CIS Newsletter

No. 219
December 2007

CIS Newsletter celebrates 19 years & still going strong!
Bringing news to over 140 countries in the CIS Network!

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Requests to CIS Centres for information from CIS HQ - re ILO Encyclopaedia, OSH
  3. News from around the World - Canada, Europe, Korea, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, UK and the USA and Reports from the Regional Meeting in Damascus, Syria
  4. OSHE websites
  5. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

Welcome to the last CIS Newsletter of 2007 and may I extend Festive Greetings to everyone, wherever you are. In many parts of this World of ours there will be celebrations of Christmas. To everyone, may I send the warmest of good wishes to you, your colleagues and your families at this very special and happy time of the year. I hope you will enjoy the festivities.

Whilst this is usually a joyful season for families and friends we must also remember those families around the world where there will be that missing family member, who, because of very sad incidents, accidents and workplace ill health problems will not be present.

2007 and all that...

We have had a very fast, active year for the CIS Network - it is important that we keep it flourishing, and not just communicate once a year at the CIS Annual Meeting and Workshops. So keep reminding yourselves that there is much yet to be achieved - look back at the September 2007 CIS Annual Meeting and Reports and also reported in the CIS Newsletters. Also the recent Regional Meeting of Arab States in November 2007.

Look at the Working Party Papers that were created in 2005 - see if there are any ideas that you can take up and run with in your country. Also remember that there are many people in the network who can help you achieve your goals... twinning with other countries has been a long-time arrangements, but perhaps in recent times and unused facility to get help from people and CIS Centres who have already achieve many goals.

Now we look forward to 2008 with all its challenges and opportunities ahead for us to help improve the knowledge of all workers through disseminating validated and authoritative information, which at all times, should be timely and presented in usable formats. And of course to the next CIS Annual Meeting being held alongside the World Congress 2008 in Korea. (See details below). We also look forward to the European Regional Meeting 2008 details to be announced.

See the request from Geneva for your comments on the Encyclopaedia and OSH national profiles.

Remember the World day of Health and Safety is being held on 28 April 2008 - now is the time to plan your activities.

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...

Remember that CIS Newsletters archive going back nearly 6 years is available on www.sheilapantry.com/cis

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.

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 that your News in the CIS Newsletter goes to over 140 countries and gets re-used in other magazines and websites. CIS Newsletters on the web are getting more and more used... With many hundreds of hits per month......Publicity means... tell them (would be customers as well as existing customers of your Information services), tell them and tell them again...

Will you be Surviving in 2008?... perhaps you will if you make efforts in promotion, publicity and telling the World that CIS and its network exists!

Use the CIS Logo on your web site and publications!

All good wishes to you, your families and your colleagues at this special time of the Year

Sheila Pantry, OBE

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 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
www.fireinf.com

Please consider the environment before printing this Newsletter

Feel free to use this Newsletter on your own web site/pages/e-news

News from Geneva

Get on Board and Have Your SAY!
ILO Encyclopaedia staff to compile results of user survey.
Summary of replies on or before 22 November 2007 has begun, but you have until 15 December 2007 to make YOUR comments!

Several members of ILO Geneva CIS Staff have begun to ask questions of Encyclopaedia users, for the purpose of improving and refining the existing database and also for planning a possible new edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety.

Here's YOUR chance at having your say.

"We don't want to hear ONLY the good things," one staffer said, "we want a candid assessment of any problems in access or any technical shortcomings, so that we can improve our resource and make it even more useful for stakeholders worldwide, We need detailed user feedback about the areas of greatest need for information in order to prioritize our future work and to achieve these goals.

REASON FOR THE SURVEY

Staff of CIS returned from the CIS Annual Meeting 2007 (Dusseldorf, Germany) with generalized feedback from CIS Centres, and a desire to crystallize some of this information in a format that could be applied to the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety. There had been no previous form of information gathering to gauge the use of the Encyclopaedia, comparative benefits of web based versus written formats, or to gather a list of concerns for revisions and updates.

SURVEY SENT OUT AT NO FINANCIAL COST

No financial costs have been incurred to date for this survey. Ten questions were agreed upon and then translated from English into the ILO official languages of Spanish and French. As a pilot, the survey was sent to 183 CIS Centres by email.. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, US DHHS CDC NIOSH) was the first CIS Centre to reply, with information that was compiled by two librarians on the NIOSH permanent staff. Thus, the NIOSH reply is actually the work of three staff in one reply. NIOSH's very detailed and useful comments encouraged the staff by unanimous consensus to open up this survey to the rest of the world.

As a result, the survey was forwarded to Shelia Pantry for publication in the CIS newsletter. It was later forwarded to several occupational safety and health listservs, including OCCMED (University of North Carolina, Dr Gary Greenberg Moderator) and several AIHA Lists for Africa, India, and North America (Andrew Cutz of Canada, Moderator). Additionally, there is a possibility of at least one and perhaps two focus groups of Encyclopaedia users. This would enable the users to communicate directly with ILO Staff.

The goal of this focus group would be: To allow Encyclopaedia staff to hear about the problems encountered using the materials and to discuss in detail the future needs of users, by hearing about the Encyclopaedia directly from the users themselves.

Staff in Geneva has already begun the process of synthesizing these replies in a preliminary dataset, BUT WE NEED YOUR INPUT TOO! See questionnaire in English and Spanish below.

Send comments to: Ilise L Feitshans JD and ScM, SAFEWORK | Email: ENCYCLOPAEDIA@ilo.org | Tel: +41 (0) 22 799 7443 | www.ilo.org/safework

SURVEY OF CIS CENTRES REGARDING THE ILO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ENCYCLOPAEDIA. PLEASE REPLY BEFORE 15 DEC 2007

1. How often do you use the Encyclopaedia to reply to requests for information?

  1. ___ Daily (___ times per day)
  2. ___ Weekly (___ times per week)
  3. ___ Monthly (___ times per month)
  4. ___ Rarely

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Please list at least three main uses for the Encyclopaedia, such as but not limited to: training material, information requests, preparing speeches, student research:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you find it easy to retrieve the information you need when using the Encyclopaedia:

  1. In print version ___yes ___no
  2. On the Web or CD-Rom ____ yes ___no

____________________________________________________________________________

4. Which searchable databases or websites do you use on a regular basis, and how often?

____________________________________________________________________________

5. In your experience, which groups represent the three most important users of the ILO Encyclopaedia? (trade unions, non-profit organizations; national, provincial or local government; universities; researchers; teachers; employer organizations; large corporations; small businesses; students; professional associations; occupational physicians, nurses; industrial hygienists; consultants; general public; family members of injured workers; media, etc.).

