CIS Newsletter

No. 182
November 2004


CIS Newsletter celebrates 16 years & still going strong! Bringing news to over 135 countries in the CIS Network


Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Press Release from CIS HQ
  3. JOSE is thriving
  4. News from around the World - Canada, Finland, ILO, Malawi, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, UK, USA
  5. FOCUS - Worksafe - new cancer project
  6. OSH UPDATE: affordable new Internet based service
  7. OSHE web sites
  8. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

Many thanks to you have sent emails and news - these are always gratefully received and are used as soon as possible.

For those who did attend the CIS annual meeting there is news about JOSE magazine from Poland and also the European Project on Cancer called Worksafe in this edition of the CIS Newsletter, a note from Nayab Sultan, and some information from Saeed Ahmed Awan in Pakistan - to mention a few. NB If you have not sent your report to CIS HQ please do so, and perhaps you can send a copy to me so that I can include details in the forthcoming editions.

At the meeting we talked about press releases and other publicity vehicles we can use to disseminate the activities of the CIS network. You will find the first press release from CIS HQ in this edition - you should have received it directly but do take the opportunity to send this out to media contacts - newspapers, newsletters, organisations, other government bodies who should be taking a deep interest in all things health and safety at work! We know that some countries try to ignore occupational safety and health (OSH) but by constant PR we can ensure that OSH is alive and noted by all concerned. Don't be afraid to send press releases - in my job I get hundreds a year and likewise send out press releases on topics and subjects connected with our business.

There is as usual, a range of news items, details of conferences being planned - well into 2005, a range of activities that have been carried out or currently being undertaken, plus new publications and services. There is never a better time for OSH information people - there are so many ways that services to users can be improved. CIS Information Centres and Staff need to watch closely and alert users about new trends, technologies and hazards.

My thanks to all the contributors to this edition of your Newsletter - all news however small is most welcomed.

If you are planning any publications, conferences, seminars or training courses, then please send your details to me so that we can share your efforts with others. Don't forget to send me your latest news! It is amazing how much the CIS Newsletter content gets re-used around the world.

You know I welcome ideas for inclusion in the future editions of this Newsletter. Let me know if there are any areas you would wish to see covered in future.

I would really like to send the CIS Newsletter by email only FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:

A few people have responded since the last edition, but if there is anyone else who want to get it electronically please let me know as soon as possible your email number. Anyone who finds that they cannot received the CIS Newsletter either by email or from the web site www.sheilapantry.com/cis where back issues are stored should also let me know by fax +44 1909 772829 that paper based service is the only way.

Also on emails.... Some of you who have changed your email number and addresses in recent months, please let CIS Headquarters know your new email/address and also let me know as well - otherwise you will not get the CIS Newsletter or other news.

Best wishes to you and your colleagues.

Sheila Pantry, OBE

85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK
Tel: +44 1909 771024
Fax: +44 1909 772829
Email: sp@sheilapantry.com
www.oshworld.com
www.sheilapantry.com
www.shebuyersguide.com


CIS NETWORK OF NATIONAL AND COLLABORATING OSH CENTRES
WORKING TOGETHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER...


Press Release..... News from CIS HQ

The 2004 CIS Annual Meeting of Members strongly recommended that CIS HQ should issue Press Releases that can be used in our own countries.... This is the first one....

Two important sources of lifesaving information are now freely available to the public on the ILO's website. The English version of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety and the bilingual (English/French) CISDOC database were previously available only on subscription through partner institutions. Internauts are now invited to point their browsers at www.ilo.org/safework/info/databases/lang--en/WCMS_113329/index.htm and www.ilo.org/dyn/cisdoc/index_html (underscore, not full stop, between "index" and "html").

The ILO's International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre announced the news in Brussels on 18 September 2004 at a meeting of knowledge management specialists from 20 countries. The delegates represented some of the 137 institutions world-wide that contribute time and publications to an active and self-sustaining information exchange network, a network that was an important source of expertise for the Encyclopaedia and continues to provide material for the CISDOC database.

Now in its fourth edition, the Encyclopaedia is a unique and widely respected reference. Its 1000 articles and copious illustrations have been available on paper, CD-ROM and the World Wide Web since 1998. But always at a price. Responding to calls from International Labour Conference Delegates and the ILO Governing Body to provide free access to more resources, the InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork) has now made the Encyclopaedia the centrepiece of its "SafeWork Bookshelf", which presently also includes the ILO/WHO/UNEP International Chemical Safety Cards.

CISDOC is the fruit of 30 years of screening the occupational safety and health literature of the world for interesting and useful books, articles and audiovisual materials that occupational safety and health specialists can use in their fight against workplace accidents and diseases. It already guides users to over 62,000 publications, and 2000 more references are added every year.

The Encyclopaedia and CISDOC are still available from their long-time vendors. The two are searchable together on the World Wide Web at www.ilocis.org, and CISDOC is combined with other important occupational safety and health databases on CD-ROMs from the Croner unit of Wolters-Kluwer (UK) and from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (Also shortly CISDOC will be available on the new OSH UPDATE product - see notice in this newsletter.

An important tool is included with the Encyclopaedia and CISDOC: the CIS Thesaurus. This trilingual (English/French/Spanish) collection of terms is used by the ILO to index CISDOC references, and by a number of occupational safety and health libraries around the world to organize their collections. In the Internet age, it is a valuable source of "meta-data" for making Web pages easier to find.


News from Malawi

Nayab Sultan writes to say that he is now Visiting Professor at the University of Malawi. He would welcome any information to help in his work. His contact details are as follows:

Professor Nayab Sultan
Department of Environmental Health
University of Malawi
The Polytechnic
Private Bag 303
Chichiri, Blantyre 3
Malawi

Tel. +265 1 670 411
Fax. +265 1 670 578
Cell. +44 7970 777 822
Email. nsultan@global-safety.com
www.poly.ac.mw


News from Poland

JOSE is thriving

The Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute publishes an English-language scientific quarterly the International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (JOSE) with results of research studies from various countries as well as reviews of books, and information about seminars and conferences organised in Poland and abroad. The journal maintains its high quality by having all submissions reviewed by members of the International Editorial Board (45 members from 21 countries).

Published in cooperation with The International Ergonomics Association
Recognized by The International Labour Organization
Supported by The State Committee for Scientific Research of Poland

Abstracted or indexed by Ergonomics Abstracts and Ergonomics Abstracts Online; Safety and Health at Work—ILO-CIS Bulletin; OSH-ROM (CISDOC, HSELINE, NIOSHTIC); MEDLINE; Chemical Abstracts; Health and Safety Science Abstracts; INRS-BIBLIO; Index Copernicus.
and in the BRAND NEW OSH UPDATE! (See details elsewhere in this Newsletter).

Subscription price: institutional: US $190, individual: US $70, individual for members of the International Ergonomics Association: US $40. For details, see www.ciop.pl/jose/josezam.htm. Payment must be made in US dollars drawn on a US bank. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. (For rates in Poland, please contact the Editorial Office.)

You can purchased Jose by the article see the website for details.

