CWU’s Steve Keeley Wins the Royal Mail Group Safety, Health &Wellbeing Chairman’s Award 2018

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Steve Keeley, the CWU’s Health and Safety Representative at Royal Mail’s Customer Experience Call Centre at Doxford, Sunderland has won the Royal Mail Group, Safety, Health & Wellbeing Chairman’s Award. The award recognises Steve’s contribution as a Union Safety Rep in looking out for people and in promoting high standards of health & safety in the workplace, both as an individual, and as part of the joint health and safety team at the Doxford unit, striving to make working environments safer.

Steve is a member of the Newcastle Amal Branch, and his CWU health and safety representative role was a prominent feature of his nomination CV. Steve has worked for Royal Mail for 20 years and has been a CWU Rep for 12 years. Steve is the first CWU Health and Safety Rep to win this award and the recognition of his outstanding work is a great credit to him and is to be welcomed within the Union.

After being shortlisted, Steve’s nomination came through the rigorous scrutiny of a high level Royal Mail Panel of people from across Royal Mail Group before going before the Royal Mail Chairman for final ratification. The presentation took place at the Plaza Hotel on the Albert Embankment in Central London last Thursday.

The work undertaken by Steve represents the best aspects of undertaking a CWU Safety Rep’s role in Royal Mail. Through Safety Reps like Steve the CWU will work to ensure that our members are able to leave work every day as healthy as when they arrived. There can be no better cause for Trade Unions than saving lives and preventing injury and ill health at work through our network of trained and experienced Health and Safety Reps.

I am delighted that a CWU Health and Safety Representative has won the Royal Mail Group’s Safety, Health & Wellbeing Chairman’s Award. He clearly works hard on behalf of his members and has won the respect of members and management alike for his knowledge, dedication and positive input. I’m pleased to add my personal congratulations as well as to thank Steve for the work he does as a Health and Safety Rep on behalf of CWU members in Doxford.

Steve joins a list of CWU Safety Reps who have won major National and Regional Awards for their work, making the CWU one of the best in the Trade Union movement. This award is great news for the Union, demonstrating the quality and professionalism of our Safety Reps and the strength of our safety organisation within the CWU. The CWU has worked tirelessly to lift the profile of health and safety and broaden our horizons, now being widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading Trade Union stakeholders and opinion formers on health and safety as a progressive, campaigning Union. The CWU’s Health and Safety Representatives deserve the full credit for their hard work and dedication that makes workplaces where CWU members work, healthier and safer places to be dealing with the many dangers and difficulties they have to tackle. The CWU will never rest on the issue of health and safety.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB601 CWU’s Steve Keeley Wins the Royal Mail Group Safety, Health & Wellbeing Chairman’s Award 2018

Health & Safety At Work Magazine – Celebrating Health and Safety Talent – “HSW 40 Under 40 Campaign”

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

The Health, Safety & Environment Department has been approached by Health and Safety At Work Magazine with an invitation to nominate young CWU Health and Safety Reps for recognition under their ’40 Under 40 Campaign’.

To mark their first four decades and look ahead to the future, ‘Health and Safety at Work’ magazine is celebrating health and safety talent with a search for 40 outstanding health and safety practitioners under the age of 40.

They are looking for the rising generation of health and safety professionals or representatives who best represent the future of health and safety; forward-thinking, imaginative and confident about embracing new ideas.

Applications and nominations will be judged by an expert panel, and are sought from anyone in any safety or occupational health related role, including enforcement, teaching, consultancy, legal practice or trade union activity. Practitioners can also be in any business sector, from manufacturing and construction to retailing or insurance.

The ‘40 under 40’ nominees could be demonstrating best practice in:

• driving up health and safety standards and performance;
• workplace innovation; 
• communicating health and safety; 
• teaching or training or representing; 
• working with new technology and IT; 
• safety regulation or enforcement; 
• legal practice; 
• occupational health; 
• managing mental health, stress and psychosocial hazards; or
• research and academic practice etc. 

