.50) and
- HSG207 Choice of skin care products for the workplace (£3).
When you consider that the problems of 1995 resulted in around half a million lost working days and a cost to industry of between £24m and £59m, these three booklets should make a valuable contribution to managing risks from chemicals and save working careers and a lot of money. Industries and occupational groups identified by the HSE as being at particular risk of work-related skin diseases include catering and food processing, printing, engineering, agriculture, hairdressing, cleaning, health care, construction and offshore.
We are spending £500 million a year on PPE!
But, much of this investment is wasted, says the HSE, because of poor selection or misuse of the PPE. This can have serious consequences in terms of workplace health, with death in some cases, the HSE continues. The other startling fact to arise from this survey is that a quarter of all employees and one third of those with health and safety responsibilities receive no formal training in health and safety. The response to this challenge from the workplace is that the HSE and the British Occupational Hygiene Society are mounting a series of road shows across the country to facilitate discussion.
These road shows will be held in
- London on April 19th,
- in Glasgow on April 25th,
- in Cardiff on May 2nd ,
- in Preston on May 9th and
- in Sheffield on May 16th.
Experts will talk about protective clothing, gloves and respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Further information, including times and ticket prices, is available from BOHS Secretariat, Suite 2, Georgian House, Great Northern Road, Derby DE1 1LT Telephone 01332 298101 or from the web site http://www.bohs.org
Your chance to have a say in health and safety priorities for the next three years.
That was the offer made by the Health and Safety Commission at their first ever public meeting where they asked those attending to help decide Britain's health and safety priorities for the next three years. Over 300 attended from major commercial companies, unions, professional associations and local and national government, plus some members of the public. Bearing in mind that health and safety failures cost UK PLC £18 billion every year, that over 400 people are killed annually in work-related accidents with around 2 million suffering from work-related illnesses leading to a loss of around 25 million working days every year, the Commission is going to concentrate on three specific industries - construction, agriculture and the health service sector. Four programmes will concentrate on muscoskeletal disorders, work-related stress, workplace transport and falls from heights. Another priority is to reduce slips, trips and falls within the local authority-enforced sector.
More info from the HSE Hot Line 08701 545500.
Company Directors to be more accountable!
The HSC has launched a public consultation on its draft code on health and safety responsibilities for company directors and board members in public service organisations. This draft code makes it clear that Boards need to accept joint responsibility and leadership for the organisation's health and safety performance, appoint one Board member to champion health and safety issues, ensure that individual Board members recognise their personal liabilities and responsibilities under health and safety law and make sure that all Board decisions reflect the organisation's health and safety policy. Boards are also expected to consult staff fully through trade union representatives where appropriate and keep informed about, and on top of, all health and safety issues affecting their organisation and its performance. Under current law, individual directors and managers can be prosecuted if their actions- or lack of them- lead to work-related deaths, illnesses or injury.
This code seeks to ensure that all at Board level recognise and act on this responsibility.
This consultation document is available through HSE Books on 01787 881165 or ring the Hot Line on 08701 545500.
Eight years pain free with the Numdata keyboard.
Julie K Wallis works for the giant Boeing Corporation in Wichita, Kansas in the USA and reports that she is delighted to be still at her keyboard eight years after the initial onset of dreaded RSI pains. What is more the Maltron keyboard which has provided so many years of pain-free operation is not a standard model by any means. It is the first Numdata keyboard ever made which was manufactured by P C D Maltron in 1993 to her specific request. She had started to have fears about her future as a keyboard operator as she was spending much time on the repetitive task of simply keying in data. Not only did Maltron convert one of their usual fully-ergonomic keyboards to specific data entry tasks with the Numdata, but they also moved the position of the functions keys to make them easier to use.
Wallis says "In the years of using this keyboard, I have had a wonderful experience with it and would not trade it in for the world".
Originally, Boeing experienced a problem with booting up the PC and found that the new Maltron Numdata keyboard was not keeping up. This problem was solved when Maltron replaced a chip in the keyboard. Many people are surprised when they see the two concave sections of the Maltron keyboard but this did not happen with Julie Wallis as she had tested a range of keyboards and found the Maltron shape "the most practical and consistent"
She continues, "It only took a few days to become familiar with the keyboard and its functions. I have had no problem with pain since receiving the keyboard back in 1993. I did try using another well known "ergonomic" keyboard but did not find it as comfortable or useful, due to the special layout of the Maltron"
Apart from satisfied users of the Numdata special Maltron keyboard, the company reports that more than 700 people who had been diagnosed as suffering from RSI are now back at work simply due to using the fully-ergonomic Maltron keyboard.
PCD MALTRON 15 Orchard Lane, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 0BN Telephone/Fax 020 8398 3265 or ring 07004 MALTRON (625876) from anywhere. E Mail address: SALES@MALTRON.COM Website http://www.MALTRON.COM
This page is sponsored by Professional Health and Safety Consultants Ltd.63 65 Penge Road South Norwood London SE25 4EJ. Phone Internationally: +44 20 87787838 or UK London 020 8778 7838 for all your health and safety requirements.