PRESS BRIEFING FOR LOCAL MEDIA IN OXFORD
CHRISTINE STANDING
February 2005
A LOCAL WOMAN FROM OXFORD, Christine Standing, is involved in a campaign to draw attention to the lack of Directors' accountability and the unacceptable number of work-related deaths.
She and her late husband, a commercial airline pilot for Virgin Atlantic, wrote to the company drawing attention to the lack of strategies to combat organizational stress. Both drew attention to the potential outcomes of such an approach to safety - in their opinion, and according to studies, this can lead to coronary heart disease. Mrs Standing was at that time working as a stress therapist.
Christine Standing stated:
"No working man should have to work in an atmosphere of work-related stress - particularly when they are involved in safety critical work. Squadron Leader Peter Standing QCVSA served his country well and was honoured by the Queen for Valuable Service in the Air. It is to the shame of the UK that it was in the Civil Aviation context that he lost his life, aged 55. These things are impossible to prove, but I do think that the stress he suffered at work had a real impact on him and may have contributed to his heart-attack. He had previously only just undergone his 6-monthly aviation medical - which included an ECG - and no heart abnormality existed prior to this event.
Many people will remember the crash of the Trident at Staines. The Captain had also been subjected to enormous organizational stressors. His heart attack occurred on take-off and the subsequent crash killed 115 people. At the Inquiry the question was asked, "Why does it always take an accident to make BEA take action?" The same is the case today. The public interest in how airlines are managed should be enormous. The safety of all of us who fly as crew or passengers or live beneath flight paths is at stake.
Senior management have not been subjected to an open, transparent, enquiry into the adequacy of their company's systems for avoiding stress to airline pilots."
On 4th March there will be a reading of a Health and Safety (Directors Duties) Bill. Such a bill needs to be introduced as the voluntary approach to directors' responsibility has failed. Research shows that companies identify statutory regulation, rather than voluntary codes, as the motivating factor for positive health and safety performance.
- CURRENT UK LAWS FAIL TO IMPOSE POSITIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY OBLIGATION ON COMPANY DIRECTORS.
- THE DUTIES PLACED UPON THE COMPANY DO NOT REQUIRE INDIVDIUAL DIRECTORS TO TAKE ANY PARTICULAR ACTION, EVEN THOUGH THEIR FAILURE TO ACT MAY MEAN THAT THE COMPANY FAILS TO COMPLY WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW AND THEREFORE COMMITS AN OFFENCE.
- EMPLOYEES CARRY THE BURDEN OF LEGAL HEALTH AND SAFETY DUTY; A COMPANY DIRECTOR CARRIES NONE.
For further information contact Christine Standing at chris@aviationwatch.co.uk
To find out more information on the directors' duties Bill: see the website of the Centre for Corporate Accountability (Tel: 020 7490 4494)
Please download this draft letter and revise it and send it to you MP.