CIS Newsletter

No. 198
March 2006

CIS Newsletter celebrates 18 years & still going strong!
Bringing news to over 140 countries in the CIS Network!

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. News from Geneva - CIS 2006 meeting dates
  3. News items from CIS HQ
  4. 28 April 2006 - The World Day for Safety and Health at Work
  5. FOCUS - Asbestos: the iron grip of latency
  6. News from around the World - Bangladesh, Canada, Europe, France, India, Latvia, Poland, Spain, UK and USA
  7. OSHE websites

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

This March 2006 edition draws attention to a number of forthcoming events... also get out your diaries and enter the dates and location of this year's CIS Annual General Meeting

Wednesday - Friday 13-15 September 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

...And now start to make your plans to be at this year's CIS Annual General Meeting. We should aim to move along in developing the FUTURE of the CIS Network. Your ideas are very much needed - and if for some reason you cannot attend the meeting - then write your ideas down and send them in for the discussions.

Already some ideas put forward last year are starting to take place.

Some of the results the Working Parties Papers that can be seen on the www.sheilapantry.com/cis. I urge you, however busy you are, to keep these Working Group Papers in focus. It is important that the CIS Network flourishes ! The Network's success is Your success.

So please make time to read the contents of this Newsletter. I know that everyone is very busy, short of time and finance of course - but hopefully you find the items in the CIS Newsletter are worth investing some time - if only to scan through the items and find out what is happening in this wider OSH world of ours.

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

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.

Publicity... tell them, tell them and tell them again...

There is no Press Release this month - we leave it to you to make up your own announcing your 28 April 2006 events. Send out your press release with your own contact details to organisations and individuals in your country and elsewhere to start and use this ever-increasing valuable source of information. Send out to all your contacts, journal editors, media, universities and, educators, trainers as well as businesses!

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.

  1. Do you find this newsletter of any use?
  2. Do you use any of the content?
  3. If not, why not?

Are you travelling in SEPTEMBER 2006?
Could you please let CIS know email Gabor Sandi sandi@ilo.org Annick Virot virot@ilo.org and myself sp@sheilapantry.com with your ideas?

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. It is amazing how much the CIS Newsletter content gets re-used around the world. Take advantage of free publicity! Remember you can see CIS Newsletter on the web site www.sheilapantry.com/cis where back issues are stored.

Remember >>>>
Surviving in 2006... By promotion, publicity and telling the World that CIS and its network exists!

All good wishes to you, your families 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
www.oshupdate.com

8 March 2006 - International Women's Day "Women in Sports"

In keeping with the ILO commitment to gender equality and the improvement of working conditions for women, the International Labour Organization (ILO) celebrates International Women's Day each year by hosting a round table discussion and a film festival highlighting the role and/or achievements of women in a particular field of work. In follow-up to the International Year of Sport and Physical Education (2005), the subject of the 2006 events is "Women in Sports".

Because gender inequalities that exist across all professions are particularly apparent in sports, this field lends itself to the examination of some of these issues. For instance, it is generally accepted that in professional sports women earn far less money than men do, with the rationale that women's sports do not attract audiences or bring in money.

The main public event will be held at the ILO on 8 March, and is a collaborative effort by the ILO and the International Olympic Committee. At 10:00, a panel discussion will explore gender issues in the sports employment sector. Participants include World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Myriam Lamare. At 11:30, the IOC will present their annual "Women and Sport" awards, given since 2000 on International Women's Day to women or men (former athletes, coaches, administrators or journalists) or to organizations that have made a significant contribution to the development of women's sports in their countries.

The third annual ILO International Film Festival on Women and Work will take place from 6 to 10 March in the Cinéma at the International Labour Office in Geneva. The selected films offer portrayals of women athletes from around the globe. Screenings will be open to the public and free of charge. The films will be shown in their original language and subtitled in either English or French; please check schedules for information on subtitles.

Further information: International Labour Office (ILO), 4 route des Morillons, Geneva, Switzerland | Tel: +41 22 799 7912 | www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/event/women/2006/index.htm

28 April 2006 - The World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Decent Work - Safe Work - HIV/AIDS at Work

28 April 2006 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a very important day and opportunity for CIS Centres to promote their own work but also the network of Centres working toward raising higher standards in workplaces all over the world.

The theme for 2006 is Decent Work - Safe Work - HIV/AIDS at work.

Dr Jukka Takala says "The 2006 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is intended to focus international attention on promoting and creating a preventative safety and health culture at work and to help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries each year. This year, as in previous years, tripartite events will be taking place worldwide. You are invited to join us in promoting this important day in your own country"

It is vital that as many people as possible to prepare for it wherever they are - so hopefully this timely reminder will give you chance to promote CIS work in your own country. If you are short of ideas then look at the Working Group Paper 1 that many of the CIS network members contributed - see www.sheilapantry.com/cis/other/wp01.html. There are many ways that you can make a contribution, e.g.

News from Geneva

CIS Annual Meeting and Training Workshop 13- 15 September 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

Please put these dates in your Diary now - the CIS Annual General meeting will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from Wednesday to Friday, 13 - 15 September 2006.

Please start and make the necessary arrangements in order to be to attend.

The Workshop on Wednesday, 13 September 2006 will be a hands-on computer with links to some very important NEW occupational safety and health services that you should be useful in your own services. You will have time to explore these new services yourself.

Thursday and Friday 14 and 15 September 2006 will be the Annual General meeting.

Remember that time is very precious at these meetings and the Network wants to look at the FUTURE activities and what we need to do to make the CIS Network more visible
to the world. Many steps forward have been taken in the recent few months - we need to accelerate faster - what needs to be started and in what priority order.

