As a part of our International Workers’ Memorial Day 2020 call to action the Hazards Campaign has produced a series of social media graphics (below) for you to share in your networks. Flood Twitter, Facebook and the other social networks with these images and remember to include the hashtag #iwmd20, #covid19 and @hazardscampaign
Sample graphics scaled for Facebook
Sample graphics scaled for Twitter
A fatal combination of missed opportunities, ignored warning signs and a failure to stop non-essential work have made the Covid-19 a bigger and more deadly epidemic in the UK, a new analysis prepared for the Hazards Campaign by top public health academic Professor Andrew Watterson of Stirling University has revealed. The government’s serial failures are summarised in an infographic prepared by Hazards Magazine.
Calling for an end to non-essential work, Hazards Campaign spokesperson Janet Newsham said:
“For all our sake, stop this madness.”
“For all our sake, stop this madness. We have workers side-by-side building luxury hotels when almost every hotel in the land is shutdown and in crisis, and building power stations that won’t go on line for years. How can these jobs have been considered ‘essential’?”
She added: “To control the spread of this virus we need a Government to make rational decisions and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to enforce safety or stop the work.
“We are weeks into the pandemic and frontline staff are dying from a negligent Government who are failing to provide basic PPE”
“We are weeks into the pandemic and frontline staff are dying from a negligent Government who are failing to provide basic PPE never mind a standard of PPE that would keep all health and care workers and all essential workers safe.
“We need a precautionary approach to this new risk and one that provides workers with the best chance of avoiding being infected by it. It needs to be a robust approach using the best possible research and international evidence available.
“Continually over the last few weeks, Government officials, have said that testing is coming. And weeks before, international experts declared that the only way to win the battle against the virus spread was to test and track. Only this will save the lives of both the front-line workers and the rest of society. We have to attack the spread of the virus and test, track and quarantine, is the only way proven way to achieve this. There shouldn’t need to be a debate about who is going to receive treatment or not, we should have in place a health care system alongside a strategy that protects our most vulnerable.
“The Hazards Campaign calls on the HSE to step up and enforce the legal duty on employers to ensure workers health and safety.”
“The Hazards Campaign calls on the HSE to step up and enforce the legal duty on employers to ensure workers health and safety. All workers including vulnerable zero hours, the bogus self- employed need reassurance and access to information and support in the workplace. This means they need a health and safety enforcer to listen to their concerns, raise their issues and challenge negligent employers. We need them to close down employers who are putting people’s lives at risk.
“Everyone needs to stand together in the fight to protect workers”
“Everyone needs to stand together in the fight to protect workers, not simply because it’s the right thing to do but because it affects us all. Workers health is public health. When companies subject workers to dangerous conditions and cheat them out of wages, it’s taxpayers who foot the bill. The worst offenders will only change their behaviour when the cost of failing to protect workers outweighs the benefits. If we truly want to show our essential workers how much we appreciate their contributions, we need to do more than just applaud them. We must have the courage to stand and support them, using every resource we have. It will be for the good of public health too.
“We echo the statement put out by the STUC condemning the UKs Government approach on social distancing and welcoming the new Scottish Government guidance. All risks in the workplace must be controlled and the very least employers should do to protect all workers is to provide the highest level of PPE available in these circumstances. (http://www.stuc.org.uk/media-centre/news/1432/scottish-government-guidance-on-social-distancing).
“We support the Statement by the Society of Occupational Medicine! (https://www.som.org.uk/work-related-fatalities-due-covid-19-exposure-not-given) that the UK should have aimed for a target of zero work-related fatalities in this pandemic within the NHS, essential services and UK business. Finally, there has been a failure by the HSE to enforce Health and Safety Law and ensure workers are protected from all the risks in the workplace. This must change!”
A Hazards Campaign meeting yesterday agreed the following statement .
INFOGRAPHIC COVID-19: The coronavirus lessons the UK government chose to ignore
Work related fatalities due to COVID-19 exposure is not a given
Janet Newsham
Chair of Hazards Campaign
Tel: 07734 317 158
Email: janet@gmhazards.org.uk
Hazards Campaign Statement – 6 April 2020
Deadly failures have placed millions of workers at unnecessary coronavirus exposure risk
The National Hazards Campaign believes that the government, HSE and public health organisation across the four nations should be striving to ensure no more workers die of work-related Covid-19.
