TUC Guide To Safe Maintenance Promoted By CWU

The CWU has issued a letter to all its Branches around the theme of safe maintenance working. This is the subject of the two year campaign being ruin for the European Week of Health & safety as previously reported by Unionsafety.

The LTB which details the TUC's advice to USR's begins:

"Maintenance work can be hazardous. Although it is estimated that 6% of the working population are involved in maintenance work (not always all the time), it is estimated that, throughout Europe, between 15 and 20% of injuries at work happen during maintenance work.

This is for three main reasons. Firstly maintenance work can often involve many of the most dangerous activities such as work at height, electricity, and dangerous equipment. Secondly, maintenance work is often not risk assessed before it is done, Thirdly, much of it is done by contractors who are unfamiliar with that workplace.
Maintenance workers are also far more likely to get occupational diseases such as mesothelioma, hearing loss, and musculoskeletal disorders.

But while maintenance activities can put workers at risk, not carrying out maintenance may put even more workers at risk, as people will have to work with dangerous equipment. A planned maintenance programme is therefore part of a good safety culture, but must be done safely."

The remainder of the LTB goes into the detail of the TUC's advice and also includes useful links for further information. You can also go to the official website of the Safe Maintenance campaign by going to the home page of this website and clicking on the Healthy Workplaces pic.

The complete LTB (788/10) can be downloaded here

Source: CWU

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