| This years European
Week for Safety & Health which begins in October is targeting
the use and control of dangerous substances in the workplace.
The 3rd European Survey on Working Conditions 2000 found that
16% of workers in Europe reported handling hazardous products
and 22% were exposed to toxic vapours. Dangerous substances
are to be found in practically every workplace across the
UK and can make employees ill if inhaled or they come into
contact with skin. The effects of exposure to dangerous substances
can range from mild eye irritation to fertility problems to
cancer.
In general dangerous substances can be categorised into 4
groups:
-- Natural substances i.e. bacteria or blood.
-- Dusts and fumes which can arise from work activities i.e.soldering.
-- Proprietary products used in work activities i.e. glueing,
painting.
-- Chemicals used in manufacturing and processing.
This year in the UK the focus is on asthma, asbestos, skin
diseases.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that each year:
-- Up to 6,000 people die from cancer as a result of occupational
causes. This figure incudes 3,000 deaths per year due to past
exposure to asbestos.
-- Up to 7,000 new cases of asthma are occupationally caused
or have work as significant contributing factor.
-- 66,000 people are suffering from new or existing skin
disease caused by work, two thirds of which have dermatitis
or eczema
FOCUS ON ASTHMA
Each year there are an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 new cases
of occupational asthma with most cases occurring due to exposure
to one of the following:
- Isocyanates
- Glutaraldehyde
- Latex
- Laboratory Animals
- Flour and grain
- Wood Dust
- Solder/colophony
- Glues and resins
Tightness of the chest, wheezing and breathlessness due to
inflamed airways are the main symptoms of asthma but may also
include sneezing, runny nose and itchy/inflamed eyes. Symptoms
can occur in two ways, either immediately when exposed to
a substance or several hours after exposure. If symptoms tend
to improve when away from work i.e. weekends and get worse
when back in the workplace then it is most likely to be occupational
asthma. It is important that systems are put in place to detect
symptoms in employees at an early stage. The HSC has set itself
a target to reduce occupational asthma by 30% by 2010.
FOCUS ON SKIN DISEASES
As stated above, up to 66,000 employees suffer from skin
diseases which are either caused or made worse by their work
and an estimated two thirds of these have dermatitis or eczema.
Annually this results in up to 132,000 lost working days at
a cost of £20 million to employers. Occupational dermatitis
is caused when skin comes into contact with substances at
work. Symptoms can include blistering, redness, scaling and
itching. The speed at which dermatitis develops will depend
on the strength of the substance in question, the length of
time and frequency with which it is in contact with the skin.
Common causes of dermatitis include: latex/rubber, soaps and
cleaners, chromate and wet work.
FOCUS ON ASBESTOS
Asbestos was widely used in the building trade from World
War Two up until 1985 and asbestos cement sheeting continued
to be used up until 1999! The HSE has estimated that 500,000
non-domestic buildings will still have asbestos containing
materials (ACMs) in them.
Breathing in air containing asbestos dust can cause asbestos
related disease for which there is currently no cure. It has
been estimated that 4% of all cancer deaths may have a work
related cause. This amounts to approximately 6,000 deaths
per year of which half are caused by exposure to asbestos.
There is usually a long delay between exposure to asbestos
and the onset of the disease. Therefore preventing or minimising
the risk of exposure is critical in reducing the numbers of
new cases and eventually eliminating the disease altogether.
There is now a new duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic
premises under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
which becomes law in May 2004.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF EXPOSURE TO DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES
The use of dangerous substances can put employees health at
risk and under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 2002 (COSHH) employers are required to ensure
that the exposure to dangerous substances is controlled so
that both employees and others who may also be at risk are
protected.
--So how does this work in practice?
-- Elimination. The most effective way of reducing the risk
associated with the use of dangerous substances is by removing
them from use. This can be achieved by changing the product
or process in which the substance is used i.e. use of vinyl
gloves as opposed to latex gloves.
-- Substitution. If removal of the substance is not possible
then substitution or replacement of the dangerous substance
or process is the next best option. i.e. enzyme products used
in bakeries are now available in granulated, liquid or encapsulated
forms thereby preventing them being dispersed into the air.
-- Control. If neither elimination nor substitution can be
achieved then appropriate controls need to be implemented
to prevent or reduce exposure i.e. reducing Chromium VI levels
in cement by adding 0.35% ferrous sulphate has been shown
to reduce cases of eczema in the construction industry. Further
control measures also include:
- Enclosing the process
- Control of the emissions by better management
- Technical solutions to minimise the concentration in the
exposure zone
- Use of suitable PPE
- Minimising the number of exposed workers and the duration
of exposure
Working Time Directive Update
The Working Time Directive was extended on the 1st of August
to include up to 770,000 more employees in various sectors.
Those now covered by the new rules include: non-mobile staff
in the road, rail, air and sea transport sectors, mobile workers
in the rail and non-HGV transport sectors, offshore oil and
gas workers.
The provisions include the entitlement of staff to:
- an average working week of 48 hours
- 4 weeks paid leave
- rest breaks
- an 8 hour limit on night work
- health assessments for night staff
'OPT OUT' UPDATE
It is also likely that the 'opt out' provision under the
Working Time Directive is to remain in the UK until at least
2005 if not later. Currently the EC is said to be considering
the future of the 'opt out' provision by either adapting it
to apply only to certain sectors or keeping it applicable
to all sectors but with an absolute upper limit to the number
of hours worked per week. The possibility of a gradual phasing
out of the opt out is also being considered, which for many
Health and Safety practitioners would be the best way forward
as no other health and safety legislation allows employees
to 'opt out' of being protected
|
