Dangerous Dog Laws 2017 – New DVD by UK Top Dangerous Dogs Lawyer Trevor Cooper ('Dog-Law' – Cooper & Co Solicitors)
To: All Branches 
Dear Colleagues,
Cooper & Co Solicitors (“Dog Law”) with the UK’s top Dangerous Dogs Law Lawyer Trevor Cooper have announced that a new Dangerous Dog Laws 2017 DVD is now available to buy.
Those wishing to purchase an up-to-date DVD explaining the principle dangerous dog laws as they apply in England and Wales, specialist ‘Dog-law’ Solicitor Trevor Cooper ("The Legal Beagle") has a new 2hr 10min presentation available which explains the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Dogs Act 1871 and the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.  
• The DVD costs £9.99 (including P&P)
• It is supplied with an electronic booklet
• Available exclusively from ‘Dog-Law’ (Cooper & Co Solicitors)
• The new DVD follows on from the successful series of seminars delivered by Trevor Cooper across the UK earlier this year. 
For further information, please feel free to call Cooper & Co Solicitors on 01304 755 557 or email: tracy@doglaw.co.uk
Or contact them:- Cooper & Co Solicitors
The Old Boiler House Menzies Road Whitfield Dover CT16 2HQ Telephone Number: 01304 755 557
Email: info@doglaw.co.uk 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download

LTB 427/17 Dangerous Dog Laws 2017 – New DVD by UK Top Dangerous Dogs Lawyer Trevor Cooper ('Dog-Law' – Cooper & Co Solicitors)

“Dangerous Dogs” for Professionals Seminar – Last Event at Bath Saturday 28 October 2017 – Cooper & Co Solicitors (“Dog Law”)
To: All Branches 
Dear Colleagues,
This LTB is issued further to LTB 596/16 in which we announced the 2017 series of seminars organised by Cooper & Co Solicitors (“Dog Law”) with the UK’s top Dangerous Dogs Law Lawyer Trevor Cooper of Cooper & Co Solicitors.
Following on from the successful series of seminars across the UK earlier this year, Trevor Cooper has been invited to Bath on Saturday 28th October 2017 to run his Professional Seminar one last time in 2017. To remind you, this is a half day seminar which is good value for money at only £75 per person (the price includes course materials, beverages and VAT). This time we will start at 13.00 for registration and finish at 17.00. Attached is the leaflet below for course contents and details of how to book, alternatively please feel free to call Coopper & Co Solicitors on 01304 755 557 or email: tracy@doglaw.co.uk
These popular seminars for professionals are half day talks concentrating on ‘dangerous dog’ offences and the legislation dealing with such attacks and prosecutions. These half day seminars are attended by Police Officers, Dog Wardens, Lawyers and others involved in dealing with Dog Control and Dog Law. The seminars are highly recommended to CWU Representatives wanting to learn more about the Law in this area following the changes achieved by the CWU ‘Bite-Back’ Campaign of course. These Seminars cover subject matter including:-
• The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014
• Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (which applies to any dog that is dangerously out of control), including the extension of the Act and defences.
• The operation of the new ‘Householder Case’ defence and when it may be applicable
• Increased prison sentences where a victim is injured or dies
• New offence if a dog attacks an assistance dog
• Addition of a ‘fit and proper person test’
• The ‘Robinson-Pierre’ ruling and consider its impact on cases.
• Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) (the law that deals with pit bull terrier type and other banned dogs)
• The Index of Exempted Dogs
• The ‘fit and proper person’ test
• The ‘Sandhu’ ruling and its impact on changing keepership of a registered dog
• The Dogs Act 1871 and does it have any future?
• The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 and how does it fit in with the new changes?
• Registration and coffee will be available with the seminar commencing at 1pm and due to finish around 5pm.
Programme timings are approximate. Content is subject to change.
Cost of attending these Seminars is £75.00 inclusive of VAT.
Dog Law offer their services to those interested in hosting their own daytime seminar. Trevor Cooper is in big demand but happy to consider requests to schedule seminars, subject to availability. Those interested can email tracy@doglaw.co.uk and they will send out information. Dog Law are also offering to take bookings for those wishing to host an evening or weekend seminar with Trevor Cooper. These evening or at a weekend seminars will last between 3 to 4 hours. For more information email info@doglaw.co.uk or contact them:- Cooper & Co Solicitors
The Old Boiler House
Menzies Road
Whitfield Dover
CT16 2HQ
Telephone Number: 01304 755 557.
Attachment: ‘Dog Law’ – Bath Seminar Leaflet & Application Form
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download