___________________________________________________________________________

6. Which databases would you especially like to have included by hyperlink?

___________________________________________________________________________

7. Which three topics in the Encyclopaedia are, in your opinion, the most outdated or in need of revision?

___________________________________________________________________________

8. Which three topics NOT presently found in the Encyclopaedia are, in your opinion, the most important emerging issues that require the creation of a new section?

___________________________________________________________________________

9. The new edition must be fully accessible to a much larger constituency than the previous edition in hard copies. Would you like the new edition to be entirely CD-Rom and Web-based, or do you feel the need for hard copies?

______yes ______no

If yes, approximately how many copies, serving how many people, and where? (universities, ILO Offices, large reference libraries, special libraries serving workers, employers, etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________

10. What overall critiques would you make to improve the Encyclopaedia?

____________________________________________________________________________

Additional comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Ilise Feitshans, JD and ScM. | (+022) 799 7443 | Email: Encyclopaedia@ilo.org

Thank you for your consideration and time.

ENCUESTA DE CENTROS CIS SOBRE LA ENCICLOPEDIA DE SALUD Y SEGURIDAD EN EL TRABAJO DE LA OIT

1. Con qué frecuencia utiliza la Enciclopedia para responder a solicitudes de información?

  1. ___ Diariamente (___ veces por día)
  2. ___ Semanalmente (___ veces por semana)
  3. ___ Mensualmente (___ veces por mes)
  4. ___ Raramente

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Indique al menos tres usos de la Enciclopedia, tales como material de formación, solicitudes de información, redacción de discursos, búsquedas para estudiantes.

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Le resulta fácil encontrar información en la Enciclopedia?

____________________________________________________________________________

4. Qué bases de datos y sitios Web utiliza regularmente y con qué frecuencia?

____________________________________________________________________________

5. En su opinión, qué grupos representan los tres principales utilizadotes de la Enciclopedia? (sindicatos, organizaciones sin fines lucrativos, grupos gubernamentales, nacionales o locales, universidades, investigadores, profesores, organizaciones de empleadores, grandes compañías, pequeñas empresas, estudiantes, asociaciones profesionales, médicos del trabajo, enfermeros, higienistas, consultores, el público en general, familias de trabajadores accidentados, los medios de comunicación, etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________

6. Qué bases de datos le gustaría ver incluidas con hiper-enlace en la Enciclopedia?

____________________________________________________________________________

7. Qué tres temas de la Enciclopedia considera que deben ser actualizados o revisados con prioridad?

____________________________________________________________________________

8. Qué tres temas que NO se encuentran actualmente en la Enciclopedia considera que tienen importancia y deberían ser incluidos en una nueva sección?

____________________________________________________________________________

9. La nueva edición de la Enciclopedia debe ser accesible a un público mayor que la edición anterior. Considera que esta nueva edición debe estar disponible únicamente en línea o en CD-ROM o piensa que la versión impresa resulta útil.

___Sí ___No

En caso afirmativo, cuántas copias considera necesarias, para cuántas personas, y en qué lugares? (universidades, oficinas de las bibliotecas de referencia o bibliotecas dirigidas a determinadas audiencias como trabajadores, empleadores, etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________

10. Qué sugerencias haría para mejorar la Enciclopedia? Agradecemos de antemano sus comentarios.

____________________________________________________________________________

Gracias por remitir este formulario completo por correo electrónico a la Sra. Ilise Feitshans: encyclopaedia@ilo.org (Tel.: +41 22 799 7443).

Your Help is also needed for the following... please reply as soon as possible...

Dear CIS Centres,

Using its network of Centres, the CIS in Geneva wishes to establish a list of countries, which have adopted:

  1. a national policy on occupational safety and health (OSH)
  2. a national programme (plan or strategy) on OSH

in accordance with the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No 187).

This information will provide us with a better understanding of the current status of OSH globally and enable us to compile and disseminate the information through our Website.

If your country has adopted either 1) or 2), above, or both, please could you send the texts to our email address ciscentres@ilo.org, indicating any relevant Web pages.

Alternatively, if not available on the Web, the texts may be faxed to the CIS Secretariat at: Fax: +41 22) 799 67 40

Thank you in advance for your kind collaboration.

Michèle Nahmias, Senior OSH Specialist, SafeWork, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22

The CIS Regional meeting for the Arab States took place in Damascus on 21 and 22 November 2007

The CIS Regional meeting for the Arab States took place in Damascus on 21 and 22 November 2007 and was organized by the International Labour Organisation and the Arab Labour Organisation in collaboration with the CIS Regional Centre for the Arab States located at the Arab Labour Institute for OSH in Damascus.

Seventeen countries, including the Palestinian Authority and the CIS Regional Centre, were invited to participate, namely:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. According to the discussions that took place, we should have a CIS National Centre in a very near future in Iraq, Libya and in Saudi Arabia. The CIS National Centre in Morocco should be moved from its present location to the Ministry of Labour. In addition, a CIS Collaboration Centre will be created at the Bahraini Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The CIS Regional meeting followed a three-day tripartite Regional meeting for the Arab States which was attended by some sixty participants. This meeting was also attended by a representative from ACTRAV, Dr Ahmed Khalef, and from the International Employers Organization (IOE), Mr. Frederik Muia.

Please find below the concept papers and agendas for both meetings.

Conclusions and a plan of action are being prepared and will be sent out shortly to all participants for validation.

Objectives of the Regional CIS Centres Meeting, Damascus, Syria, 21-22 November 2007

Concept Note

Introduction

Governments, workers and employers' delegates attending the Fourteenth ILO Asian Regional Meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, in September 2006, launched the "Asian Decent Work Decade" and committed themselves to achieve defined goals for Decent Work during the period extending up to 2015 in accordance with national needs and priorities. The conclusions adopted also stressed the importance of regional cooperation initiatives between the countries involved in order to identify common needs, share good practices and develop strategies and programs to implement decent work for all.

