Editorial
Spring Clean your Health and Safety Procedures!
April 2013
Sheila Pantry OBE
All organisations will need to review their health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures on a regular basis. Security should be part of this continuous risk assessment of the workplace. The results should give some valuable guidelines when carrying out the Business Continuity Plans to ensure that the business and the most important part - the people working in it, are kept safe and secure, not only in their health but in their jobs. Is there violence, bullying and aggression in your workplace? Have you checked recently to see if absenteeism in the workplace is connected to workplace violence? Managing attendance and return to work are all part of ensuring that the workforce is well cared for - so check out how stressed workers are in your workplace.
Training and updating of workers' knowledge is essential - if not convinced just see the endless, very sad results which show what can happen when people have not be trained properly or procedures have not been updated.
Another area to watch is to ensure that you are up-to-date in your wider health and safety information. Remember ignorance of the law and its requirements is NO excuse. So do you want to keep up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the latest information? Do budget constraints not allow you to buy all the journals, newsletters and documents that contain the latest information? Can't afford the time to search for the latest information, legislation and standards? No staff to search for this information? And no time yourself to spend hours searching for information?
Then try the following practical, affordable solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs. These services contain wide ranges of information - not only from Europe but from around the World. Check out OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com and FIREINF www.fireinf.com electronic collection of information sources. Information Seekers will find a wealth of authoritative and validated advice including best practices, case studies, journal articles, reports, legislation, standards and much more.
The electronic services OSH UPDATE and FIREINF will help you and your organisation to keep up-to-date. The services continue to bring you the latest information on health, safety, environment, fire and other subjects that you will find useful in your daily work.
OSH UPDATE and FIREINF services contain both full text and bibliographic information are continuously enlarged as new information is published. These services are used by individuals, organisations, universities, institutions and companies worldwide.
For a 15 DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
This month's FOCUS is on the 28 April 2013 - International Day of Safety and Health that commemorates those who have been killed at work and those who suffer from long-term ill health as a result of malpractices in the workplace.
Worldwide, plans have been made already up to 2013 to have training courses, symposiums and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects. Look at the latest additions to the Diary of Events. Don't forget to budget for these events - make sure that you and your colleagues are up-to-date with the very latest knowledge - remember that all workplaces and those working in them change, so continue to do your risk assessments.
For example on the 19 June 2013 there is a seminar in the UK on Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Fire Information Group (FIG UK) Seminar - "Mind the Gap in Fire Information" www.figuk.org.uk/conferences/2013
One way of keeping up to date is to go to exhibitions and the world's major OSHE events. Remember that even if you cannot attend these many events, speakers and organisers are often willing to share their knowledge. Look at the details - where possible, I add in the web sites of these events so you can request further information. And do let me know if you are organising any OSHE and fire events so that I can add them to the Diary send to sp@sheilapantry.com
OSHWORLD continues to bring you information on health, safety, environment, fire and other subjects that I do hope you find useful in your daily work.
It is always good to review health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures on a regular basis. It is also important that the practices and systems in the workplace are constantly reviewed and if necessary, improved. This review may also indicate training requirements and updates and re-thinking how systems and services can be improved. This is where the free-of charge OSHWORLD can help you find the right course, seminar or conference.
Your OSHWorld Portal
Globally there are new publications, news items, new products so remember to look at the News section to find the latest information from an ever increasing number of sources such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to the US National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH). Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites which you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. the various OSH related networks that exist around the world... there may be one where you live and work... why not join it!
Remember to look at the Products and Services on this web site and see what is new and updated.
OSHWORLD www.oshworld.com - your portal to some of the very best OSH web sites in the world!
Also look at our www.shebuyersguide.com that give you access to many organisations, their products and services. You may also wish to add your company's information to the listing for free!
You can sign up for the RSS feed that alerts you each time there is an update in OSHWORLD!
OSH UPDATE was described recently as a "brilliant site"!
Don't work harder - work smarter! Be ahead of the game.
Are you hoping to have a zero accident, incident-free and healthy record this year in your workplace? Some would argue that this is not possible! But keep on trying!
And do continue to make plans for your campaigns, including leadership and worker involvement for 2013 and beyond! Remember to start planning for 28 April 2013 when around the world we remember on that day those who have died from work related accidents and ill-health.