CHIEF EDITOR:
Danuta Koradecka
Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute
ul. Czerniakowska 16,
00-701 Warszawa, POLAND

CO-EDITOR:
Waldemar Karwowski
Center for Industrial Ergonomics
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292, USA

CO-EDITOR:
Jukka Takala
Safe Work, InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment
International Labour Office
CH-1211 Geneve 22, SWITZERLAND

MANAGING EDITOR:
Roman Broszkiewicz
Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute
ul. Czerniakowska 16,
00-701 Warszawa, POLAND

Now in its 10th Volume The International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (JOSE) is published quarterly by the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warszawa, Poland | phone (48-22) 623-46-42/21 | fax (48-22) 623-36-93 | Email: jose@ciop.pl


FOCUS

Worksafe is a European portal on occupational cancer, developed and maintained by medical and occupational health research institutions and IT companies.

The information accessible through high quality semantic web services is related to occupational cancer risks and prevention based on scientific knowledge including epidemiological data, statistics, safety guidelines, good practices, as well as information about legislation and training. Expert consultation services are also available. Worksafe contents are mainly related to occupational cancer prevention and workers' safety, and include safety guidelines, good practices, databases, epidemiological data, statistics, legislation, full references to articles and books.

Occupational cancer is to a large extent a preventable disease.
Nonetheless, many occupations and some specific chemicals encountered at work are associated with increased risk of cancer. Occupational cancers most commonly involve the lung, the skin, the urinary tract, the nasal cavity and the pleura.

The most accepted estimates of cancers in the general population attributable to occupational exposures in developed countries are in the range of 4-5%. The proportion of cancer attributable to occupational exposure among those actually exposed to occupational carcinogens is estimated to be about 20%. (ILO, Encyclopaedia of occupational health and safety, 4th ed).

Globally about 20-30% of the male and 5-20% of the female working-age population (people aged 15-64 years) may have been exposed during their working lives to lung carcinogens, including asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, diesel exhaust, nickel and silica. Worldwide, these occupational exposures account for about 10.3% of cancer of the lung, trachea and bronchus. About 2.4% of leukaemia is attributable to occupational exposures worldwide (more...).

The Worksafe portal is created with the purpose to gather, host and disseminate relevant information on occupational cancer mainly in Europe. You will find facts about substances, research results, legislation regulating workplace safety and much more.

All contents are classified into "thematic areas" (Legislation, Prevention, Accidents, Substances, Workplaces, Health risks, Training and Links) in order to help users to retrieve information within defined areas of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) domain.
A particular content can belong to one, several or even all thematic areas.

Worksafe does not only classify contents: by means of specialized semantic tools (Search Engine and Ontosafe Browser), it also allows knowledge-based exploration and smart searching. Ontosafe ontology is an extension of an OHS thesaurus initially developed by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW): a browsable hierarchy of more than 3000 OHS concepts connected by more than 1000 relations allows users to interactively explore the global structure of the Worksafe domain and to discover relations between contents that might otherwise not have been observed.

Contents are collected mainly from the countries of the institutions participating in the Worksafe project (Finland, France, Italy, Spain and Sweden). Additional data and information are obtained via links from other national, European and international websites on occupational health and cancer. The largest part of Worksafe contents is available at least in English: some contents are multilingual and some are available in only one of the languages specified above.
However, an English title for the content/resource is always provided.

REVIEWS DATABASE

The Reviews database service collects and organizes schematic reviews of articles and publications on occupational cancer, selected by Worksafe experts from different renowned OHS and biomedical journals.

The service provides users with a simple comparative tool: reviews can be accessed and organized in several ways and a simple index-based search tool is also provided.
Each review is organized into sections highlighting the most important issues of each article: reference, exposure, study design, occupation / workplace and main results.

Information on reviewers' expertise is accessible directly from the service.

The Reviews database service is a paid service available for registered users only.

EXPERT CONSULTATION

Expert consultation service provides registered users with a direct contact with renowned professionals and experts in the sector of occupational health and occupational cancer prevention.

According to specific needs and related topics, users can require one of the following expertise's: Occupational cancer, Occupational epidemiology, Molecular epidemiology, Primary prevention, Environmental hygiene and epidemiology, Tumor registry, Information retrieval, Information services and Biostatistics.

A preliminary answer specifying expected costs and time is always provided within 48 hours (= 2 working days) from submission: upon user's acceptance, the definitive answer will be produced (contacting third parties if necessary) respecting the approved agreement.

Further information and instructions are accessible directly from the service.

The Expert consultation service is a paid service available for registered users only.

INFORMATION SERVICES

The explosive growth in the biomedical literature makes it difficult for researchers to keep up with advancements, even in their own narrow specializations.
Information retrieval from a wide variety of web resources requires skills in searching, the ability to evaluate online systems, and the knowledge of contents and structure of the selected databases.

A good bibliographic search is not a simple process: results depend on many variables including the knowledge of the subject matter, the structure of records, the choice of the proper database, the knowledge of search tools, etc.

Automated archives have their own well-established defects and advantages, which demand considerable familiarity and careful selection. It is therefore important to ask for support from information specialists highly specialized in the field of documentation, information technology and scientific areas of the study.

Worksafe information services exploit all most appropriate search tools for information retrieval (bibliographic, factual and numeric databases, full-text databases, Internet) to produce a list of the latest references (articles, books, guidelines, reports, websites etc) on specific subjects (chemico-physical properties, toxicology, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, environmental risk etc.).

Searches can be operated and disseminated regularly upon customer's request: globally, Information services adopt the same provision policy of the Expert consultation service and are provided through the same web interface.

Information services are paid services available for registered users only.

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, also known as the FIOH, is a research and specialist organization in the field of occupational health and safety. The Institute's goal is to promote the work ability, functional capacity and health of working population in Finland, and to enhance their quality of life. To this end, the Institute produces, compiles and disseminates research-based information on the interaction between work and health, and promotes the practical application of this information.

FIOH
Topeliuksenkatu 41A
00250 Helsinki
FINLAND
Contact Person: Irja Laamanen
Email: Irja.Laamanen@ttl.fi

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), situated in Lyon, France, is part of the World Health Organization and the United Nations. IARC coordinates and conducts both epidemiological and laboratory research in an international effort to combat cancer worldwide. The agency has four main objectives: monitor global cancer occurrence, identify the causes of cancer, elucidate mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and develop scientific strategies for cancer control. IARC's programmes are aimed at finding approaches to prevent cancer. This includes both primary prevention and early detection of cancers.

IARC
Cours Albert Thomas 150
69372 Lyon
FRANCE
Contact Person: Annie Sasco
Email: sasco@iarc.fr

National Cancer Research Institute is a public, non-profit Institution officially recognized as a comprehensive cancer center (IRCCS) by the Italian Ministry of Health since 1978. Its main role is to provide better care and prevention of cancer through basic, applied and clinical research.
The Institute has established basic research laboratories, important units of clinical and environmental epidemiology, a vigorous clinical research programme, and a very active educational programme including seminars, scientific meetings, training courses, refresher courses.

