News from around the World
April 2005
Sheila Pantry, OBE
The Conference was jointly organized by the current presidency of the
Council of the European Union, held by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
together with the ILO on Integrated Labour Inspection Systems worldwide
from March 9th to 11th 2005 in Luxembourg. It was attended by worker,
employer and government representatives from all regions of the world, as
well as labour ministers and observers from international organizations.
Integrated Labour Inspection System is a holistic and coherent while
flexible concept that contains elements, such as:
- administrative integration
- procedural integration
- technical integration (multidisciplinarity)
The conference noted:
1. That the globalization of economy affects the political agenda,
including working life and the way individuals, organizations and
economies work and the hazards they have to face. Globalization
requires more and more creative holistic approaches, taking into
account the changes in the world of work and the advent of new risks and
opportunities merging the traditional technical and medical with the
social, psychological, economic and legal areas.
2. The need for a tripartite partnership in order to achieve and
to preserve decent working conditions and environment, to prevent health
and safety risks and the well-being of workers.
3. That important functions of labour inspectors as control and
enforcement agents, as well as investigators and facilitators have been
underlined. The role of labour inspection is especially important with
regard to enforcement and compliance and to promote "Tripartism"
and Social dialogue.
4. The importance of training for the development of such
systems as well as for the strengthening of policies has been reconfirmed.
The Conference identified training of the labour inspectors as a key
element for upgrading their qualification and competency, hence, an
important tool for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
the inspection activity. Labour inspection is one of the basic instruments
for promoting compliance with ILO Core Labour Standards, other ILO
Conventions and as well as Codes as well as national and regional
legislation.
5. That globalization presses for economic and social reforms,
but reforms can only be successful with strong, competent and
independent labour inspection with adequate resources. National
solutions through social dialogue and tripartite consultations are needed.
6. That competent labour inspection is an important actor in the battle
for a fair globalisation, as a door opener for technical cooperation and
as the securer of the enforcement of legal provisions (Art. 3 of
Convention No. 81). Labour inspection has a key role in implementing
and monitoring of Core Labour Standards at national, regional and
community level and in mainstreaming Decent Work across all economic
sectors, including the informal sector, and Quality of Work activities
into all their functions, programmes and activities.
The Conference agreed:
7. To promote the elaboration of policies with regard to labour
inspection on the international, as well as the national level.
Regulations are essential for safety and health. Therefore labour
inspectors enforcing these regulations are vital, acting with the
advantage of being close to the practice of these regulations with a risk
and solution oriented approach.
Policies should address all functions important for the safety, health
and wellbeing of the workers, including pressing issues as equity, gender,
violence at work, migrant workers, HIV/AIDS, communicable diseases, ageing
workforce, etc. in addition to the more traditional issues.
8. On the need for strengthening of integrated labour inspection
systems throughout the world, with special consideration to EU
candidate countries, as well as transition and developing countries.
9. On the development of inspection strategies and policies at all
levels and to provide a platform for exchange of best practices,
promoting ILO's strategic objectives. The inspectorates should be
strengthened and involved to implement labour and social policies at
workplace level.
10. On the need to invest resources for updating the methodology and
contents of the training materials and the application of active
training methods. Training is a decisive element for the modernization and
competence of inspectorates, investing in a preventative culture. Once the
fundaments of a preventative approach have been laid down in national
policies and s
11. To continue with the further collaboration with the ILO
and the EU for implementation of projects in the field of safety and
health at work and Core Labour Standards and especially labour inspection
in priority sectors of economy.
Follow up:
ILO and member States should promote the role of labour inspection in
achieving the Decent Work Agenda for all workers, including those
in the informal sector. This could be realized by publicizing and
disseminating information and by providing training for labour inspectors
in assessing working conditions and labour practices, by:
- collecting and disseminating information on effective labour
inspection practices, including strategies and inspection tools, such
as the ten steps for strengthening labour inspection as well as other
training and system tools.
- developing and maintaining an effective internet-based system that
stores and makes readily available up-to-date information.
- making use of integrated labour inspection training system (ILITS)
to serve as a basis for training of labour inspectors.
- promoting universal ratification and implementation of ILO standards
such as those on labour inspection, occupational safety and health,
labour administration and conditions of work.
- ILO should strengthen its cooperation with governments, social
partners and organizations concerned such as the World Health
Organization, the International Association of Labour Inspection, the
International Commission of Occupational Health and the International
Social Security Association in order to promote efficient and
proactive labour inspection systems and should also strengthen
coordination and cooperation between systems of enforcement and social
security. Labour administration at national and international level
can support these activities through their competence networks.
- This should comprise an integrated labour inspection training
system, policy tools for labour inspection, strategies and sharing of
best practices. Here, the responsible unit for labour inspection in
the ILO, InFocus Programme for Safety and Health at Work and the
Environment (SafeWork), in cooperation with other units in the ILO
structure and other organizations concerned, should deliver their
competence and experience in order to build up such systems.
Further cooperation between the EU and the ILO is needed to
implement these new approaches within the framework of the ILO/EU
strategic partnership. This joint action should include a EU funded
program for the reinforcement and strengthening of labour inspection
services, in particular, in accession, transition and developing
countries.
For the full paper see www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/labinsp/luxconf.pdf
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has invited
nominations for the sixth European Good Practice Awards. The 2005
award scheme will recognise companies or organisations that have made
outstanding and innovative contributions to the prevention of risks from
noise at work, this year's central theme of the Agency-run annual safety
and health awareness campaign.
Good practice examples are implemented solutions to prevent or reduce
risks from noise to workers' safety and health. All entries should show
good management, particularly the effective use of risk assessment and
implementation of its findings, and be focused on successful prevention of
risks to workers. Entries are invited from all EU Member States: they can
be submitted by individual enterprises (SMEs' participation is especially
much welcome) or by intermediary organisations, including chambers of
commerce, trade and professional associations and trade unions. The area
covered is quite broad and may range from control and elimination of loud
noise from the workplace and sound management methods used to enable
effective communication in noisy environments (e.g. by emergency
services), to training schemes and awareness-raising education programmes.
The Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky,
said 'Noise at workplace is still too often viewed as a necessary evil,
and, as its effects are not instantaneous, it is not considered a
priority. The truth is noise does have a devastating impact on our health
and it affects not only workers at steelworks or construction sites, but
also millions of people employed in the service sector, e.g. in education,
entertainment, or call centres. It can be a causal factor in accidents,
contribute to work-related stress, and may act together with other
workplace hazards to cause ill health. With the European directive on
noise to be implemented early next year, it is high time to take more
decisive measures to "stop that noise". We hope the good
practice awards will demonstrate, by example, that work-related noise can
be effectively controlled.'
This is the sixth year of the awards, which come under the umbrella of
the annual European Week for Safety and Health at Work. The Agency will
announce the winners at the campaign's closing event in December this year
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.
Noise is a serious but often neglected work-related risk that
can cost you more than your hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud noise can
lead to hearing disabilities but noise can also cause or be a factor in:
- causing harm to the ears through exposure to dangerous substances
- work-related stress
- an increased risk of workplace accidents
- harm to a worker's unborn child.
Further information about the awards will be available online at http://ew2005.osha.europa.eu
Noise-induced hearing loss has been recognised by the World Health
Organisation as 'the most prevalent, irreversible industrial disease'.
Hearing loss may not only stop a person working to their full potential;
it can destroy a person's social life, isolating them from the community
around them.
Work-related noise is a growing concern across Europe as it directly
affects millions of workers not only in heavy industry but also in growth
sectors such as services, education and entertainment. One third of
Europe's workers are exposed to high levels of noise for more than a
quarter of their working time, and almost 40 million workers (equivalent
to the entire population of Spain) have to raise their voices above normal
conversational levels in order to be heard for at least half of their
working hours!
To protect workers, the 2003 EU directive that comes into force
in all Member States in February 2006, sets a daily noise exposure limit
of 87dB(A) and requires that 'the risks arising from exposure to noise
shall be eliminated at their source or reduced to a minimum'.
