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FOLLOWING A REPORT which the European Commission requested from researchers at the University of Surrey, a major information campaign is to be mounted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work on the subject of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The campaign relates mainly to neck, back and upper limb disorders including repetitive strain injury ((RSI). The report 'Work-related neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders' says that although 'The lack of standardised diagnostic criteria makes comparison of data between member states difficult' it is estimated that 30% of workers in Europe complain of back pain, 17% complain of muscular pain in arms and legs and 45% say that they work in painful or tiring positions. Where data for the cost of these injuries exist (mainly in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries) it is thought to be between 0.5% and 2% of Gross National Product (GNP).
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Some of the illustrations from a fact sheet on Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders |
Poor posture, highly repetitive movements, forceful hand applications, hand-arm vibration, direct mechanical pressure on body tissues, cold work environments, how work is organised and how workers perceive the work organisation (psychosocial work factors) can all increase the risk of limb disorders according to the report. However existing scientific knowledge can provide a remedy in risk assessment, health surveillance, employee information, training, ergonomic work systems, and prevention of fatigue. This is the message which the information campaign, to be called 'Turn your Back on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders', is designed to get across. There will be leaflets, posters and fact sheets available and the campaign will have its own dedicated web site. The campaign will run until October when it will form the main theme of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work.
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The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work can be contacted at: |
Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain. Tel. +34 94 479 43 60 Fax. +34 94 479 43 83 |
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Email: |
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The dedicated web site is at: |
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT recently debated the measures needed to deal with the growing problem of end-of-life vehicles. The Council of Ministers and the European Commission had come to a Common Position on the subject which they said was based on the 'producer-polluter pays' principle. Commissioner Margot Wallström said that the environmental hazards posed by scrapped cars had now reached such a scale that it had to be tackled.
The parliament was generally approving of the proposals but they also put forward several amendments which mean that the measures must now go back to the Council. The intention is that once a vehicle reaches the end of its life it is taken to an authorised collection centre which would be responsible for dismantling the car and recycling the various parts. The last owner of the vehicle would then receive a 'certificate of destruction' which would be required to de-register the vehicle. This much was agreed but what proved more contentious was who would pay for the dismantling and disposal. As the legislation is now proposed the manufacturer would be liable to pay all the costs or 'a significant part of the costs of the implementation of this measure and / or take back the end-of-life vehicle'.
However Karl-Heinz Florenz (EPP/ED, Germany) wants to change this so that the burden could be shared between the various interested parties. He did not secure sufficient votes for an amendment designed to bring this about in committee. Alexander de Roo (Greens / EFA, Netherlands) replied that a 50/50 approach between consumer and manufacturer would not work. Other amendments which were passed included changing the date to 2005 when all vehicles must be made from 85% recyclable materials, excluding vintage cars and banning mercury, lead and hexavalent chromium, which come from old cars, from landfill sites by July 2001. Meanwhile a Conciliation Committee meeting has reached agreement between the Parliament and the Council on a scheme to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars. The objective is to cut emissions by 35% and this could be an important contribution to reducing this pollution as passenger cars are responsible for about 12% of total CO2 emissions in the European Union.
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