Higher Risks with Green Jobs, Says Hazards Editor
An increase in green jobs could well pave the way for increased employee injuries and health problems, said Rory O’Neill, editor of the health and safety journal Hazards and Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Stirling, Scotland.
O’Neill’s argument is that green jobs involve working in close proximity with hazardous waste, or working under conditions that heighten the risk to employee’s health. He gives the example of a typical recycling plant, where employees dispose off material like lead and asbestos, and they are exposed to fibreglass and other such materials in re-insulation works. Continual exposure to these materials can be extremely harmful to heath, he points out.
O’Neill also brings to fore the risks associated with huge insulation panels as well as the dangers of working at heights during the installation of energy-efficient windows, solar panels and wind turbines.
O’Neill says these factors underline the need for specially focussed safety measures to prevent untoward incidents at work. He adds that the unions will need to take special care and get actively involved in operations to ensure employee safety in green jobs. He warns that if this does not happen, green jobs such as recycling, waste management and installation of eco-friendly systems in new and existing structures may turn out beneficial to the environment at the cost of employees’ lives.
O’Neill substantiated his claims by quoting from a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report that claimed that waste and recycling is 10 times more dangerous than other jobs.
Employers have a duty towards ensuring health and safety of the workers; fire risk assessment and fire safety training are essential parts of any organisation