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
Organisations that manage health and safety well are likely to excel in
other areas of their business, delegates to a national conference
organised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents will be
told.
The RoSPA Safety and Health at Work Congress Raising Standards,
Embedding Excellence will be held at the NEC Hilton Birmingham Metropole,
May 17-19. It is sponsored by EDF Energy.
Roger Bibbings, the Society's Occupational Safety Adviser, said:
"Increasingly, businesses large and small are being judged by the way
they manage health and safety.
"A consistently high standard of health and safety risk management
is seen as a hallmark of business effectiveness and professionalism. If a
company's health and safety management system is not working, the
likelihood is that other parts of the organisation will be inefficient.
"Our conference will show how putting health and safety at the
heart of the way an organisation is run can lead to success. There needs
to be strong and visible leadership by senior managers, real involvement
of every worker and their representatives in decision-making and effective
use of professional advice.
"Legal compliance is no longer enough. The pursuit of health and
safety excellence needs to be a key performance objective within every
business."
The congress programme will offer opportunities to examine: the real
challenges associated with error and human behaviour; organisational
capacity to investigate accidents and embed lessons learned; how to
connect professional health and safety advice with other parts of the
business agenda; and how to develop attitudes, knowledge and skills to
ensure health and safety competence at all levels.
Congress will also focus on the key challenge of putting health at the
heart of health and safety management, reviewing 'what works'; whether it
is a question of managing stress and staff ill-health absence, or the
challenge of reducing manual handling injuries, tackling occupational
asthma or dermatitis or developing approaches to workplace health
promotion that actually help to deliver healthier working lives.
It runs alongside Safety and Health Expo 2005 at the NEC and RoSPA's
Occupational Health and Safety Awards ceremonies. For more information, Email: events@rospa.com | Tel: +44
0870 777 2120
Aimed at everyone in the fire industry internationally with the
emphasis on all aspects of fire management principles, practices and
research, Fire Worldwide is easy to use - so technophobia is eliminated...
and contains thousands of pages of validated and authoritative
information. It contains::
The Full text Collection has 4 major databases containing the
full text documents that are continually being added to this wide-ranging
source of critical fire information. The collection contains all appropriate
European and UK legislation for fire and fire related industry - some
hundreds of documents. In addition a range of fire and fire related
documents from organisations such as: The UK Fire Protection Association,
World Fire Statistics Bureau, CTIF - The International Committee for the
Prevention and Extinction of Fire, UK Department of Transport, Local
Government and the Regions, US National Institute of Occupational Safety
& Health, UK Health and Safety Executive, Ireland Department of the
Environment Fire Safety.
The Bibliographic Collection has 7 databases from Fire
Service College, UK, LPC Centre for Risk Sciences, UK, Forensic Science
Service, UK, Fire Research Institute, USA, Association nationale pour la
protection contre l'incendie et l'intrusion (ANPI), Belgium, and the
Department of Transport and the Regions (DETR), UK. These databases
contain over 245,000 records to journal articles, guidance and advice,
circulars, reports, conference proceedings, research reports, statistics
and codes of practice from worldwide sources. There is information on
every subject from airport fire safety, to the use of abandoned buildings
for fire training, facemasks, forest fires, loss prevention, sprinklers,
and wildland fires. One of the databases - from the British Standards
Institution contains references to over 3000 fire and fire related
standards.
To see for yourself how easy it is to get up-to-date information and
for a 30-day free trial contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | Tel: +44
(0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com
| www.sheilapantry.com
The use of chemicals in the workplace is governed by stringent health,
safety and environmental legislation, and companies spend significant
amounts of time and money assessing the risks associated with the safe
handling and use of chemicals. In practice, a range of information is
required when assessing the safe handling of chemicals, much of which is
provided by the manufacturer in the material safety data sheet.
Toxicology and Ecotoxicology in Chemical Safety Assessment is
written for corporate health & safety officers and safety managers,
R&D chemists, process chemists and engineers, and manufacturing unit
managers & supervisors in all industries where chemicals are used. The
information contained in this book will help those personnel understand,
interpret and apply the range of information supplied on a material safety
data sheet when planning the safe handling and use of chemicals.