The promotion of Occupational Safety and Health was identified as one among the interconnected priorities for realizing decent work and the reduction of poverty in countries of the region. The conclusions of the meeting specifically require the ILO to support governments and social partners in developing further initiatives on promoting the ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions on Occupational Safety and Health, including the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No 187).

Furthermore, the tripartite delegations at the 11th African Regional Meeting which took place in Addis Ababa in April 2007 also committed themselves to a series of ambitious targets for the development of integrated Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) to accelerate progress towards the agreed international development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This followed up on the conclusions of the Ouagadougou Summit of 2004 which adopted a Declaration, Plan of Action and Follow-up Mechanism on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa.

Although many African States have comprehensive laws concerning basic working conditions, including occupational health and safety standards and minimum wages, their enforcement are weak and the national OSH systems are insufficiently developed. Hence the need to update both the content and means of implementation of laws and collective agreements concerning basic minimum conditions. In this regard, the constituents at the 11th African Regional Meeting committed themselves to set up specific national targets for reducing noncompliance with laws concerning among others, the reduction of occupational accidents, diseases and days lost due to illness and accidents per worker, and a progressive increase in the number of labour inspectors in relation to workers.

Justification

In Arab States, there are many challenges and institutional gaps impeding effective prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. Among these are the lack of resources devoted to OSH, including the provision of services and awareness raising, the low rates of ratification of ILO conventions, a lack of national capacity in training, retraining and further developing the skills of OSH specialists, weaknesses in the labour inspection components and the absence of clear national plans.

The ILO is therefore proposing the organization of a three-day tripartite regional workshop on occupational safety and health in collaboration with the Arab Labour Organization (ALO) - OSH Institute based in Syria. The tripartite workshop (18-20 Nov.) will be coupled with a two-day workshop for CIS centers' representatives from the region (21-22 Nov.). As a preparatory step and based on the global trends and emerging issues in the region, the ILO is currently developing a situation analysis report on OSH in Arab States. The report will provide conclusions and recommendations on measures needed for promoting OSH in the region through proper OSH programs and services. It will help set up the agenda and contents of the workshop to identify the next steps for a harmonized regional strategy towards continuous improvement of OSH in this region.

The promotion of a safe and healthy work environment requires a wide strategy and a multi-sectoral approach. In order to assist member States in developing an OSH policies with an aim of successfully preventing accidents and injuries to health arising out of, linked with or occurring in the course of work, the ILO adopted its Global Strategy on OSH, 2003, and the Promotional Framework for OSH Convention, 2006 (No. 187) with its accompanying Recommendation, 2006 (No.197). These two documents form the backbone of any OSH programme to be undertaken at international, national or enterprise levels. They complement other ILO instruments on OSH and, in particular, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), the Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161), as well as the Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems (ILO-OSH 2001).

Convention No.187 highlights in particular the needs for the establishment of:

In order to facilitate the formulation of the above elements, it is recommended to establish and regularly update a national OSH Profile, which summarizes the existing national situation on OSH and the progress made towards achieving a safe and healthy working environment. A description of the elements to be included in the national profile is available in the Recommendation No.197 under section IV.

Objectives of the meeting 18-20 November

The meeting aims to review the OSH situation of respective participating countries, identify priority needs to be addressed at national and regional levels and establish a tentative one year plan of action to improve safety and health at work in member states and in the region according to the principles embedded in particular in the ILO OSH strategy and ILO Conventions No. 187, 155, 161 and their respective accompanying recommendations. Special emphasis will be given to the promotion of a safety culture, labour inspection and policy dialogue.

In addition to the mobilisation of the tripartite constituents to expand collaborative work on occupational safety and health issues, this workshop aims at setting country tailored action plans for developing the OSH infrastructure in Arab States towards national policies, systems and programs.

Upon completion of this meeting, participants will have:

Proposed agenda of the meeting 18-20 November

Participants Profile

The Meeting is aimed at senior OSH experts responsible for policy development and for implementing national policies and programmes. Tripartite delegations from the following countries will be invited: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

Methodology

The workshop will include prominent resource persons for the purpose of presenting; sharing related experiences and facilitating the meetings. It will also include group work activities.

Languages

Arabic
Simultaneous interpretation into/from French will be available.

Regional meeting of CIS Centres in the Arab States
21-22 November 2007, Damascus, Syria

Introduction

CIS was founded in 1959 by a consortium of national and international occupational safety and health (OSH) bodies that sought the advantages of a centralized information service and housed it in the International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland. Since then, the ILO has taken over full control of CIS and incorporated it in its larger OSH programme, but national- and regional-level bodies remain important partners, and today constitute the CIS Centres Network. The CIS Centres Network consists of CIS itself, and its National Centres, Collaborating and Regional Centres around the world. The National Centres are institutions with information centres recognized by one or more of the national authorities empowered to ensure safe and healthy working conditions in the country. The National Centre is the preferred point to which questions on occupational safety and health in the country can be referred. A Collaborating Centre is an institution that does not have the same national mandate as a National Centre, but has a mandate that complements that of the National Centre and has the capacity to engage in the same information exchange with CIS and with its peers as does the National Centre. Regional Centres are institutions that have been set up by regional intergovernmental organizations and that have the same objectives as CIS.

Role of CIS

CIS plays an active role in increasing the effectiveness of OSH knowledge management in the world by pooling the experience and documentary resources of national OSH information centres. It collects and disseminates useful information relevant to the safety of workers in all sectors of economic activity. It also contributes to the development of OSH documentation facilities and assists national bodies in carrying out such work.

Objectives of the Regional CIS Centres Meeting 21-22 November, 2007

The meeting aims to strengthen constituents' capacity in accessing, producing and disseminating/exchanging OSH information at the national and regional level. In addition, it will also place great emphasis on advocating a need for the creation and development of national CIS centres in those Arab countries that do not have one at present. Enlarging the CIS centres network and reinforcing national and regional capacities in efficiently producing and using OSH information are also among the meeting's main objectives.

