Leif Jenkinson
12 Mar 2001
Hi, everyone: Major story (at least 10-15 minutes straight news air-time) tonight on National Public Radio, Monday,3/12/01 on All Things Considered - the evening news show. Researchers in Texas trying to figure out how the Asian Tiger Mosquito is getting here and bringing in serious disease like Dengue Fever.
Conclusion, the revolution in shipping called “Containers” – and especially used tires being shipped in them. Both tires and containers are ideal for mosquitoes – dark, protected, damp. And one more revolution – the speed of modern ships. The researcher is old enough that when young, he worked Longshore – and it was all breakbulk on slow vessels. Hmmm. Sounds like a Casual earning his way through college, huh? Longshore got good press on this one – pretty much – I thought.
Has the ILWU been tracking to see if its members are more prone to these foreign diseases (due to contact with containers, I suppose)? I would have guessed no because the containers are seldom opened at the ports, but. . . .
Then there is the government inspection/interdiction programs starting up that they spoke of. Is that slowing things down at your port?
If you want to hear the story, go to NPR.org, go to Programs, go to ATC (All Things Considered), find the right date. Needs Real Player, I believe. Transcripts are available, but they do charge.
In solidarity, leif Jenkinson
JBilderback
13 Mar 2001
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/mar/010309.disease.html
text & photo page with link to audio. (RealPlayer is required)
Tim Milligan
13 Mar 2001
Then how would one explain the advent of diseases such as dengue fever in other parts of the world where there is no containerization. While mosquitoes have been breading in discarded tires for many decades you never had such disease above certain longitude lines either north or south. Dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, etc bourn by tse tse flies, certain mosquitoes etc. range has been spreading for a number of years through increased temperature worldwide. Costa Rico just to name one country has seen a significant rise in dengue fever the last decade where there was never any reported cases before. Even if the Asian Tiger mosquito gets far north because a ride in a container it usually dies very soon because it doesn’t live in that areas temperature. But since the overall globe temperature has risen several degrees in the past decade or so these disease carrying insects can thrive. The CDC in Atlanta has estimated that the USA will see a outbreak of diseases such as dengue fever in it’s southern states. . . . . . . . .
Leif Jenkinson
13 Mar 2001
Excellent point – I wonder if it would be possible to find out the researchers name/address from NPR.
He didn’t say it was the only way it was spreading, he was trying to account for Asian (not S. American) Tiger Mosquitoes getting to Texas, and the speed of the spread – the speed is necessary because the mosquito (& larvae) don’t live all that many days. I gather he started because of Asian diseases appearing here, trying to trace the vector. And he was talking about the South. And they detailed the number of present Dengue cases in the US - which is not big in absolute numbers, yet. If you brought such bugs to the West Coast in early summer, they’d survive for quite a few generations before the next winter. For all I know, San Diego is warm enough for winter survival. And that’s why I asked if our ILWU members are showing any unusual incidence, or anyone has offered precautions in advance. Earthquakes are the only thing that kills.
In the right conditions, mosquitoes don’t need speed. Captain Cook and the sailing ships of his era spread mosquitoes via their water casks to parts of the world that didn’t have them - and they’ve continued to do damage to Hawaii’s wildlife (several bird extinctions, for example) ever since. But at the moment, I am asking about humans.
Maybe someone should forward this conversation to the ILWU Safety Officer? I don’t have his e-mail address.
Leif
JBilderback
13 Mar 2001
This seems to put longshoremen, particularly those working in SoCal and the gulf states, at serious risk due to the increased chance of a disease carrying insect surviving long enough to infect them. And what about illnesses carried by the crews from tropical or other regions? In the past year we worked a ship where the crew was removing shipboard refuse into dockside containers labled “bio hazard”, yet nobody was able or willing to tell me what was going on.
Is this area addressed in the safety code? if not, why? The only thing I could find in the safety code was the paragraph relating to “blood borne pathogens” and I presume it was referring to contamination by body fluids of injured workers.
J Bilderback
casual @ local 14
Fred Pecker
14 Mar 2001
Brothers,
While you are digging NPR had a report about a week ago. It was mostly about the outbreak that occurred in NYC 2 years ago. With the mosquito born outbreak of a disease not seen in the USA’s northeastern corner. They gave the history and repeated some of what has been said here. Didn’t mention any indication of people catching it by what work they do. But maybe they haven’t looked there. It seems a bit of brain power has been going into tracking the spread of these illnesses, but the report made the point alot is determined by how vigilant and knowledgeable local health departments are. As there is a danger that the local “authorities” may not even recognize they have an outbreak or a newly introduced disease.