Together, the selected candidates will demonstrate the current diversity in health and safety practice, and will be featured in a special edition of the magazine. The magazine will also promote the winning candidates’ stories online and on social media, creating a talking point for the sector and wider awareness.

The magazine’s partners for the ‘40 under 40’ celebration are IIRSM and NEBOSH, which also believe in investing in emerging talent.

NEBOSH stated that they have seen an increasing number of young people taking NEBOSH qualifications which is a positive trend and a great career option – these people really can make a difference to the workplace by helping to save lives, prevent ill health and protect the environment.

This is all about celebrating the younger generation’s achievements. The winners will demonstrate the highest standards and will inspire others to deliver excellence and best practice.

IIRSM is to be part of the judging panel, to recognise the achievements and celebrate those under 40 who have demonstrated innovation, influence, creativity and leadership in health and safety.

“It is vital that barriers across organisations are removed to educate all on the importance of prioritising health and safety risks alongside other key business risks.”

Entries or nominations are invited from individuals at any stage of their career aged under 40 on 31 December 2018. These should be accompanied by a 500 word summary of their career in health and safety so far, as well as outline plans for the future, and contact details for an individual who can provide further information.

Candidates will first be assessed on the contributions they’ve already made and their potential to achieve in the future, then a panel of expert judges will make a final decision at an event on 8 November. Good luck!

Entries can be made by post or online.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 2 November 2018.

Paper Postal Entry Form to print off is here:

https://www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/files/file_uploads/073_hsw_1018_40under40_0.pdf

On Line Entry Form is here:

https://www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/40-under-40/apply

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB599 Health & Safety At Work Magazine – Celebrating Health and Safety Talent – HSW 40 Under 40 Campaign

Canada Completes Long Road To Asbestos Ban:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

‎As Branches will be aware the CWU has supported the huge, long running, international campaign movement to firstly halt Asbestos mining in Canada, secondly to resist the re-opening of Asbestos mines and finally support the fight for a national ban on its use in Canada.

I’m pleased to be able to report the news that the use of Asbestos and Asbestos containing products will be banned in Canada as of 30 December, 2018 under regulations passed last week by the Canadian Government.

Canada will now join over 55 countries that have banned the use of Asbestos.

The regulations, supported very widely in Canada, are an essential step to stop Asbestos exposure and protect the health of workers and the public.

Our Union will join those commending the Canadian Government for taking this critically important step to radically reduce future exposure of Canadians, especially workers,‎ to the harms of Asbestos. The ban marks a necessary shift in Canada’s history with Asbestos use, mining, manufacture, import and export.

The new regulations prohibit the import, use, sale, manufacture and export of Asbestos and products containing Asbestos, and outline a permit and reporting regime for a small range of allowable uses.

Stockpiling of Asbestos containing products made before the ban comes into force is also prohibited.

The regulations will result in substantial changes in Asbestos use in key industry sectors such as construction and automotive industries, however, narrow exclusions remain for Asbestos use including for a chlor-alkali plant until 2029, military equipment and nuclear facilities and reuse of mining residues and road materials.

The number of new cancer cases due to Asbestos exposure had continued to rise in recent years.

Campaign organisations and Canadian Trade Unions now want to see actions dealing with Asbestos legacy issues such as Asbestos contaminated workplaces, with strong enforcement, and there were calls for the creation of building an Asbestos Registry and Medical Asbestos Case Registry as the nation moves towards keeping all Canadians safe from future exposure to Asbestos.

Organisations issuing statements congratulating the Government included; “The Canadian Occupational Cancer Research Centre”, ‎”Asbestos Free Canada”, ‎”The Victims of Chemical Valley”, “The Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation”, “The United Food and Commercial Workers Union”, “The Canadian Building Trades Unions (CBTU)”, “The Canadian Association for University Teachers”‎, “The BC Federation of Labour”‎.

