Category Archives: 2016

USA: Infographics from the National COSH report Preventable Deaths 2016

Preventable Deaths 2016 Infographics

The infographics below are from the National COSH report Preventable Deaths 2016, released on April 27, 2016 for Workers’ Memorial Week.

We encourage you to make use of any of these infographics at your website, on social media, or in your publications. The thumbnails below link to full-sized versions of the images, which you may save to your computer or device.

   
   
   
   

Gibraltar: Health and safety policy introduced on Workers’ Memorial Day

Ukraine: Video produced by young Ukrainian workers calls for the ratification of ILO construction convention

Young Ukrainian workers from Kharkiv made a video calling for the ratification of ILO C 167. Starting from 2014, Construction and Building Materials Industry Workers Union of Ukraine, PROFBUD, has been working on the ratification campaign of the ILO Safety and Health in Construction Convention 167.

View it here

France: Management et Santé au travail le 28 avril à Aix en Provence

L’union régionale organise la journée Santé au Travail le 28 avril prochain sur le thème Management et Santé au travail.

Elle se tiendra à l’Aljea (FCJT) à Aix-en-Provence de 09h00 à 17h00.

L’ordre du jour complet ci-dessous.

 SanteTravail2016 11.27.06

https://www.cfdt.fr/portail/theme/conditions-de-travail/management-et-sante-au-travail-le-28-avril-a-aix-en-provence-srv1_343501

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Union shop stewards discuss prevention of hazards in wood and forestry

Marking the 28th of April, the youth and women section of the Independent Trade Union of Forestry, Wood and Paper of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SSSPDPBIH, participated in the thematic round table on “Prevention of hazards and health and safety at work”. The event was held on 27 April 2016 at the Trade Union House in Sarajevo. more

Philippines: Asbestos kills workers, communities

#Asbestos kills workers and communities. Message from ALU, #Philippines on #WorkersMemorialDay #banasbestos #IWMD16 pic.twitter.com/AWzjFBSuK0

Fiji: Civil servants, private sector and unions mark world 28 April

Government officials and representatives of the private sector at a OHS workshop in Lautoka.  Fiji Times

CIVIL servants and members of the private sector gathered in Lautoka today to mark World Day for Safety and Health.

The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Workplace Stress: A collective challenge’.

Chief guest, Fiji Trades Union Congress assistant national secretary Rouhit Singh said the impact of work-related stress and the subject could not be dealt in isolation and needed genuine commitment from Government, employers and workers.

“ILO has pointed out that every year some two million men and women lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work,” he said.

“In addition, there are 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year, incurring US$2.8 trillion in costs for lost working time and expenses for treatment, compensation and rehabilitation.”

 

Ireland: “Vital we commit ourselves to making a safer workplace for all workers”

#IWMD16 – Workers Memorial Day – Thursday 28th April 2016

The Government, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Congress), the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), Ibec and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) collectively marked Workers Memorial Day Ireland the annual commemorative event this morning (Thursday 28th April), to remember people killed, injured and bereaved through workplace accidents.

The Irish memorial ceremony took place at the Royal Hibernian Academy this morning. The Government was represented by newly elected senator Gerald Nash, the acting Minister for Business and Employment. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions was represented by general secretary Patricia King, IMPACT was represented by general secretary Shay Cody and deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan.

Mr Callinan commented, “It’s vital that in commemorating those who have died or who’ve been injured in the workplace we commit ourselves to making a safer workplace for all workers. This is a central value to the trade union movement. As employment is once again growing in Ireland, we need to ensure that our collective vigilance, safety standards and appropriate resources are committed to making sure every worker operates in a safe environment.”

International

The memorial event is one of many taking place worldwide to mark International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers. Trade unions in more than 70 countries are marking the International Commemoration Day with a demand for ‘Strong laws, Strong enforcement and Strong unions’ as the only way to stop the carnage at work.

Congress general secretary Patricia King speaking at the Workers Memorial Day event at the Royal Hibernian Gallery (RHA)

In the 10 year period between 2006 and 2015, 526 people were killed in work related accidents in Ireland and many thousands more badly injured. On average, more than one person a week died in work related accidents in Ireland in 2015, 56 deaths in total, with many more injured. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has said that globally, one worker dies every 15 seconds due to employer negligence

Employers were represented at this morning’s event by the Construction Industry Federation and Ibec. The Health and Safety Authority was represented by assistant chief executive Brian Higgisson. The senior executives of each organisation jointly signed a letter promoting the commemorative day along with key safety, health and accident prevention messages.

