News for 2007
July
New sound advice website launches
You are invited to visit a new Sound Advice website containing draft practical advice on controlling noise at work in the music and entertainment sectors. This has been developed by an industry working group with support from the Health and Safety Executive.
Music and entertainment sectors are defined in the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 as all workplaces where a) live music is played; or b) recorded music is played in a restaurant, bar, public house, discotheque or nightclub, or alongside live music or a live dramatic or dance performance.
Please go to the home page - www.soundadviceconsultation.info - and explore as much as is relevant to your needs and interests.
Promoter investigates chaos at concert
Concert promoter MCD has set up a "specialist committee" chaired by by former Garda commissioner Pat Byrne to examine last weekend's concert by Barbra Streisand in Co Kildare. Many people who attended the event were angry at what they claimed was poor organisation, and some concert-goers said they arrived at the event in Castletown House to find their seats - for which they had paid substantial sums of money - taken by others.
There were also criticisms of the decision to open just one of four available entrances to the grounds of the castle, a step that some people believed created traffic problems. Some of those at the concert had paid over €500 per ticket but claimed that when they got to the event there were no stewards to direct them to their seats. In some cases, the numbers on the seats had washed off, and other people had claimed the seats. After complaints surfaced in Sunday's newspapers, MCD blamed bad weather and "opportunistic" fans who took reserved seats for the chaos.
MCD said today it had set up a specialist committee to conduct a thorough examination of the issues affecting concert-goers arising from Saturday night's concert. However, the company said it had received just 127 complaints to date from the 17,000 attendance. It had acknowledged 95 per cent of all complaints and all further complaints will be dealt with "promptly", it added.
"A statement apologising to affected fans that were at the show, acknowledging a number of issues relating to traffic, car parking and seating arrangements, was issued publicly within hours of the concert taking place [Sunday morning]," the statement said. The committee to investigate the issues will also include Michael Slattery of Slattery & Associates; Julian Davis, communications consultant on Special Olympics World Games; and Denis Desmond and Justin Green of MCD.
The committee will hold its first meeting this week, and MCD expects its work will be completed by "early September". "MCD again wishes to apologise to all fans affected by Saturday night's events and ensures the issues will be dealt with effectively and efficiently by the specialist committee," the statement said. MCD asked concerned concert-goers to write to Denis Desmond, 7, Park Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Insurance company warns on tired drivers
In light of recent incidents where tired employees have fallen asleep at the wheel following long hours, Norwich Union is warning fleet managers that tired drivers “could be just as dangerous as drink drivers”. The motor risk manager for Norwich Union, Bill Pownall, is also advising managers to be alert for signs of the condition of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in its employees, as this dangerous condition is predicted to affect one in six drivers.
According to Norwich Union, 86% of people have driven when tired, or had actually ‘nodded off’ when driving. Working long hours and travelling excessively can all add to an employee’s sense of feeling tired, but the risk is increased dramatically if they are suffering from the dangerous, and little-known disease of OSA. In fact, according to research, most sufferers of OSA do not realise they have it, as the symptoms are not all that easy to spot.
Says Pownall: "Although fatigue and tiredness are both factors in driver safety, it is important to differentiate these signs from excessive sleepiness including the symptoms of irrit which included excessive daytime sleepiness or, in extreme circumstances, falling asleep during the day. Symptoms include restless sleep, loud snoring with periods of silence followed by gasps, morning headaches, trouble concentrating due to lack of restful sleep, irritability, forgetfulness and mood or behaviour changes due to poor sleep patterns over long periods.”
“Whilst the symptoms are persistent, avoiding driving altogether will reduce the risk of road accidents," said Bill. He added, "It is the responsibility of the fleet manager to assess the safety of the driver’s ability to drive on a day-to-day basis. It is equally important that the individual is aware of the risks involved whilst driving tired and acts responsibly by declaring they are suffering from symptoms and visit their GP, as there is a variety of treatments available."
As reported earlier in the year, an HGV driver suffering from OSA has been given the go-ahead for his disability discrimination claim to proceed, having been considered disabled by an Employment Tribunal. What form of compensation, if any, he will receive remains to be seen.
Corporate knighthood award for sustainable business
Sustainable businesses are being invited to apply for a ‘corporate knighthood’ to recognise their effort. Organisations from all sectors can apply for a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – dubbed a ‘corporate knighthood’ – which recognises outstanding achievement in international trade, innovations and sustainable development.
Stephen Brice, secretary to the Queen’s Awards Office, says: “Over the last five years, more than 600 companies have won Queen’s Awards, but I’m convinced there are many more worthy firms out there who stand a good chance of winning this prestigious corporate accolade.”
Any business with two or more employees can apply for an award, and the winners can use the Queen’s Award emblem for five years. In a survey of last year’s winners, 70% believed a Queen’s Award added commercial value to the company. Applications and nominations for the 2008 awards must be received by midnight of 31 October 2007.
Promoter criticises council for anti-youth stance
A promoter has accused the authorities in St Albans of being "anti-youth music" after a huge homecoming gig nearly had to be cancelled at the last minute. Local band Enter Shikari, who have enjoyed worldwide success with their first album, Take to the Skies, played a fundraising gig for the Pioneer youth centre at the Alban Arena on Sunday night. They chose local unsigned bands as their support acts to give them the chance to play to a large audience, but an eleventh-hour security clampdown meant the event almost did not go ahead.
Keith Reynolds, from Trashcan Promotions, is the father of Enter Shikari's lead singer, Rou. He said: "There was a bit of a fiasco in the lead up to the show. The district council's licensing officers decided to have a crisis meeting with the Alban Arena management, and told the show's organisers Live Nation to get double the amount of security they already had. So at the last minute they had to spend another £2,000.
"This is after the Enter Shikari show at the Pioneer at Christmas had the plug pulled on it at the last minute. If I was a conspiracy theorist I would say they were against youth music in St Albans. The searches the kids went through were completely unfair, they were having to queue round the block waiting." Mr Reynolds said the show eventually went off without a hitch, and that all of the bands gave an "awesome" performance.
A spokesman for St Albans District Council said the extra security was needed because the gig was for over-14s and alcohol was on sale. The spokesman said: "The council's licensing department, working with the police and the Alban Arena to protect children from harm and ensure public safety, stipulated that either no alcohol was to be sold or that it should be sold from a single bar, where only those aged 18 or over should be allowed in.
"They also asked that there be 16 fully licensed door supervisors, in addition to the front of house staff, because they're trained in handling crowds and the licensing issues that might arise. The cost of staff and security is usually covered by the promoter so this case was no different to any other. The event went ahead and was very well received by everyone attending and involved."
Live Music Forum report released
The Live Music Forum, operated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has now released its full report on the effect of the Licensing Act on live music.
Download the report here. (PDF)
No smoking 'til Hammersmith!
The back lounge will never be the same again!
It is now against the law to smoke on passenger carrying vehicles, this includes tour/sleeper buses.
When can you smoke in a tent?
The smoking ban which came into force on July 1st. has had marquee company boss Richard Whitcomb scratching his head. For on some occasions, smoking will be allowed inside his tents and on others, it must be banned.
Mr Whitcomb, who runs Petworth Marquee Hire, said he had had to contact Chichester District Council's smoke-free advice team to sort out when he needed to display the no-smoking signs demanded by the new legislation.
"If it's a marquee for a private event in someone's back garden with no caterers or a DJ or anyone working in there, people can smoke because it is not a public place. But once it becomes a workplace, they can't. And if any of my staff are caught smoking when a marquee comes into the category of being a public place, I could be heavily fined."
The rule on substantially-enclosed places means that if he decided, on a hot summer's day, to remove more than 50 per cent of the sides of his tents, they still would not qualify for smoking unless he took off some of the roof as well.
A spokeswoman for Chichester District Council said the council would generally be adopting a non-confrontational approach on the smoking ban and would react to complaints made as and when necessary. A fixed penalty notice would be issued only as a last resort.
"The smoke-free legislation covers all enclosed and substantially-enclosed premises," she said. "The real difficulty concerns businesses and premises that have been smoke-free for years not realising they are also required to display the relevant signs. Experience from elsewhere suggests that there will be very little resistance to the new legislation. Indeed, the response from people that I have spoken to has been very positive, even from those who smoke."
Driver fined for smoking
A driver caught smoking in his boss’s car has been issued with what is thought to be Wales’ first fixed penalty notice for his action. A Conwy Council enforcement officer issued the £50 fine after spotting the unnamed driver lighting up in the vehicle.