CIS regional Meeting in the Arab States
Damascus, Syria, 21 and 22 November 2007
Provisional Agenda

Participants are invited from the following countries:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Wednesday 21 Nov. 2007 - Day I

9 h 00 - 9 h15

Opening ceremony
Addresses by Dr. Al-Tuwaijri and Dr. Mahmoud

9 h 15 - 9 h 30

Introduction - Purpose of the meeting and expected outcome

9 h 30 - 10 h 30

Presentation of ILO-CIS (Original role and traditional activities. Recent evolution. The basic requirements to establish a CIS Centre, the network, difference between National and Collaboration Centres, statistics, products)
Presentation of the Arab Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (Arab Labour Organization), Damascus, Syria

10 h 30 - 11 h 00

Coffee break

11 h 00 - 13 h 00

Presentations by existing CIS Centres, in particular available resources in Arabic

13 h 00 - 14 h 00

Lunch break

14 h 00 - 15 h 00

Basics of OSH information

  • What is OSH information dealing with?
  • Who needs this information?
  • Authoritative and validated information
  • ILO-CIS and its activities and services

15 h 00 - 16 h 00

Group work - Setting up a CIS Centre

  • How easy or difficult is it to set up a Centre?
  • What are the problems and advantages of being a Centre?
  • Linking through a website

Report - Questions and answers

Thursday 22 Nov. 2007 - Day II

9 h 00 - 10. 30

ILO World-Wide-Web resources

  • ILO homepage
  • CIS homepage
  • The ILO Encyclopaedia
  • CIS National and Collaborating Centres webpages

Questions and answers

10 h 30 - 11 h 00

Coffee break

11 h 00 - 13 h 00

Group work - Networking

  • How to locate OSH information sources in a country
  • Networking with International and National Information Sources: The ILO-CIS network, WHO, European OSH Agency, etc
  • Development of a website and use of the CIS logo

Report - Questions and answers

13 h 00 - 14 h 00

Lunch break

14 h 00 - 15 h 00

Group work - Developing a collaborative strategy

  • The 2008 World Day (Theme, activities, products)
  • Promotion of OSH in general and of the 2003 Global Strategy and of Convention 187

Report - Questions and answers

15 h 00 - 15 h 15

Publicity and promotion

  • The XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (The Summit, ALO symposium, Regional meeting for the Arab States, CIS Centres Annual Meeting)

15 h 15 - 16h 00

Conclusions and plan of action

Institute for Occupational health and Safety Tripartite Interregional Meeting on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the Arab States
18-20 November 2007, Damascus, Syria

Draft Agenda

Tripartite Representatives are invited from the following countries:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Sunday, 18 Nov. 2007 Day I

9:00 - 10:00

Opening ceremony addresses

Mr. Maurizio Bussi
Deputy Director, Regional Office for Arab States, ILO

Ms. Pippa Bradford
United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC), Syria

Mr. Imad Ghrayawati
President, Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Suburbs

Mr. Jamal El Shamasat
Assistant Secretary General for Legislation and Specialized Committees, International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions (ICATU)

H.E. Mr. Ahmad Lokman
Director General, Arab Labour Organization (ALO)

H.E. Dr. Diala Al Haj Aref
Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Syria

10:00 - 10:30

Coffee break

10:30 - 10:40

Session I

Introduction, objectives of the meeting and expected outcomes

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri
Director, ILO's Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)

10:40 - 11:00

The ILO's Programme on Safety and Health and the Environment and the ILO OSH Global Strategy and OSH Management Systems

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri
Director, ILO's Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)

11:00 - 11:20

Discussion

11:20 - 11:40

The ILO Convention concerning the promotional framework for Occupational Safety and Health, 2006 (No. 187) and its accompanying Recommendation No. 197

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri
Director, ILO's Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)

11:40 - 12:00

Discussion

12:00 - 12:20

Clarifying concepts and purposes: OSH policies, systems, programmes and profiles

Ms Michele Nahmias
Senior OSH Specialist, ILO's Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork)

12:20 - 13:00

Discussion on national profiles, systems and programmes

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14h00 - 16h00

Session II

Introduction to the Regional Overview on OSH

Ms. Manal Azzi
OSH Focal Point, ILO Regional Office for the Arab States

Presentation of the key findings of the ILO research study on the OSH situation in Arab States.

Dr. Rima R. Habib
Principal author of the OSH Regional Overview
Assistant Professor Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut

Discussion

Wrap-up Day I and introduction to the agenda for Day II

Monday, 19 Nov. 2007 Day II

9:00 - 11:00

Session III

Presentation of national OSH profiles or situations (presentations by country according to alphabetical order, either in French or Arabic)

11:00 - 11:30

Coffee break

11:30 - 13h00

Continuation of country presentations

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 16:30

Session IV

Continuation of country presentations

Presentations by:

Dr. Ahmed Khalef
Bureau for Workers' Activities, ILO Geneva

Mr. Frederick Muia
International Organization of Employers (IOE), Geneva

Summary of common major elements and issues in country presentations

Discussion and preparation of working groups for Day III

Tuesday 20 Nov. 2007 - Day III

08:30 - 10:30

Session V
Three tripartite groups working in parallel

Group I: Means and tools to promote a safety culture
Safety campaigns, safety day, exchange of experience, action on the part of government institutions, employers and workers organizations, the OSH Congress, but also tools on OSH to produce, use and disseminate (use of CIS in this context, all kinds of OSH publications, posters, audio-visuals, information sources, etc). Draft action plan for World Day 2008

Group II: National OSH systems: identification of major components to be strengthened, obstacles to their strengthening, suggestions about possible ways to improve them with particular focus on achievable results with time frame and indicators.
Draft action plan for 1 year with indicators and deadlines

Group III: Policy dialogue
Collection/generation of data and evidence to convince decision makers (government and employers), involvement and commitment of Trade Unions, ways and tools to advocate the Decent Work and OSH agenda at national and enterprise level.

10:30 - 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 - 12:30

Session VI
Presentation of group work

12:30 - 13:00

Wrapping-up and drafting of a regional action plan on OSH for 1 year
(Possible designation of a drafting committee)

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 16:30

Session VII

Presentation of the action plan

Conclusions and recommendations

Distribution of the Certificates

Closing session

News from Poland

The Central Institute for Labour Protection periodically organizes a poster competition devoted to occupational safety and health protection of man in the working environment. The competition is organized under the auspices of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, in cooperation with the competition - organized in 1997 - Stress, Computer, Occupational Risk, Noise, Chemistry, Ergonomics, Agriculture, Building industry, School, Transport, Electricity, Disabled persons, Biohazards, Stop that Noise and Young workers - safe start were the themes of the following' union, graduates and students of Polish and foreign academies of fine arts - participate in the competition.

