H&S diary dates for June, Organising day on 13th June and Clean Air day on 15th June

Office Circular: NP/89/23

19^th May 2023

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague,

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY DIARY DATES IN JUNE,

RMT NATIONAL ORGANISING DAY 13^th JUNE: CLEAN AIR DAY 15^th JUNE

 

RMT National Organising day - 13^th June

Health and safety is a good issue to use as a workplace organising tool.  So if you have not yet got anything planned for this day/or involved in a Regional Council activity then think about ways in which you could focus your organising activities around health and safety. For example, by organising safety inspections, safety surgeries, workplace safety meetings or do some body mapping or workplace hazards mapping. 

 

Let me know what you are doing by emailing healthandsafety@rmt.org.uk and include photos, safety inspection report, reports of meeting etc. Available from healthandsafety@rmt.org.uk are RMT safety rep clip boards and RMT safety rep tabard for those that get workplace health and safety active on this day. 

 

Clean air day, 15^th June

Clean Air Day is the UK's largest air pollution campaign. Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.  The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today.

 

Please see here: https://bit.ly/456kzAC RMT Safety Rep newsletter, which focuses on RMT purchase of air quality monitors - now available for safety reps to borrow from RMT regional offices. Newsletter also gives links to information on wider clean air issues. 

 

HSE site inspection blitz to target lung health  

This summer HSE are increasing their inspections of respiratory risks from exposure to dust. Checking the control measures in place to protect workers from inhaling construction dusts including silica (Respirable Crystalline Silica/RCS) and asbestos. HSE has faced criticism for refusing to introduce a more protective standard for silica, one of the most commonly encountered and deadly site dusts. ACTION: Send and e-postcard to HSE demanding it introduce a more protective UK silica workplace exposure limit. www.hazards.org/HSEstopkillingus

 

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary