Editorial

28 April – World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 2014
Sheila Pantry OBE

On 28 April we remember all those who have been made ill or suffered fatal injury in the workplace and resolve to make extra efforts to improve the standards of health and safety. In many parts of the world, national authorities, trade unions, employers’ organizations and safety and health practitioners organise activities to celebrate this date in various ways. See:

The theme for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2014 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is Safety and health in the use of chemicals at work. Chemicals are key to modern life, and will continue to be produced and used in workplaces. With concerted efforts, governments, employers, and workers and their organizations can achieve the sound management of chemicals for an appropriate balance between the benefits of chemical use and the preventive and control measures of potential adverse impacts on workers, workplaces, communities and the environment.

Trade Union Movement

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Workers’ Memorial Day (WMD) held on 28 April every year commemorates those workers. All over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day.

The day is also intended to serve as a rallying cry to “remember the dead, but fight like hell for the living”. The TUC coordinates activities across the UK, publishing a comprehensive listing of events and suggestions.

A listing of the global activities is available from the www.hazards.org/wmd and information on Workers Memorial Day at www.gmhazards.org.uk/campaigns. More info at info@hazardscampaign.org.uk.

This year the UK TUC is calling on health and safety representatives, trades councils and safety campaigners to make 28 April a day of action to defend health and safety.

This is a list of some of those events that are happening up and down the UK. Most will also feature a minute’s silence at noon, or a suitable time. All are on 28th April unless indicated otherwise.

More information: www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/workers-memorial-day

UK Memorial Website

Look also at the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Memorial website: www.sheilapantry.com/memorial

At your fingertips!

Do you want to keep up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the latest information?

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FOCUS

This month’s OSHWORLD FOCUS looks at NIOSH announces the Disaster Science Research Initiative to Enhance Responder Safety and Health.

OSHWORLD – your portal to some of the best OSH web sites in the world

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.

In these days of tighter budgets perhaps training may be put on the “back-burner” – but think again how you can keep up with the latest techniques and training opportunities. So look at the latest additions to the Diary of Events and you will see plans have been made already worldwide up to the end of 2015 and beyond to have training courses, symposiums and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects.

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, we 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 events so that I can add them to the Diary.

Resources

In addition to the above we hope that you find the information in OSHWORLD useful in your daily work. Globally there are continually new titles, news items, new products so remember to look at the News to find the latest information from a number of worldwide sources.

Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites that you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. avian flu and the workplace.

Most information services have a reference shelf where you can quickly check the reference sources – so OSHWORLD brings you a collection of Reference sources and also teaches you how to Search the Internet.

Visit the various Bookshops to order any new document as they are being published. Many of these Bookshops have a constant stream of new titles available.

Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD – your portal to validated and authoritative information. Remember also to look at our other really useful sites – www.sheilapantry.com and why not make a free entry about your company’s products in www.shebuyersguide.com.

Don’t work harder – work smarter! Be ahead of the game.

Well did you have a zero accident, incident-free and healthy year in 2013 in your workplace? Some would argue that this is not possible! But keep on trying again in 2014!

And do continue to make plans for your campaigns for 2014 and beyond!