European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) - News list / Health & Safety

10/09/2019

High levels of endocrine disruptors found among children

Hundreds of substances capable of disrupting hormone production exist. Used to a massive extent by industry in many different products, these substances are linked to serious health problems such as cancers, reproductive health disorders, developmental disorders such as obesity, lower intelligence quotients, etc. The main substances used include bisphenols, phthalates, parabens, glycol ethers, brominated flame retardants and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). For the first time, the French public health agency Santé publique France has measured the presence of these substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in the bodies of children and adults in a large sample (1,104 children and 2,503 adults) representative of the French population. The work was carried out in the context of the ESTEBAN (enquête de santé sur l’environnement, la biosurveillance, l’activité physique et la nutrition) public health survey.

5/08/2019

Link between night shift work and breast, prostate and colorectal cancer

In June 2019 a working group of 27 scientists from 16 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France to finalise their evaluation of the carcinogenicity of night shift work. This evaluation will be published in volume 124 of the IARC Monographs and an initial summary of their work was published in The Lancet in July 2019.

5/08/2019

New online database for identifying endocrine disruptors

A team at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai, India, has placed online a database which identifies 686 endocrine disruptors. The database is called DEDuCT: Database on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and their Toxicity Profiles

18/07/2019

France Télécom: institutional harassment before a court

A landmark trial ended on 11 July 2019 at the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance. It was triggered by a complaint filed with the Paris public prosecutor by the union SUD PTT in December 2009, accusing France Télécom and its senior executives of "moral harassment" and "endangering others".

15/07/2019

Colombia bans asbestos

On 11 June 2019, the Colombian House of Representatives unanimously voted to ban asbestos as of 1 January 2021. A historic victory for the unions and victim associations, the vote took place in an unfavourable political context.

11/07/2019

Italy: industrial pollution boosts health inequality

The 5th SENTIERI report was published in Italy in June 2019. SENTIERI is an ambitious Italian project collecting data on sites with identified industrial pollution.

10/07/2019

Austria bans glyphosate

On 2 July 2019, the Austrian parliament approved a complete ban on the use of glyphosate in Austria. At the initiative of the Austrian socialist party, the SPÖ, this new act bans the marketing of any herbicide containing glyphosate as its main agent. This makes Austria the first EU Member State to adopt such legislation with a view to protecting public health and preventing cancer.

9/07/2019

The prison as a microcosm of society

The latest issue of HesaMag, the ETUI’s biannual magazine on health and safety at work, focuses on working conditions behind bars. It is not an obvious topic for HesaMag, as it goes far beyond the medical aspects of occupational health. But the aim of each issue is to focus on occupations and sectors at the margins of society to show how a broader social solidarity can be beneficial for everybody.

2/07/2019

Workers and chemicals: 15th ETUI seminar

photo news ETUI seminar on chemicals in Lisbon

The 15th annual ETUI seminar on chemicals and worker protection took place on 27-28 June 2019. Held in Lisbon in collaboration with the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP), the meeting brought together more than 40 unionists from 21 European countries. Its aim was to coordinate union action on chemical risks.

26/06/2019

Crystalline silica: a serious risk for young workers

At the end of May 2019, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) published the results of its study of the risks associated with crystalline silica for workers.