Accidentally Safe

1. Global Textiles and the Organic Movement

Melody Kemp

Accidentally Safe

Growing Pesticides,herbicides, fungicides, wetting agents, aerial crop dusting, manual pollination (dehydration, heat stress, child labour)

Mechanical hazards

Biological

Harvesting Mechanical hazards

Ergonomic stresses

Accidental Safety

Processing Spinning Dust noise, residue exposures. Sizing exposures,

Dyeing Carcinogens (bladder Thyroid breast) persistent chemicals, pernicious anaemia

Weaving/Knitting Noise, machine safety, dust chemical residues, ergonomic hazards

Accidentally Safe

European led movement to restrict the use of toxic materials for env and consumer safety. OHS marginal concern.

Codify and certify organic producers

Publish transgressors and progress through international trade magazine Eco Textile News.

Work with small holder organic farmers.

Accidentally Safe

Some questions exist about plant based dyes e.g indigo. Regulation of small holders becomes responsibility of non labour agencies

Accidentally Safe.

Heavy Construction and Dams.

Conservatives 37,000 workers in Lao alone. Hydro in Thai, Burma, China Vietnam.

Accidentally Safe: Dams and Construction

Hazards - dams.Vehicular accidentsFalls from height, crush, rock fallsHIV/STD’sExplosivesSilicosis- dust diseaseMechanicalChemicals- hardeners, solvents etc.

Accidentally Safe

Who are involved? Textiles:

RITE Group. Uni. of Leeds, M and S etc.

AFIRM, with old adversaries in saintly faces: GAP Levis Strauss Nike, international European based fashion houses and retailers, plus University based textile scientists, and producers in Africa and India.

Accidentally Safe: Dams

Who Are Involved;

International Rivers Network

EIA

Greenpeace

Int. Building Workers

Accidentally Safe

Collaborate? Complement? Criticise? Conquer?

In some AMRC/ANROAV nations labour is harder to organise than environmental

Are old enemies trying to capture the good will stakes and what effect will their concern have over labour rights?

Accidentally Safe

Effect of OHS

How to quantify?

How to monitor?

How to contribute.. Which end of the process?

Exposure standards? Env. often more stringent than OHS