Scottish Hazards Campaign Group

All of us in the Hazards movement are mourning the death of Steve Ryan, who died suddenly at his home on Saturday, 6 February 2010 Stevie will be a huge loss to the Hazards movement and will be sorely missed by those of us who have worked with him and been supported by him over the years. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.

We want to share our stories of Stevie and to celebrate his life and his constant, long term championing of the right of all workers to safe working conditions.

Hazards Stevie chaired the Scottish Hazards Campaign from August 2003 until the present. Over that time, he also served as Scottish Hazards delegate to UK Hazards and as a member of the European Work Hazards Steering Group. At the AGM just weeks ago, he indicated that he was going to gradually take on some of the work of Secretary to the Campaign, including representing Scottish Hazards on the Partnership for Health and Safety in Scotland. Stevie helped enlarge and strengthen the Scottish Hazards Campaign Network, bringing many new people into the network, and leading on the development of ongoing education and training seminars.

Workplace Many at his work knew Stevie when not much more than a boy. He began at BAE in Prestwick as an apprentice fitter and worked there ever since, bringing up a young family and gradually becoming interested and involved in health and safety. He had for some years been a full time Health and Safety Rep and Convenor of the H&S Committee. He constantly campaigned for improvements in working conditions for his members, sometimes to the annoyance of even his fellow workers! He was instrumental in the development of UK wide Health and Safety work within BAE and latterly Spirit AeroSystems. Stevie was also shop steward and minute secretary of the Joint Shop Stewards Committee (JSSC) for many years where his experience in H&S was always handy. He worked closely with TUC studies tutors at STOW college on health and safety education.

It was Stevie's drive and enthusiasm that makes Spirit Aerostructures the safety conscious employer it is today. His passion was to raise the H & S standards for his workmates and colleagues and encourage them to get involved. He was always open minded and loved a good debate, where he would use his good sense of humour to great effect. Stevie will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.

Stevie was very popular as the turnout at his funeral showed it was one of the largest I have ever witnessed. He was always working for the benefit of others and this sometimes was not appreciated. He was a terrific family guy.

Union and football Stevie served as his local union branch secretary and had just joined the newly formed local activist committee for Unite. It is reliably reported that Stevie was also a loyal fan of Ayr United and a regular at Somerset Park, wind, rain or snow!

As a founder member of Families Against Corporate Killers ,following the needless loss of the life of my son through employer's negligence ,I met Stevie at several events,some of which Stevie chaired. On occasions I would be speaking for FACK, which I always found a strain. Stevie was able to make it so much easier by his kindness,humanity and his belief ,passionately held ,that employees should be able to come home safe from work

On behalf of the UK National Work-stress Network, I would like to express our great sadness at the sudden loss of a very dear friend in Stevie. Having met him with other colleagues at Hazards Conferences, also at our own Stress Network conferences, and through our occasional involvement with the Scottish Hazards Conferences, and European Hazards events.
I have come to know Stevie in a number of capacities and was privileged to meet with his wife and family too. Our sympathies go out to them at this sad time.
Stevie’s contributions to the Hazards agenda have been many and varied and all most welcome. His continued support for our involvement with the European Work Hazards Network, despite an earlier family tragedy, has been unstinting and very valuable.
Stevie will be sadly missed, but his memory will live on and the work that he undertook on behalf of so many will always be remembered. It will not be easy for Scottish Hazards to move forward without him, but I am sure that his wise words and his cheery sense of humour will never be forgotten. Ian Draper, Stress Network Convenor, www.workstress.net

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International Workers' Memorial Day: Remember the dead; fight for the living. The global union campaign day for safer, healthier and better work. For further information, pictures, posters information from around the world, see http://www.hazards.org/wmd/

Aberdeen: Seminar in the morning at the Town Hall, followed by wreath laying ceremony at Persley Gardens Memorial Stone (time to be confirmed)

Alloa: a WMD event at Clackmannanshire Council Offices, Greenfield (time to be confirmed)

Coatbridge: a WMD event 12noon - 1pm at Summerlee Industrial Museum, Coatbridge. For further information click here

Edinburgh: a wreath laying ceremony from 12.30 - 1.30 at WMD Tree in Princes Street Gardens. For further details , click here

Midlothian: Commemoration, 12.30pm in George V Park, Bonnyrigg. For further information click here

Paisley: a WMD event at Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street (time to be confirmed)

Dundee: a Memorial Lecture, 12.30-2pm Meadowside St Paul's Church, 114 Nethergate, Dundee. For further information, click here

Marking the 25th Anniversay of the Bhopal Disaster, one of the keynote speakers was Dharmesh Shaw from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal and the Bhopal Survivors Movement Study To see Dharmesh's slides, Click Here

On December 3rd, events were held in Bhopal, but also in Scotland, the UK and throughout the world to mark the 25th Anniversay

In October 2009, Scottish Hazards together with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives

Worker's Memorial Day, Monday 28 April 2009
International Workers Memorial Day: Remember the dead; fight for the living. The global union campaign day for safer, healthier, better work. For further information, pictures, posters, information from around the world, see Hazards Magazine http://www.hazards.org/wmd/index.htm and a new facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=170025585213

To see the seminar agenda, CLICK HERE. To see information provided at the seminar, CLICK HERE (STUC Strategy) and HERE (Slides from Robert Atkinson,HWL) and HERE (Slides from Scott Donohoe, Unison)

On 11 September 2008, 60 delegates from across Scotland attended the Campaign's

Worker's Memorial Day, Monday 28 April 2008
International Workers Memorial Day: Remember the dead; fight for the living. The global union campaign day for safer, healthier, better work. For further information, pictures, posters, information from around the world, see Hazards Magazine http://www.hazards.org/wmd/index.htm

Clydebank : Saturday, 26 April, 12 noon, Commemoration at Clydebank Plaza. Speakers include Ian Tasker, STUC Assistant Secretary

Dumfries: Monday, 28 April, 2.00pm, Dumfries TUC are planting a redwood tree in Castledykes Park, Dumfries

Dundee : Friday, 25 April, 12.30 pm, City Chambers: Annual Memorial Day lecture on the theme 'Equality for all, Creating an Inclusive Scotland' by Mary Senior, STUC Assistant Secretary
Monday, 28 April, Service at memorial tree adjacent to Discovery Quay

Edinburgh : Monday, 28 April, 12 noon, ceremony at Memorial Tree in Princes Street Gardens. Speakers: Louise Adamson, Families Against Corporate Killers, Eurig Scandrett, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. Music from Protest in Harmony, Edinburgh's radical singing group. For invitation, Click Here

Fife : Monday, 28 April, 11.00am, Memorial Service in Beveridge Park, Kircaldy
Monday, 28 April, 12 noon for 12.30-2.00pm, Seminar on Corporate Manslaughter Bill and Health and Safety in Fife Council
Speakers include: Thompson's Solicitors, Andy Stark, TUC Studies Tutor, Caroline Herschel, Corporate Services, Fife; Unison

Glasgow : Monday, 28 April, 1.00pm, Commemoration in George Square. Speakers: Karen Thompson, Families Against Corporate Killers,
Cllr Stephen Purcell, Leader, Glasgow City Council, Dave Moxham, STUC Deputy General Secretary, Sarah Jones, Scottish Government and PCS member, Frank Maguire, Thompson's Solicitors

Greenock : Monday, 28 April, 11.00 am, Commemoration at Workers Statue in Clyde Square

North Lanarkshire : Monday, 28 April, 12 noon, Unveiling of North Lanarkshire Workers Memorial, Summerlee Heritage Park, Coatbridge. Speakers include: Elaine Smith, MSP, Dorothy Wright, Families Against Corporate Killing, and Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary

Midlothian : Monday, 28 April, 12.30pm, Commemoration at the Memorial in George V Park, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian For invitation, CLICK HERE

West Lothian : Monday, 28 April, 9.30am for 10.00 am start, Bathgate Sports Centre, Seminar on Corporate Manslaughter Bill and other H&S issues. Speakers include: Dave Whyte, Liverpool University, (Cllr)Danny Carrigan, HSC
12.00 noon Commemoration at the Workers Memorial in the Sports Park. Speakers include current STUC Vice President, Fiona Farmer, Cllr Peter Johnston, Leader of WL Council, Jim Dickson, Deputy Provost, WL Council For invitation, Click Here

The Seminar on Legal Remedies held by Scottish Hazards in March of this year was well attended. Feedback from delegates was very positive. The Seminar was taken for the Campaign by Frank Maguire from Thompsons Solicitors.

