News from around the World
October 2006
Sheila Pantry, OBE
Why struggle to find authoritative occupational safety and health
information? The good news continues for those using the OSH UPDATE
service from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. From October 2006 another
database - the original NIOSHTIC database from the US National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health. This database contains over 211,000
authoritative and validated records and will complement the NIOSHTICS2
database which has been in OSH UPDATE since the launch of the service in
2005. This addition brings the total of records to 800,000 - many with
full text links to the actual document. There are now 11 databases in OSH
UPDATE!
OSH UPDATE keeps you up-to-date in worldwide occupational health,
safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and
the latest information. So do not waste time and money searching
endlessly for information through search engines, because some of the data
in this collection is not freely available elsewhere.
Added to this many OSH information seekers cannot afford the time to
search for the latest information, legislation and standards and have no
staff to do the searching either.
Then do what many organisations and individuals have done
recently and take out a subscription to OSH UPDATE! You will never get
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This 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 see www.oshupdate.com.
OSH UPDATE records has links to the full text where possible - this
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OSH UPDATE will continue to 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, trainers and practitioners.
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,
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risks, preparedness and business continuity and risk assessment.
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Safety is always achieved by trading off with other goals. That
requires transparent models of how danger arises and validated research
results about the effectiveness of risk control measures: in practice this
is rarely the case. That is one of the statements made by Prof.dr. Andrew
Hale in his valedictory speech as Professor of Safety Science at the TU
Delft on Friday, 15 September 15th 2006.
Whilst emphasizing that safety levels have improved in most sectors in
developed countries over the last forty years, Prof. Hale generally
signals a gap between policy and practice when it comes to safety. 'Safety
and risk control is irreducibly complicated. Managers who ask for a safety
management system on 'one sheet of A4' are kidding themselves. Safety will
not of itself take root in the practices of a university, company or a
government. We need dedicated safety professionals in research, teaching
and practice, but above all a leadership in all of those, and in
government, committed to implementing its safety goals.'
'I would like to challenge employers' federations and professional
bodies to approach the relevant deans of faculties and rectors to persuade
them just how important an understanding of risk management is. Employers
should declare graduates unemployable without such a baggage integrated
into their university, professional and technical training.'
Knowledge about safety and risk management is particularly important to
the success of the strategy of self regulation which many countries have
implemented in the last thirty years, says Hale. 'If designers, managers
and professionals do not understand risk and how it emerges and can be
managed, such an approach is a dead letter.'
In parallel with these processes of regulatory change Hale observes
an increase in out-sourcing, the break-up of monopoly companies in
railways, telecommunications and energy and the introduction of
competition into markets which previously had none. One of the victims
of this process has been the overview of how safety and health is faring
in those sectors, he finds. 'We have seen the problem in the series of
accidents and building collapses in the building industry in the
Netherlands in the last few years.'
'The more responsibility and control is delegated to the sector, the
stronger the need for a monitoring role at government level. But
ministries and their political masters currently seem largely uninterested
in, if not antagonistic towards this.'
Another topic Hale mentioned in his speech is the role of the victims
of accidents. 'Victims increasingly want to see somebody's head roll when
an accident occurs. Defence lawyers require their clients to keep their
mouths shut. The victim is the openness required for learning, as the case
of an air traffic control prosecution at Schiphol after a runway incursion
accident has shown us. Two controllers were prosecuted, partly on the
basis of information in an internal company incident reporting system. The
result was a drop in reporting of potential problems in that system of
more than 50%, which still has not recovered to normal levels today. As a
result, our airport may well be a more dangerous place today than it could
have been.'
'Such a prosecution system has also not proved itself able to cope with
the diffused responsibility which is so common in accidents in
well-defended, complex systems, where accidents emerge from the
coincidence of many small decisions, each of which is individually
reasonably defensible. In these there is no smoking gun, but at most a few
scattered grains of gunpowder lurking in obscure corners', Hale continues.
To conclude Hale urges people to be realistic about safety issues. 'The
notion of zero accidents as an objective is too far off to be motivating.
Much more fundamentally, it ignores the fact that safety is always
achieved in relation to other goals. Ultimately there will be trade-offs.
We also have to accept that some of the changes brought about by tighter
safety standards are undesirable.'
Professor Andrew Hale was named a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion
in 2006. He received this Royal Honour for his services as follows:
"Since 1984, Andrew Hale has been a professor of Safety Science at
Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Technology, Policy and
Management. Professor Hale has created a research group that is world
renowned. Many of his ideas are now to be found in legislation regulating
safety and safety systems, and in the ways safety is approached in
companies, transport enterprises and aviation. In the Netherlands, he is
credited with establishing safety education as a science. Andrew. Hale has
some 100 research publications to his name. He is recognised as one of the
most vitally high profile and most competent professors at TU Delft, and
he has successfully built a bridge between technology and society.