To control the spread of this virus and protect workers from contracting Covid-19, we need the Government to make rational, science based decisions and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to enforce safety in all workplaces, and stop all non-essential work, if it can’t be done at home. This can be achieved by:
a) Closure of all non-essential work that is not supporting essential workers, with workers laid off with full pay so they can stay home and keep safe
b) Preventing exposure in essential work/supporting essential work by:
c) Government (HSE and public health organisations) must immediately issue new PPE guidance for all workers as latest updates only meet minimum standards not the highest required to fully protect essential workers.
A fatal combination of missed opportunities, ignored warning signs and a failure to stop non-essential work have made the Covid-19 a bigger and more deadly epidemic in the UK, a new analysis by Prof. A Watterson has revealed. Additionally, there is a failure by the HSE to enforce Health and Safety Law and ensure workers are protected from all the risks in the workplace. This must change!
Press statement for immediate release, 3 April 2020
The Hazards Campaign has written to MPs and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) calling for the HSE to close down organisations which continue to place profits before people by exposing workers to unacceptable risks.
Workers are being forced to face foreseeable and preventable risk of exposure to Covid-19 at work and it is the HSE’s duty to intervene to protect them, when employers are breaching their legal health and safety duties to prevent those risks.
The Government’s contradictory policy on preventing transmission and spread of Covid-19 at work is causing deaths and is nothing less than ‘social murder’.
The Government states ‘stay at home; if you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times; wash your hands as soon as you get home; do not meet others, even friends or family; you can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms’ and at the same time say ‘only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)’ (https:www.gov.uk/coronavirus) The Government is keeping non-essential businesses open. This leaves workers being forced to go out to work, in conditions which place them in close contact with other workers, without the handwashing and cleaning hygiene precautions stated in Public Health Guidance and exposed to this deadly virus. Covid-19 is killing people of all ages, many of whom were previously healthy as well as those with underlying health risks.
As workers who develop Covid-19 will die at home or in hospital, there is a need to ensure their deaths are recorded at work, reported to HSE, Local Authorities under RIDDOR, and investigated later for work-related causes. This is essential information for future assessment of the effectiveness of workplace and government strategies on protecting workers and reducing Covid-19 transmission at work and will be essential in preventing deaths in future pandemics.
In addition, the HSE and Local Authority inspectors must be available to be contacted by concerned workers being threatened or forced to work in dangerous conditions, to be able to report negligent employers.
Janet Newsham, Chair of Hazards Campaign said:
“These workers have to travel to work on public transport further exposing themselves and other more essential critical workers to contracting the virus. Essential workplaces need to keep running for safety reasons or because they are producing critically needed equipment or supporting critical services. The health of these essential workers, including health care workers, must be protected while commuting to and from work but their ability to maintain safe, physical distance is made impossible by the many non-essential workers also commuting.
“Workers themselves are having to force employers to ‘do the right thing’ when it should be the Government and its health and safety enforcement agencies, taking the lead. The HSE must make clear unambiguous statements, that if employers in non-essential work cannot maintain conditions to meet public health guidance, then the workplace is unsafe and demand and follow that up with enforcement action to halt production, until the spread of the virus has been controlled. Government must provide a decent living wage for all workers in this situation.
“The Hazards Campaign also demand that, unless PPE is available at the correct standard, essential critical workers should limit their interventions to the protective level of their PPE, so that these workers are not exposed to the virus. In Spain there has been an estimated 14% of health workers diagnosed with the virus. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-cases/health-workers-make-up-nearly-14-of-spains-coronavirus-cases-idUSKBN21B1MF) We must not run an underfunded, under-resourced health service with ‘expendable workers’. We need every health care worker to survive to help increase the chance of survival of all citizens.”
She added:
“We are witnessing Government reducing PPE standards to meet the levels of PPE available and NOT producing quickly the safest levels of PPE to protect all workers. Critical health workers need and deserve the best standards and no compromise. In the UK we still have some of the most advanced manufacturing facilities, we have the expertise and capability to produce all the PPE and equipment we need and we demand that the Government steps up its efforts to provide what is necessary.