LTB 426/17 “Dangerous Dogs” for Professionals Seminar – Last Event at Bath Saturday 28 October 2017 – Cooper & Co Solicitors (“Dog Law”)

Update on Dangerous Dogs

CWU’s Work-Related Skin Cancer Drive Recognised by IOSH
To: All Branches 
Dear Colleagues, 
An international campaign to tackle work-related cancer has awarded the CWU’s National Health and Safety Department a special recognition award for its dedicated campaigning work on work-related skin cancer from sun exposure and solar radiation. Reproduced below is the article appearing on the CWU Website. 
The “No Time to Lose” – NTTL 200 event (organisations working together to beat occupational cancer) was organised by Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) to mark the campaign gaining 200 supporting organisations and to recognise and showcase the work of four outstanding supporting organisations and Campaigns with CWU being the only Union selected.
IOSH’s international “No Time To Lose Campaign”, which aims to raise awareness and tackle work-related, occupational cancer by helping organisations, businesses and unions to take action to prevent it, was launched 18 months ago and the Safety Organisation was hosting a special recognition awards presentation for leading organisations who have committed to preventing occupational cancer at a special presentation at the Crystal in London last month. 
Shelley Frost, IOSH Executive Director thanked the Communication Workers Union for its support for the ‘No Time To Lose’ campaign and congratulated National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce on behalf of the Union for the excellent work the Union has done both individually and especially in partnership with Royal Mail Group and IOSH on Sun Safety and tackling solar radiation exposure at work and skin cancer risks and raising awareness. IOSH urged all supporting organisations to look at what the CWU and Royal Mail had done and to continue to keep the ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign message alive to help prevent occupational cancer. A Joint Royal Mail/CWU film was showcased at the London Crystal event and can be viewed at the following link:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8-t50gNoKc.
At the NTTL Launch event at Royal Mail HQ back in 2014 Kate Field, IOSH Head of Information had said: “IOSH urges all businesses to develop ‘sun safety strategies’ that include regular updates on the UV index from weather forecasts, minimising sun exposure in the middle of the day and asking outdoor workers to cover-up, wear long-sleeved, loose-fitting tops and trousers in combination to using high-factor sunscreen as a barrier to the harmful UV solar radiation sun rays. The ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign will work with employers and unions to raise awareness of solar radiation exposure at work and encourage employers and unions to launch their own campaigns including factsheets, posters, pocket cards to engage the work force."
Through the ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign, the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) has been highlighting the four common risk factors associated with work–related cancer registrations and deaths –
• Sun/Solar radiation
• Diesel engine exhaust emissions,
• Silica,
• Shiftwork
Research estimates that cancer caused by work claims a staggering 700,000 lives a year worldwide– one death every 47 seconds. In Britain alone, it is estimated that around 8,000 people die annually from this dreadful disease.

IOSH launched the ‘No Time to Lose (NTTL)’ campaign in November 2014 to raise awareness of occupational cancers and help organisations, employers with trade unions to take action with IOSH providing free support, expertise, research, information and factual, practical resources and input.

Since being launched in London, in 2014, organisations from across industry and the globe have formally supported ‘No Time to Lose (NTTL)’ and highlighted the issue to their workers/members, contractors and clients. 100 of those have taken their support a stage further by pledging to manage harmful exposures at work, to the combined benefit of around million workers.