To read Andrew Hale's full farewell speech read Method in your
madness: System in your safety. 2006. 43 pages
Contact: Prof. Andrew Hale, Technical University Delft, The Netherlands
| Tel: +31 15 278 1706 or +31 15 278 1477 | Email: a.r.hale@tudelft.nl
British businesses could hold the key to solving one of the nation's
biggest health problems, it has been revealed in a new campaign from the
Health and Safety Executive.
Back pain causes one in every six days off work due to ill-health with
4.5 million working days lost last year alone, according to the latest HSE
figures. However the Better Backs campaign shows that back pain can be
tackled. Staying active, introducing sensible workplace precautions and
helping back pain sufferers return to work are all part of the answer.
Geoffrey Podger, chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive
said:
"Back pain is one of the biggest cause of occupational ill-health
in the UK, and will affect four out of five of us. Too many people still
think the best answer is a good dose of bed rest, but modern medical
opinion is agreed that staying active is the best way to manage back pain.
In many cases, this can be achieved by getting back to work sooner."
The charity BackCare estimates back pain costs the NHS, business and
the economy more than £5 billion a year. HSE is encouraging both
employers and employees to talk openly about back pain issues, and to
discuss ways that employers could make simple changes at work, allowing
workers to return before the pain has fully subsided.
The campaign has already drawn support from many of Britain's leading
employers, unions, experts from the health and medical community, and
charities.
In addition, the HSE has worked with the charity BackCare to develop an
exercise workout to help workers stay active. The routine is specially
designed so that you can do it at any point throughout a normal day,
whether that is at home, on the way to work, or during a working day.
The routine has been developed to emphasise how easy it is to use
everyday activity, including work, as a way to manage back pain, but also
to encourage people to take a moment at work to stretch and flex their
back.
Mr Podger continued:
"Many people may find that they can make small alterations to
their working day - perhaps avoiding heavy lifting, or taking more
frequent breaks - which allow them to come back to work before their pain
has fully subsided. By doing this, they are more likely to find their back
pain recedes, as the activity of a slightly amended working day can be a
tonic in itself.
"But the bottom line is, being back at work benefits employers and
employees alike."
The UK Better Backs campaign runs throughout October and
November 2006. To find out more about how to tackle back pain or when to
visit the GP go to http://betterbacks.hse.gov.uk
or you can call the HSE Infoline on 0845 345 0055.
Top 5 Back Pain Statistics
- Back pain will affect 80% of us at some point in our lives.
- One in six working days lost in the UK is due to back pain.
- In 2004/05 an estimated 452 000 people in Great Britain suffered, in
their opinion, from a musculoskeletal disorder mainly affecting the
back that was caused or made worse by their current or past work.
- It is estimated that 4.5 million working days (full-day equivalent)
were lost in the previous 12 months due to work-related
musculoskeletal disorders which mainly affected the back. Each person
suffering from such a condition took an estimated 17.4 days off work
on average in this period.
- The charity BackCare estimates that back pain costs the NHS,
business and the economy over £5 billion a year.
What can be done to increase job opportunities for older people and to
keep them in employment? A recently published report entitled "Ageing
and Employment - Identification of good practice to increase job
opportunities and maintain older workers in employment" addresses
this issue. The report reflects on good practice, identifies key factors
and recommends actions that can be taken at EU, national, company and
individual level. The study also gauges the success of the European
Employment Strategy, one objective of which is to extend the working lives
and increase the employment rates of older workers.
Drawing on experience in eleven EU countries, the study acknowledges
that a key goal of European economic and employment strategies is raising
employment by extending working life. Encouraging this in practice without
undermining living standards, the work/life balance, fairness or economic
efficiency depends on companies and institutions finding viable
approaches. The research involved selecting 41 organisational (company)
case studies across a mix of economic activities in the public and private
sectors. An analysis followed into (i) the strengths and weaknesses of the
national institutional framework within which these organisations operate
and (ii) selected good practice in initiatives undertaken by social
partners, NGOs and national or regional policy-makers.
Ageing and employment: identification of good practice to increase
job opportunities and maintain older workers in employment (253p)
(full report in English - summary also available in English, German and
French) see Europa:
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/news/news_en.cfm?id=178
A European standard for health and safety professionals is closer to
becoming a reality following a meeting in Rome on 29-30 September 2006.
Members of the European Network of Safety and Health Professional
Organisations (ENSHPO) have agreed the new standard, and are currently
working on Europe-wide certification and a Code of Conduct. The
certification will allow eligible health and safety practitioners to use
the designation EurOSHM (European Occupational Safety and Health Manager).