Three prizes and honorary mentions are awarded in the competition, with additional royalties for poster selected for printing.

Post-competition exhibitions take place in Warszawa, Kraków and Łódź. A catalogue with exhibited poster is always published.

Results of 16th edition of the occupational safety poster competition LIGHTEN THE LOAD:

www.ciop.pl/4353.html

10 questions for CIS Centres to think about as services are developed

1. What are your main subject enquiries - e.g. occupational health or engineering or legal information. or chemical information etc ... do you keep an analysis of your enquiries?

2. Which databases do your users use ... or would like to use - have you asked the users?

3. Which databases does your CIS Centre subscribe to? Are these being used? If not, why not? Have your trained your users to use these services?

4. Which journals do you take? Do you have a list of these journals - and are these indexed in any of the databases that you subscribe to or have access to?

5. And which journals does your users wish you to take?

6. Are these journals in answers Questions 4 and 5 indexed in databases?

7. Do you use OSHWORLD... www.oshworld.com see country and subject links ... that leads you to many other authoritative sources

8. Do you use US National Library of Medicine Pub Med service - it is free of charge start within the gateway http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd and this leads you to many peer group reviewed databases e.g Hazardous Substances Databank http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB

9. Do you talk to your users to find out which subject topics they would like to be kept up-to-date?

10. Do you promote the resources and services that you have available? Do you have training sessions or open days?

News from the USA

Introducing the NIOSH Science Blog

On 5 November 2007, the US National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (NIOSH) introduced a new NIOSH Science Blog to further communicate and stimulate discussion on scientific issues related to NIOSH's research and recommendations.

The blog, www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog, provides an expeditious system for partners and stakeholders to present ideas to NIOSH scientists and each other, while engaging in robust scientific discussion with the goal of protecting workers. The inaugural entry focuses on the recent NIOSH Alert on preventing fire fighter fatalities from heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.

The blog or web log is intended as a new way to help NIOSH fulfill its mission of translating research into practice for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths.

More News from NIOSH

Dr John Howard, Director of US NIOSH says:

A TV program in the early 1960s had the catchy title, "That Was the Week That Was." As we enter the last few weeks of 2007, I am gratified that in looking back over the Year That Was, we can point to many important NIOSH accomplishments. To mention a few that stand out particularly in my mind:

I invite you to revisit our previous issues of NIOSH eNews for 2007 for many other examples of notable accomplishments in the past year, from Research to Practice (r2p), fire fighter safety and health, the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), and disaster preparedness and response, to health hazard evaluations, research to prevent flavorings-related respiratory illness, and injury and illness prevention in health care.

Note

On 1 December 2007, the NIOSH Publications Office becomes part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's CDC-INFO. Orders for NIOSH publications can be placed either through the NIOSH Web site, www.cdc.gov/niosh/email-pubs.html, or by telephone through CDC-INFO at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

New publication of the ETUI-REHS Health and Safety Department

Musculoskeletal disorders. An ill-understood "pandemic" by Roland Gauthy, researcher, ETUI-REHS, 2007

This publication presents a summary of the current scientific knowledge of this complex group of pathologies, examines the connection between MSD and changes in the organisation of work and proposes ideas for a necessary trade union mobilisation against this exploding health problem.

More information in the attached PDF or on the Health and Safety Department Website: http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/publications/pub41.htm

Géraldine Hofmann, ETUI-REHS, Health and Safety Department, 5 bd du Roi Albert II, B-1210 Bruxelles | Tel.: +32 2 224 05 60 | Fax: +32 2 224 05 61

News from the European Agency

Risk Observatory: New biological threats in European working environment

In its new report the European Risk Observatory identifies emerging biological risks that are most likely to affect workers in the EU. Farmers, healthcare workers or people in evolving industries such as waste treatment are particularly concerned. Communicable diseases such as SARS, avian flu or Dengue are of increasing concern. Despite existing European law, knowledge is still limited and in many workplaces biological risks are poorly assessed and prevented. The report emphasises the importance of taking a global and multidisciplinary approach involving occupational safety and health, public health, environmental protection and food safety.

"Biological risks often remain underestimated although they may be very harmful for EU workers in literally any sector", says Jukka Takala, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work of which the European Risk Observatory (ERO) is an integral part. "The challenge is to identify them quickly as they appear and analyse the consequences they might have on people's health and to work out policies and procedures to minimise their spread." The ERO expert forecast identifies new and increasing biological risks related to occupational safety and stresses the importance of considering all collective responsibilities and means of control, both inside and outside the workplace.

Communicable diseases threaten EU workers

It is estimated that 320,000 workers worldwide die every year of communicable diseases caused by viral, bacterial, insect or animal related biological hazards. Although most fatalities occur in developing countries, some 5,000 workers fall victim in the EU. Women are more likely to be concerned than men as they typically work in occupations that involve more biohazards and exposure.

The most emerging risks relate to global epidemics with new contagious pathogens, e.g. severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian flu and Ebola, and re-emerging ones such as cholera and yellow fever. Given the speed and volume of international traffic and trade, these substances may spread around the globe within a few hours and start a new pandemic.

Industries with highest risk

As many of these diseases jump the species barrier from animals to humans, workers in contact with livestock are particularly at risk. Other pathogens such as tuberculosis have become resistant to known drugs and can result in severe infections in healthcare workers.

Complex exposure situations are found in new industries such as waste treatment where workers come in contact with a variety of airborne micro organisms and organic compounds. Moulds can spread in any indoor workplace due to poorly maintained air-conditioning and can cause asthma and allergies.

Second report on emerging risks

The ERO report is the second of a series dedicated to emerging risks. The results of this forecast, together with the three complementary works on physical, chemical and psychosocial risks, are only the first steps in a process of debate and consolidation that forms part of the work programme of the Agency.

http://osha.europa.eu/press_room/ERO_Publication_BiologicalRisks

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

__________

Further reading: Download the reports on emerging risks free of charge

Factsheet on emerging biological risks - available in: Български, Čeština, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, English, Español, Eesti, Suomi, Français, Magyar, Italiano, Lietuviškai, Latviešu, Malti, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Română, Slovenčina, Slovenščina, Svenska

Expert forecast on emerging biological risks related to occupational safety and health - available in English.