After receiving the IOSH Certificate, CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer Dave Joyce said “I’m delighted that IOSH have recognised the great health and safety work of our Union and the great value of the combined efforts jointly with Royal Mail.” Going on to talk about the campaign he added "Having identified the concern around the growing number of skin cancer cases in the UK, the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department set about running its “Sun Smart – Skin Safe” campaign back in 2004 and its always been a priority for us. With the launch of NTTL in 2014 by IOSH, Royal Mail Group’s new Director of Safety Shaun Davis agreed to a high profile joint campaign with us – Royal Mail Group, IOSH, CWU and Unite CMA also backing a huge campaign, injecting a high level of resources and effort into awareness raising for the first time, with communications, briefings and messages through the media of Websites, internal publications, Posters, screens and TV, so at last the messages were coming from all stakeholders and not just CWU alone. The task now is to keep it alive and get through to front line staff to take the risk seriously. Outdoor workers aren’t the easiest of groups to communicate with and we will continue to press the employers to reinforce the commitment and we still want more from them by way of free Sunscreen for postal workers, because as the campaign states there’s ‘The No Time to Lose’ "
IOSH Executive Director of Policy, Shelley Frost concluded “We must continue to express the importance of employers controlling employee exposure to cancer-causing agents and the vital need for employees being made aware of the risks posed by work-related cancer and controls needed to be put in place to prevent such exposures. Prevention is always better than cure. It’s through campaigns like this that we stand the best chance of preventing people from becoming seriously ill as a result of the work they do.
”Footnote – News
The NHS have this month launched a new “Cover Up, Mate” Sun Safety Campaign as skin cancer in men continues to rise: Outdoor Workers who spend long periods of time outside are being urged to protect themselves against the sun this summer amid a rise in the number of people being diagnosed with skin cancer. Workers are being targeted by NHS England South’s “Cover Up, Mate” campaign because of their prolonged exposure to the sun – and men are a particular focus because research indicates that they are much less likely than women to slap on the ‘Sunscreen’. NHS England South Medical Director, Nigel Acheson, said: “You can’t feel UV radiation, so it’s very easy to get sunburnt in the UK, even when it’s not particularly warm. But sunburn causes skin cancer so it’s important people take more care, especially men and those who work outside. They need to use Sunscreen with good level of UV-A protection and apply it generously on all exposed skin.”
*Attachment: Photo of Shelley Frost, Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) Executive Director presenting CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer Dave Joyce with the special recognition award certificate 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download

LTB 421/17 CWU’s Work-Related Skin Cancer Drive Recognised by IOSH

Photo

Royal Mail Group Personal Injury Compensation Scheme (PICS) 
Further to LTB 253/17 published on the 3rd May 2017 regarding the above. 
Branches will recall that this is a revised and re-named scheme from the former Royal Mail Personal Accident Benefit Scheme (PABS). I have now had a number of discussions and a final meeting with Royal Mail representatives and I enclose a copy of the new PICS Scheme.
Listed below are the significant changes that have been made to the Scheme which greatly reduce the benefits available to our members. Royal Mail’s attitude to the Scheme is best summarised in their introduction paragraph, which is as follows:
Subject always to the terms and conditions of the scheme, PICS are designed to compensate employees that suffer a significant permanent physical or psychiatric disability as a result of an accident at work. The scheme operates as a last resort and compensation will only be considered (subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme) when all other possible avenues of compensation have been exhausted and have been unsuccessful, including where applicable, issuing legal proceedings against a party liable for an accident. No compensation under PICS will be paid where an individual has been awarded compensation or damages for an accident from any other source.
The following is a list of changes to the Scheme:
 