For inspiration and to get you up-to-speed start looking at the ideas in the:

CIS HQ will shortly be sending out invitations so you can start and make the necessary arrangements in order to be to attend.

Remember that it will be the last AGM for Dr Jukka Takala who retires from the ILO towards the end of 2006.

Time also for networking!

News items from CIS HQ

Dear Colleagues

The Report of the 43rd Meeting of CIS National and Collaborating Centres, held in Orlando, Florida (USA), on 18 September 2005 has been added to the CIS web site

We have decided not to include copies of reports submitted to CIS by Centres * the expense of doing so has become prohibitive. We shall place scanned copies of these reports on the CIS Web site www.ilo.org/cis where anyone with an Internet connection can view them free of charge.

Sincerely, Gábor Sándi, Head, CIS

FOCUS - Asbestos: the iron grip of latency

The ILO estimates that 100,000 people die each year from work-related asbestos exposure. Asbestos-caused cancers will kill at least 15,000 people in Japan in the next five years, and up to 100,000 people in France over the next 20 to 25 years. In the United States, hundreds of thousands of injury claims have been filed since the 1970s for deaths, cancers and other health problems related to asbestos exposure, bankrupting dozens of U.S. companies. ILO online spoke with Jukka Takala, Director of the ILO InFocus Programme SafeWork.

It happens every day somewhere in Europe: a building from the 1950s is demolished. A few children on their way back from school watch the giant bulldozer at work. The engine has already attacked the ground floor - apparently nobody has noticed the asbestos pads...

For a short moment, huge quantities of asbestos fibres become airborne. The fibres are very narrow and easily breathable. Their resistance to chemical dissolution means that they will persist for a long time - perhaps indefinitely once in the lung. Harmful effects only emerge after decades of latency.

"Broadly speaking asbestos can cause two types of damage in humans: asbestosis, a fibrous thickening either within the alveolar structure of the lung, or in its pleural lining, and cancers of the lungs and larynx, including mesotheliomas, the most malignant of the work-related tumours", explains Jukka Takala.

Although the use and production of asbestos has been forbidden in the 15 old member States of the European Union and the new member States may follow with a ban soon, the "iron grip of latency" explains why the issue of asbestos contamination still ranks high on the political agenda in many industrialized countries.

In October 2005, a French Senate report blamed the government for failing to adequately respond to the country's asbestos contamination problem, which has, as a result, accelerated cancer deaths attributed to asbestos.

"While 35,000 deaths can be attributed to asbestos between 1965 and 1995, another 60,000 to 100,000 deaths are expected in the next 20 to 25 years", the report says. Due to the long periods of latency typical of the lung cancers caused by asbestos, French scientists consider the coming epidemic to be inevitable and irreversible, and expect it to continue until 2030.

"Asbestos is one of the most, if not the most important single factor causing work-related fatalities, and is increasingly seen as the major health policy challenge worldwide", comments Jukka Takala.

Taking into account studies by the ILO, the Japanese Environment Ministry recently gave a first official estimate for the numbers of deaths to be caused by asbestos. According to Ministry officials, the number of fatalities from mesothelioma or other lung cancers in Japan by 2010 could reach 15,600.

The Ministry will use the figure for a planned special measures law to cover medical costs for those suffering from diseases caused by asbestos, and offer payouts for family members of asbestos victims.

In the Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australia, an estimated 20,000 new asbestos-induced lung cancers and 10,000 new mesothelioma cases occur each year.

Towards a worldwide asbestos ban?

The EU Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work (83/477/EEC, amended in March 2003) and ILO Convention No.162 concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos adopted in 1986 have halved worldwide asbestos production since the 1970s.

"Nonetheless, asbestos is still the No.1 carcinogen in the world of work", Jukka Takala says. "Rather than being solved, the problem has been moved. In transition and developing countries the risk is now even higher than in the established market economies and it is certain that asbestos will prove to be a health 'time bomb' in these countries in 20 to 30 years' time".

In developing countries, asbestos use increased in the last three decades of the 20th century, while the United States and other industrialized countries were phasing out their use of the substance.

Jukka Takala refers to the ship breaking industry in Asia as a particularly prominent example. "A ship that is being dismantled in Bangladesh or elsewhere contains in average six tons of asbestos. Almost everything on such a ship will get recycled, including the asbestos. There is no harm in recycling safe products, but scrapping and repackaging asbestos from the ships without any protection devices is unacceptable", he says.

The ILO provides various solutions to the asbestos challenge based on its international standards (Conventions, Recommendations, Codes of Practice). The ILO Conventions Nos. 139, 148, 162 and 170 on occupational cancer, working environment, safety in the use of asbestos, and safety in the use of chemicals have received 116 ratifications by the ILO member States.

These Conventions provide solid legal and technical basis for worker protection against harmful exposures to asbestos by prescribing comprehensive preventive measures at national and enterprise levels. Other means of action such as sharing knowledge and experience, dissemination of information, direct technical assistance and technical co-operation activities are widely used by ILO to intensify preventive efforts against asbestos-related diseases.

"We are still far away from a global ban on asbestos use and production. 27 countries have ratified ILO Convention No. 162 on safety in the use of asbestos", says Jukka Takala, adding that among the 25 countries that have banned asbestos are the EU15, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Croatia, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

"Moving the risks elsewhere does not fit in with the aim of fair globalization that offers opportunities for everyone. It is a big but important challenge to expand the asbestos ban to all countries in the world. To that end, the international community must provide knowledge and assistance to help them cope with the necessary restructuring measures, create alternative jobs and promote the use of asbestos substitutes around the world", concludes Jukka Takala.

More Changes at the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

Finn Sheye moves to the European Food Safety Agency

Long time occupational health and safety person Finn Sheye writes... 