Expert forecast on emerging physical risks related to occupational safety and health - available in English.

European Risk Observatory: http://osha.europa.eu/en/riskobservatory

DIRECTIVE 2000/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work: http://europa.eu/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2000/l_262/l_26220001017en00210045.pdf

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Vía 33, E-48009 Bilbao - Spain | Tel: + 34 94 479 4360 | Fax: + 34 94 479 4383 | http://osha.europa.eu

News from Canada

Latest Issue of INFO IRSST (Electronic newsletter from the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail) is available

www.irsst.qc.ca/media/documents/en/InfoIrsst/Archives/InfoIRSST_v05n08.htm

Pleasant reading!

Jacques Millette, Communications Director, IRSST, 505, De Maisonneuve blvd. West, Montréal (Québec), Canada H3A 3C2 | www.irsst.qc.ca | Email: communications@irsst.qc.ca

News from Ireland

Health and Safety Authority to Sponsor Primary Science Fair at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

Ireland' s The Health and Safety Authority has announced that it is to sponsor the Primary Science Fair at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in January 2008. The Primary Science Fair encourages primary school children to think about science in both a practical and fun way.

A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Authority said "we are delighted to be sponsoring the Primary Science Fair, we believe that educating the workforce of tomorrow in good safety practices is an investment that will pay dividends in the future."

Pupils from 4th, 5th and 6th classes all over Ireland are invited to participate in the Fair which takes place in the RDS on the 10th, 11th and 12th of January 2008.

Entrants in the Primary Science Fair 2008 are invited to work within the following categories

Students will be required to demonstrate a 'safety element' to their project.

"This is just one of a number of initiatives that the Authority is undertaking to get the 'work safely' message across to young people. If we can build a culture of safety from primary school upwards, then working safely will be second nature to new generations of workers", said Joanne Harmon, Education Strategy Manager for the Health and Safety Authority.

Currently there are 300,000 people aged 15-24 in the Irish workforce, this equates to 15% of the Workforce

Contact: Mark Ryan | Tel: +353 1 -6147068 / 086 8036141

News from the UK

Workplace stress costs Great Britain in excess of GBP £530 million

Statistics released recently by the UK Health and Safety Commission (HSC) show a dramatic increase in the number of workers suffering from work related stress in Great Britain and the Chair of HSC had a stark reminder for employers on National Stress Awareness Day, "We need to make a conscious effort to tackle workplace stress as we have lost nearly 14 million working days due to stress last year. Workplace stress cannot be eliminated but must be managed with our workforces' wellbeing in mind.

There are a number of tools available to employers and employees such as the 'Stress Management Standards' produced by the Health and Safety Executive. These standards provide practical guidance to identify stress in the workplace at an early stage and tackle it effectively."

In 2005/6 work related stress, depression and anxiety cost Great Britain in excess of £530 million. The number of workers who had sought medical advice for what they believed to be work related stress increased by 110,000 to an estimated 530,000.

But there are organisations such as Bradford and Bingley who are working with the HSE to embed good working practices to tackle stress. Bradford and Bingley have adopted and embedded the 'Stress Management Standards' in their management culture and have seen a significant reduction in stress-related absence.

Bradford and Bingley Head of Group for Health and Safety, John Hamilton, commented: "Good management practice is the key to the successful management of stress. Many managers prior to us implementing the standards didn't realise the benefits it has on helping their staff cope with workplace pressure."

The Management Standards cover six key areas of work design that, if not properly managed, are associated with poor health and well-being, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. The six areas are:

The Standards and advice on how to use them are available at www.hse.gov.uk/stress

The Standards, informed by the expert research linking job design to ill health, consist of six main factors that contribute to work-related stress: demands, control, support, relationships, role, change.

The UK Health and Safety Statistics see www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/c07019.htm for the press releases and www.hse.gov.uk/statistics for the full statistics.

News from Canada

Original exploratory study from IRSST

Quebec workers are less likely to lose their lives following an occupational accident than those in Ontario and British Columbia. At least this is what is indicated in an original exploratory study carried out by the Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute (IRSST) on the three Canadian provinces with the most workers. The researchers successfully compared the data from eight economic activity sectors, despite the fact that it was always difficult to produce indicators comparing the risks of work-related injuries and illness for Canadian provinces due to the differences in the provincial compensation plans.

Work-related deaths

With the data on compensated deaths from 1997 to 2003 from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) and workforce data from Statistics Canada, the researchers were able to compare the situations in the three provinces. Here are some results from this report that can be consulted on the IRSST Web site: www.irsst.qc.ca/files/documents/PubIRSST/R-529.pdf

A few highlights

Source: Communications Division, IRSST | Tel: + 1 (514) 288-1551 | Fax: + 1 (514) 288-0998 | mautom@irsst.qc.ca

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Key decision-makers commit to Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life

Key decision makers from national governments and international institutions signed the Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life* recently launched in Lisbon, committing themselves to fighting for seven key demands, including changing unfair trade rules, protecting the rights of workers to organise, ratifying and implementing the UN and ILO conventions around the protection of migrant workers and providing social protection to the 60% of the world's population who live without it.

Signatories so far include Juan Somavía, (Director General of the ILO), Sha Zukang (UN Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs), Dayan Jayatilleka (Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body), Carlos Tomada (Labour Minister of Argentina), Carlos Lupi (Labour Minister of Brazil), Jose Antonio Viera da Silva (Labour and Social Security Minister of Portugal, which currently holds the EU Presidency) and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (President of the Party of European Socialists).

Juan Somavía, in being the first ever signatory to the Call in front of an audience of leaders from governments, trade unions and civil society from throughout the world, expressed his hope that the Call to Action will turn a policy concept into a reality for people around the world.

"What we have here is the beginnings of a movement. Just like other movements in history it is not until people get involved that decision-makers feel compelled to act," he said.

The Decent Work, Decent Life campaign** will be collecting signatures from people in both developing and developed countries for the next year before handing them over to international decision-makers. National decent work coalitions will also make the same demands to their governments. Trade unions, NGOs and progressive political parties will all be mobilised to collect signatures.