NCRI
Largo Rosanna Benzi 10
16132 Genova
ITALY
Contact Person: Daniela Vecchio
Email: daniela.vecchio@istge.it

Karolinska Institutet is one of Europe's largest medical universities and Sweden´s largest centre for medical training and research. Its mission is to improve the health of mankind through research, education and information. Karolinska Institutet offers a number of training programs and numerous further education and independent courses in the field of medicine. The research covers a wide range of subjects, from basic science, research in molecular biology to public health science and care research. The Unit of Environmental Medicine at the Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institutet, mainly focus on cancer and genetic change resulting from environmental exposures.

Karolinska Institutet
Novum Research Park, Halsovagen 7
14157 Huddinge
SWEDEN
Contact Person: Helena Wennborg
Email: Helena.Wennborg@biosci.ki.se

ROBOTIKER is a private non-profit making Foundation located in Zamudio and Madrid (Spain) which mission is to acquire and develop technologies and then transfer the results to companies as a way of improving their level of competitiveness. Currently twenty-six companies from the main economic sectors of the Basque Country and three government and academic institutions constitute ROBOTIKER. Around 150 highly qualified professionals work in ROBOTIKER, 80% of whom are Industrial, Telecommunications and Software Engineers and Physics scientists with PhD or MSc degrees and several years of experience.

All activities are carried out with a maximum commitment to quality and efficiency in serving clients and within an ongoing staff development programme for its professionals. ROBOTIKER has a methodology for project management which has been proven efficient and ISO9001:2000 certified for consultancy, engineering, development and training projects. At the end of 2002 Robotiker has been awarded with the silver Q recognition of EUSKALIT foundation to his significant progress in relation to EFQM model (European Foundation for Quality management).

ROBOTIKER
Parque Tecnologico 202
48170 Zamudio (Bizkaia)
SPAIN
Contact Person: Marta Gonzalez
Email: marta@robotiker.es

Established in 1979, Softeco Sismat S.p.A. is a leading Company in the Information and Communication Technology market. Thanks to its specific applicative and technological competence, Softeco Sismat is present on the market as a supplier of innovative solutions exploiting the potential offered by Information Technology and Internet. Softeco Sismat carries out important IT and industrial projects by integrating systems, networks, products and technologies, supplementing its offer with the supply of technical and management consulting, as well as specialized services and training.

Innovation and technological leadership are regarded by Softeco Sismat as key factors for its success, and a clear evidence of this guideline is the investment of 10% of the Company's resources and yearly turnover in the Research & Development sector. In this context, the participation in EU Projects and a big amount of international scientific and technological collaborations are the keys to the development of High-Tech Products, and preliminary conditions for turning innovation into business.

In the context of its collaboration with other European Companies and Research Centres (more than 50 altogether), Softeco Sismat is taking part as a coordinator or a partner in various European projects funded by the European Commission, and it is a member of the National Research Register held by MIUR, the Italian Ministry of Research, University and Education. The current or concluded research projects take their places among the most important European ICT research projects, among which: the 4th and 5th Frame Programme, ESPRIT, BRITE/Euram, THERMIE, the Telematics & Transport European Commission Programmes DGXIII and DGVII.

The technologies developed and the application areas involved are related to the Company's business areas, in order to promote a direct transfer into products and projects for customers. Among these: Simulation Systems, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Decision-Making Support Systems, Know-how Modelling and Management, Multi-Agent Systems, Auto-Adaptive User Interfaces, Network Computing Systems and n-tier Architectures, Gesture Visualization and Interpretation Systems.

The Company Quality System is UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 certified by CSQ for "Design and Production of Software Solutions for Industry and Services".

Softeco Sismat
Via De Marini, 1 - Torre WTC
I-16149 Genova
ITALY
Contact Person: Gianni Viano
Email: worksafe.pm@softeco.it

Worksafe Project web site

www.euroworksafe.org


News from Singapore

Dr HO Far Sweet writes to inform about the publication of the guidance and advisory factsheet on the Avian Influenza on the Ministry web site.

Joint advisory - www.mom.gov.sg/AOHD/ProceduresandGuidelines/JointadvisoryonpreventionofAvianInfluenza.htm

Factsheets - www.mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-health/resources/factsheets-circulars/Pages/diseases.aspx

Contact: Dr Ho Sweet Far, ILO CIS contact, Singapore


News from Pakistan

Training Kit on Occupational safety and Health Problems and their solution in Carpet Weaving Industry

Saeed Ahmed Awan, Centre for the improvement of Working Conditions and Environment has sent a very impressive training kit that the Centre has developed to combat occupational health and safety problems faced by workers in the carpet weaving sector. The kit also provides solutions to most of these problems and consists of posters, three videos and three booklets.

The original materials are in Urdu Punjabi (the languages understood by the village based carpet community) but it is also available in English.

The materials in the Kit have been extensively used to promote awareness on OSH issues in the carpet weaving communities. It was warmly received by these communities and has lead to many other interventions including model OSH workstations and use of ergonomic looms in this sector.

This awareness has also succeeded in combating child labour in this sector by making adults and employers aware of the health hazards faced by children and encouraging the adults to work more productively - thus they are now able to send the children to school.

Saeed says "I think this model can be replicated in many other sectors, especially in the informal sectors of the economy in developing countries, where workers are mostly illiterate and are not covered by OSH laws".

The ILO-IPEC Carpet Project provided the financial support for this production of this Kit.

For further details contact:
Saeed Ahmed Awan, Centre for the improvement of Working Conditions and Environment, Directorate of Labour Welfare, Civic Centre (Near Chandni Chowk) Township, Lahore, Pakistan | Tel: + (0) 42 515 0042 | Fax: + (0)512 3537 | Email: awosh@brain.net.pk | www.ciwce.org.pk


European Commission and Parliament welcome European Construction Safety Week'

Construction accidents cause 1,200 deaths, result in over 800,000 accidents and cost the EU over € 75 billion Euros per year. European Construction Safety Week (18-22 October 2004) aims to reduce this heavy human and financial toll.

Odile Quintin, European Commission Director General for Employment and Social Affairs, and Stephen Hughes MEP, the EP's health and safety spokesperson1, flanked by Europe's top construction labour and industry representatives, today endorsed European Construction Safety Week (18-22 October 2004)2. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is organising a major campaign in order to fight against workplace accidents and ill-health in the European Construction Industry. The campaign which is being organised in close co-operation with national authorities, social partners and other key construction stakeholders will see up to 10,000 activities taking place Europe-wide. The Agency for its part has distributed over 4 million items of information to the main players in Europe's construction industry and has set up a dedicated website which is also expected to receive over a million hits.

Hailing the launch of the Week, Mrs. Quintin said: "The accident figures are high but there are signs of improvement. Fatalities are down from 1,300 to 1,200 a year and the total number of accidents has declined from 850,000 to 822,000 a year. This shows that Community health and safety legislation is yielding results. But it is not enough just to have legislation. It must be implemented. And, more than that, we must develop a culture of prevention. An accident happens at the work place every five seconds. All those involved - public authorities, employers and workers - must play their part in tackling this problem and preventing accidents by implementing the legislation - for example the Directive on minimum health and safety requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites."

