Health & Safety North Conference and Exhibition at ‘Event City’ Manchester on 8-9 October 2019. (A Free to Attend Event)

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

This ‘Free to Attend’ event was established in 2007. Health & Safety North is a combined Safety Industry Exhibition and Conference with a number of seminars on various safety subject matter of interest to Safety Managers and Trade Union Health and Safety Representatives alike. The organisers, which include the British Safety Council, state that the event creates a space for the health and safety community to come together to explore current issues and propose answers for the future as well as look at the latest products and innovations available to the health and safety world. Registration is free now. Health & Safety North 2019 has a host of features aimed to provide the Health and Safety Community value from a visit to the show – all for FREE.

Registration provides access to two days of professional content seminars designed specifically for the health and safety practitioner in partnership with the British Safety Council. Speakers include industry leaders and key industry influencers as they discuss, debate and confront the biggest challenges facing the Health and Safety Industry in 2019.

Full Seminar Programme Now Available For Health & Safety North 2019

The full seminar programme for Health & Safety North 2019, supported by educational partner the British Safety Council, is confirmed and ready to view.

Some of the key sessions to look out for:

Lessons from the introduction of ISO 45001

The first organisations were certified to the new management systems standard in March 2018. Come and hear what you can learn from the gap analyses and systems audits to date and what your organisation needs to do to meet the standard’s new requirements. Also look at the criticism levelled by the HSE against non-statutory standards and “blue tape”.

Working at height and preventing falls

Work at height is one of the high-hazard activities that take place on most organisations’ premises. Even when contractors carry out the work, the liability for any accident may be shared by the client. This session will cover the simple steps you can take to check anyone working at height is competent and properly equipped for the job.

Respiratory Protection and face fitting guidance

Supplying respiratory protection equipment (RPE) without making sure it fits properly is a waste of money and can increase the risk of respiratory disorders. This session will bring together experts to advise you on how to ensure the best fit for all faces and make sure RPE serves its purpose.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Whatever sector they are in, most organisations find slips and trips are the most common cause of entries in their accident books. From coefficients of friction to behavioural modification, experts will discuss the causes of slips and trips and smart ways to reduce them.

All sessions featured in this seminar programme are CPD accredited.

Key Sessions include:

• ‘Building Wellbeing’ – Greg Davies
• ‘Health and Safety legislative update’ – Chris Green
• ‘Slips, Trips and Falls’ – The Science Behind

Take a look at who you can hear from and the topics available to develop your knowledge and insight in this sector. See the full Seminar Programme here.

Opening times:

Tuesday 8th October
09:00 – 16:00

Wednesday 9th October
09:00 – 15:30

Venue:

EventCity
Phoenix Way, off Barton Dock Road
Trafford City
Manchester
M41 7TB‎

The Health and Safety North Conference and Exhibition is co-located with Fire Safety North an independent event complete with free-to-attend CPD accredited content and major brand representation that will help fire and safety professionals achieve and maintain the very highest standards of fire safety management. Delegates can attend this event for free also. Register here for your free entry to Fire Safety North.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB554 Health & Safety North Conference and Exhibition at ‘Event City’ Manchester on 8-9 October 2019

Scottish Parliament Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Laws:

LTB 444/19 updated Branches on the Scottish Parliamentary Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Legislation in Scotland.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has been working extremely hard campaigning in Westminster, Scotland and Wales, pressing the Governments to review the Dog Control Laws and their enforcement, as despite the significant law changes achieved by the CWU Bite-Back Campaign, leading to more prosecutions, dog attacks on CWU members continue at an alarming rate with members receiving horrific injuries in some cases.

The Union has been successful in gaining the support of all political parties during our campaigning and as previously reported. Following extensive lobbying followed by both written and oral evidence given to the Scottish Public Inquiry, the Scottish Parliamentary Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee published a very strong, hard hitting report and recommendations welcomed by the Union in which the MSPs agreed with the CWU that the dog law has been ineffective.

The CWU wholeheartedly congratulates all members of the PAPLS Committee in their thorough investigation of the dangerous dogs and dog control problem and the key findings which cannot be ignored as follows:

1. There is an unacceptably high prevalence of dog attacks in Scotland and numbers have increased (and continue to increase).
2. Dog attacks levels are a ‘national crisis.’
3. Dog control legislation is weak and ineffective.
4. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 has had limited effect in preventing or reducing the number of dog attacks in Scotland.
5. The current dog control law is not fit for purpose and a comprehensive review of all dog control legislation must take place without delay.

Those points sum up in a nutshell, very powerfully the current situation and the task facing the Scottish Government.

