Too many people across the UK face serious health risks
Commenting on the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures on work-related fatalities, UNISON national health and safety officer Kim Sunley said: “The pandemic has highlighted how many people across the UK face serious health risks just by doing their daily jobs.
“Employers must do more to keep staff safe and that includes properly recording exposure to Covid-19. Ministers must also invest in the underfunded Health and Safety Executive so it can ensure regulations are enforced.
“Asbestos remains a problem in some workplaces including many schools. Funding has to be found to make sure it’s sa...
Source: UNISON Health care news - July 7, 2021 Category: UK Health Authors: Fatima Ayad Tags: News Press release covid deaths at work health and safety Kim Sunley Source Type: news
Personal protective equipment and heat: risk of heat stress
Public Health England (PHE) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued guidance aroundPersonal protective equipment(PPE) and heat. Wearing PPE in warm/hot environments increases the risk of hea (Source: Royal Pharmaceutical Society News)
Source: Royal Pharmaceutical Society News - June 9, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news
Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees, DHSC/ Health and Safety Executive (updated 29th March 2021)
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
29 March 2021Updated background information section to include information on the next stage of the roadmap.
26 February 2021Updated the link to RCOG and RCM guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and pregnancy. Under ' Background ' , added that the government has published the ' COVID-19 response - Spring 2021 ' setting out the roadmap out of the current lockdown for England, and that from 8 March some of the rules on what you can and cannot do will be changing. (Source: Curren...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - March 29, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
COVID-19: mitigation of risks in occupational settings with a focus on ethnic minority groups, PHE (updated 26th March 2021)
Consensus statement from Public Health England, the Health and Safety Executive and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
26 March 2021Added link to full report.
20 November 2020First published. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - March 26, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
UNISON urges HSE to improve COVID guidance for employers
UNISON has written to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week, calling for improved guidance for employers on how to protect their Black and other vulnerable workers during the pandemic.
The union had previously written to the HSE on these issues last summer, but since then, with the spread of more contagious variants of COVID-19, the death toll has passed 100,000.
Large numbers of UNISON members work in occupations most affected by the virus, with Black & disabled workers among those most vulnerable.
The letter calls for stronger, clearer and unambiguous guidance for employers, noting that this needs for be ba...
Source: UNISON Health care news - February 10, 2021 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News Covid-19 health and safety Source Type: news
Carers need practical support more than applause
UNISON has welcomed the return of clap for carers this evening, but urges both the public and politicians to start focussing more on pay and practical support than applause and appreciation.
As all four UK nations get used to fresh lockdowns and restrictions on all of our daily lives, clap for carers, now expanded to all ‘heroes’ working through and fighting the virus, returns tonight (Thursday).
Since COVID-19 started spreading last year, UNISON has been at the forefront of those fighting for the public service workers – the key workers – fighting the virus.
UNISON was the first to highlight the issue of sick pay ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - January 7, 2021 Category: UK Health Authors: Janey Starling Tags: Article carers Clap for Carers Covid-19 social care Source Type: news
UNISON urges employers to review staff safety due to new COVID variant
UNISON is urging employers to review their workplace risk assessments and safety measures in light of the increase in the more infectious variant of COVID-19. This is in order to keep staff safe.
The union has written to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to underline the increased risks to staff, urging the body to update their advice.
Improved safety measures would include working from home, change to duties to less hazardous duties
Disabled, Black and other vulnerable workers with underlying health conditions who are still in the workplace could be at particular risk of the new variant.
In the letter to the HSE, assi...
Source: UNISON Health care news - January 5, 2021 Category: UK Health Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article Covid-19 health and safety Source Type: news
Mitigation of risks of Covid-19 in occupational settings with a focus on ethnic minority groups, PHE
This consensus statement, produced in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, provides guidance on how to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 in the workplace, particularly for ethnic minority groups. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - November 24, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Politics can ‘t interfere in the approval of PPE, warns UNISON
UNISON has reacted with dismay to reports that the government applied ‘political pressure’ to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to approve personal protective equipment (PPE) that did not meet safety standards.
As the UK deals with the second wave of COVID-19, rising infections and death rates, the union warns that this type of pressure from government – to ignore robust and trusted testing and regulatory procedures – will only increase once the UK finally leaves the EU when the transition period comes to an end on 1 January 2021.
The BBC report details email evidence that of the Department of Health pressurise...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 13, 2020 Category: Food Science Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article Covid-19 health and safety PPE Source Type: news
Politics can ’ t interfere in the approval of PPE, warns UNISON
UNISON has reacted with dismay to reports that the government applied ‘political pressure’ to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to approve personal protective equipment (PPE) that did not meet safety standards.
As the UK deals with the second wave of COVID-19, rising infections and death rates, the union warns that this type of pressure from government – to ignore robust and trusted testing and regulatory procedures – will only increase once the UK finally leaves the EU when the transition period comes to an end on 1 January 2021.
The BBC report details email evidence that of the Department of Health pressurise...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - November 13, 2020 Category: Food Science Authors: Martin Cullen Tags: Article Covid-19 health and safety PPE Source Type: news
COVID-19 Update: Ethnicity, Occupation, Risk Reduction. FOM
The consensus from PHE, HSE and FOM on workplace risks recommends that mitigation is best addressed through consistent and effective implementation of existing Health and Safety Executive (HSE), HMG and other guidance for employers, including recent guidance on SARS-CoV-2 infection. 22 October. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - October 28, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