In endorsing the European Week, Stephen Hughes said: "All levels of government, industry, labour and society in Europe should do more to reduce this indefensible death toll of over 1,000 deaths per year in the construction sector. Today alone there will be well over 2,000 construction accidents taking place in the EU. EU governments and public authorities should do more to prevent risk in construction. Firstly, more should be done to enforce EU legislation in this area, as we know that over half the construction sites inspected in Europe fall short of EU health and safety legislation.

Secondly, with public sector construction projects accounting for at least a quarter3 of the construction industry's orders, Member State, regional and local authorities across the EU should make a concerted effort to set high health and safety standards in the construction projects they themselves commission. This approach is now openly encouraged by the recently adopted EU procurement Directive and would fully support the effective implementation of the EU construction safety directive."

Ulrich Paetzold, Director General of the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) and Harrie Bijen General Secretary of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) issued a joint statement during the press conference, fully supporting the campaign. The European social partners are working on a specific agreement to promote measures aimed at reducing the number of accidents in the industry and will announce the details of the agreement at the European Construction Safety Summit in November.

The Director of the Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky acknowledging the strong commitment of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European social partners in securing high safety and health standards in construction said that "the main aim of the European Week is to promote the prevention culture in the European Construction industry. The Week is Europe's largest safety and health event and our common aim is to reduce the dramatic accident figures and improve occupational health in construction. But the campaign week will not stand alone. As a follow-up, the Agency will be organising the "1st European Construction Safety Summit" on 22nd November in Bilbao (Spain). The Summit aims to crystallise Europe's prevention efforts and to translate them into concrete commitments from Europe's key players on construction safety."

Further information on the European Construction Safety Week: http://osha.europa.eu/ew2004

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao - Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 | e-mail: information@osha.eu.int


News from Singapore

Confined Spaces on Board Vessels - Death Traps at Shipyards

Industrial accidents are a grim reminder of the need for vigilance in work safety. In the past six months alone, there have been four accidents involving confined space work on board ships undergoing repairs and maintenance. The most devastating shipyard accident happened just three months ago when seven workers died as a result of an explosion in a tank on board ship.

In the other three accidents, the victims suffered asphyxiation from lack of oxygen:

In these three accidents, ventilation was not provided, and the confined space was not tested for oxygen, toxic or flammable gases. Suitable breathing apparatus was not worn by the victims, and an emergency rescue plan was not in place.

All shipyards are reminded to adhere strictly to the legal requirements on confined space entry under the Factories Act and the Factories (Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing) Regulations, in particular, the following requirements to safeguard the safety and health of workers in confined space work:

Legal action will be taken against any shipyard, contractor or individual found flouting safety rules.

Fatal Accidents in the Metalworking Industry - 2004

For the first eight months of 2004, there were a total of five fatal accidents in the metalworking factories. Two of these cases involved workers struck by falling metal structures that were being stored. Another two cases involved workers being pinned under toppling metal plates during fabrication processes. These four accidents arose because of the unstable manner heavy metal objects were stored or supported. The fifth fatal accident was an electrocution case.

More details of the cases and the safety measures to be taken: www.mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-health


LIFELINES ONLINE

The October 2004 issue of LIFELINES ONLINE (Vol. I, No. 5) is available at www.lhsfna.org

Also this month, Lifelines Online announces the posting of a new NOISE page in the Occupational Safety and Health section of their site. The page includes Controlling Noise on Construction Sites - a Best Practices Guide, a product of the Construction Noise Control Partnership. Also featured is the NIOSH Sound Meter, with which you can compare the noise levels of common sounds and various workplace machines. Other new features will be added to the NOISE page in the coming months.

As always, we look forward to your feedback.

Here's the stories in this month's LIFELINES ONLINE:

Steve Clark, Communications Manager, Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America, 905 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA.


Fire Safety in your workplace

In the UK one fire breaks out every minute. Every day there are over 47 fire related injuries. Over 11 people die every week from fire-related causes. From 2005 the responsibility for fire protection of premises will lie with the owner. The owner or manager will be responsible for risk assessment and implementation of the changes identified. The Fire Authority will no longer issue fire certificates for premises. This change in responsibility is due to the new Fire Regulatory Reform Safety Order that will replace the provisions of the Fire Precautions Act in England and Wales in 2005.

Taking the heat off business

The BSI Business Information provide essential information - for architects, building professionals, enforcing authorities, contractors, facilities managers, health and safety practitioners and others responsible for fire precautions. The BSI range covers everything from fire safety to business continuity and disaster recovery, including Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Fire Extinguishing/Fighting Equipment, Fire Safety Engineering and Design and Fire Testing (Resistance and Reaction to Fire).

The new edition of BS 5839-6 Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design and installation of fire detection and alarm systems in dwellings is the key standard for fire detection used by fire authorities and building control officers. It applies to a range of dwellings of all sizes and is written to assist the non-specialist in compliancy and will help make installations easier to audit. It supersedes BS 5839-6:1995, which is withdrawn. Important new changes includes:

ISBN 0 580 44100 8
Price £150*, £75 BSI Subscribing Members

There is also the new The Design of Fire Detection Installations for Dwellings. A Guide to BS 5839-6:2004 by Colin S Todd. A comprehensive paperback guide to using and implementing one of BSI's best-selling fire standards: BS 5839-6. The code offers guidance for both fire alarm systems in new and existing dwellings.

Discounted special offer Buy the standard BS 5839-6:2004 with The Design of Fire Detection Installations for Dwellings. A Guide to BS 5839-6:2004 save £37 (BSI Members save £97).

Fire Safety Seminars

BSI Business Information now run 7 workshops related to Fire Safety including BS 5839-6:2004. For details about the other workshops or seminars visit www.bsi-global.com/seminars or contact BSI Customer Services on +44 (0)20 8996 9001. Bespoke in-house courses are also available.

For further information please visit: www.bsi-global.com/fire

Contact: BSI Customer Services | Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 9001 | Fax: +44 (0)20 8996 7001 | Email: orders@bsi-global.com


'European Commission and Parliament welcome European Construction Safety Week'

Construction accidents cause 1,200 deaths, result in over 800,000 accidents and cost the EU over € 75 billion Euros per year. European Construction Safety Week (18-22 October 2004) aimed to reduce this heavy human and financial toll.

Odile Quintin, European Commission Director General for Employment and Social Affairs, and Stephen Hughes MEP, the EP's health and safety spokesperson [1], flanked by Europe's top construction labour and industry representatives, today endorsed European Construction Safety Week (18-22nd October 2004) [2]. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is organising a major campaign in order to fight against workplace accidents and ill-health in the European Construction Industry. The campaign which is being organised in close co-operation with national authorities, social partners and other key construction stakeholders will see up to 10,000 activities taking place Europe-wide. The Agency for its part has distributed over 4 million items of information to the main players in Europe's construction industry and has set up a dedicated website which is also expected to receive over a million hits.