Terms and conditions will apply to all new employee notifications received after the 1st April 2017.
No compensation will be paid where an individual has been awarded compensation or damages for an incident from any other source.
Payments will only be made if a minimum 14% assessment is obtained from the Department for Works and Pension (DWP).
Payment of £400.00 for every 1% permanent disability equal to or exceeding 14%. This applies also to provisional assessments equal to or exceeding 2 years.
No payments will be considered if the authorised sick absence linked to the accident was for less than 15 working days.
Employees must have a minimum of one year’s service at the time of the accident and still be an employee (and not under notice to terminate employment for any reason) at the time of any payment under the PICS.
Where the employee leaves the business after the provisional assessment payment has been made no further claim can be made and no life assessment payment will fall due.
No payment for death.
No payment for any injury that aggravates or exacerbates a pre-existing condition or injury, unless the industrial injury assessment issued by the DWP highlights a percentage off-set (the offset is the difference between the percentage disability relating to the pre-existing condition and the percentage disability relating to the new injury).
It is clear from the changes listed above that Royal Mail’s intentions are to totally devalue the scheme and I view their actions solely as a cost cutting exercise. Their position during our discussions set against the fact that the scheme is a non contractual discretionary employee only compensation scheme provided by Royal Mail Group and they reserve the right to withdraw or vary the terms of the scheme or cancel the scheme in its entirety in its sole and absolute discretion at any time.
Claims notified prior to the 1st April 2017
Royal Mail’s original position was that all claims that were notified prior to the 1st April 2017 would only be covered by the original terms of the scheme providing the member also received a DWP assessment and this had been received by Royal Mail prior to the 1st April 2017. In essence this meant that claims that are lodged prior to the 1st April 2017 but the member was not yet in possession of a DWP assessment these claims would be subject to the new terms and conditions.
I was able to persuade Royal Mail to take a different view and as such all claims that were notified prior to the 1st April 2017, with or without a DWP assessment, will be covered by the terms and conditions of the Personal Accident Benefit Scheme.
I notified branches in the earlier LTB that until the situation had been clarified all claims would be put on hold. These will now be processed and the appropriate terms and conditions will apply to each claims.
If you should have any queries regarding the above, please contact Tony Rupa, Head of Legal Services, Communication Workers Union, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1RX. Telephone 0208 971 7444 or via email trupa@cwu.org 
 
Yours sincerely
 
Tony Rupa
Head of Legal Services
Email Attachments – Click to download

The Royal Mail Group Personal Injury Compensation Scheme

National Blood Week Campaign – The Need For More New Blood Donors – Letter Of Thanks From NHS Blood & Transplant Service:
To: All Branches
 
Dear Colleagues, 
Why give blood?
Giving blood saves lives. The blood you give is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments. Many people would not be alive today if donors had not generously given their blood.
The UK Blood Service Appeal For Donors: 
The UK Blood Services need over 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients in need which is why there’s always a need for people to give blood. Each year 200,000 new donors are needed, as some donors can no longer give blood.
Most people between the ages of 17-65 are able to give blood. 
Around half the current donors are over 45. That's why the blood donor service needs more young people (over the age of 17) to start giving blood, so the service can make sure they have enough blood in the future. Why not contact the Blood Service and then book an appointment.
Blood groups and types needed now 
The UK Blood Service desperately needs more donors from all blood groups and types. They particularly need more people from black and Asian minority ethnic communities to give blood so that they have a supply of certain blood types.
They aim to find 40,000 black donors to provide much needed blood donations for black patients with sickle cell disease. They need life-saving blood from black donors, which provides the closest match to their own.
Register as a blood donor and book an appointment to give blood and help someone in need today.
About blood 
Blood has many different parts or components including red blood cells, plasma and platelets.
It is also classified into different blood groups and blood types.
Giving blood in the UK 
• UK/England Blood Service Website: https://www.blood.co.uk/why-give-blood/ Tel: 0300 123 23 23
• Welsh Blood Service: https://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/  Tel: 0800 25 22 66
• Scottish Blood Service: https://www.scotblood.co.uk/ Tel:  0345 90 90 999
• Northern Ireland Blood Service: http://www.nibts.org/contacts.html  Tel: 08085 534 669
•  
Thanks for your support. See attached Letter of Thanks from Ian Trenholm Chief Executive NHS Blood and Transplant. 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
 
 
Email Attachments – Click to download

National Blood Week

CWU Four Pillars of Security Campaign – Bulletin No. 8
Further to LTB 403/17, attached is Bulletin No 8 concerning the Four Pillars of Security campaign.
The attached Bulletin has also been shared with Divisional, Regional and Area Representatives – as will all future Bulletins.
As previously advised, it is imperative that every Branch ensures that each Bulletin is forwarded to Unit/Local/Shift Representatives via email and if necessary by physical means without delay.
The co-operation and assistance of all Branches in this regard is greatly appreciated.
Any enquiries in relation to the content of this LTB should be addressed to the DGS(P) Department.
Yours sincerely
Terry Pullinger
Deputy General Secretary (Postal)