Dear International Partners,

I would like to inform you that my contract with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is ending the 28.02.2006. I will then go to work at the European Food Safety Agency www.efsa.europa.eu in Parma Italy from 01.03 as network manager on international and European co-operation. My email there will be finn.sheye@efsa.eu.int

I would like to thank all of you for your professional, very efficient and always very friendly co-operation during the years I have been working with you!

I wish you all the best and I hope that the good co-operation between your institutions and the Agency will continue!

Please send your mails to Mr. Konkolewsky (konkolewsky@osha.eu.int) (general questions) and for more technical questions to the Agency's webmaster, Mr. Gorka Morel (morel@osha.eu.int)

Best wishes
Finn

Finn Sheye, International Network Manager, The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, 48009 Bilbao, Spain | Tel: +34 94479436 | Fax: +34 944794383 | Email: sheye@osha.eu.int ----- new email: finnsheye@hotmail.com

Many CIS Members will know from Finn from our various meetings. We wish Finn every success in his new job and thank him for all his efforts and contributions to OSH over many years.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work says...

Grab your camera... Calling all young film and video makers!

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work invites entries for the first 'Safe Start ... European Young Film Maker of the Year' video competition that is part of the European Week 2006 which, under the slogan 'Safe Start!' is dedicated to young people to ensure a safe and healthy start to their working lives.

'Young people at work are the focus of our campaign this year as they run a 50% higher risk of work accidents than any other age category', explains Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. 'As part of the 'Safe Start!' campaign, the Agency will promote risk awareness and risk prevention in enterprises, schools and colleges across Europe. Through the competition for young film makers we invite young people to express and share their views on workplace safety'.

The video competition is open to schools and to young people under the age of 19 on 30 September 2006 working as individuals or as a team. Young people are invited to create a short documentary, drama, TV commercial, news report, music, animation - whatever gets the message out about safety and health at work - to capture on film the workplace, people at work and some of the potential dangers, risks and hazards at work. Producers are encouraged to interpret the brief as widely as possible and not to simply think of the obvious.

Entries must be made by a teacher or by another responsible person at a school or college in DVD format. Entries from individual young people will not be accepted. The maximum running time is five minutes. The closing date for the competition is 30 September 2006.

An independent Jury of experts in communications, safety and health will evaluate all the entries, looking for compelling images and a good storyline that will grab their attention. The Jury will consider three criteria - effectiveness of the message, treatment of the subject and the overall impression. The Agency will award prizes to the producers whose film images catch the eye of the Jury. The producers - individuals or teams - of the best three films will be awarded the title of "Safe Start ... European Young Film Maker of the Year", and invited to an Awards Ceremony in Bilbao, Spain, in March 2007.

The full rules of the competition and national contact details are on the campaign's website at: http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/ew2006

Good Practice Awards are part the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, an annual campaign run by the European Agency to promote a specific issue each year. The European Week 2006 is dedicated to young people under the slogan 'Safe Start!'. The campaign follows a decentralised model: the Agency coordinates campaign activities, provides information in 20 languages and via the campaign website, organises Good Practice Awards, a Video Competition and the Closing Event; national Focal Points in each of the 25 EU Member Sates promote, stimulate and organise activities at national level. The dual objectives of the Week are to increase awareness of risks and to promote good practice solutions.

The 'Safe Start!' campaign will be officially launched on 19 June 2006 in the European Parliament, Brussels. The European Week itself will take place from 23 - 27 October 2006. The campaign's closing event will take place in March 2007 in Bilbao.

Updated information about Good Practice Awards 2006, the campaign as well as national contact points are available at http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/ew2006

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 | http://osha.europa.eu

Diary date 2006 Health & Safety Professional Development Conference & Exhibition

Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) September 10-13, 2006 takes place in Ottawa - The Nation's Capital.

Contact: Ms. Dani Couture, Project Coordinator, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), 39 River St., Toronto ON M5A 3P1 Canada | Tel: +1 416.646.1600 ext., 25 | Fax: 416.646.9460 | Email: dcouture@associationsfirst.com | www.csse.org

News from India

A.R. Chowdhury, General Secretary, OSHE emails ...

Please note that, the PRIA website is now functional with new address: www.oshebd.org. Furthermore, PRIA are up-dating some of the information.

The brochure of PRIA Continuing Education's 3 months Distance Education Programme: Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, is sent by Dr.Shabeen Ara, Sr.Programme Officer PRIA Continuing Education, PRIA Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, who writes:

Whatever sort of business you are in there is always the possibility of an accident or damage to someone's health. All work exposes people to hazards, be they: loads which have to be manually handled; dangerous machinery; toxic substances; electricity; working with display screen equipment or even psychological hazards such as stress. Safety does not come about by accident: most accidents happen because they have not been prevented.

Even small businesses have accidents. On average the rate of fatal and serious accidents in firms employing less than 50 people is almost double that for firms employing one thousand. Essentially you have to ensure absence of risk to safety and health of employees and others so far as is reasonably practicable. You have to have a system to identify your main hazards, assess risks and make sure that your risk control measures are adequate and they are used and maintained and that they continue to work. You need to remember that besides protecting people and the environment, action on health and safety can also make a major contribution to business.

This Programme "Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety" is designed to provide learners with basic information, resources, discussion questions, and interactive opportunities that motivate an understanding of Occupational Health and Safety.

The Programme is based on PRIA's almost two decades of involvement with the subject of Occupational Health and Safety. From its beginning PRIA's work focused on capacity building and demystifying the concepts and practices of the issue. The methodology and case studies used in the course are on the one hand tested in the field set up and on the other hand enriched by PRIA's networking with experts and practitioners.