“The HSE’s mission is ‘to prevent death, injury and ill-health in Great Britain’s workplaces – by becoming part of the solution’. (https://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/insidehse.htm ) Hazards Campaign demand that the HSE does just that – it’s duty – to enforce employers legal duty to prevent illness, injury and death at work!”
The Hazards Campaign is a UK-wide network of resource centres and campaigners. The Hazards Campaign supports those organising and campaigning for justice and safety at work.
The Hazards Campaign
c/o Greater Manchester Hazards Centre
Windrush Millennium Centre
70 Alexandra Road
Manchester,
M16 7WD
ENGLAND
website • twitter @hazardscampaign • facebook
Health and Safety Executive
HSE Head of Strategy, Media and Campaign
Redgrave Court,
Merton Road, Bootle,
Merseyside
L20 8HS
2/4/20
Dear Jason,
Thank you for your response to my letter on behalf of the Hazards Campaign dated 30.3.20.
I am encouraged that you state ‘HSE will consider a range of actions to improve control of workplace risks’, ranging from the provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices’.
However, our concern about ‘non-essential’ organisations which are still working and unable to comply with social distancing remains unanswered. Surely the risks associated with this far outweighs the ‘indeed it is important for business to carry on’ message in your ‘Social distancing, keeping businesses open and in-work activities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ document?
In addition, many of the organisations which struggle to comply with social distancing also fail to comply with enhanced cleaning of tools and equipment, personal welfare facilities and even in offices, warehouses and manufacturing there is a lack of appreciation about the spread of the virus.
This seems to be in direct conflict with the government Public Health Guidance for trying to control the spread of COVID-19, and with the HSE’s Mission statement – HSE’s mission is to prevent death, injury and ill-health in Great Britain’s workplaces.
The government document says that if a ‘member of staff has helped someone who was taken unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves’ and that the advice is for them ‘wash their hands’. This is totally ridiculous, will continue the spread of the virus, put more workers at risk and again appears to be in conflict with government Public Health Guidance about self-isolating to reduce risk of transmission of COVID-19.
As previously stated, we continue to receive reports from workers – those who have insufficient PPE, are not trained in the use of the PPE or have the incorrect PPE in essential and non-essential work. This can be the difference between being protected from a deadly virus or not and therefore there needs to be greater emphasis on the importance of PPE – its specification for different jobs and risks, and the quantity required to fully protect workers.
The HSE document ‘Research: review of personal protective equipment provided in health care settings to manage risk during coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) is contradictory at best. Surely if FFP3 respirators are required, FFP2 respirators will be inadequate for AGP work with known or suspected patients, when exposure to high viral load is great, or at the very least should only be used only for a short period of time with strict guidance? And what evidence is being collected about ‘passed a face fit test’ and when will this be audited. We would also say that eye protection is essential in all settings, where workers have to be closer than the minimum guidelines of 2m.
There has got to be a recognition that many of the workers who will have the most concerns, will be in workplaces where they are on precarious contracts and not in a trade union organised and supported workplace. In these workplaces it will be impossible for them to resolve issues ‘through speaking with their employer or trade union’ first. They risk losing their jobs. There must be an alternative approach available. The HSE helpline or an alternative option must be available for worried exposed workers.
We welcome your statement about looking to provide a ‘clear message about what you expect employers to do in the current situation’ and that must include reviewing and assessing the risks of the job, controlling them effectively and the consequences to workers health if they fail to do this. When deciding on control measures where possible, this must include the option of work being carried out at home and providing workers with the equipment and tools to do it. After also consulting with safety reps.
We conclude:
We recognise these are unprecedented times, but all the risks workers are facing, are foreseeable and preventable and we believe it is the HSE’s duty, more than ever in such times, to ‘prevent death, injury and ill-health in Great Britain’s workplaces’ by taking a far more proactive role.