The Canadian Unions now want compensation for the many victims, the legacy of Asbestos-contaminated workplaces addressed, strong enforcement measures, a continued commitment and resources by the Federal Government and joint worker-employer prevention strategies developing a national strategy focused on the remaining Asbestos problems.

In the UK, Blue and Brown Asbestos were banned in 1985 and White Asbestos was banned in1999.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB598 Canada Completes Long Road To Asbestos Ban

Royal Mail Group – ‘Stamp Out Aches and Pains’ Campaign – Musculoskeletal Leaflet

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction:

As part of the Royal Mail “Stamp Out Aches and Pains Campaign” that has been subject to discussion at the Royal Mail Group Joint Health Governance Board, Dr. Corinne Parsons Royal Mail Group Occupational Health & Ergonomics Manager, has produced the attached leaflet which will be going out with the October Royal Mail Courier and in the next Parcelforce News (November edition) and the PFS magazine “In Touch” (December edition).” It is based on recognised good practice guidance and includes tips from the survey that we carried out with 1400 Royal Mail Group staff and managers about managing their musculoskeletal problems.

What are Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)?

The new leaflet explains that Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are problems causing aches and pains in the muscles and joints such as arthritis, slipped discs, repetitive strain injury and a wide range of other conditions. Problems may develop over a long period of time or be the result of an injury. Musculoskeletal problems affect people both at work and in their home life, reducing their participation in leisure activities, daily tasks, and disturbing sleep. Reduced physical activity can then impact on mental health as people miss out on social life and connections with people leading to feelings of loneliness. When someone experiences a MSD problem it may be related to the way they are working, lifestyle choices or things that they do at home. Many things can be done to reduce or prevent MSDs if people make healthy lifestyle choices, work safely at all times and collectively work together to identify ways to make improvements at work.

MSD Risk Factors and Causes of Aches and Pains, Sprains and Strains

Aches and pains, sprains and strains can happen suddenly or develop over the course of days, weeks or months. When a worker is exposed to causative risk factors, they are more likely to develop a sprain or strain. Musculoskeletal risk factors in the workplace are:-

• Excessive force: Tasks requiring high force, increases fatigue which can lead to MSD.
• Excessive repetition: Tasks and cycles or a highly repetitive in nature, when combined with other risks factors such high force and/or awkward postures, can contribute to MSD.
• Awkward posture: Awkward postures place excessive force on joints and overloads the muscles and tendons around those joints increasing MSD risks.
• Slip, trip and fall hazards: STF’s increase risk of a sudden/acute soft tissue MSD injury.
• Poor work practices: Such as poor pushing, pulling, over-stretching and lifting techniques creates unnecessary stress on the body, increases fatigue and decreases the body’s ability to properly recover, contributing to MSDs. Always follow Safe Systems of Work. 
• Poor rest and recovery: MSDs develop when fatigue outruns the worker’s recovery system, causing a musculoskeletal imbalance. Workers who do not get adequate rest and recovery are at higher risk. 
• Poor nutrition, fitness and hydration: An alarming number of people are malnourished, dehydrated and at a poor level of physical fitness. Workers who do not take care of their bodies are putting themselves at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal and chronic health problems.
• Poor overall health habits: Workers who smoke, drink excessively, are obese, or exhibit numerous other poor health habits are putting themselves at risk for not only musculoskeletal disorders, but also for other chronic diseases that will shorten their life and health span.
• Recognising early signs and symptoms: Many MSDs develop over the course of time. At the first signs of excessive fatigue/discomfort, workers need to recognise the early signs and symptoms and take appropriate preventative action. Ignoring early warning signs means it’s only a matter of time until these signs and symptoms develop into a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) injury.

REMEMBER: Prevention is better than cure!

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB596 RMG Stamp Out Aches and Pains Campaign – Musculoskeletal Leaflet

MSD_leaflet_v10

CWU DEATH BENEFIT

In accordance with the terms expressed in CWU Rule 4.1.11 Branches are advised that from the 1^st October 2018 the CWU Death Benefit payment will be increased to £814.

This information will also be published in the Voice.

Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

18LTB595

Celebrating Black History Month (BHM)

The Equal Opportunities Department has been promoting Black History Month in the UK for a number of years, celebrating and remembering the history and contributions of Black communities and black individuals, past and present.

The CWU will be supporting Wear Red Day organised by Show Racism the Red Card on Friday, 19^th October and we encourage all our Branches and Regions to consider organising a Black History initiative in order that our members can be better informed around the significant contribution of black people in history.

We are in possession of a number of interesting black history pull-ups, which feature various characters both from the past and present. These pull-ups, which are part of a wider exhibition, have been used and celebrated by organisations such as the Labour Party and other trade unions.

Use of the pull-ups is completely free but carriage costs would be met by anyone agreeing to use them. We also ask that any Branch or Region who uses the pull-ups considers making a donation to the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT).

We are confident that all CWU members irrespective of their colour, creed etc. will find a black history initiative of great interest. Black History should not just be celebrated for a month – our view is that it is important throughout the year.

Here is a link to a poster celebrating Black History month. Please put up in your workplace to raise awareness and celebrate significant achievements.

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/BHM2018-A3.pdf

Any enquiries on the content of this LTB should be addressed todnoel@cwu.org in the Equal Opportunities Department.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward  

General Secretary  

592LTB – Celebrating Black History Month 2018  

House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Parliamentary Select Committee – Report on ‘Controlling Dangerous Dogs’ and Recommendations to the UK Government

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

LTB 366/18 informed Branches that on 11 May 2018, the House of Commons, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Parliamentary Select Committee had launched an inquiry into the legislation on dangerous dogs. LTBs 405/18 and 409/18 reported on the CWU written submissions made to the inquiry plus the televised oral evidence given to the inquiry at the House of Commons on 27 June 2018 by the National Health, Safety & Environment Officer.

LTB 572/18 reported to Branches on the separate Scottish Government, Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee Review of Dangerous Dogs and Dog Control Law, including the CWU Written Submission.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was introduced to protect the public from dangerous dog attacks. In 2014, the Act was extended to include attacks on private property and also brought in tougher penalties and new extended Police dog seizure powers along with Community Protection Notices, amongst other improvements, following the CWU’s successful 7-year ‘Bite Back’ Campaign.

Despite the positive changes to the Dangerous Dog Laws, there has been substantial debate about the effectiveness of this dog control legislation with a number of criticisms and concerns raised by the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department particularly around inconsistencies with enforcement of the law by the Police and Local Authorities as well as interpretation of the law by Police forces, Crown Prosecution Services and the courts and finally, inconsistent and lenient court sentences despite two sets of guidance from the Sentencing Council.

3000 postal workers are attacked by dogs at work annually. Forty people (members of the public, adults and children) have been killed in dog attacks or died as a result of an attack since 2005. The number of yearly hospital admissions due to dog attacks has also risen by over 80% in the last decade, indicating the continuation of a very serious situation in the UK.

The Government is responsible for protecting the public, including Postal and Telecom workers from dangerous animals, so it is essential that laws evolve, are fit for purpose and work.

The House of Commons EFRA Select Committee of MPs have been investigating whether the Government’s current approach is having the desired effect or not, and whether any changes to the law are needed to ensure that the public and workers are properly protected and additionally that animal welfare concerns are properly addressed.

The Inquiry Terms of Reference are to address the following questions:

• How effective is the Government’s current approach to protecting the public from dangerous dog attacks?
• What changes, if any, should be made to the current approach and legislation?
• How can Local Authorities and Police forces be best supported in reducing the number of dangerous dog-related incidents?
• What lessons could the UK learn from other countries dealing with similar issues?

The EFRA Select Committee’s Report entitled “Controlling Dangerous Dogs” which includes a number of positive recommendations to the UK Government has been officially published and released today (copy attached) and the report contents and recommendations will be very much welcomed across the Union.