WHO CAN TAKE THIS COURSE

The course is designed for safety officers working in the industry, trade union activists who have involvement for the health and safety of the workers. Members of statutory safety committees, civil society organisation activists interested in taking up the occupational/environmental health issues and medical doctors working in the industry, environmentalists, media persons and all those who are interested in the subject. The minimum required qualification is 10+2 or its equivalent in any subject.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Course Contents: Seven Units are offered during the session: Introduction to occupational health and safety, sector specific occupational health and safety issues, socio-economic aspects of OHS, basics of diagnostic and first aid techniques, OHS laws and legislations in India, preventive techniques and workers participation through participatory methods.

Mode of Delivery: The course is offered in a Distance Education Mode, making learning accessible through part time study, outside working hours. Distance delivery includes print materials, immediate and engaged communication through bulletin board.

Duration: The Course is for 3 months duration and the session for 2006 begins from February 6th 2006.

Medium of Instruction: The Course will be delivered in English language.

Credits and Evaluation: It is a 4-credit course and involves 120 study-hours. Evaluation will be based on written assignments in the form of reflection papers, small essays and project work.

COURSE FEE

The Course fee is Rs.5000/- or 150 US $ payable in one installment. The fee is to be sent in Demand Draft drawn in favor of "Society for Participatory Research in Asia", payable at New Delhi.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE & CONTACT DETAILS

The last date for registration is Friday, January 20th, 2006 (first come first serve basis). Registration forms may be downloaded from the website, or e-mail education@pria.org to obtain the same.

Prevent what you can't cure

The idea is to bring about a system where the industries produce chemicals that can be manufactured, transported, used and disposed of safely.

1/4 of active textile workers have lung problems

For further information and other inquiries, contact: Ms. Martha Farrell, Director, PRIA Continuing Education, PRIA, 42, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110062 | Tel: +91(11) 29956908, 29960931/32/33 | Email: education@pria.org | www.pria.org

News from the USA

AIHA schedules Nanotechnology Symposium for May conference

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) will hold a day-long seminar on May 13, 2006, on issues relating to the control of potential workplace exposures in processes where nanomaterials are produced or used.

The seminar will be part of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 13-18, 2006, in Chicago, IL. For more information, visit the AIHA Web site at www.aiha.org/education/aihce/Pages/FutureandPastAIHce.aspx

Fire Response Preparedness for Underground Mines

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2006-105 deals with the preparedness of miners to respond to underground fires. It is intended to aid the mining industry in understanding the various roles of emergency responders and the training techniques used to increase their skill levels.

The report also presents a technology overview to assist in effective response to mine fires and can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/outputid1693.htm

AIHce 2006 and VENT 2006

The American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) and Ventilation 2006-the 8th International Conference on Ventilation will be held concurrently May 13-18, 2006 in Chicago, IL. AIHce 2006 will feature weekend symposia on nanotechnology and infectious disease, late-breaking sessions on hurricane response and recovery, and expert panel sessions on nanotechnology, confined spaces and hexavalent chromium.

Additionally, participants attending AIHce 2006 will have access to Ventilation 2006 at no additional cost. Ventilation 2006 will serve as a forum for exchanging latest developments in ventilation-related emission and exposure controls.

NIOSH is a co-sponsor of Ventilation 2006. More information on both conferences can be found at www.aiha.org/education/aihce/Pages/FutureandPastAIHce.aspx

Decontaminating chemical protective clothing and equipment subject of new document from AIHA

Pengfei Gao, of the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, is the lead author of Guidelines for the Decontamination of Chemical Protective Clothing and Equipment, recently published by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Dr. Gao is a member of AIHA's Protective Clothing and Equipment Committee. The guidelines offer methodologies for decontaminating chemical protective clothing (CPC) and equipment, including the most current practices for regulatory compliance, decontamination work plans, waste management, hazard and risk assessments, CPC reuse, quality assurance, and training. Dr. Gao's participation provided a means for NIOSH's research and expertise on protective clothing and equipment to be incorporated into the guidelines. The views and policies expressed in the guidelines do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of NIOSH. Ordering information can be found on the AIHA Web site, www.aiha.org.

News from the Foundation

The Foundation's work programme 2006: Accent on job creation, mobility, better working conditions and work-life balance in 2006

Access to good quality jobs for all workers is a central policy concern in the European Union. The Foundation's 2006 work programme will focus on this priority issue, while also dealing with the related issues of employment creation and retention, mobility of workers and their families, working time arrangements and work-life balance. Key tasks for 2006 include contribution to the 2006 European Year of Workers' Mobility, and presenting findings from the fourth European Working Conditions Survey, and the Company Survey on Working Time and Work-life Balance. Finally, in November 2006, the Foundation will host the third Foundation Forum, entitled 'Competitive Europe, Social Europe - partners or rivals?'.

'The Foundation is in a strong position to contribute to the improvement of living and working conditions for all Europeans,' affirms Jorma Karppinen, Director of the Foundation, the Dublin-based EU agency. 'We have identified themes for our 2006 work programme that increasingly affect our lives in the competitive global environment. The results of our work will feed into the debate and provide policymakers with information that could ultimately lead to an enhanced quality of life for all European citizens.'

The Foundation will continue to provide data through its monitoring instruments and surveys, which have proved very effective in building a picture of life in the 25 Member States, as well as in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey. Initial findings will be presented from the 2005 European Working Conditions Survey, with further analyses being carried out on selected topics. Findings from the Company Survey on Working Time will be released in the first quarter of the year. At the same time, preparations for the second European Quality of Life Survey will get underway. In addition to weekly news releases from the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) website, EIRO will feature an industrial relations profile of each Member State. The Industrial Relations Annual Report will present a comparison between current developments in Europe and its major competing economies. The European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC) will publish its first annual report on restructuring in Europe.