- Provides detailed practical guidance in using supplier Tox/Ecotox
data when assessing the risks associated with the industrial handling
and use of chemicals.
- Data from different manufacturers is often compiled to different
standards, using different methodologies. This book will provide the
reader with a detailed framework within which to evaluate the data
supplied.
- Helps readers to plot a commercially realistic path between over-
and under-evaluation of the risks and hazards associated with the
industrial handling and use of chemicals.
Chapters cover Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Classification and labelling
of chemicals according to their hazardous nature including the Dangerous
Substances Directive 67/548/EEC, Handling chemicals in the workplace, Risk
assessment, Chemical hazards, Chemical control in Europe, USA and in
Australia, The Material Safety Data Sheet and How to deal with differences
in toxicological information. There is also a helpful glossary of term
commonly encountered in health and safety literature.
Toxicology & Ecotoxicology in Chemical Safety Assessment edited by
Laura Robinson, and Ian Thorn.
Blackwell Publishing 2005 168 pages
ISBN 1 4051 1559 9
Available from Blackwell online bookshop at www.blackwellpublishing.com
NIOSH and the West Virginia University (WVU) Institute of Occupational
and Environmental Health (IOEH) are teaming up to sponsor an international
seminar, "Health Effects of Welding," on July 23-24, 2005 in
Morgantown, W.Va. Leading experts from around the world will gather to
share the latest information in key research areas regarding potential
respiratory, neurological, and reproductive effects associated with
welding fumes or inhaled welding particles. More information about the
symposium can be found at www.hsc.wvu.edu/IOEH
The theme was "Make Every Mother and Child Count". As women
enter industries and occupations that once were predominantly male, and as
more teenagers take on their first job responsibilities, many unique and
complex issues arise in regard to the prevention of occupational injuries
and illnesses.
US NIOSH is working with diverse partners to answer those questions.
Regarding working women's issues, initiatives include:
- Assessing exposures and potential health outcomes for airline
flight crews. More information is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flightcrew
- Examining potential chemical exposures in drycleaning, where 60
percent of the work force is female. For more information, see www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/dryclean
- Studying and making recommendations on issues of concern for
employers and employees in health care. For example, are nurses and
other health care workers potentially exposed to antineoplastic drugs
used in cancer treatment? See www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165
- Are nurses' long or rotating work schedules linked with various
self-reported health outcomes www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/workschedules
- As part of a larger strategic research program on work
organization, stress, and health, collecting data for a study to
examine job stressors that might predict depression in women www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/stress
NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
developed the Avian Influenza Protecting Poultry Workers at Risk Safety
and Health Information Bulletin. This 8-page guidance document describes
measures for protecting poultry workers when an avian influenza outbreak
occurs. This document complements avian population disease control and
eradication strategies of state governments, industry, and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, and will aid in the development of biosecurity
guidelines and standard operating procedures for the various sectors of
the poultry industry.
The bulletin can be accessed at www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib121304.html
Links to the bulletin have been added to the U.S. Poultry and Egg
Association Web page, www.poultryegg.org
and to the CDC Avian Influenza Web page, www.cdc.gov/flu/avian
NIOSH, the American Psychological Association, the National Institute
of Justice of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of
Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor, will convene the sixth
international conference on occupational stress and health, Work, Stress,
and Health 2006: Making a Difference in the Workplace in Miami, Fla.,
March 2-4, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Miami Hotel. The conference is
designed to address the constantly changing nature of work, and the
implications of these changes for the health, safety, and well-being of
workers. In keeping with the conference theme of "making a difference
in the workplace," there will be a particular focus on the
translation of research to practice and workplace programs, policies,
practices, case experiences, and other efforts to prevent stress in
today's workplace. The deadline to submit proposals is May 1, 2005. More
information about the conference and the call for papers can be found at:
www.apa.org/pi/work/callforpapers.html
NIOSH, the Karolinska Institutet and the Stockholm County Council in
Sweden are cosponsoring Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin
to Chemicals-2005 in Stockholm, Sweden, June 12-15, 2005.