Fred Pecker - 11731
local 6
Ole
14 Mar 2001
JBilderback writes:
This seems to put longshoremen, particularly those working in SoCal and the gulf states, at serious risk due to the increased chance of a disease carrying insect surviving long enough to infect them.And what about illnesses carried by the crews from tropical or other regions? In the past year we worked a ship where the crew was removing shipboard refuse into dockside containers labeled “bio hazard”, yet nobody was able or willing to tell me what was going on.
Is this area addressed in the safety code? if not, why?. . .
Yes J, the situation you describe IS covered – and covered REPEATEDLY – Pacific Coast Marine Safety Code (PCMSC).
Some of the language is harder to find. The emphasis (IN CAPS) in the examples below are mine.
DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS Rule 353. Employers shall ascertain whether there are ANY GENERAL OR SPECIFIC SAFETY AND/OR HEALTH HAZARDS.
Employees shall be informed of these hazards and any special precautions to be taken when such problems/hazards come to the attention of the Employer or prior to the start of these operations.
DUTIES OF SUPERVISION Rule 403.
They shall instruct workers under them in the proper and safe methods of handling cargo, gear and equipment. These instructions shall be given in a safety talk at the start of each shift. Workers arriving late on the job will receive these instructions from their direct supervisors, as soon as practicable. Special attention shall be focused on safe lashing practices, traffic patterns, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIAL particular to each ship and dock operation. Workers shall be informed of the designated assembly areas.
[note-this provision does not specify hazardous cargo]
For actual cargo that you are handling, of course, the rules are obvious:
DUTIES OF VESSELS OF ALL TYPES Rule 275 and DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS Rule 337.
Prior to the start of cargo handling operations a responsible representative of the employer shall ascertain from labels on the cargo, from the dangerous cargo manifest, or from other shipping documents, what hazardous cargoes, if any, are to be handled and the general nature of the hazard. He shall inform employees of the general nature of the hazard, the importance to the employees of preventing damage to the cargo and the special precautions to be taken.
The responsible representative of the employer aboard the vessel shall instruct the employees to notify him of any leaks or spills.
Any time you run into a hazard label, and have not been given the information required to be given to you, you are working in direct violation of the contract.
You don’t have to do that!
Should the situation be more severe than someone simply ignoring these requirements, like if you notice a leak or smell coming from a hazard-labeled container, crate, drum etc. – or even if such a POSSIBILITY EXISTS – see section (a) in the rules quoted below – you should be aware of the protection provided :
DUTIES OF VESSELS OF ALL TYPES Rule 275. , DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS Rule 336. , SHIPBOARD SAFETY RULES Rule 1044 and DOCK SAFETY RULES Rule 1104
No employee shall enter or be allowed to remain in a workplace in which a HAZARDOUS condition exists resulting from hazardous substances or materials in the atmosphere such as fumigants, pesticides, insecticides, asbestos, hazardous preservatives or any known carcinogen, ETC. , until proper precautions have been taken.
(a) Whenever it has been ascertained OR THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS that such a hazardous condition is present, the exact nature of the hazard, if any, SHALL BE DETERMINED.
Air sample tests shall be made by qualified persons acquainted with the hazard, trained for the duty and provided with proper equipment. Where Federal or state regulations prescribe inspector qualifications, they shall apply.
(b) Protective equipment, such as protective clothing, gloves, respirators, goggles, etc. , shall be provided whenever there is exposure to hazardous cargo.
(c) First aid supplies shall be provided and first aid shall be administered by a qualified person whenever employees are exposed to and adversely affected by hazardous cargo.
In any case, your common sense, the agreed-to PCMSC rules and the health and safety provisions in Sections 17 of the PCLCD and the PCCCD work hand in hand in dealing with these situations.
First, If you discover a hazard label on cargo you are working or on anything in the area where you are required to work, and you have not been informed about it, or especially if you find something leaking, GET THE HELL OUT OF THAT AREA.
Second, IMMEDIATELY tell the boss or the clerk under whom you are working about the condition in question.
Third, Do NOT return to working that area/cargo until, at the very least, the applicable provisions of the PCMSC Rules have been met, or until you are satisfied that the conditions under which you are to work are safe.
Lastly, If you still BELIEVE there is a threat to your health or safety, say exactly that to your immediate supervision and STAND BY.
At that point they can either
a) fix the problem,
b) work you “around” the problem or
c) continue the beef under the Section 17 provisions of the agreement.
You cannot be fired.
These Rules cover everyone working under our contracts. They have also been adopted by the workers and employers in several other maritime related trades. Many of them have subsequently been included in both the Federal safety regulations and in the safety laws of the States in which we work.
Hope this helps – the real point is, of course, that it sure as hell can’t hurt!
frats,
ole