‘Failure to act’

As ceremonies around the world take place on the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers, the ITUC has warned negligent employers of the consequences of putting workers’ lives at risk.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said: “Over two million workers die needlessly every year because their workplaces are dusty, dirty and dangerous.  The risks are as obvious as they are preventable, whether they are falls from height, crippling workloads or chemical exposure.  Every single death represents an employer’s failure to act.”

Related:

There are over 2.3 million work-related deaths worldwide every year, over 6,000 every day or one every 15 seconds.

An estimated 660,000 workers die each year from occupational cancers, or over one every minute.

Academic studies have established a substantial union safety effect.

http://www.impact.ie/workers-memorial-day-thursday-28th-april-2016/

Turkey: Together we can stop labour murder

Families Workers Justice Seekers walk out for 28 April Workers Memorial Day in İstanbul.

Together We Can Stop Labour Murders

Remember The Dead, Fight Like Hell For The Living

Facebook • Report (Turkish)

Germany: IG BAU warnt vor hohem Unfallrisiko durch Stress im Job

Die Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU) gedenkt anlässlich des heutigen (für die Red.: 28. April 2016) internationalen Workers Memorial Days der Beschäftigten, die bei ihrer Arbeit verstorben sind, verletzt wurden oder schwer erkrankten. Beschäftigte in der Bau- und Landwirtschaft sind besonders hohen Risiken ausgesetzt.

Unter der Überschrift „Sabbat heute – Loskommen vom Dauerstress“ veranstaltet die IG BAU zusammen mit der Gemeinde der „Berliner Gedächtniskirche“ einen zentralen, ökumenischen Gedenkgottesdienst. „Arbeit darf nicht krank machen. Erst recht darf sie nicht dazu führen, dass Menschen sterben“, sagte der Stellvertretende IG BAU-Bundesvorsitzende Dietmar Schäfers. „Jeder erkrankte, verletzte oder verstorbene Kollege ist einer zu viel! Täglich ereignen sich hierzulande Tausende Arbeitsunfälle, drei bis vier Menschen sterben in der Folge. Zudem ist die Zahl der beruflich verursachten Erkrankungen enorm. Leider sind die Ursachen nicht immer sofort erkennbar. Einer der heimlichen Killer ist Stress, den wir deshalb  zum Thema des diesjährigen Gedenkens gemacht haben. Zeitdruck, zu wenige Kollegen, Überforderung und Angst um den Job belasten nicht nur die Seele der Menschen, sie führen oft genug zu Erschöpfung. In der Folge schwindet die Konzentration und das Unfallrisiko steigt. Bitter ist, dass viele Risiken auf Kosteneinsparungen zurückzuführen sind. Es reicht daher nicht, sich allein auf den Gesetzgeber zu verlassen. Die Beschäftigten müssen für ihre eigene Sicherheit und Gesundheit einstehen und jeder Einzelne ist gefordert, immer wieder auf Missstände im Betrieb hinzuweisen und den Chef aufzufordern, Abhilfe zu schaffen. Überarbeitung, Zeitdruck, fehlende oder falsche Ein- und Unterweisung, unzureichende Schutzausrüstung, haltungsschädigende Arbeitsbereiche oder Arbeitsmittel, fehlende oder mangelhafte Sicherheitsvorkehrungen bis hin zu gefahrbringenden Arbeitsanweisungen haben im Job nichts zu suchen – sind aber keine Seltenheit“.

Nach den aktuellsten Zahlen aus 2014 der Deutschen gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (DGUV) gab es in dem Jahr 473 tödliche Arbeitsunfälle. Das waren 18 mehr als im 2013.

Die traurigen Top 5 der Berufskrankheiten sind (2014):

  1. Lärmschwerhörigkeit                                            (6649 Fälle)
  2. Asbestose – Lungenerkrankung durch Asbest       (1967 Fälle)
  3. Mesotheliom – Tumorerkrankung durch Asbest          (1048 Fälle)
  4. Lungen/Kehlkopfkrebs durch Asbest                            (844 Fälle)
  5. Infektionskrankheiten                                                       (814 Fälle)