Half of the world's workforce earns less than 2 $ a day. 12.3 million women and men work in slavery. 200 million children under the age of 15 work instead of going to school. 2.2 million people die due to work-related accidents and diseases every year. Add to this massive global unemployment, the lack of social protection for the majority of workers employed in the "informal economy", and the violation of trade union rights and the consequences of the lack of decent work are clear.

The full call is available in four languages at www.decentwork.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=29.

*The Decent Work, Decent Life campaign is led by the International Trade Union Confederation, Solidar, the Global Progressive Forum, Social Alert International and the European Trade Union Confederation.

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 305 national affiliates.

www.ituc-csi.org

News from Canada

CCOHS' Guide to Fighting Workplace Violence

Every workplace - no matter the size, industry, or setting - is susceptible to violence. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is working to address this serious issue in the new edition of their Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide.

Many people see violence as a physical assault, such as hitting, shoving, or pushing. However workplace violence can consist of persistent mistreatment, sometimes by an employee in a position of authority, that makes the victim feel humiliated, demoralized, less valued, or incapable of doing their job. Signs of bullying and mobbing - excessive criticism, rude language, and taking credit for another worker's successes - are strong indicators of workplace violence, and are covered in the updated edition.

This pocked-sized handbook is packed full of practical advice, written in clear, easy to understand language. Now in its tenth year of publication, the guide has been extensively reviewed and updated to ensure the information is current. Revisions to the guide reflect updated legislation and include new tips and preventive advice on:

The 180-page guide is designed to help workplaces fulfil their violence prevention strategies effectively and according to the applicable legislation. The handbook is especially useful to those involved in developing and implementing workplace violence prevention programs that can help protect people.

CCOHS publications are unique in that they are developed by experts in the field, and reviewed by representatives from labour, employers and government to ensure the content and approach are unbiased and credible. The pocket guides are available in English and French.

More information about the Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide is available on the CCOHS website: www.ccohs.ca/products/publications/violence.html

Contact: Eleanor Westwood, Manager of Communications, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety | Tel: + 1 905/572-2981, Ext. 4408 | Email: eleanorw@ccohs.ca | www.ccohs.ca

News from Mexico

Mexico: Toxic dust 'feet high' in strike mine

Mexico's largest copper mine is awash with 'serious health and safety violations', and needs a 'massive cleanup operation' before striking miners can return, a team of top safety experts has found. The team found dangerous levels of mineral dust and acid mist at Grupo Mexico's Cananea copper mine in Sonora, 30 miles south of the Arizona border. The findings were released this week by the union whose health and safety strike involves 1,300 workers and has shut the mine since 30 July (Risks 320). Representatives of Mexico's National Mining and Metal Workers Union say they are prepared to strike until Grupo Mexico SAB, the world's third largest copper producer, agrees to conduct a 'massive cleanup operation' and implement safety and training programme. The union will send the report to President Felipe Calderón. A US pulmonary specialist, two Mexican doctors and three industrial hygienists compiled the report after visiting the mine and interviewing and examining the lungs of 68 workers. Study coordinator Garrett Brown, an industrial hygienist and director of the non-profit Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network (MHSSN), based in Berkeley, California said the US-based United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents workers at a Grupo Mexico-owned US copper mine, paid for the group's travel to Mexico. The study found a failure to maintain equipment and correct visible safety hazards meant 'workers have been exposed to high levels of toxic dusts and acid mists' including silica and sulphuric acid and that they 'work in simply dangerous surroundings.' Garrett Brown said 'there are serious health and safety hazards at the Cananea mine operation that require immediate and long-term corrections in order to protect workers from both accidents and occupational diseases.' He added: 'In 16 years of inspecting mines in the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Indonesia and China, I have never seen a place - operated by a transnational corporation with so many resources - that has such bad conditions.' The mist 'is so concentrated it's eating away the steel structure of the buildings,' Brown said. 'You literally have piles of dust two to three feet high all over the processing plants.' Dr Robert Cohen, a pulmonary specialist at Chicago's Cook County Hospital said the medical team found a high prevalence of early signs of respiratory disease among the 68 workers.

XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2008, Seoul, Korea

The world's biggest international forum in terms of the safety and health field, the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from June 29 to July 2, 2008.

The World Congress is a great opportunity for decision makers and professionals in the OSH field, those representing workers and employers, and social security experts to share information and knowledge related to the prevention of industrial accidents and occupational diseases. It provides an opportunity to discuss recently emerging major issues in relation to safety and health and to come up with the measures to handle safety and health related problems. It is jointly organised by the ILO, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA). Its motto will be: Safety and health at work: A societal responsibility.

The World Congress will have four main topics:

  1. Strategies and Programmes of Safety and Health for the Future.
  2. Impact of Changes of Working Conditions on Workers' Protection.
  3. New Challenges and Opportunities in Occupational Safety and Health.
  4. Safety and Health Management Systems.

For the first time in its history, the Congress will include, on Sunday 29 June 2008, a Safety and Health at Work Summit during which participants will be asked to reflect on safety and health at work as a basic human right and a means to economic growth and development. Participants will include ministers responsible for occupational safety and health, industry leaders, and high-level representatives from employers' and workers' organizations, as well as leading specialists from the fields of occupational safety and health and social security. The purpose of the Summit is to stimulate political commitment and bring OSH higher up in national and international agendas. One expected outcome of the World Congress is The Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work, which will be probably issued after the Safety and Health Summit.

Other features of the Congress include a Plenary Session, six Technical Sessions, six Regional Meetings and 45 Symposia, as well as a Speakers' Corner and Poster sessions and an International Film and Multimedia Festival. Social activities and other side events are also planned.

The 46th Annual Meeting of the CIS National, Collaborating and Regional Centres will also take place on Sunday 29 June 2008.

Make my Day... Please send some News - Your Editor

OSHE web sites to explore...