Hailing the launch of the Week, Mrs. Quintin said: "The accident figures are high but there are signs of improvement. Fatalities are down from 1,300 to 1,200 a year and the total number of accidents has declined from 850,000 to 822,000 a year. This shows that Community health and safety legislation is yielding results. But it is not enough just to have legislation. It must be implemented. And, more than that, we must develop a culture of prevention. An accident happens at the work place every five seconds. All those involved - public authorities, employers and workers - must play their part in tackling this problem and preventing accidents by implementing the legislation - for example the Directive on minimum health and safety requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites."

In endorsing the European Week, Stephen Hughes said: "All levels of government, industry, labour and society in Europe should do more to reduce this indefensible death toll of over 1,000 deaths per year in the construction sector. Today alone there will be well over 2,000 construction accidents taking place in the EU. EU governments and public authorities should do more to prevent risk in construction. Firstly, more should be done to enforce EU legislation in this area, as we know that over half the construction sites inspected in Europe fall short of EU health and safety legislation.

Secondly, with public sector construction projects accounting for at least a quarter [3] of the construction industry's orders, Member State, regional and local authorities across the EU should make a concerted effort to set high health and safety standards in the construction projects they themselves commission. This approach is now openly encouraged by the recently adopted EU procurement Directive and would fully support the effective implementation of the EU construction safety directive."

Ulrich Paetzold, Director General of the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) and Harrie Bijen General Secretary of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) issued a joint statement during the press conference, fully supporting the campaign. The European social partners are working on a specific agreement to promote measures aimed at reducing the number of accidents in the industry and will announce the details of the agreement at the European Construction Safety Summit in November.

The Director of the Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky acknowledging the strong commitment of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European social partners in securing high safety and health standards in construction said that "the main aim of the European Week is to promote the prevention culture in the European Construction industry. The Week is Europe's largest safety and health event and our common aim is to reduce the dramatic accident figures and improve occupational health in construction. But the campaign week will not stand alone. As a follow-up, the Agency will be organising the "1st European Construction Safety Summit" on 22nd November in Bilbao (Spain). The Summit aims to crystallise Europe's prevention efforts and to translate them into concrete commitments from Europe's key players on construction safety."

Footnotes

1. Stephen Hughes delivered the 2002 Report on behalf of the European Parliament on the Community Strategy on Safety and Health at Work

2. Further information on the European Construction Safety Week: http://osha.europa.eu/ew2004

3. Estimation based on UK figures for New Orders obtained by Contractors during 2003. Source: Department of Trade and Industry, Construction Market Intelligence. In the UK, 27% of new construction orders obtained by Contractors came from the Public Sector.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao - Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 | Email: information@osha.eu.int


UK Government response to workplace safety report 'missed opportunity'

TUC expressed disappointment at the government's response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report into the Work of the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive.

The TUC had welcomed the Select Committee's report as a thoughtful and positive document, and had called upon the government to implement the recommendations, in particular in respect of enforcement, resources and safety representatives' rights.

The government response does none of these. While the TUC welcomes the commitment to a draft Bill on Corporate Killing, and legislation to remove crown immunity and increase penalties, these are not new. The TUC also welcomes the commitment to enforcement action, but without increased resources this will mean little. However the biggest disappointment is the rejection of the powerful case that the select committee made for increasing the rights of safety representatives and increasing worker consultation on safety. These measures would cost nothing but would have a major effect in reducing injury and ill health at work.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said:

"This is a missed opportunity. Despite the criticisms of the current arrangements, the government is simply saying 'business as usual' rather than listening to the very genuine and positive criticisms the Select Committee had made. The HSC does a very good job under difficult circumstances, but with the measures proposed in the report its effectiveness could have been greatly increased."


TUC warns that too few safety inspections are putting workers at risk

The lives of workers and members of the public are being put at risk because too few employers are receiving visits from health and safety inspectors, according to the interim results of a new TUC safety survey recently released.

Almost four in ten (39 per cent) of the union safety reps questioned by the TUC said that their workplace had never been inspected by either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or by a local authority environmental health officer. Eleven per cent of reps responding to the fifth biennial TUC safety reps survey reported that it was over three years since their workplace was last inspected for health and safety risks or dangers.

London was the worst region for inspections. Nearly half (49 per cent) the safety reps in the capital said, that as far as they knew, the safety practices in their workplace had never been studied in detail by an inspector. At the opposite end of the scale, Wales came up trumps with four in ten reps (40 per cent) recalling a visit from an inspector in the preceding 12 months.

According to the TUC survey, when an HSE or local authority inspector does pay a visit, many of them don't talk to the union safety reps - the people most likely to know of danger spots in the workplace. Nearly four out of ten of the reps questioned were aware that an inspector had been, but were not spoken to during the visit.

And it's not just safety inspectors that are ignoring the expertise of union safety reps. Employers whose workplaces are found to be unsafe or hazardous by safety inspectors are served with enforcement notices. But despite a legal requirement requiring bosses to involve safety reps in any changes designed to make the workplace safer, only four in ten (42 per cent) of employers had done so.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Sadly a visit from a safety inspector is still all too rare an occurrence for the overwhelming majority of employers. Regular inspections are an ideal way of keeping firms on their toes, but at the current rate, they could wait years for an inspector to call. In the meantime, workers and members of the public are being put at risk.

"The fear that an inspection might happen is sufficient to make most employers get their safety act together. But the threat is not enough to mend the ways of the bosses who are the most reckless with their employees' safety. If we are serious about improving the UK's poor workplace safety record, the Government must allocate extra resources to the HSE and local councils to enable them to increase the number of inspectors able to visit companies on a regular basis."

Other key findings in the TUC safety reps survey include:

Earlier this year the Work and Pensions Select Committee Report into the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive recommended that the number of inspectors should be doubled.

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk


BOHS launches new modular exam for LEV testing

Under the COSHH Regulations, thorough examination and tests of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems must be carried out on a regular basis - in the majority of cases at least once every 14 months. BOHS's new 'P601 Initial Appraisal and Thorough Examination and Testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems' modular exam aims to ensure that successful candidates have the expertise to determine whether LEV systems are effectively protecting employees. Available from January 2005, and as with all other BOHS modules, the P601 exam has no specialist entry requirements and will usually be taken at the end of a short training course, run throughout the year by external course providers across the UK.

As an internationally-recognised professional examination and qualification body, BOHS's Faculty of Occupational Hygiene plays a vital role in developing and maintaining the professional standards of hygienists and those working in the field of occupational hygiene and health. Part of this involves ensuring that its range of examinations meet the needs of today's working practices, and it is to this end that the Faculty has developed P601. David O'Malley, Registrar of the Faculty, states: "I hope that having P601 will become a pre-requisite for anyone wishing to undertake LEV testing - much as P402 is for the inspection of buildings for asbestos. Developing benchmarking standards such as these underpins much of our progress in continually meeting our basic aim to help to reduce work-related ill-health."

