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Minister Signs Regulations On Protection Of Workers From Asbestos Exposure At Work Risks
Breast Cancer - the truth about healthcare in the UK — interview
Schizophrenia Ireland's handbook ‘Discover the Road Ahead’
A look back on SARS-related items from Ireland
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26 July, 2006
Minister Signs Regulations On Protection Of Workers From Asbestos Exposure At Work Risks
Mr. Tony Killeen, Minister for Labour Affairs today (Tuesday 25th July 2006) signed Regulations transposing into Irish Law EU Directive 2003/18/EC on the protection of of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. The Regulations, entitled the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006, are effective immediately.

The Regulations apply to all work activities which expose persons to risks arising from the inhalation of dust from asbestos or materials containing asbestos. The main changes to the existing legislation brought about by EU Directive 2003/18/EC focus on those who are now most at risk, in particular workers who remove asbestos and workers who accidentally come across asbestos at work in the course of servicing and maintenance activities. A single exposure limit value is introduced for all work activities where exposure to asbestos dust in the air at a place of work may arise. In addition, there is now a requirement for adequate training, and a requirement that persons involved in demolition and asbestos removal activities be qualified to do this work in a safe way to ensure the protection of their employees.

Minister Killeen said: “These new Regulations follow a consultation period in which all stakeholders have had an opportunity to contribute. I am very pleased with the commitment shown by all involved in this process aimed at creating a regulatory regime in Ireland which will best protect the health of workers in Ireland and thus protect the economic interests of Ireland. The Health and Safety Authority will shortly be producing detailed guidelines on these Regulations in order to support the aim of full compliance by employers and employees alike”.

Background
The purpose of these Regulations is to create safer conditions for workers dealing with asbestos in building demolition and in specific asbestos removal activities.

These Regulations transpose for the first time Directive 2003/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27th March, 2003, amending Council Directive 83/477/EEC, as previously amended by Council Directive 91/382/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, both of which Directives are retransposed. The Regulations also retranspose Article 12 of Council Directive 87/217/EEC on the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution by asbestos.

The Regulations also revoke and replace the following Regulations which were in place to fully implement and enforce the two previous Directives governing the protection of workers from exposure to asbestos:

European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 1989 (S.I. No.34 of 1989),
European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) (Amendment) Regulations 1993 (S.I.No. 276 of 1993), and
European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 74 of 2000).

The main changes to the existing Regulations are
A single exposure limit value which reflects the results of recent research;
Measurement methods in line with WHO standards;
Enhanced training of workers in asbestos-related activities; and
Qualifications required by persons involved in demolition and asbestos removal activities.

In addition to these Regulations, there is anyway a general ban on the use of asbestos under Directive 76/769/EEC as amended, which was transposed in Ireland through the European Communities (Dangerous Substances and Preparations) (Marketing and Use) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 220 of 2003).

 

29th March 2006
Schizophrenia Ireland's handbook ‘Discover the Road Ahead’
Support and Guidance for Everyone Affected by Schizophrenia
Mr Tim O'Malley T.D., Minister for State at the Department of Health and Children, today (Wednesday, 29th March 2006) officially launched Schizophrenia Ireland's handbook ‘Discover the Road Ahead’ Support and Guidance for Everyone Affected by Schizophrenia in Dublin.

'Discover the Road Ahead’ Support and Guidance for Everyone Affected by Schizophrenia is an initiative of Schizophrenia Ireland designed to offer support to anyone who has been affected by schizophrenia or psychosis and has been written by people who have first hand experience of coping with schizophrenia.

The Minister welcomed the launch of the handbook and took the opportunity to “acknowledge the importance and value of the work of Schizophrenia Ireland in highlighting and responding to the needs of those in our society who suffer from mental ill-health.”

The Minister referred to the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy which he established in August 2003 to prepare a national policy framework for the further modernisation of mental health services. He referred to the contribution made to the Expert Group by Mr John Saunders, Director of Schizophrenia Ireland and said “that Mr Saunder's knowledge and experience was of great value to the group.”

The Minister said ‘A Vision for Change’ the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, which was launched in January 2006, had been accepted by Government as the basis for the future development of mental health policy. He said a core principle underlying this policy was “that people suffering from any form of ill health should be enabled to live as independently as possible.”

The Minister paid tribute to everyone involved in the work of Schizophrenia Ireland and said that he believed “the services it provides are of real practical value to the many families affected by mental illness.”