Also look in www.oshworld.com/links.html for hundreds of links to authoritative and validated web sites

SWEDEN

Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate KEMI Nanotechnology   SWEDEN
KemI Report 6/07: Nanoteknik - stora risker med små partiklar? (PDF, 765 kB)
Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate - KEMI has produced a report Nanotechnology - large risks with tiny particles? that warns firms developing nanotechnologies that they must take a precautionary approach to the sector to prevent environment and health risks. 'Companies should apply special precautions in the development and use of nanomaterials,' Kemi said, because of the 'rapid development in this area and the great lack of knowledge about risks.' Though the sector is covered by legislation, Kemi said in many cases nanomaterials used in finished products will fall through the chemical safety assessment net being introduced in the EU's new Reach chemical policy. Governments will need to 'complement the EU regulatory framework for nanomaterials,' including on the way companies must test for health and environmental effects, it said. Kemi proposes to hold a conference during Sweden's EU presidency in 2009 on how nanotechnology should be dealt with by legislation. Ethel Forsberg, director-general of Kemi, said: 'The combination of the rapid development in the area of nanotechnology and the lack of knowledge concerning the risks to humans and the environment is worrying. A strategy for nanotechnology, which includes research on health and environmental risks, needs to be devised without delay.' The report is in Swedish but has an English summary. Kemi news release and report [pdf].

UK

Health Protection Agency: Asbestos Exposures from large Scale Fires   UK
www.hpa.org.uk/chemicals/publications/chapd_reports/hpa_chapd_003.pdf
UK Health Protection Agency's The Public Health Significance of Asbestos Exposures from large Scale Fires. ISBN 978-0-85951-607-5 is available for download see also other HPA reports www.hpa.org.uk/chemicals/publications/chapd_reports.

USA

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health   NIOSH   MRSA   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/mrsa
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Topic Page offers recommendations for preventing the spread of MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the workplace. The Topic Page provides practical information on good, basic health practices which workplaces can tailor for their individual needs.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health   NIOSH   Horse Racing Industry   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/HorseJockey
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Topic Page offers recommendations safety and Health in the Horse Racing Industry

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health   NIOSH   Wildfires   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Topic Page offers recommendations for firefighting wildfires.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health   NIOSH   Health Hazard Evaluations   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/hhe
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Topic website on Health Hazard Evaluations Program Portfolio

Diary of Events

If you have a seminar, conference or exhibition that you would like to promote - please send details to your Editor. Also look in www.oshworld.com/diary.html

20-22 January 2008 - World Congress on Neck Pain
Los Angeles, California, USA
Contact: Valerie Levitt, Conference Administrator, Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability 204 - 916 West Broadway Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K7, Canada | Tel: +1 604 684 4148 or +1 800 872 3105 | Fax: +1 604 684 6247 | Email: congress@cirpd.org | www.cirpd.org

22-25 January 2008 - 58th National Conference of Indian Association of Occupational Health (IAOH)
Organized by the IAOH and supported by Scientific Committee on Occupational Health & Development, International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)
Theme: Basic Occupational Health Services in Emerging Economies - Challenges and Opportunities
Mumbai, Maharasthra, India
Contact: Information: Conference Secretariat, F/22, Karnatak Bldgs, Mogal Lane, Mahim, Mumbai 400016, India. | Tel: +91 99870 15394 | Fax: +91 99870 15394 | Email: Secretariat and Scientific papers | www.iaohconference.com

4-6 February 2008 - Creating a Culture of Health and Wellness through Effective Leadership
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Contact: Ontario Hospital Association Educational Services, 200 Front Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto ON M5V 3L1, Canada | Tel: +1 416 205 1347 | Fax: +1 416 205 1340 | Email: tturiziani@oha.com | www.oha.com

21-23 February 2008 - International Roofing Expo 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Contact: Hanley Wood Exhibitions, 6191 N. Highway 161, Suite 500, Irving, TX 75038, USA | Tel: +1 972 536 6323 | Fax: +1 972 536 6410 | www.theroofingexpo.com

22-24 February 2008 - 11th Asian Congress of Agricultural Medicine & Rural Health
Organized by the Association of Agricultural Medicine & Rural Health in India, the Pravara Medical Trust and the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences
Theme: Integrated approach for achieving the Millenium Development Goals in Asia
Topics: Primary factors affecting rural health (occupational hazards, agricultural accidents); gender bias; rural health and demographic situation
Aurangabad, Maharasthra, India
Contact: Conference Secretariat, Pravara Medical Trust, Loni - 413736, India | Tel: +91 242 -273600 and +91 2422 273486 | Fax: +91 2422 273413 | Email: 11asiancongress@pmtpims.org

6-8 March 2008 - Seventh International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health: Work, Stress and Health 2008
Organized by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology. Continuing Education Workshops will be held on March 5, 2008
Theme: Health and safe work through research, practice and partnerships.
Topics include: Best practices in creating healthy workplaces; workplace violence; work-family integration; work design and worker health; high-risk jobs and populations; psychological and biological effects of job stress; ageing and work stress; building a business case for workplace safety and health
Contact: Wesley Baker, Conference Coordinator, American Psychological Association, Public Interest Directorate, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA | Tel: +1 202-336-6033 | Fax: +1 202 336 6117 | Email: wshconference@apa.org (Wesley Baker) | www.apa.org/pi/work/wsh.html

26-28 March 2008 - Nova Scotia Safety Council 26th Annual Health and Safety Conference
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact: Nova Scotia Safety Council, 2786 Agricola Street, Suite 207, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 4E1, Canada | Tel: +1 902 454 9621 | Fax: +1 902 454 6027 | www.nssafety.ns.ca

31 March - 1 April 2008 - National Safety Council's Texas Safety Conference & Expo
Houston, Texas, USA
Contact: National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca IL 60143, USA | Tel: +1 800 621 7619 or +1 630 775 2056 | Email: customerservice@nsc.org | www.nsctexexpo.com

7-12 April 2008 - Fire Department Instructors Conference 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Contact: FDIC, P.O. Box 973059, Dallas, TX 75397-3059 USA | Tel: +1 888 299 8016 or +1 918 831 9160 | Fax: +1 888 299 8057 or +1 918 831 9161 | http://fdic08.events.pennnet.com

25 April - 2 May 2008 - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Contact: American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., 2920 Brandywine Rd., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA | Tel: +1 770 455 7757 | Fax: +1 770 455 7271 | www.aaohn.org

31 May - 5 June 2008 - 2008 American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo (AIHce)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Contact: AIHc, 2700 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 250, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA | Tel: +1 703 849 8888 | Fax: + 1 703 207 3561 | Email: infonet@aiha.org | www.aiha.org

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