At its meeting in May of this year, Scottish Hazards discussed the occupational health, safety and environmental practices of BP.

CLICK HERE and HERE for information provided by Mark Lyon, senior union health and safety representative at Grangemouth.

International Workers Memorial Day: Remember the dead; fight for the living. The global union campaign day for safer, healthier, better work. For further information, pictures, posters, information from around the world, see Hazards Magazine http://www.hazards.org/wmd/index.htm For information on what is happening in England and Wales, see http://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/

In Aberdeen: 10.00 am coach leaves Marischal College for Persley Memorial Gardens for commemoration; 11.00 am Coach departs for Rubislaw gardens ; 11.30 am March towards Union Street gathering at Castlegate for speeches

For information about events in West Lothian CLICK HERE for details of the ceremony and and HERE for details of the seminar. Both are being held at Bathgate Sports Park, Linlithgow Road, Bathgate, West Lothian

In Dumfries and Galloway the Trades Council has organised a May Day March for 28 April which will include marking Workers Memorial Day. March and speakers from Burns Statue to the Fountain, High Street, Dumfries, 12 pm.

In Dundee there will be a commemoration at the Workers Memorial Tree, Riverside Drive, adjacent to Discovery Point

In Glasgow there will be a Commemoration at the Burns Memorial, George Square, Glasgow, 1pm

In Paisley there will be a commemoration - Commemoration Memorial Plaque, Abbey Grounds Paisley, 12 noon

The following Councils will lower their flags to half mast on the 28th: Clackmananshire, Edinburgh, East Aryshire, Falkirk, Fife, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire, West Dumbartonshire, West Lothian

If an event is taking place in your area, please let us know so that we can include information about it here.

"The Disability Rights Commission and the Health and Safety Commission have agreed a joint statement on the overarching principles of health and safety management and disability in the workplace.

It is intended to promote a positive and sensible approach to risk management, encouraging the inclusion of disabled people in the workplace.

The Disability Rights Commission and Health and Safety Executive are developing practical guidance on health and safety risk assessment and disability at work. Publication is scheduled for autumn 2007."

6th Annual SCOTTISH HAZARDS CONFERENCE

Thursday, 16 November, 10am -4.30pm
STUC, Glasgow

The Scottish Hazards Campaign would like to thank the Awards for All for the generous
grant which made it possible for us to expand the scope and reach of the 2006 Conference.

Dr Thora Brendstrup, an occupational physician who works with trade unions in Denmark. She will be speaking on behalf of the European Work Hazards Network and telling delegates about joint work being carried out between Danish and Baltic States construction unions

Margaret Burns, a member of the Health and Safety Commission and Chair of the Scottish Partnership on H&S Steering Group

Tommy Gorman, a campaigner on asbestos victims rights and other OH&S issues and a member of the Stirling University Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, who will speak about occupational cancer and what we can learn from the history of asbestos related disease.

Members of FACK – Families Against Corporate Killing (relatives of people who have died through work who have joined together to campaign to stop other workers being killed in preventable incidents)

Disability
To see workshop slides, CLICK HERE

for further information, see below.

Last year's Scottish Hazards Conference saw a big increase in delegate numbers. 120 occupational health and safety activists came together in Falkirk to share experience and expertise and to debate the way forward for improved workplace health in Scotland.

Violence Click here See also a report of the Protecting Women Workers Serving the Public Conference held on 7 October 2005 Click here

Scottish Hazards Campaign Group submission to the Department of Work and Pensions House of Commons Select Committee inquiry into the work of the HSE and HSC - CLICK HERE

Scottish Hazards Campaign Group submission to the Scottish Expert Group on Corporate Homicide - CLICK HERE

ICL/Stockline Support Group petition for public inquiry - CLICK HERE This calls for a public inquiry into the Maryhill ICL/Stockline factory explosion on May 11th 2004 when, tragically, nine people lost their lives and more than 40 were seriously injured. Please copy and circulate it as widely as possible.