For a P601 syllabus, information on the full range of Occupational Hygiene Modules available from BOHS, or details of course providers, contact BOHS on +44 (0) 1332 298087 or visit the website on www.bohs.org

Contact: Anthea Page, Communications Office, BOHS, Suite 2, Georgian House, Great Northern Road, Derby, DE1 1LT, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1332 298101 | Email: anthea@bohs.org | www.bohs.org


Occupational Disease To Take Centre Stage at Canadian Forum 2005

Each year occupational diseases cause hundreds of deaths in Canada, and pain and disabling illnesses for many thousands more. On March 3-4, 2005, the Canadian Centre for Occupational

Health and Safety (CCOHS) will host a national event in Toronto to focus attention on this under-recognized workplace issue that has such an important human and economic impact on Canadians.

With "New Strategies for Recognizing and Preventing Occupational Diseases" as its theme, this first of its kind pan-Canadian forum will not only bring together government, employer and labour representatives - but also provide an opportunity for researchers, health and safety practitioners, healthcare personnel, and others to exchange ideas, discuss how to improve recognition of occupational diseases, and recommend strategies to prevent disease and control exposures to hazardous agents.

Topics on the agenda include work-related respiratory illness, cancer, and infectious disease, as well as musculoskeletal and stress-related disorders. Leading experts in a variety of occupational disease fields will share their expertise and discuss:

When the Forum concludes, all Canadians will be invited to participate by providing feedback to the CCOHS Forum website which will report on the ideas and recommendations from the workshops and panel discussions. It is hoped that the Forum will be the start of what will continue to be an ongoing discussion about occupational disease - one that will eventually lead to the eradication of work-related illness in Canada.

Information about the CCOHS Forum 2005 can be found on the website: http://forum05.ccohs.ca

For further information contact:
Eleanor Irwin, Manager - Marketing, Sales and Communications, CCOHS | Tel: +1 905.572.2981 X4408 | Email: eleanori@ccohs.ca | www.ccohs.ca


Agency welcomes social partner agreement on work-related stress

Work-related stress is Europe's second biggest occupational health problem, after back pain, accounting for more than half of all staff absenteeism. It is against this serious background that Europe's social partners (UNICE, ETUC, UEAPME, CEEP) have signed an agreement that provides a framework for employers and workers to identify and prevent or manage problems of work-related stress. At the same time the social partners have announced their intention to explore the possibilities of reaching a specific agreement on the equally important issues of harassment and violence at work.

The director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, commented: "Work-related stress is a growing problem affecting the lives of millions of Europeans. If we are to reverse this trend, workers and employers have to join forces to tackle the problem. The agreement signed by Europe's social partners is indeed a historic step forward as it recognises the need for a systematic preventive effort and the Agency warmly welcomes it."

In 2002, the Agency ran a pan-European awareness campaign on work-related stress and other psychosocial risks. It was at the closing conference of this campaign that the social partners announced their intention to develop a joint action.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao - Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 | Email: information@osha.eu.int


Practical alternatives to using stepladders

Eliminating or reducing the risk of falls from stepladders to electricians and other engineering contractors is the aim of new guidance published today by the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA). The guidance is part of the ECA's contribution to the 'European Week for Safety and Health at Work', which this year focuses on construction.

'Practical alternatives to using stepladders' provides information on planning, risk assessment, competency, training and choosing temporary access equipment, and gives advice on the safe use of stepladders, if they are the chosen means of access.

The guidance has been produced by the ECA with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Amicus and several leading trade associations, and is available to download free from the ECA website www.eca.co.uk/files/hs/ECA_Practical Alternatives To Using Step Ladders.pdf

Announcing the guidance, Paul Reeve, ECA health and safety adviser said:

"The guide is designed to help both contractors and clients. Contractors need to keep an open mind about choosing and using alternatives to steps, particularly in advance of next year's Work at Height Regulations. However, if clients or major contractors ban steps they should be prepared to discuss practical alternatives with contractors."

Andrew East, HSE inspector Andrew East added:

"HSE is committed to being a good partner. Working with others to improve health and safety is key as the people best placed to make workplaces safer are the staff and managers who work in them. In 2003/04, 67 workers died and many thousands more suffered serious injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. Falls are the most common cause of fatal injury and the second most common cause of major injury to employees. This guidance is one way in which we hope to reduce the risk of falls from height and improve safety at work."

The ECA guidance is in two parts. Part two will be ready in November 2004. It will provide more information, including photos, on possible alternatives to using stepladders, such as platform steps to podiums, towers and mobile platforms.

The guides are part of the ECA's ZAP (Zero Accident Potential) initiative, which aims to drive down accidents in the electrical contracting sector through the dissemination of good practice in key risk areas.

Since ZAP was launched in 2001, industry figures show that accidents to ECA members have fallen by 28%. In 2003, falls from height accounted for 15% of reportable accidents.


Construction accident rates continue to fall but remain unacceptably high, according to Eurostat data published by the Agency

Accident rates in Europe's construction industry have declined steadily and steeply since 1994 but remain unacceptably high, according to new statistics published in the latest edition of the magazine of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Based on preliminary data from the 2001 European Statistics on Accidents at Work collected by Eurostat, fatal accidents in the sector fell by 29% between 1994 and 2001, while the rate of non-fatal accidents dropped by 20%. The steepest decline occurred between 2000 and 2001, the latest year for which data is available: over this period non-fatal accidents per 100,000 employees fell from 7,518 to 7,213 and fatal accidents from 11.4 to 10.4 per 100,000 in the pre-enlargement EU of 15 Member States.

Nevertheless, fatal and non-fatal accident rates in construction remain around twice as high as the EU sectoral average. The risks are even greater in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): for example there are 9,500 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 employees each year in construction firms employing less than 10 people compared to 5,000 in firms with over 250 employees.

The differences between SMEs and larger construction businesses could reflect differences in the resources available to maintain and develop work safety, although it is also possible that the smallest companies operate in sub-sectors where the overall risk of accidents is higher, according to Eurostat, the European Commission's Statistical Office.

The latest issue of the Agency magazine, which focuses on the construction industry in the run-up to the Agency's 2004 'Building in Safety' European week campaign (October 18-22 2004), includes a number of articles that explore ways to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) standards in the industry. Subjects covered include:

Copies of the magazine in English can be downloaded from the Agency's website http://osha.europa.eu/publications/magazine/7/en/index.htm

It will also shortly be published in German, French and Spanish.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao - Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 | Email: information@osha.eu.int


RoSPA warning on fatigue threat to company drivers

A new report on the dangers of driving while tired was a warning to all fleet managers of the need to tackle fatigue in their policies on managing occupational road risk, RoSPA said recently.

The Department for Transport revealed this week that research on selected motorways and trunk roads showed that: 17 per cent of road crashes resulting in injury or death were sleep related; a quarter of all road crashes that caused death or serious injury were sleep related; 67 per cent of sleep-related crashes were caused by car drivers and 32 per cent were caused by drivers of good vehicles; while road crashes occur mostly on Fridays, these sleep-related crashes occurred least on Fridays and mostly on Mondays.

