Wednesday, September 08, 2004
[IWS] EU: VIOLENCE in the EDUCATION SECTOR Fact Sheets [3 September 2004]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
From the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Fact Sheets on VIOLENCE in the EDUCATION SECTOR
http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/education/indexbytopic11.php?id=432
Press Release [3 September 2004]
New advice to combat violence and other health risks in the education sector
http://agency.osha.eu.int/news/press_releases/en/06_09_2004/index.htm
New advice has been published to help teachers and other staff in Europe's education sector minimise the risk of violence and other health hazards. According to recent studies, 4% of employees in the sector have been physically assaulted and 12% subjected to some form of intimidation, leading to increased staff turnover and absenteeism.
Published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the three new factsheets provide clear and simple advice to alleviate risks such as abusive pupils and parents, musculoskeletal disorders induced by lifting children and other dangers. The Agency has also produced a special web feature <http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/education/> providing more in-depth guidance, case studies of good practice and links to organisations offering relevant information and health and safety advice. It also includes an online forum for discussing key issues.
The three factsheets include:
* Prevention of violence to staff in the education sector (No. 47): Describes the principal causes of violence against staff and the main steps organisations need to take to assess and minimise the risks. It includes a useful checklist of issues that should be considered when formulating a plan, such as the design of the premises, behavioural strategies and administrative controls.
* Occupational health and safety in the education sector (No. 46): Highlights the main risks, such as bullying, stress and slips, and the procedures required to control them, including risk assessments. Five of the most common hazards are also identified for action, including the risks of falls, poorly maintained floor surfaces and the need to mark transparent glass to prevent injuries from breakages.
* Management of occupational safety and health in the education sector (No. 45): Provides a framework for evaluating and assessing the risks, from identifying the most vulnerable people and situations to allocating responsibility for managing the risks and monitoring progress. There is also an overview of EC legislation governing safety and health in education, including employersand employeeslegal responsibilities.
Based on increasing evidence of emerging problems, as also dramatic events both in Europe and in the United States have illustrated, education has been identified as a key priority in the Agencys health and safety activities. We hope that our publications will contribute to raise awareness about the serious psychosocial and other health problems in the sector, and more important help to manage them in an efficient way.says Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Agency Director. We're also working on bringing safety and health issues to the classroom, so that young people are both aware and prepared for the risks they might encounter when they eventually get a job themselves.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
From the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Fact Sheets on VIOLENCE in the EDUCATION SECTOR
http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/education/indexbytopic11.php?id=432
Press Release [3 September 2004]
New advice to combat violence and other health risks in the education sector
http://agency.osha.eu.int/news/press_releases/en/06_09_2004/index.htm
New advice has been published to help teachers and other staff in Europe's education sector minimise the risk of violence and other health hazards. According to recent studies, 4% of employees in the sector have been physically assaulted and 12% subjected to some form of intimidation, leading to increased staff turnover and absenteeism.
Published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the three new factsheets provide clear and simple advice to alleviate risks such as abusive pupils and parents, musculoskeletal disorders induced by lifting children and other dangers. The Agency has also produced a special web feature <http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/sector/education/> providing more in-depth guidance, case studies of good practice and links to organisations offering relevant information and health and safety advice. It also includes an online forum for discussing key issues.
The three factsheets include:
* Prevention of violence to staff in the education sector (No. 47): Describes the principal causes of violence against staff and the main steps organisations need to take to assess and minimise the risks. It includes a useful checklist of issues that should be considered when formulating a plan, such as the design of the premises, behavioural strategies and administrative controls.
* Occupational health and safety in the education sector (No. 46): Highlights the main risks, such as bullying, stress and slips, and the procedures required to control them, including risk assessments. Five of the most common hazards are also identified for action, including the risks of falls, poorly maintained floor surfaces and the need to mark transparent glass to prevent injuries from breakages.
* Management of occupational safety and health in the education sector (No. 45): Provides a framework for evaluating and assessing the risks, from identifying the most vulnerable people and situations to allocating responsibility for managing the risks and monitoring progress. There is also an overview of EC legislation governing safety and health in education, including employersand employeeslegal responsibilities.
Based on increasing evidence of emerging problems, as also dramatic events both in Europe and in the United States have illustrated, education has been identified as a key priority in the Agencys health and safety activities. We hope that our publications will contribute to raise awareness about the serious psychosocial and other health problems in the sector, and more important help to manage them in an efficient way.says Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Agency Director. We're also working on bringing safety and health issues to the classroom, so that young people are both aware and prepared for the risks they might encounter when they eventually get a job themselves.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:40 AM
