Posted on April 22, 2015
Check and share the powerful IWMD graphics from Hazards’ 28 April gallery.
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is excited to publish this guest blog by Rory O’Neill who is the head writer and editor of Hazards Magazine – the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards. Rory is also Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group at the University of Stirling, Scotland, a Health, safety and environment adviser at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Editor, ITUC health and safety e-news. Hazards “looks behind the company safety hype, and gives union answers to workplace problems.” ADAO applaud Hazards,the International Trade Union Confederation, and many others for their dedicated efforts and actions to protect occupational safety and health. As we join together in solidarity on April 28 for International Workers Memorial Day and say “Remember the Dead. Fight for the Living.” ~ Linda Reinstein
“If you expose us, we’ll expose you.” By Rory O’Neill
Rory O’Neill, Editor, Hazards magazine
Imagine a killer that strikes more than once every minute. Most of these deaths could be stopped with minimal effort, but preventive measures are being blocked. That killer is occupational cancer and a mixture of toxic marketing and regulatory failure has already condemned another generation to an early grave.
ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow, whose organization is spearheading global union activities on toxics elimination on the 28 April Workers’ Memorial Day, says here’s decades of evidence about the causes of occupational cancer, and enough early warnings to avoid introducing a new generation of killers. “But instead of prevention, we are facing a toxic cocktail of denial and deceit that means more people than at any time in history will develop tumors caused by their job,” she says.
“Take asbestos. In May 2015, it is all but certain just enough governments will dance to the asbestos industry’s tune to keep chrysotile asbestos off the toxic exports list included in a United Nations treaty. It is an every day example of an industry protecting its markets. Global asbestos production is not falling, and in some countries, including India, Indonesia and Brazil, consumption has increased.”
Sharan Burrow notes that some of the world’s most profitable companies are not just defending their toxic products, they are defending weak exposure standards that mean they profit and you pay.
“It is not ethical, it is not healthy and it is not what we bargained for, she says, adding: “We make this pledge – if they expose us, we will expose them.”
ITUC/Hazards annotated occupational cancer bibliography
Rory O’Neill
Editor, Hazards magazine www.hazards.org
Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, University of Stirling, Scotland
Health, safety and environment adviser, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Editor, ITUC health and safety e-news