Information from the monitoring activities will be supplemented by in-depth studies of 'what works'. An in-depth study of temporary agency work from the point of view of industrial relations will be published at the beginning of the year. The Foundation will then unveil a major study and database on Employment initiatives for the Ageing workforce. Other studies will look at employment opportunities in childcare, the 'attractive workplace' as a way for companies to contribute to the Lisbon strategy, and strengthening the capacity for social dialogue in the new Member States.

The Foundation will use a number of thematic campaigns - on mobility, work-life balance and quality of work - to diffuse its message in 2006. The newly launched twice-yearly magazine, Foundation Focus, will devote the two issues for 2006 to the ageing workforce and equal opportunities. A new policy-oriented publication, Foundation Findings, will be launched in the spring. As 2005 saw a huge increase - by one third - in the number of web user sessions to the Eurofound website, the planned integration of the Foundation's separate web activities in 2006 under one common 'Eurofound' banner should make the site even more user-friendly.

The programme of work can be downloaded from www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0539.htm

For further information, contact Måns Mårtensson, Press Officer | Email: mma@eurofound.eu.int | Tel: +353-1-204 3124 | Mobile +353-876-593 507

NOTE: This press release is available in 21 EU languages on www.eurofound.europa.eu/press/releases/2006/060118.htm

Available in: Ceština, Dansk, Deutsch, Eesti, Ellinika, English, Español, Français, Italiano, Latviešu, Lietuviu, Magyar, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Slovencina, Slovenšcina, Suomi, Svenska

Good practice awards ensure safe start for young people

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work invites nominations for the seventh European Good Practice Awards in occupational health and safety

The 2006 award scheme will recognise companies or organisations, including schools, colleges and training providers, that have made outstanding and innovative contributions to ensure that young people make a safe start in their working lives, and that risk awareness and prevention is promoted in enterprises, schools and colleges.

The awards are part of the European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2006, which is dedicated to young people to ensure a safe and healthy start to their working lives.

'Accidents at work are a serious threat to EU's 58 million young people. According to Eurostat data, the risk of work accidents is at least 50% higher among those aged 18-24 years than in any other age category', explains Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. 'Through our 'Safe Start!' campaign and the Good Practice Awards competition the Agency will promote risk awareness and risk prevention in enterprises, schools and across Europe.'

Good practice examples are implemented solutions to promote the effective management of the occupational safety and health of young people in the workplace, and prevention measures to reduce the incidence of accidents and ill health amongst young workers. All entries should therefore show good management practice, particularly the effective use of risk assessment and implementation of its findings, and should be focused on the successful prevention of risks to young people.

Good practice examples are invited from all EU Member States. They can be submitted by individual enterprises or by intermediary organisations such as chambers of commerce, trade and professional organisations, trade unions, and by the education community including schools, colleges, education authorities and training providers.

The Agency will announce the winners at the campaign's closing event in March 2007 in Bilbao. The awards will provide the winners with European recognition for their role in improving working conditions in Europe, and the awarded examples will be presented in an Agency booklet to be distributed across Europe.

Further information about the awards and national contact details are available online at http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/ew2006

Good Practice Awards are part the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, an annual campaign run by the European Agency to promote a specific issue each year. The European Week 2006 is dedicated to young people under the slogan 'Safe Start!'. The campaign follows a decentralised model: the Agency coordinates campaign activities, provides information in 20 languages and via the campaign website, organises Good Practice Awards, a Video Competition and the Closing Event; national Focal Points in each of the 25 EU Member Sates promote, stimulate and organise activities at national level. The dual objectives of the Week are to increase awareness of risks and to promote good practice solutions.

The 'Safe Start!' campaign will be officially launched on 19 June 2006 in the European Parliament, Brussels. The European Week itself will take place from 23 - 27 October 2006. The campaign's closing event will take place in March 2007 in Bilbao.

Updated information about Good Practice Awards 2006, the campaign as well as national contact points are available at http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/ew2006.

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 | http://osha.europa.eu

Toxic warship Clemenceau returns to France, but health and safety blight remains

The decision on 15 February 2006 by French President Jacques Chirac to recall the toxic warship Clemenceau back to France underlines the depth of the crisis in the global ship-breaking industry. The aircraft carrier, containing tonnes of asbestos and many other hazardous substances, was due to have been broken at the Alang ship-breaking yard in India, however decisions by Indian and French judicial authorities led to the French government's change of course.

"This case shows just how serious the lack of decent global standards is in ship-breaking", said Marcello Malentacchi, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), adding that "thousands of workers in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and elsewhere face daily exploitation and exposure to life-threatening hazards due to the inability of the international system to establish and enforce standards".

The IMF and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has been sharply critical of the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) blocking of a process involving the IMO, the International Labour Organisation and the Basel Convention to harmonise shipbreaking guidelines. The IMO's stance at a December 2005 meeting on harmonisation is believed by the IMF to have set progress back by as much as five years.

"There have been grave doubts as to whether the the Alang facility is properly equipped to handle the asbestos and other toxic substances in the Clemenceau, but this one ship is just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands of workers at Alang and similar yards in a number of countries depend on ship breaking for their livelihoods, and to date little if anything has been done to ensure that they are able to earn a decent living in safe and hygienic workplaces", said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder. "Governments, international agencies and in particular the global ship breaking industry have a responsibility to sort out this mess", he added.

A substantial proportion of the workers at the Alang yard are paid less than US$1 per day, and the great majority are employed on a daily or sometimes monthly basis. Local trade unions are working with the workers, many of whom are migrants from other parts of India, to help them organise to improve the working conditions and increase their incomes, however resistance from employers and lack of enforcement of labour laws makes this particularly difficult.

