Salada Indigesta: Abuso contra professores; estresse e câncer; Exposição ao rádio; Ruído ocupacional e prevenção; Estatísticas de Mortes noTrabalho (Austrália)
1. UK: Teachers abused online by parents and pupils
Nearly one-third of teachers in the UK report being abused online over the past 12 months, with half of those targeted saying parents, not just pupils, were behind the abuse. A UK-wide survey of over 1,500 teachers conducted by teaching union NASUWT found 31 per cent of teachers reported being abused online over the last year, of which 50 per cent said they had been abused by a parent. One in five (20 per cent) of the messages posted by parents included explicit threats, said the union. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, commented: "The findings of this survey paint a shocking picture of what is happening in our schools, where on a day-to-day basis teachers are getting no support despite being subjected to appalling levels of online abuse. Most worryingly it appears that rather than setting a good example to their children, even some parents think it is acceptable to abuse and threaten teachers online." The union leader said: "This has to stop. Being a victim of online abuse can be a very traumatic experience, which can potentially ruin lives and careers. Government must act to put more safeguards in place to protect teachers and pupils alike and ensure our classrooms remain a safe and secure environment for all." Read more: NASUWT news release. Source: Risks 798
2. USA: The story of the brave "radium girls"
Many SafetyNet subscribers may have seen this story on their social media feeds this past week. Just over a hundred years ago, young women painting watch dials with luminous radium paint not only started to literally glow in the dark themselves, but soon began to suffer terrible effects. This terrible story is another example of companies knowingly putting their workers' lives at risk and then doing everything they can to deny liability. However, it's also a story about how some of these women, some no older than girls, fought for justice, not only for themselves, but for the hundreds of others still at risk. Their brave and tenacious efforts finally led to a change in the US compensation laws.
Read more: The Forgotten Story Of The Radium Girls, Whose Deaths Saved Thousands Of Workers' Lives, Buzzfeed
3. White-collar stress and breast cancer
European researchers have suggested that the effect of stress on cortisol levels could explain the elevated risk of breast cancer among female white-collar workers.
The researchers from Sweden's Institute of Environmental Medicine and other institutions say their analysis of 14,110 female participants in a long-running diet and cancer study confirms previous studies that showed the risk of breast cancer differs between sectors, and that female workers in white-collar occupations are more at risk than their blue-collar counterparts. They found a higher risk of breast cancer for woman working in professional, administrative or bookkeeping roles than for those working in sales, transportation, production and service work.
The researchers say there have been theories that the increased risk among female white-collar workers may be due to reproductive factors associated with a "long education", like late first-time pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, or lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption. However, the study shows the disparity in breast cancer risk between white and blue-collar workers remains after adjusting for those factors, which indicates additional occupational risk factors influence the development of breast cancer.
Possible explanations of the higher prevalence include that they are in occupations with higher levels of job authority and stress, which can cause chronically elevated cortisol levels that increase breast cancer risk; increased participation in mammography screening (resulting in increased detection of breast cancer); or the difference in physical activity at work between white-collar and blue-collar workers.
Read more: Cecilia Kullberg, et al, Female white-collar workers remain at higher risk of breast cancer after adjustments for individual risk factors related to reproduction and lifestyle. [Full article] Occupational and Environmental Medicine, online first April 2017 doi: 10.1136/oemed-2016-104043 Source: OHSAlert
4. Comprehensive new Noise Control information available
Occupational noise is produced in many workplaces via loud processes and pieces of plant and equipment. In Victoria it is estimated that 10% of workers believe they are exposed to loud noise on a daily basis, yet only 1 in 4 eligible workers put in a worker's compensation claim for Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) / deafness.
It is important to identify and control occupational noise exposure as hearing loss occurs most rapidly in the initial years of exposure to loud noise. Exposure to noise is cumulative and a worker may perform a number of noisy work activities over time which, in combination, may expose them to hazardous noise. To reduce exposure to hazardous noise there needs to be a shift in focus from PPE to higher order controls.
To encourage this shift WorkSafe Victoria has produced a series of guidance documents (all PDF) providing information about Noise Control:
A step by step approach
Circular saws
Compressed air noise
Enclosures, barriers and screens
Fan and ventilation noise
Grinders
Hearing protection
Impact, vibration and materials handling noise
These documents are now available on the WorkSafe Victoria website as a resource for higher order noise control. Promotion of the documents will also be via social media to communicate the guidance to a wide audience.
5. Fatality statistics
The SWA website has not been updated since 26 April, at which time there had been 51 fatalities reported. These were in the following industries:
19 in the Transport, postal and warehouse sector;
11 in Agriculture, forestry and fishing;
9 in Construction;
3 Arts and recreation services
3 in Electricity, gas, water and waste services
2 in Mining
1 in Manufacturing
1 in Accommodation and food services
1 in Public administration and safety
1 in Retail Trade
The numbers and industries may vary as Safe Work receives more detailed information (to check for updates and full figures for 2016, go to the Safe Work Australia Work-related fatalities page).
The latest monthly fatality report published remains that for December 2016, during which there were eight work-related notifiable fatalities: six male workers, one female worker, and one female bystander. To download the latest report, go to the Notifiable Fatalities Monthly Report webpage.
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