With best wishes
Janet Newsham
On behalf of Hazards Campaign
Chair of Hazards Campaign/ Coordinator of GMHC
Letter to the HSE
Martin Temple Chair of HSE Board and Sarah Albon CEO
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS
30 March 2020
Dear Martin Temple, Sarah Albon,
We are weeks into the COVID19 pandemic and reports continue to arrive in our inbox of workers being exposed to unnecessary risks. This includes being left without any protection or controls of exposure to this dangerous virus. The messages from the Government have been confused at best and ignorant of the reality of working practices to the point of negligence to individual workers:
• How can I find out if my work is essential or not?
o The government is not saying only people doing “essential” work can go to work. Anyone who cannot work from home can still go to work.
o Separately, there is a list of critical workers who can still take their children to school or childcare. Provision has been prioritised for these workers.
o Every worker – whether critical or not – should work from home if they can but may otherwise travel to work.
o We have also asked certain businesses where people gather, such as pubs and most shops, to close. Separate guidance has been published on this.
• Can I see my friends?
o We must all stay away from each other to stop spreading the virus, and that means you should not be meeting friends unless you live in the same household.
o Instead, you could keep in touch with your friends using phone or video calls.
• My boss is forcing me to go to work but I’m scared of coronavirus. What should I do?
o Employers must make all efforts to help people to work from home where possible, as this will help limit the spread of the virus by reducing the amount of contact between people.
o In some circumstances this may be impossible – this would apply to those working for a business or organisation that we have not asked to close and requires them to travel and be at work, such as train or bus drivers, construction workers, restaurant workers handling deliveries or those on the frontline like NHS workers.
o For these workers who need to be at work, do not have symptoms or live with anyone who has symptoms, and are not vulnerable people, we have outlined clear guidance for employers to help protect workers.
• I can’t go to work because I need to look after my child, but my boss is threatening to sack me if I don’t. What should I do?
o We would urge employers to take socially responsible decisions and listen to the concerns of their workforce – particularly when they have childcare responsibilities.
o Employers and employees should come to an agreement about these arrangements.
o If individuals need advice they should approach ACAS where they can get impartial advice about in-work disputes.
• What will happen to me if I break the rules?
o We appreciate all the effort people are putting into containing the spread of coronavirus which will help protect our NHS and save lives.
o However, if you leave your home or gather in public for any reason other than those specified, the police may:
o instruct you to go home, leave an area or disperse
o instruct you to take steps to stop your children breaking these rules if they have already done so
o take you home – or arrest you – if you do not follow their instructions or where they deem it necessary
o issue a fine (fixed penalty notice) of £60, which will be lowered to £30 if paid within 14 days.
o issue a fine (fixed penalty notice) of £120 for second time offenders, doubling on each further repeat offence
o Individuals who do not pay their fine could be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose unlimited fines.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do
But it is impossible to keep safe distance apart in some workplaces and on some jobs. An example of this are the thousands of construction workers on non-essential projects who are still working. Reducing the spread of Covid -19 is not just about social/physical distancing but about touch. Most work which cannot be done at home – 2/3 of workers are unable to work at home – in manufacturing, construction and warehousing for example, involves a lot of touching and handling of materials. In many there will be touch pad security systems, touched by all workers and uncleaned between. In most workplaces complying with the hand washing, cleaning surfaces and materials guidance will be completely impossible and thus breaches the general duty in S2 of Health and Safety at Work Act.
In our opinion those workplaces which are non-essential at this time and cannot guarantee the safety and health of their workers or the public they travel amongst on their way to and from work, or the families they go home to , and should be suspending operations, if the spread of the virus is to be slowed down. This is the only social distancing that will work. The law now potentially allows workers travelling to non-essential work to be stopped and fined, but does not seem to allow unsafe non-essential workplaces to be closed.
The Government has laid out which agencies who will monitor and enforce the new regulations which support their Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020 and further advice has been issued:
5. Compliance
Everyone is instructed to comply with the rules issued by the government in relation to coronavirus, in order to protect both themselves and others.
As of 1pm on 26 March 2020 new Regulations extending the restrictions are now enforceable by law in England due to the threat to public health. These supersede Regulations that came into force at 2pm on 21 March 2020. They are enforceable in Wales from 4pm on 26 March 2020 and Scotland from 7.15pm on 26 March 2020.
Where an owner, proprietor or manager carrying out a business (or a person responsible for other premises) contravenes the Regulations, that person commits an offence.
In England, Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers will monitor compliance with these regulations, with police support provided if appropriate. Businesses and venues that breach them will be subject to prohibition notices, and fixed penalties. With the support of the police, prohibition notices can be used to require compliance with the Regulations including requiring that an activity ceases.
If prohibition notices are not followed, or fixed penalty notice not paid, you may also be taken to court with magistrates able to impose potentially unlimited fines.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance
Although this says Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Police will monitor compliance with these regulations this only applies to those workplaces specifically closed down by government regulations. It does not apply to construction, manufacturing and other non-essential work not listed. But this does not negate the responsibility of the HSE and LA Health and Safety Inspectors to continue to regulate and enforce Health and Safety Regulations in all workplaces both essential and non-essential workplaces. And in this case it will be around PPE – provision, appropriateness and quantity -, managing risks and introducing safe systems of work and control measures.
If the HSE and LA health and safety officers do not act, employers will continue to take advantage and place their workers at risk. Trade Unions are continuing to highlight many examples of bad employment practices and negligent employers and through collective action have forced employers to improve their practices, but we still need the enforcement bodies to act as well.
Workers are justifiably feeling abandoned, anxious and their physical and mental health is deteriorating leaving them more likely to be at risk from contracting the virus.
Please will you tell us what action the HSE is taking to protect workers in this unprecedented situation, so that we can pass this on to the thousands of workers currently feeling abandoned and unnecessarily exposed to life threatening risks. We specifically want to know what action the HSE is taking to:
1. Remind all employers in essential and non-essential workplaces that workers health and safety is paramount at all times, that normal health and safety duties and regulations apply and that #Covid19 means extra risks must be assessed and prevented in usual way – by elimination, collective control and appropriate and sufficient PPE as last resort.
2. Issue strong warnings to employers to review all Risk Assessments for the new Covid 19 risk and to introduce safe systems of work to protect workers.
3. Advise employers that if suitable and sufficient Risk Assessments show the risk of exposure to COVID19 cannot be reasonable prevented they must stop work.
4. Provide workers with information about risks to their health and what their employers should be doing. Closure of HSE Infoline in2011 has left workers without a lifeline and employers without advice. Surely at this time with inspectors working from home, the HSE helpline could be reintroduced to support these workers?
5. Respond to the ‘Report a Concern’ online form by next day with enforcement action to support workers health against employers who are breaching health and safety regulations. Will you accept photographic evidence available which is date stamped? This could be used to instruct employers to either improve the situation in workplaces or face Prohibition and Improvement Notices.
6. Enforce strongly the need for appropriate PPE in sufficient quantities to protect the health of all NHS, Care and other health and essential workers who are at greatest risk of exposure to Covid19.
We look forward to your speedy response as we need to advise workers now on what HSE is doing to protect them and by extension all of society.
Yours sincerely,
Janet Newsham
On behalf of the Hazards Campaign
Chair of Hazards Campaign / Coordinator of GMHC
c/o GMHC
Windrush Millennium Centre,
70 Alexandra Rd,
Manchester M16 7WD
janet@gmhazards.org.uk
Tel: 07734 317158
It will probably come as no surprise that the Hazards Campaign has cancelled the Hazards Conference 2020 due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
We were and still are hoping that the spread of the virus will subside by then, but we also have to recognise that public events are now being cancelled and we cannot predict what the situation will be like by July, and with such uncertainty the recruitment and sponsorship for the conference will be detrimentally impacted. That along with the likelihood of a second wave hitting the UK in the autumn, means we will not be able to hold it even later in the year.
Many of you will realise this will have a major financial impact on the Hazards Campaign and the Greater Manchester Hazards Centre, GMHC, which runs the secretariat and organises and runs the annual Hazards Conference on behalf of the Hazards Campaign.
The Hazards Campaign is a network of hazards organisations, union safety reps and officers, asbestos groups and activists, and has no secure funding.
The annual Hazards Conference, which relies on generous financial sponsorship from the trade union movement, helps to fund Hazards Campaign work throughout the year in promoting and resourcing International Workers Memorial Day, speaking at union conferences, seminars, branch meetings and on TUC and Union health and safety training courses across the UK, running specific national campaigns such as the Trade Union Clean Air Network and lobbying and campaigning on all issues affecting workers’ lives and health.