The CWU has told the Scottish Government that the key changes required include:-

• Ending the “One Free Bite” Rule which is applied in Scotland (meaning that irresponsible dog owners are not prosecuted even if their dog attacks and badly injures someone but has no previous known history of attacks or aggression).
• The Legislation needs urgent consolidation, simplification and amendment to the Dangerous Dogs Act Section 10 in particular.
• Enforcement must be stepped up and properly resourced.
• The Courts require clear guidance on sentencing and must use the full range of penalties and ancillary orders.
• Destruction and Contingent Destruction Orders must be part of sentencing in aggravated offence cases.
• Automatic dog ownership bans for those convicted of aggravated dog control offences
• Mandatory third party liability insurance must be introduced to ensure all victims receive just, injury compensation underpinned by a ‘fund of last resort’ as in both motor accident injuries and asbestos diseases.
• Reinstatement of Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) awards to dog attack victims.
• A programme of public awareness and education including an element in schools.
• Correct and consistent use of Dog Control Notices (DCNs).
• Increased numbers of Police Specialist Dog Legislation Officers and Local Authority Dog/Animal Control Wardens.
• Minimum conditions added to all Dog Control Notices such as Third Party Liability Insurance, muzzle on lead in public, secure premises, owner and dog training.
• Enforcement of the ‘Control of Dogs Order 1992’ which requires a collar and ID tag to be worn by all dogs or a maximum £5,000 fine.
• The introduction of Dog Licences (such as in Northern Ireland) with funds raised ring-fenced for dog control enforcement – in Scotland with an estimated dog population of 800,000 this would raise £8m.

We currently await the Scottish Government’s response to the PAPLS Committee’s Report and the Scottish Parliament is due to debate the report and response on 1st October.

The Communication Workers Union has written to Ash Denham the Scottish Parliament Minister for Community Safety urging the Government to accept the Report and Recommendations in full and has also written to all MSPs of all parties asking for their support when the debate takes place and decisions are made.

Also three example cases with graphic photos of the members’ horrendous injuries have been sent to the Minister, Government and MSPs to drive home the importance of tackling this ‘national crisis’ of dog control.

See attached copy of letter to the Minister and images of the victims, CWU members John Browne Elgin Delivery Office, John Diggle Thornhill Delivery Office and Lynn Ferguson Tranent Delivery Office. The CWU thanks the three members for their support in allowing their cases and photographs to be used in furtherance of our campaign.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB553 Scottish Parliament Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Laws

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John Diggle Postman Thornhill DO Dog Attack 20.12.18 (Injury Photos)

Dispute Relating to the Royal Mail Group Proposal to Create Parcelforce Ltd a Separate Legal Trading Company within Royal Mail Group

Branches will be aware that the External Mediator, John Purcell received the CWU submission pack in relation to the above dispute involving Parcelforce early on Thursday morning, 19th September 2019.

We know that all Branches, Parcelforce Regional Organisers and Unit Representatives are well versed in the specific issues of both the Parcelforce and Royal Mail Group disputes. We are also aware that extensive effort is going in to arranging and holding gate meetings around the country to ensure that our members have a full understanding of the issues and why it is vital that they VOTE YES when they receive their ballot papers.

As you will be aware due to the legalities around the ballot arrangements our Parcelforce members will be receiving ballot papers for both the Parcelforce and RMG disputes.

It is therefore imperative that additional efforts are made at every opportunity to ensure that our Parcelforce members are aware that both of the ballot papers that they will receive hold equal status and they are encouraged to VOTE YES on each of the papers and return them both.

Attached is some further material that we would ask you to circulate that reiterates the Union’s specific demands in both disputes. The posters should be used for noticeboards and we would encourage every unit to ensure that these are displayed.

We hope that the attached will be of assistance to you when addressing your Parcelforce members and we would also request that the attached information is handed out at gate meetings and used for photo opportunities and social media.

We would like to place on record our thanks to everyone who has held what have been truly inspirational gate meetings and ask that you make every effort to keep up the good work and ensure that the excellent engagement that has been taking place with members continues at every opportunity.

The Royal Mail Group mediation has commenced today and the Parcelforce specific External Mediation is scheduled to commence on Thursday 26th September 2019 and we will report developments as they occur.

Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department or Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Pullinger – DGS(P) 

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary

Carl Maden – Assistant Secretary (Acting)

LTB 551-19 Dispute Relating to the Royal Mail Group Proposal to Create Parcelforce Ltd

Attachment 1 to LTB 551-19 – 06301 RM disputeSpecific-demandsPFW-UPDATE

Attachment 2 to LTB 551-19 – 06300 RM dispute Specific demands RM – A4