Also attached is a CWU Press Release welcoming the report and commending the EFRA Select Committee. The CWU is now calling on the UK Government to implement the recommendations in full. CWU Regions, Branches and Representatives are welcome to forward the Press Release to local and regional press and media in order to spread the important message.

We will be pressing the Government to stop ducking the issue and living in denial of the facts that confront society in the UK with dangerous dogs, which is a problem spiraling out of control.

The Government should now accept the EFRA Select Committee’s recommendations in full and get to work without delay in putting the report into action and into law.

The Select Committee has concluded that the Government’s current approach to dog control is failing to protect people! It’s certainly failing to protect postal workers with 3000 attacked by dogs every year.

With 23,000 Police officers cut from the UK’s forces since 2009 and Local Authority cuts leading to the disappearance of Dog Wardens, it’s not surprising that dog control has slipped down the priority list which is a point made by the CWU and reflected as a concern in the Report. In this respect the Select Committee recommends that there needs to be increased support for Local Authorities and Police forces to ensure they have the capacity to fulfil their duties.

Hospital admissions for dog attacks have increased by 81 percent since 2005 and is costing the taxpayer £millions and £millions on top of the personal tragedies, pain and suffering. Yet the Government stands by whilst those responsible, the irresponsible dog owners walk away without paying a penny!

There are an unacceptably high number of postal workers who are victims as well as children and members of the public, who suffer horrific life-changing injuries in these incidents as well as psychological distress and the Government needs to wake up to the facts and act now. This can’t go on.

The issue of Breed Specific Legislation is a diversion away from the real problem of irresponsible owners. Postal Workers get attacked by every breed and sundry and banning certain breeds has achieved nothing. Any breed can be aggressive if it’s basic needs, care, welfare, wellbeing, training and socialisation is ignored. The problem is on the other end of the lead and many of these people should never be dog owners. The Government needs to focus on dealing with that ‘bad owner’ problem.

Section 10 of the Dangerous Dogs Act which is causing confusion in the courts must be addressed and the 20 pieces of various Dog Laws currently on the statue books need to be reviewed and consolidated into an easily understood law in line with CWU Conference Policy. As the Select Committee concluded – the present approach to dog control is plagued with deep structural problems.

The Government needs to endorse the Select Committee’s key recommendation to ‘commission a comprehensive review of existing dog control legislation and policy’, with a view to focus on prevention, early intervention, and consistently robust sanctions for offenders’ – that’s essential.

The CWU wants to see effective preventative measures introduced, one of which is ‘Dog Control Notices’ which can be served on dog owners imposing legally enforceable requirements to train and control their animals and so avoid attacks, with legal sanctions for non-compliance.

The CWU also wants to see consistency from the courts with a full range of penalties, sentences and ancillary orders fully utilised which we don’t see presently. Prison sentences and unlimited fines are available for aggravated offences but these are rarely used. Courts have been reminded that they must consider compensation in all cases where personal injury occurs but this doesn’t always happen either.

Dog ownership disqualification is another order which is under-used by courts and despite the Sentencing Guidelines requiring the court to make a destruction order where the dog is a danger to public safety this rarely happens and a contingent destruction order is instead handed down which is breached in many cases.

The CWU also supports the recommendations on mandatory training and education courses for minor dog offences, similar to speed awareness courses for drivers as well as wider dog awareness training for schoolchildren, and running targeted awareness campaigns for dog owners and the general public on safe human-dog interaction.

The EFRA Parliamentary Select Committee Members are:- Neil Parish (Chair) (Conservative), Alan Brown (Scottish National Party), Paul Flynn (Labour), John Grogan (Labour), Dr Caroline Johnson (Conservative), Sandy Martin (Labour), Kerry McCarthy (Labour), Sheryll Murray (Conservative), David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party), Angela Smith (Labour), and Julian Sturdy (Conservative).

A further report will be made following the Government’s response to the Report.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB590 House of Commons EFRA Select Committee Report on Controlling Dangerous Dogs

Dangerous Dogs Press Release

HC 1040 – Controlling dangerous dogs-Embargo (002)