Under the terms of the smoking ban, all company and public vehicles are classed as workplaces and included in the new legislation, which was introduced in Wales on April 2. Until the fine was issued this week, councils have only sent out warning letters to people or premises breaching the new law.
A Conwy Council spokesman said that, in the future, smokers could be named and shamed if they fell foul of the ban. Event organisers are reminded that under the Legislation, Tents, Marquees and Big Tops are classed as a public area where smoking is not permitted.
DTI restructured
The Department for Trade and Industry is now to be known as the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR). In a restructure that has been applauded by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the new department will bring together the functions of the former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Better Regulation Executive (BRE), previously part of the Cabinet Office. Responsibilities for enterprise, business relations, regional development, fair markets and energy policy will all be under the new department’s scope.
The Department is headed by John Hutton, the first Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, who was previously Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The CBI expects Hutton “will provide the strong voice on the new Brown Cabinet that business was seeking so that government fully understands the realities of today’s global economy.”
This is not the first time that the Department has changed its name, with the ill-fated Department of productivity, Energy and Industry lasting just a couple of days before reverting back to the DTI. But, this time around, it is not just a mere name change; its focus has shifted with the change in leader, Gordon Brown having never been a fan of the DTI in its previous incarnation.
Another Department, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) has also been created, to replace the Department for Education and Skills. According to the Secretary of State, John Denham, the DIUS has “the mission to ensure every person in this country has the potential to reach their full potential and highest ambitions. High quality skills are vitally important to achieve this ambition and we must strive to build a workforce able to compete in a highly competitive global market.” As previously reported, Prime Minister Brown is keen on improving the qualifications and education of Britain’s workforce, and this restructure will go some way to enable this. As Chancellor, and with Education Secretary Alan Johnson, Brown called for all employers to sign up to a ‘Skills Pledge’ to ensure that all their employees reach a skills level equivalent to five good GCSEs.
The DBERR will provide support to the new Business Council for Britain, which will assist the Government in putting in place the right strategy to promote the long-term health of the UK economy.
Charity warns on hearing loss
Music fans could be facing a "hearing loss time bomb", a charity has warned, and urged the assembly government to introduce a noise limit on live music. RNID Cymru also said young people faced a lack of any guidance on loud music. The charity's research suggests 70% of clubbers, 68% of concert-goers and 44% of people in bars experience hearing damage symptoms after a night out. A spokesman for the assembly government said local authorities were responsible for monitoring noise levels.
The charity's survey found 90% of young people experience signs of hearing damage, such as dullness of hearing or tinnitus - ringing in the ears. The report found more than 50% of those surveyed visited a bar where they had to shout to be heard at least once a week, but only a quarter thought the music in these venues was too loud.
RNID Cymru, which represents 480,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Wales, called on the Welsh Assembly Government to bring in a recommended noise exposure level for audiences at music venues Monica Mahoney, from the charity" said "the lack of any guidance on loud music means this generation of music lovers could be facing a hearing loss time bomb.
"Our research shows most young people have experienced the first signs of permanent hearing damage after a night out, yet have no idea how to prevent it. With regular exposure to music at high volumes in clubs, gigs and bars, it's only too easy to clock up noise doses that could damage their hearing forever.
'Nuisance duties'
"Young people who love music need to be educated so they can make choices about the risk of exposure to loud noise and protect their hearing from premature damage. RNID Cymru is calling on the Wales Assembly Government to establish a recommended noise exposure level for audiences attending music venues and events, and educate young people about noise as a public health risk."
An assembly government spokesman said: "Local authorities are responsible for monitoring noise levels in nightclubs, pubs and other venues as part of their health and safety and noise nuisance duties." According to the World Health Organization, exposure to excessive noise is the major avoidable cause of permanent hearing loss worldwide.
WEEE regulations now in force
On 1 July 2007, the deadline for implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 came into force, affecting everybody in the WEEE chain.
Businesses have had six months to prepare for the Regulations, which came into force on 2 January 2007. They place new duties on Producers, distributors and end-users to ensure waste electrical and electronic equipment is disposed of correctly. The WEEE Regulations aim to minimise the amount of WEEE that goes in landfill.
Research has shown that many businesses are unaware of their duties under the Regulations.