Charles Davis, RoSPA Head of Driver and Fleet Solutions, said: "We are not surprised by these figures, but they are still very disturbing. They should make fleet managers look very closely at the way they are dealing with the potential for their drivers being over-tired at the wheel.

"If 67 per cent of sleep-related crashes are caused by car drivers, it is likely that a high proportion of them are on the road for work purposes. We know that between a third and a quarter of all deaths on Britain's roads are in some way work related.

"The research emphasises the need for employers to plan journeys correctly, set realistic schedules, look at alternative methods of transport, allow overnight stops and consider if some journeys are really necessary.

"The fact that most of this type of crash happens on a Monday is likely to be news to many managers, and they need to be considering if they have people driving for them who are too tired after the weekend. "

Help on the subject is available through RoSPA's courses on Managing Occupational Road Risk, Behavioural Aspects of Driving and Drink/Drug Driving Awareness.

RoSPA has also published a Driving for Work Safe Journey Planner which is available at www.rospa.com/roadsafety/info/work_safer_journey.pdf

For more information see also www.rospa.com/RoadSafety/AdviceAndInformation/Driving


EU fight against tobacco intensifies with graphic picture warnings on cigarette packs

At a recent press conference in Brussels David Byrne, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection, announced a €72 million (£49m) EU media campaign against smoking and unveiled new hard-hitting picture warnings for cigarette packs. The picture warnings - including graphic photographs of rotten lungs (caption: "Smoking causes fatal lung cancer") a dead body in a mortuary (caption: "Smokers die younger") and a man with a large tumour on his throat (caption: "Smoking can cause a slow and painful death") - will form part of a database of 42 images designed for use in combination with the hard-hitting health warnings introduced EU-wide in 2003.

EU member states will decide if they wish to use the pictures to add impact to their health warnings, but the Commission expects a number of countries to introduce picture warnings next year. Commissioner Byrne said: "People need to be shocked out of their complacency about tobacco. I make no apology for some of the pictures we are using. The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror - not the glamour and sophistication the pushers in the tobacco industry try to portray. The EU must hammer home this message to young people via its media campaign and to smokers via their cigarette packs." The new anti-smoking drive follows the success of the EU's 2002 to 2004 campaign, "Feel Free to Say No", which told young Europeans "be cool - don't smoke", achieving some one billion contacts with them and partnering the EU with footballers and music stars.


HSE updates costs to Britain of workplace accidents and work-related ill health

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prepared interim updated estimates of the costs to Britain of workplace accidents and work-related ill health. These indicate that in 2001/02 health and safety failures cost:

The new estimates also quantify the major cost categories that make up the totals. For employers, figures are given by industry sector, occupation and region.

HSE has published two previous sets of cost estimates using data from 1990 and 1995/96. These have been used widely within HSE to inform strategic policy, new programme development, appraisals of policy proposals (e.g. Regulatory Impact Assessments) and, more recently, evaluations of HSE's impact. The information has also been used to answer enquiries from other government departments, the private sector, employer organisations, trade unions, academics and the public.

To carry out these detailed calculations, HSE needs to draw on a large amount of data from many different sources. The full set of data required will not be available until 2005, so HSE has produced an interim update using the best available occupational injury and illness data from 2001/02.

Where there are gaps in the data, assumptions have been made and changes in prices and incomes have also been taken into account.

The updated figures carry some limitations. The estimates are only meant as broad indications of cost and a review of the previous update has led to HSE adopting proportionately wider ranges for many of them. This better reflects the uncertainty in the figures.

Finally, only broad comparisons can be made between the 1995/96 and 2001/02 estimates, and even these must be treated with caution as there are differences in the design of the 1995 and the 2001/02 Self-reported Work-related Illness surveys (part of the ONS Labour Force Survey) that provided the bulk of the data used in calculating the ill health cost estimates.

Interim update of 'The costs to Britain of workplace accidents and work-related ill health in 1995/96' can be found on HSE's website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm


HSE Launches Science and Research Outlook Website and Newsletter

The Health and Safety Executive is delighted to announce the launch of the Science and Research Outlook Website and Newsletter.

Science and Research Outlook, the successor to Offshore Research Focus, is an interactive online resource, providing information on specific research projects and the wider impact of the HSE's science and research portfolio, across all industry sectors.

The resource comprises an easily searchable database, regularly updated with the latest news and information. Registered users have access to the following additional features:

Science and Research Outlook will continue to provide the latest offshore research news. To explore the site visit: www.hsesro.com


URGENT REQUEST FROM CIS HQ

CIS HQ staff sent a questionnaire that they prepared in English, French and Spanish and sent out to all 135 centres, first in April 2004, then by a reminder to those which had not answered in July 2004.

They are still getting replies.... Just now they have received replies from CIS Network Centres in Prague and in Bogota.

Any CIS Centre that has not yet replied is urgently requested to do so - your information is VERY IMPORTANT.

If you have lost/misplaced the questionnaire send an email to Annick Virot for a replacement.

Annick will make sure that you get a new one. The replies are not only valuable information as to the use of CIS products, opinion on regional meetings and so on, but they also provide an update of information concerning mailing address, telephone, fax, e-mail, we site address, etc.

.....So you are holding very important data!!!!


NEW CIS POSTER

At the Brussels meeting the CIS Staff introduced the New CIS Poster which is available in three languages (English, French and Spanish). It is available on CD for customization to CIS Centres. CIS HQ will make new CDs for all Centres and send them out shortly.

Contact:
Annick Virot, CIS HQ, ILO, Geneva, Switzerland | Email: virot@ilo.org | Tel: 00 41 22 799 68 30


BRAND NEW

OSH UPDATE: new Internet based service from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd

Want to keep up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the latest information? Do budget constraints not allow you to buy all the journals, newsletters and documents that contain the latest information? Can't afford the time to search for the latest information, legislation and standards? No staff to search for this information? And no time yourself to spend hours searching for information?

Then a new, very affordable Internet based service OSH UPDATE, from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd is the answer for you.

Powered by Head Software International's Headfast/Discovery Internet publishing software*, OSH UPDATE will be launched in the Autumn 2004 and updated monthly.

It contains a number of bibliographic databases from worldwide authoritative sources such as the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Canada Ryerson University, the International Labour Office CIS Health and Safety Centre, HSELINE, from the UK Health and Safety Executive Information Services, European Union legislation and other legislation sources and OSH standards specifications.

Where possible links are made to the full text of the documents indexed - saving time and effort.

OSH UPDATE will expand - we are continuing to make agreements with other well-known information producers around the world and these databases will also be included.

As well as the latest information many reference sources go back 80 or more years and so a valuable tool for researchers.

This new aggregation of databases will contain thousands of relevant references with abstracts or keywords and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as the health risks of nanotechnology, corporate killing, bioterrorism, management of road risks, preparedness and business continuity.

The title price for a single user via the Internet will be Sterling GBP250.00 / US$ 450.00 per year - less than 68 pence / 1.2 dollars per day.