GMHC is a not for profit organisation with no secure annual income other than what we raise annually from grants and fee paying work on behalf of the union movement, and a large proportion of that income is linked to the organisation of the annual Hazards Conference
GMHC provides free advice to workers and reps on health and safety issues, and supports families of workers killed at work. In part we receive payment for work carried out on behalf of the trade union movement, for delivering specialist training, information sheets, delivering conferences, health and safety updates etc.
All this is being impacted by the current situation as is the work of trade unions, branches and workers in all sectors across the economy.
Coronaviorus threatens the lives, health, livelihoods and security of millions of workers and their families across the UK. We obviously understand all organisations are facing many hurdles and you have our sincere sympathy. Many workers will be facing much worse in coming months and we will provide as much support as we can.
We are exploring different options to continue our work supporting trade unions and safety reps. We will need to make a separate financial appeal in the near future, to enable our organisation to continue over the next 12 months. Most of you will know we work on a shoestring and much of the support is provided on a voluntary basis.
Many trade union branches, regions and national bodies have already provided sponsorship for this year’s conference and we are politely requesting your organisation defers this sponsorship so that money can be transferred to next year’s conference, Hazards 2021, rather than having to reimburse you. If this is not possible please email us and we will arrange for the money to be returned.
It is with extremely heavy heart that we make this decision. This would have been the 31st Hazards Conference and we know that many safety reps and officers value this event. We are extremely sorry that serious events beyond our control have forced us to make this decision. We would also like to record our thanks for your continued support and hope that you will appreciate the difficult decision we have had to make. We will continue to campaign and stand in solidarity with trade union reps and trade unions.
Thank you and Solidarity Greetings!
Janet Newsham
on behalf of Hazards Campaign Secretariat
Janet Newsham Coordinator of GMHC Acting Chair of Hazards Campaign
Temporarily based at: 177 Watling Street Road, Fulwood, Preston PR2 8AE
Tel: 07734 317 158 Email: janet@gmhazards.org.uk
What is your employer doing during the current crisis over COVID-19 pandemic to support workers and the community?
Decent work shouldn’t become indecent even when there is a crisis. It can be challenging and there are a number of issues/conditions that workers should be negotiating with management to ensure that the health and safety of staff and others who may be affected by work activities is paramount. This includes the pay, terms and conditions on which they are employed. In addition, it will be necessary to enhance or protect existing pay and conditions to protect other staff and communities. If you have any examples of good practice, please send them to mail@gmhazards.org.uk so that we can circulate them. Read the full briefing
The Hazards Campaign has released an International Workers’ Memorial Day resources order form which includes, stickers ribbons and posters. You can download the form here.
The national Hazards Campaign is urging the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to halve the workplace exposure limit for silica dust, a move it says will save 4,000 lives a year.
The campaign’s call came in response to a new ‘Choked’ report from Hazards magazine. This presents evidence for cutting the current legal limit of 0.1 mg/m3 for respirable crystalline silica to no more than 0.05 mg/m3, a move the report says would dramatically reduce the incidence of the lung scarring occupational disease silicosis, lung cancer, autoimmune diseases and other silica-related conditions.
Hazards reviewed the international scientific literature and internal HSE documents to calculate the annual excess silica-related death toll resulting from HSE’s repeat refusal to switch to and enforce the tighter standard, instead sticking with a level it admits comes with “significant risks”.
The report reveals that HSE’s own internal reports estimate the silicosis risk for workers is six times higher at the current HSE limit of 0.1 mg/m3, calculated at 30 cases per 100 workers exposed compared to just five per 100 at the tighter 0.05 mg/m3 standard. The United States and a number of other jurisdictions already work to the safer standard.
The Hazards Campaign is asking supporters to send an online postcard to Sarah Albon, the new chief executive of the HSE. Over 600,000 workers in the UK are regularly exposed to silica at work which is created when cutting, grinding drilling or polishing, natural substances such as rocks and sand and is a major constituent in bricks, tiles and concrete and materials. At least one-in-five workers in these jobs – and in some like stonemasonry and construction, possibly half – are exposed at or above the current deadly UK limit.
Choked! The evidence for introducing a lifesaving new silica dust exposure limit, Hazards, Number 147, September 2019.
ACTION: Send an e-postcard to HSE demanding it introduce a more protective silica standard no higher than 0.05mg/m³ and with a phased move to 0.025mg/m³.