The IMF will be continuing its support to the local trade unions in their efforts to organise the workers and is, with the ICFTU, the ITF and other Global Unions partners, step up pressure on governments, international agencies and the companies involved, to bring the world ship-breaking industry up to acceptable employment, health, safety and environmental standards.

The ICFTU represents 155 million workers in 236 affiliated organisations in 154 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0232 or +32 476 621 018.

News from the USA

ROADWAY SAFETY - A Road Construction Industry Consortium Program

Scott Schneider of the Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America writes with the news of The Roadway Safety Awareness Program that provides an overview of common hazards in highway and road construction and simple prevention measures. It is designed for use by supervisory personnel with some safety and health experience or by safety and health personnel to orient new workers as they arrive on the jobsite. The program contents are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

This program is not intended as a compliance guide. It is intended to help your company produce the worker awareness needed to achieve best practices. It is not a substitute for an OSHA 10 hour course or more in-depth training. It is a labor-management safety reminder.

This material was produced under grant number 46C1-HT21 from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It was developed by the joint efforts of Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA), American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), and International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). Produced for the consortium by FOF Communications.

The new version of the training program for road workers (V. 8) can now be downloaded from the website. The new version includes both Spanish and Portuguese voice files and materials and can also be used in metric or English units. It also includes several new bells and whistles.

www.workzonesafety.org/training/courses_programs/rsa_program

If you have trouble downloading this program off the web, you can request a copy of the program on CD-ROM.

If you are a contractor who is signatory with the Laborers Union or a member of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), contact: Scott Schneider, schneider@lhsfna.org

If you are a contractor who is a member of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, contact: Una Connolly, uconnolly@hotmix.org

If you are a contractor who is a member of the American Road and Transportation Association, contact: Brad Sant, bsant@artba.org

If you are a member of the Operating Engineers International Union (IUOE) or a contractor who is signatory with the Operating Engineers International Union (IUOE), contact: Emmett Russell, erussell@iuoe.org

If you do not fit any of the above categories and still cannot download the program from the web, contact Stew Burkhammer at the OSHA Directorate of Construction for a copy at email: Burkhammer.Stew@dol.gov

Roadway Safety Version 8.0 contains the following new enhancements:

Death Of David Jenkins, UK RoSPA Product Safety Adviser

David Jenkins, Product Safety Adviser for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in the UK, and a well-known consumer champion has died, aged 64.

Dr Jenkins of Edgbaston, Birmingham, joined RoSPA nearly 20 years ago. He was previously Principal Trading Standards Officer with special responsibility for consumer safety with West Midlands County Council - the largest enforcement department in the UK.

Only a few days before his death it was announced that the European Union is to ban the sale of cigarette lighters that are not child resistant - something he had campaigned for over many years. That decision alone is likely to save 20 lives and 1,200 fires a year across the EU caused by children playing with cheap lighters.

His other successes included factory-fitted plugs on electrical goods and the need for fire-safe furniture. He also played a part in improvements in firework, gas and electrical safety.

Educated at Brecon Grammar School, Mid-Wales, he was articled to the Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for the county and had a Masters Degree in Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

He was RoSPA's representative on the British Electrotechnical Approvals Board, the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting and the Council for Registered Gas Installers, as well as being involved with the British Standards Institution technical committees.

He was a Fellow of the Trading Standards Institute and past chairman of Consumer Safety International.

He lectured widely on consumer safety and was often called as an expert witness in consumer safety cases. A former editor of Product Safety Enforcement News, he was author of the report Enforcing Product Safety Laws in the EEC.

Janice Cave, RoSPA Acting Director of Safety Policy, said: "Consumers throughout the UK and Europe have a much to thank him for. His dedication to safety led to many changes which have helped to save lives and prevent injuries. He will be greatly missed by everyone at RoSPA."

BOOK - Stress at Work Management and Prevention, by Jeremy Stranks

In this jargon-free guide, Jeremy Stranks explains what stress is and what causes it, how people respond to stress and cope with it, how stress can be evaluated and managed and what employers' legal responsibilities are.

Gives practical advice on how to implement a stress management system. Helps employers avoid expensive court cases brought by employees or enforcement officers Work-related stress and resulting sickness absence costs the UK economy about £3.7 billion every year (HSE research.

Written for managers, HR professionals and safety reps, the emphasis of this book is strongly on practical advice and solutions. The author provides simple tools to measure and assess stress and shows how to deal with a range of stress-creating workplace situations, such as bullying, harassment and violence at work. The book also details how to implement a stress management system that complies with the new HSE Management Standards to avoid civil claims and criminal sanctions by the enforcement agencies.

End of chapter key points draw out the implications of the preceding text for the employer and an executive summary shows the main aspects that senior management have to be aware of. In addition, the book contains forms and templates to help with managing stress. These are also available for download on the companion website

www.elsevierdirect.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780750665421

Stress at Work will also be a valuable reference for students on the following courses as part of modules concerned with Human Factors: NEBOSH Certificate and Diploma courses, MSc courses in Occupational Health and Safety Management, IOSH Managing Safely, British Safety Council diploma and NVQ level 3 and 4 courses in Occupational Safety and Health.

Stress at Work Management and Prevention
Jeremy Stranks MSc, FCIEH, FIOSH, RSP, Managing Consultant
Safety and Hygiene Consultants, U.K.
ISBN: 0-7506-6542-4. Book/Paperback. 256 pages. Butterworth-Heinemann
Publication Date: 15 March 2005 Price: £19.99 www.elsevierdirect.com

BOOK - Cultural ergonomics, by Michael Kaplan

In work environments world-wide, whether simple or complex, the ways in which people think, do their jobs, and interface with other human beings grow out of their experiences in the groups of which they are or have been a part. How these influences affect their performance and human interfacing in work environments throughout the world is the subject of cultural ergonomics.