The price reflects our aim to bring health and safety guidance, advice, research, journal articles, papers, standards to the attention of health and safety practitioners and managers, researchers, trade union safety representatives, occupational physicians, information specialists in industry, colleges and universities, government staff, inspectors, university and college safety directors, university and college lecturers and those in training - at a cost that is affordable and a service that is time efficient.

If you are interested in taking up this service on trial please complete the OSH UPDATE Interest Form.

Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com | www.sheilapantry.com | www.oshworld.com | www.shebuyersguide.com
Electronic Products: Environment Plus | Fire Worldwide | OSH Ireland | OSH UPDATE

* Headfast/Discovery is being used for important bibliographic and full text information services on the Internet by other publishers including CERAM Research, Ellis Publications, Inspec, Nielsen BookData, Oxmill Publishing and TWI.


OSHE web sites to explore

Australia

Australasian Fire Authorities Council (includes New Zealand and Hong Kong)
www.afac.com.au

AFAC is a peak representative body for fire and emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region. It was established in 1993 and has 23 full members and 14 associate members, including Australian fire and emergency services and land management agencies, the Australian Council of State Emergency Services, Emergency Management Australia and the New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Hong Kong and East Timor Fire Services. Gives details of research, newsletter, events, information and links.

UK

British Automatic Sprinklers Association   UK
www.basa.org.uk

The British Automatic Sprinkler Association is the oldest UK trade association for the industry, celebrating its 30th birthday in 2004. The association represents a significant majority of third-party certified sprinkler installers as well as manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, insurers, the fire service and others with an interest in fire. BASA's primary objectives include providing authoritative information on the benefits of sprinkler systems and how sprinklers can play a significant role in saving life and property from the devastating effects of fire. BASA works closely with the fire service, building control officers, insurers, architects and town planners. The association is dedicated to making sure that sprinkler systems are installed to the highest professional standards.

British Fire Protection Systems Association BFPSA   UK
www.bfpsa.org.uk

British Fire Protection Systems Association BFPSA is the Trade Association that represents 95% of UK manufacturers and installers of Fire Alarm and Fixed Gaseous Extinguishing systems. Gives information, events, training, publications and links to other organisations.

Fire and Rescue Services   UK
www.fire.org.uk/fire-brigades.html

Fire and Rescue Services in UK - list of names, addresses, telephone numbers and some web sites.

USA

American Fire Sprinklers Association   USA
www.firesprinkler.org

American Fire Sprinklers Association details of membership, information, events including training.

Automatic Fire Alarm Association   USA
www.afaa.org

The US Automatic Fire Alarm Association was formed in 1953 and is the only national trade association exclusively dedicated to representing the automatic fire detection and fire alarm systems industry. The membership is made up of all segments of industry (manufacturer's, distributors, state and regional associations, users, AHJs, engineers, and others).


Diary of Events

These may inspire you to produce something similar in your own country. Please send notification of your events to your Editor

11 November 2004 - Mobile Phones, Base Stations and Power Lines
NRPB, Chilton, Oxfordshire, UK
Contact: NRPB Training, National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ,UK | Tel: +44 (0)1235 822 701 | Fax:+44 (0) 1235 822746 | Email: pressoffice@nrpb.org | www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/training/nir/emf/emf_awareness.htm

2 December 2004 - Industrial equipment safety and CE marking
Marriott Courtyard Hotel Coventry, London Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Coventry, UK
Contact: Customer Services, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9602 | Fax:+ 44 (0)20 7259 0283 | Email: services@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

7 December 2004 - CHCS Training Module 7 Basic Ecotoxicology
Atlantic Suite, Manchester Airport, UK
Contact: Chemical Hazards Communication Society (CHCS), P.O. Box, Lymington, Hampshire S042 7GY, UK | Fax: +07000 790 338 | Email: chcs@chcs.org.uk | www.chcs.org

7 December 2004 - Bullying in the workplace
The Burlington Hotel, Dublin 4, Ireland
Contact: Madden Events, Summerhill, Co. Meath, Ireland | Tel: +353 (0) 46 955 8746| Fax:+353 (0) 955 87477000 790 338 | Email: flor@madden.ie

8 December 2004 - Workstation Health and Safety
Strand Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ, UK
Contact: Customer Services, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9602 | Fax:+ 44 (0)20 7259 0283 | Email: services@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

8-9 December 2004 - Major Hazards Offshore and Onshore 2004
London Marriott Hotel Regents Park, London, UK
Contact: The Events Team. ERA Technology Ltd, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7SA, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1372 367 152 | Fax:+ 44 (0) 1372 367 311 | http://shop.era.co.uk

2005

23-25 May 2005 - SEAES-IPS 2005: joint Meeting between the 8th South East Asia Ergonomics Society Conference and 12th National Congress - 15th Scientific Seminar of the Indonesian Physiological Society.
Bali
Contact: Secretariat SEAES-IPS 2005, Dept. of Physiology, Udayana University, Medical School, Jalan PB Sudirman, Denpasar 80323, Bali, Indonesia | Tel: and Fax: (+62) 361 226132 | Email: iaifibali@yahoo.com | www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=926

7-9 June 2005 - 3rd International Conference on Whole-Body Vibration Injuries.
Organized by the INRS (Institut national de recherche et de sécurité / National Institute for Research and Safety) of France and the National Institute for Working Life (NIWL) of Sweden.

Paris, France
Contact: INRS - Department IET, DONATI / WBV 2005, Avenue de Bourgogne - BP 27, 54501 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France | Email: wbv2005@inrs.fr | www.inrs.fr

10-14 July 2005 - 7th World Congress of Chemical Engineering.
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, Scotland. Organized by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Contact: Congress Secretariat, Concorde Services Ltd, 42 Canham Road, London, W3 7SR, United Kingdom. | Tel: +44 (0) 20 8743 3106 | Fax: +44(0) 20 8743 1010 | Email: info@chemengcongress2005.com | www.chemengcongress2005.com

14-16 September 2005 - Structures and Extreme Events
Lisbon, Portugal. Organized by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). Themes: Natural disasters, man-made events (fire, explosions, impacts, etc.) and human errors (mismanagement, design mistakes, defective material, equipment malfunction, etc.)
Contact: IABSE Lisbon 2005, Organising Committee, c/o LNEC, Ave. Brasil 101, 1700-066 Lisbon, Portugal | Tel: +351 21 844 3260| Fax: +351 21 844 3025 | Email: iabse.lisbon2005@lnec.pt
or: IABSE Secretariat, ETH Hönggerberg, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland | Tel::+41 1 633 2647 | Fax: +41 1 633 1241 | Email: secretariat@iabse.org | www.iabse.org

27-30 November 2005 - Fourth International Congress on Women Work and Health - WWH 2005.
New Delhi, India
Contact: Women, Work & Health - Congress Secretariat, The Society for Working Life, Dr. Aarati Saxena - Vice-President (SWL), Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Teen Murti House, New Delhi 110011, India | Tel: +91 11 23012752, 11 23010666, 9868120306, 9868095304 | Fax: +91 11 23015307 | Email: wwh@societyforworkinglife.org | www.societyforworkinglife.org/wwh2005.html


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