The conference will focus on practical ways to better prevent local and
systemic injury and disease caused by exposing skin to chemicals.
More information on the conference is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/OEESC2
or by contacting Sid Soderholm at Email: SSoderholm@cdc.gov
NIOSH, the National Institute for Working Life, Sweden, and the
National Institute of Occupational Health, Norway will cosponsor the Fifth
International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring, June
12-16, 2005 in Loen, Norway. The scientific program will feature the
latest developments in exposure assessment and strategies as well as
analytical air sampling and measurement/monitoring methodologies. New for
the Fifth International Symposium, the topic of biomonitoring will be
addressed.
The NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are sponsoring
Advanced Personal Protective Equipment - Challenges in Protecting First
Responders. The conference will be held October 16-18, 2005 at the
Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, Va.
Attendees will learn about the hazards posed by emerging threats, the
application of personal protective equipment (PPE) technology to these
threats, and associated challenges with selecting and interfacing
different PPE items. The emphasis of the conference will be on practical
issues of threat accommodation, standards, regulations, applications of
best practices, manufacturing and distribution issues, PPE decision-making
and purchasing, and multi-PPE integration. More information on the
conference can be found at
www.conted.vt.edu/appe
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 this newly launched, very affordable Internet based service OSH
UPDATE, from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd is the answer for you. Powered
by Head Software International's
Headfast/Discovery Internet publishing software, OSH UPDATE is now
available and is updated monthly www.oshupdate.com
It NOW contains ten bibliographic databases from worldwide
authoritative sources such as:
- UK Health and Safety Executive HSELINE,
- UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA),
- NIOSHTICS US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
- Canada Ryerson University RILOSH
- CISDOC the International Labour Office CIS Health and Safety Centre,
- ILO Recommendations, Protocols and Conventions
- European Union legislation and other legislation sources and
- OSH standards specifications including those from the British Standards Institution.
- Publications from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
- UK Legislation covering health, safety, environment, fire
OSH UPDATE records has links to the full text where possible.
OSH UPDATE will expand - we are continuing to make agreements with
other well-known information producers around the world and these
databases will also be included. As well as the latest information, many
reference sources go back 80 or more years and so a valuable tool for
researchers.
This new aggregation of databases contains thousands of relevant
references with abstracts or keywords and will keep you and your
colleagues alerted to hot topics such as the health risks of
nanotechnology, corporate killing and corporate social responsibility,
bio-terrorism, management of road risks, preparedness and business
continuity, risk assessment.
The title price for a single user via the Internet is
GBP250.00/Euros 360.00 /US$ 450.00 per year - less than 68 pence/1 Euro
/1.2 dollars per day
The price* (see below for further details) reflects our aim to bring
health and safety guidance, advice, research, journal articles, papers,
standards to the attention of health and safety practitioners and
managers, researchers, trade union safety representatives, occupational
physicians, information specialists in industry, colleges and
universities, government staff, inspectors, university and college safety
directors, university and college lecturers and those in training - at a
cost that is affordable and a service that is time efficient.
A user in Finland says "OSH UPDATE it is excellent and easy to
use".
A Hong Kong user group says it is what they need to keep them up-to-date.
ORDER FORM FOR 30 DAY FREE TRIAL OSH UPDATE
If you are interested in taking up this service on a 30 DAY FREE
trial please complete the OSH
UPDATE Interest Form, or contact us to ask further questions.
Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP, Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The
Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax:
+44 (0) 1909 772829 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com
| www.sheilapantry.com | www.oshworld.com
| www.shebuyersguide.com | www.oshupdate.com
Electronic Products: Environment and Waste Plus | Fire Worldwide | OSH
Ireland | OSH UPDATE
*Subscription for one year - monthly updates OSH UPDATE
Single user GBP 250.00 per year
2 - 4 simultaneous users GBP 375.00 per year
5 - 8 simultaneous users GBP 500.00 per year
9 - 12 simultaneous users GBP 750.00 per year
13 - 16 simultaneous users GBP 1000.00 per year
if more simultaneous users are required then please ask price
|