In this volume, distinguished scientists explore these cultural influences in relation to significant current concerns of ergonomics and human factors. These include scientific-philosophical considerations, aircraft safety, maritime safety, cross-national training, effective use of the world-wide web, multinational decision making, third- world industrial development, implementation of technology transfer, and the functioning of multicultural teams.

Contents:

There are lists of further reading after each chapter.

Readership: Students and professors interested in human factors, engineering psychology, applied experimental psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, ergonomics, cognitive science, and industrial engineering.

Cultural ergonomics, edited by Michael Kaplan
Volume 4 - Advances in Human Performance and Cognitive Engineering Research
Elsevier, 2004. ISBN 07623 1049-9. 384 pages. www.elsevier.com

US NIOSH Researchers Develop Interactive Web Page for Calculating Skin Permeation

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Researchers Adam Fedorowicz and Fred Frasch of the NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division have developed a new interactive Web page that allows users, such as scientists evaluating potential risk of adverse effects from chemicals that may enter the body through the skin, to measure the capacity of a chemical to be absorbed through the skin www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/skinpermcalc.html.

US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Pesticide-related illness and injury surveillance: a how to guide for States Based programs

Surveillance data can be used to identify new emerging pesticide problems, estimate the magnitude of pesticide poisoning, and evaluate intervention and prevention efforts. This publication covers the actions etc to be taken.

To NIOSH's knowledge this is the most comprehensive instruction guide for pesticide-related illness and injury surveillance. The goal is to assist the efforts of partners to identify pesticide poisoning risk factors.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Pesticide-related illness and injury surveillance: a how to guide for States Based programs
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-102. October 2005. 272 pages. www.cdc.gov/niosh

To receive a copy contact NIOSH, Publications Dissemnination, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati OH 45226 - 1998, USA | Tel: +1 800 356 4674 | Fax: +1 513 333 8573 | Email: pubstaft@cdc.gov

Korea and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work pool their expertise on occupational safety and health

Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency (KOSHA) and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao (Spain) launched on 7 February 2006 a new joint OSH website.

The site follows the structure and presentation of the Agency's website network and represents a significant contribution to the creation of a global portal to workplace safety and health information. As well as linking directly to EU information, the site is a rich source of Korean OSH information.

'I sincerely hope that the joint website will serve as a steppingstone toward contributing to the exchange of information and know-how between OSH experts in Europe and Korea in preventing industrial accident', said Park Kil-Sang, President of Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA).

The Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, added: 'The Agency's online network already includes health and safety organisations from Australia, Canada, USA and Japan. With our new partner from Korea, the network will serve even better the needs of international OSH community by helping it face the challenges of globalisation.'

The EU-Korea website is available at: http://kr.osha.eu.int

The Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency (KOSHA) was established as a public professional organization financed by the government subsidies in order to prevent accidents and diseases at workplaces.

The Agency's website acts as a gateway to an ever-increasing amount of safety and health information for people with an interest in safety and health at work such as workers, employers, practitioners and experts. Starting at the Agency's home page http://osha.europa.eu easily navigated links connect to 25 national web sites maintained by the Agency's Focal Points, three EFTA countries, two Candidate countries and two international organisations plus five trade partners.

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 | http://osha.europa.eu

News from Canada

Employees who lack recognition are four times more likely to experience high level of occupational stress

Tools to facilitate employee recognition now available online

Surveys conducted in recent years by Dr. Jean-Pierre Brun, the Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval, Canada found that:

New management approaches strongly emphasize employee recognition as an effective means to inspire employees and managers. However, while this is the subject of much talk, in reality, recognition is not widely practised. To address this problem in a practical way, the Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval is launching a kit and Web site on employee recognition.

The kit, simply called "Employee Recognition," was developed under the supervision of Jean-Pierre Brun, Professor in the Management Department at Université Laval and Director of the Chair. His goal is to promote awareness among managers and employees of the positive impacts of recognition and to provide them with the tools to introduce recognition practices into their workplaces. The kit is made up of the following three sections: awareness tools, implementation tools and suggested recognition activities.

Contact: Jean-Pierre Brun Email: Jean-Pierre.Brun@fsa.ulaval.ca

https://secure.intellogix.com/ulaval/CGSST/Catalogue.action?selPageSize=5&txtCategoryID=90

As one of the first reference tools to deal with this issue, the kit is available in English or French. Managers, unions and workers can use this tool to learn more about this issue and establish a recognition program in their workplace. We have a variety of fun suggestions to get you thinking and help you recognize employees in your organization. Have a look at our 101 ways to recognize http://cgsst.fsa.ulaval.ca/reconnaissance/stock/eng/doc146-358.pdf your co-workers, employees, customers, and managers.

The Web site, online purchasing and some of the kit's contents can be accessed at the following address http://cgsst.fsa.ulaval.ca/reconnaissance/eng

For more information: Jean-Pierre Brun, Dr., Titulaire/Director, Chaire en gestion de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management, Faculté des sciences de l'administration, Université Laval,, Québec (Québec) Canada G1K 7P4 | Tél: (418) 656-2405 | Fax: (418) 656-7028 | Adjointe: Christiane Blais (418) 656-5213 | Site Web Site: http://cgsst.fsa.ulaval.ca

News from the USA

The February issue of LIFELINES ONLINE (Vol. II, No. 9) is available at the LHSFNA website. A selection from the headlines include:

View the stories and access the website www.lhsfna.org.

Also, please note that back issues of LIFELINES ONLINE - as well as the print magazine, LIFELINES - are posted for online viewing. The LIFELINES ONLINE archive and LIFELINES archive are fully searchable, so you can find the articles that relate to your topic of interest.

