INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY NEWS Keep up to date with international occupational health and safety news.

Sick workers; Poisoned Environment Hold Unilever Accountable for Mercury Poisoning March 7, 2008: Global Day of Action Against Unilever We are workers and residents of Kodaikanal, who were exposed to toxic mercury from Hindustan Unilever's mercury thermometer factory in this beautiful hill station in Tamilnadu, South India. We are pursuing the Anglo-Dutch giant seeking compensation, long-term health rehabilitation and monitoring, and clean-up of mercury contamination of our home town and its beautiful lakes. March 7, 2008, is the 7th anniversary of the day when we exposed Unilever's irresponsible dumping of toxic mercury wastes in a sensitive watershed forest and in a scrap yard in a crowded working class neighborhood. The company's in-house safety practices were as lax as their environmental quality control. We were not warned of the hazards of working with mercury. Many of us unwittingly carried the toxic metal home in our clothes and hair and exposed our children to the poison. Many of us are too sick to work for a living. Faced with mounting medical expenses under the circumstances, our families are being pushed to destitution. At least 19 young workers have died till date, and hundreds, including children born to exposed parents, are sick. The company refuses to come to the aid of those poisoned by it, and is delaying clean-up to international standards. Make Unilever fulfill its obligations to the community of ex-workers and Kodaikanal residents. Take Action: Target Unilever wherever you are Organise candle-light vigils Take out a rally supporting the cause of the ex-workers* Organise actions at Hindustan Lever/Unilever offices in your cities Organise photo exhibitions on Unilever's mercury fever in schools, community halls Organise local boycotts of Unilever's consumer products - tea, cosmetics, soaps and detergents Write, call, fax the local Unilever office and ask them to take responsibility for their pollution in Kodaikanal. Contact details for Unilever offices worldwide can be found by verifying their country websites. Select the country by going to: www.unilever.com/resources/downloadlibrary.asp Ponds Hindustan Lever Limited ex- mercury employees' welfare Association, J.R Complex, Kamarajar Road, Kodaikanal - 624 101. Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India. Make Unilever fulfill its obligations to the community of ex-workers and Kodaikanal residents.

Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 Check out some of the major new provisions.

Machine Guarding - Safety Basics Machines for use in meat workplaces are designed to perform one or a combination of functions which include cutting, punching, pressing, forming, hammering, joining, sorting, packaging, assembling, lifting, lowering and transporting material. Too often meatworkers are hurt on this machinery. WorkSafe has prepared material to explain more about guarding. Click here and find out more about Machine Guarding

Bullying and Violence Bullying and violence is too common in workplaces. It may be violence to workers which is visible, such as the situation when the worker was subjected to racist abuse and belted around the shoulders by the supervisor. But it may be less visible forms of bullying that don't result in visible bruises, such as being given work overload or the hardest tasks continuously. Unfortunately one of the most common situations where bullying occurs in meatworks is the way that workers, who have legitimately claimed WorkCover, are treated by some of the employers in the industry. This is not all of the employers in the industry, but is happens too often.  No forms of bullying or violence should be accepted. They have never been legally acceptable, but it has been hard to raise with employers (particularly when perpetrated by management) but at last there is a WorkSafe Guidance Note. Find out what has to be done to address workplace bullying and violence.