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PAGE EUROPEAN REVIEW
A NEW EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE has come into force which amends a previous one on minimum health and safety requirements for the use of work equipment by workers. A new section is added to the 1989 law which concerns the use of temporary work at height. A paragraph on general provisions states that ladders and ropes may only be used where other, safer equipment cannot be justified due to the short duration of the work or low level of risk. It prescribes that the means of access to the site must take into account the need for sudden evacuation and must not increase the risk of falling. Safeguards to prevent falls must be installed where a risk assessment deems that this is necessary. Finally the general provisions state that weather conditions cannot be allowed to jeopardise the health and safety of workers.
Three following paragraphs deal more specifically with the use of ladders, scaffolding and ropes. Ladders must 'be so positioned as to ensure their stability during use'. Portable ladders 'must rest on a stable, strong, suitably-sized, immobile footing so that the rungs remain horizontal' and their feet must be prevented from slipping. Ladders should always provide a 'secure handhold and secure support' especially 'if a load has to be carried by hand on a ladder'. As regards scaffolding, the directive says 'an assembly, use and dismantling plan must be drawn up by a competent person'. 'Scaffolding decks must be assembled in such a way that their components cannot move in normal use' and 'there must be no dangerous gap between the deck components and the vertical collective safeguards to prevent falls'.
On ropes the directive specifies that each 'system must comprise at least two separately anchored ropes,one as a means of access, descent and support (work rope)and the other as backup (security rope)'. Harnesses must be used and tools secured to it. Member States have until 2004 to pass laws to enact this directive.
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The full text of the new directive can be downloaded |
THE TRADE UNION TECHNICAL BUREAU which is associated with the European TUC is to send out a questionnaire in a bid to further research into gender differences in health and safety concerns. The move, which is partly funded by the Belgian government, the current holders of the EU presidency, seeks to gather information on a subject which TUTB says has been neglected until now. 'Men and women do not perform the same work, whether done in return for a salary or on a voluntary basis. They are represented to differing extents in various sectors and occupations, at different levels of seniority' according to the document presenting the questionnaires, 'Generally speaking, women's issues are absent from health and safety policies: the hazards involved are either unknown or underestimated; and priorities are defined in male-dominated sectors and occupations'.
The survey will use a two pronged attack to try and lay bare these problems. Firstly, in the area of health and safety policies, it will assess how much women's health is taken into account by institutions, research and statistical data. Secondly, it will ask respondents for their practical experience at the workplace and examine how far gender is considered in health and safety actions. Various groups will be targetted by the questionnaire. Trade unions will be asked, both at national and company level, to contribute but so too will organisations like the Health and Safety Executive and the Equal Opportunities Commission as well as individuals working in the field such as occupational physicians and health and safety officers.
The TUTB want the questionnaire to receive as wide a distribution as possible and to this end they insist that not everybody is expected to answer every question, only those that are relevant to their experience. They also want to receive any articles, brochures and books, training material, electronic documents and reports, and references to Internet sites on this subject. The questionnaires have to be received back in Brussels by 25th. September (see details below) and the preliminary findings will be presented on November 16th. Early next year the final results will be published and sent to everyone who took part in the survey and the findings will be presented to the June 2002 International Conference on Women, Health and Work in Stockholm.
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The findings can be bought (price €20) from | |
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BTS-TUTB, |
Greece has finally complied with an European Court of Justice ruling on a waste tip on the island of Crete (see this page issue 15). The illegal dump, which had been costing the country €20,000 a day in court fines, was given the all clear, following its closure in February, after the Greek authorities produced a waste management plan for the area and made the site secure from illegal dumping. Commenting on the decision Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, said 'I am satisfied that the illegal dumping has been stopped by the Greek authorities, but there is still a big clean-up job to be done. I will be contacting the Greek authorities shortly to hear what their plans are for remedial work on this site'.
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