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

News from Canada

Accident investigation e-course shows how to get to the root causes

This new e-course, Accident Investigation, from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) presents an introduction and practical approach to investigating workplace accidents. The purpose of an investigation is to find the root causes and correct them to prevent similar events from happening in the future.

The course outlines the steps to take to develop an accident investigation policy/procedure, conduct a thorough investigation by gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing the facts, and to make effective recommendations for action to prevent similar occurrences.

This course is essential for health and safety committee members, supervisors, and managers. It is also beneficial to health and safety professionals or anyone else who may have responsibilities for a workplace investigation or for implementing changes resulting from an investigation.

E-learning courses from CCOHS are unique in that they provide the user with course content that is:

Learners can ask a CCOHS instructor specific questions that may not have been answered by the course. This e-course, with quizzes throughout and an exam to measure learning, takes about 50-60 minutes to complete. After the learner passes the exam they are issued a certificate of completion.

The course can be purchased for one user or, if four or more people are to be trained, a multi-user license offers a savings. Special introductory pricing is available until April 10, 2006.

The French version of the course, L'Enquête d'accident will be available in the spring.

Registration and pricing information is available on the CCOHS website: www.ccohs.ca/products/courses/accident_investigations

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

OSHE websites to explore

The following may be of interest to OSHE information seekers, if you have a favourite website please let me know... Also look at www.oshworld.com - see the links under country and also under subject.

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) Foundation   BANGLADESH
www.oshebd.org
Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) Foundation established in December 2003 as a specialized OSH centre at national level by workers initiative. The mission of the OSHE Foundation is to assist the workers organizations in different industrial sector defend their rights on safety and health issue, contribute towards sustainable environmental development, increase safety awareness among workers and promote safety culture and put into practice at work places. The goal is to deliver effective support and services to workers on OSH issues through the participation oriented safety improvement approach. National OSH Resource Centre in labour market, the OSHE Foundation is continuously developing itself to serve as a specialized key resource center on OSH issues in labour market and society.

FRANCE

Groupement de l'Institution Prévention de la Sécurité sociale pour l'Europe (Eurogip)   FRANCE
www.eurogip.fr
Groupement de l'Institution Prévention de la Sécurité sociale pour l'Europe (Eurogip)
Public interest grouping (groupement d'intérêt public) formed in 1991 by the National Health Insurance Fund for Employees (CNAMTS) and the National Research and Safety Institute (INRS) with its mandate renewed in 2001.

LATVIA

Latvia State Labour Inspectorate (SLI)   LATVIA
www.vdi.gov.lv
The Latvia State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) is a state administrative and supervisory institution. Its activity is determined by the "State Labour Inspectorate Law". The following persons and institutions are subjected to the supervision and control of the SLI: entrepreneurs, the state and municipal institutions, religious and nongovernmental organizations, employers and their representatives according to the mandate and responsibilities delivered to them, dangerous equipment and their owners, as well as workplaces and other places at the enterprises available for the employees during their work process. The main task of SLI is to take measures to ensure effective implementation of State policy in the field of labour legal relations, labour protection and the technical supervision of dangerous equipment. Site contains history, structure, contacts, news, news releases, events, legislation, publications, statistics etc.

POLAND

National Labour Inspectorate of Poland   POLAND
www.pip.gov.pl/html/en/html/index.htm
The National Labour Inspectorate of Poland, subordinate to the Sejm (the Lower Chamber of Polish Parliament), is a body for supervision and inspection of the observance of labour law, in particular occupational safety and health regulations and rules. The range of its activities and powers is specified in the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate of 6 March, 1981 (Journal of Laws of 2001, No 124, item 1362). Supervision over the National Labour Inspectorate - in the scope defined by the above-mentioned Act - is executed by the Labour Protection Council, appointed by the Speaker of the Sejm. The National Labour Inspectorate is managed by the Chief Labour Inspector, appointed by the Speaker of the Sejm, with the assistance of the deputies. The National Labour Inspectorate of Poland is formed by the Chief Labour Inspectorate, 16 district labour inspectorates, together with labour inspectors acting within the territorial competence of district offices. Each of the district labour inspectorates covers the area of one province with its competence. The NLI's structure also includes 42 sub-district offices. The National Labour Inspectorate runs its own training facility - the NLI's Training Centre in Wrocław, named after Prof. Jan Rosner.

SPAIN

Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo   SPAIN
www.mtas.es/itss
Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (INSHT) web site in English and Spanish has information on documentation. regulations, organisations. training, statistics, studies and research, laboratories and quality control and links of interest.

UK

Institute of Occupational Medicine   UK
www.iom-world.org
The Institute of Occupational Medicine is the premier independent UK centre for research, consultancy and training in occupational and environmental health, hygiene and safety. Carries out world class research, analysis, solutions and strategic advice for industry, governments, groups and individuals across the globe.

USA

Better Hearing Institute   USA
www.betterhearing.org
The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is a not-for-profit corporation that educates the public about the neglected problem of hearing loss and what can be done about it. Founded in 1973, it works to erase the stigma and end the embarrassment that prevents millions of people from seeking help for hearing loss, show the negative consequences of untreated hearing loss for millions of Americans, and promotes treatment and demonstrate that this is a national problem that can be solved.

Make my day...

Send Your news to your Editor: sp@sheilapantry.com

Diary of Events

If you have details of any conferences, seminars, training courses and events then please send to your Editor. You can also check and please use any of the data in www.oshworld.com/diary.html

Don't forget
13-15 September 2006 - CIS Annual Meeting 2006 and Training Workshop, Geneva

See also details of various events in this edition!