For further information on schizophrenia please call Schizophrenia Ireland's confidential information helpline 1890 621 631, or log on to www.recover.ie or www.sirl.ie.

For your copy of “Discover the Road Ahead” contact info @ sirl.ie, ring 01 8601620 or log on to www.recover.ie

 

Avian Flu Carriers?
WHO: Millions Could Die from Flu
AFP
Nov. 29, 2004 —
Up to 100 million people could die within weeks if a bird flu pandemic broke out, a senior World Health Organization official warned Monday as he urged nations to make urgent preparations to mitigate its spread.

A global outbreak is almost certain and even widescale vaccination programs would not be enough to halt its inexorable advance, WHO director for the Western Pacific Shigeru Omi said in Hong Kong.

“The most conservative estimate is that 7 to 10 million people would die, but the maximum range will be more... ”

"The most conservative estimate is that 7 to 10 million people would die, but the maximum range will be more — 50 million or even in the worst case 100 million people," Omi said in his starkest warning yet of the potential peril from a mutation of avian flu to a form that could be transmitted by humans.

"It will come," he said during a flying visit to the city where the H5N1 flu strain first mutated into a strain lethal to humans.

Omi said it was impossible to predict when a pandemic would happen but said it would not take long to reach all corners of the globe.

"Before it would have taken a year to spread around the world but thanks to globalization it will take just weeks. If we are not prepared the consequences will be serious, " he said.

Avian flu, he said, appeared to be entrenched in Asia following two huge outbreaks throughout the region earlier this year that killed 32 people in Vietnam and Thailand.

Believed to be transmitted through contact with bird droppings, he said the speed of the virus's spread and its adaptation to a form that can be carried by pigs and cats had shown conditions were ripe for a devastating pandemic.

"The level of transmission at the moment in unprecedented historically," he added. "History has told us that on average every 30 years, at least, a pandemic will occur. The next one is due — some would say it is overdue."

Omi's bleak assessment followed a summit of world health leaders in Bangkok last week in which guidelines were laid down for national preparation plans to reduce the effects of a possible pandemic in the coming winter.

The WHO is working on the theory that domestic ducks are the main transmitters of the virus. Studies suggest the most devastating outbreaks occurred where duck populations were highest. They also found that the peak seasonal prevalence of the strain in ducks, during the winter months, coincided with the peak period of human infections.

"Our judgement is that ducks are now playing a major role in terms of transmitting the disease," Omi said. "When chickens are infected, they get the symptoms and then they die, but the ducks don't die and they don't develop the symptoms.

"In areas where there are more ducks, there are more chicken infections," he said. "We would like to know why."

H5N1 was also less prevalent in areas where ducks and chickens were kept apart, for instance, in Hong Kong where separation of different poultry is part of broad flu-prevention laws.

The WHO's new working theory appears to have backing from the findings of Hong Kong University researchers, who claimed to have traced the virus found in birds killed this year to a virus that originated in ducks from China.

 

September 28, 2004
Early Intervention Reduces Lower Back Pain Disability
Mary Coughlan, TD, Minister for Social and Family Affairs today launched the Renaissance Project - a study on preventing chronic disability from low back pain.

“The Renaissance Project set out to identify whether early intervention, using international evidence-based guidelines in an Irish pilot study, would decrease the incidence of progression to chronic disability from low back pain. I welcome the outcome of the project which shows that early intervention does lead to a significant reduction in chronic disability,” said Minister Coughlan.

“It means a quicker return to work for those who are temporarily afflicted by lower back pain. This will be for the benefit of workers, their families who shoulder the burden of support, and employers. There will also be benefits to society through cost savings in health care, reduced absenteeism from work and resulting decreased production and reduced numbers going on to long term illness benefit schemes, ” added Minister Coughlan.

Back pain is not a new phenomenon, it has been known throughout recorded history - and in recent years there has been a marked increase in chronic disability resulting from low back pain. This is worrying as this trend continues in spite of advances in health and safety legislation, ergonomics, automation, technology and medical science.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Leech and the required coalition of professionals, in a wide range of representative bodies, to spread the message that early intervention works in dealing with lower back pain”, said Minister Coughlan.

The author of this internationally acclaimed study is Dr Clement Leech, Deputy Chief Medical Adviser of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. A copy of the study is available in the publications area of the website of the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

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