Richard Jones, Director of Technical Affairs at the Institution of
Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the vice chair of the ENSHPO
Executive Committee, said: "The new standard will be at a level that
means all chartered IOSH members and those non-chartered members with
sufficient qualifications and experience will be able to apply for the
award to ENSHPO's Certification Committee, chaired by Professor Andrew
Hale.
"This is a significant step forward for European health and safety
professionals. It's intended that this will eventually help achieve a
common standard of health and safety practice throughout Europe and lead
to easier recognition of equivalent qualification across member states.
"Creating an agreed standard is important because we all work
within a common legal framework and face similar challenges requiring
similar competencies, such as tackling musculoskeletal disorders and
stress, and dealing with the health and safety implications of migration,
terrorism, climate change and ageing population. Increasingly,
practitioners may work across borders and employers in different countries
need an easy way to identify the levels of competence of those offering
services."
There is still further work for ENSHPO to do on the implementation
arrangements. It's hoped to finalise the scheme for the pan-European
certification standard in 2007 and also to work on producing a technician
level European standard in the near future.
IOSH is the Secretariat of ENSHPO and was a driving force behind its
creation in 2001. There are 14 member countries at present, including the
UK and the Republic of Ireland.
IOSH is Europe's largest body for health and safety professionals. We
have nearly 30,000 members worldwide, including more than 8,000 Chartered
Safety and Health Practitioners. The Institution was founded in 1945 and
is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that sets professional
standards, supports and develops members and provides authoritative advice
and guidance on health and safety issues. IOSH is formally recognised by
the ILO as an international non-governmental organisation.
The European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations (ENSHPO)
brings together health and safety professional organisations from the
current EU member states, new member states, applicant countries, and
other European countries.
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, The Grange, Highfield
Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 1NN, UK | Tel: +44 (0)116 257 3100 |
Fax: +44 (0)116 257 9141 | www.iosh.co.uk
A revised nanotechnology topic page, describing the US National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research on the
occupational safety and health implications and applications of this
emerging technology, is available online at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.
The page was revised to make it easier for stakeholders and the general
public to navigate, read, and use, reflecting the substantial amount of
material that has been added to the topic page since the original version
was introduced in 2004. The revised page also highlights an updated
version of the online document "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: An
Information Exchange with NIOSH," which was first posted in 2005.
The 2007 British Occupational Hygiene Society Conference is being held
in Glasgow, Scotland, 17 to 19 April 2007. The call for papers is at www.bohs.org/resources/res.aspx/Resource/filename/537/07_Annual_Conference_2007_call_for_papers.pdf
and the deadline for submission of abstracts is 27 October 2006
The Conference Organisers welcome papers on any aspect of occupational
hygiene and occupational health, but this year particularly want to
encourage papers on:
- Crystalline silica
- Exposure assessment and engineering control in the pharmaceutical
industry
- Diesel engine exhaust exposure assessment
- Environmental tobacco smoke
- Occupational hygiene aspects of recycling and waste handling
operations
- Results of disease reduction programmes
This pocket book contains a unique compilation of tables, data,
checklists and a glossary for a wide range of health and safety topics. It
includes:
- the principal legal health and safety requirements for every
industry
- checklists for major hazards affecting all industries
- safety management elements and systems
- a glossary of the main concepts of health and safety
- a wealth of charts with the nitty-gritty, hard to remember detail -
such as the recommended air changes in ventilation and the maximum
ratios of illuminance for adjacent areas
- a list of the most important health and safety courses, publications
and organisations
- The A-Z arrangement within the chapters and extensive
cross-referencing makes the book easy to navigate.
The Health and Safety Pocket Book is a compact first
point of reference for practicing health and safety professionals and
auditors out on site visits, managers and HR personnel with health and
safety responsibilities, and employee representatives. The book will also
be useful on a wide range of health and safety courses at all levels.
Jeremy Stranks has 40 years of experience in occupational safety
and health enforcement, management, consultancy and training. He is a
founding member of NEBOSH and has lectured on numerous training courses on
all aspects of health and safety. His company Safety and Hygiene
Consultants offers companies advice in drawing up Health and
Safety policies, writing risk assessments and audit procedures.
Readership: Health and Safety consultants and managers; Managers
in all industries with health and safety responsibilities; Safety
representatives in small to medium sized enterprises; HR managers. Risk
assessors; Safety auditors; Lecturers and students on health and safety
courses.
Health and Safety Pocket Book, by Jeremy Stranks.
Butterworth-Heinemann. 2006. ISBN 0-7506-6781-8. 441 pages
OSH-IRELAND is a collection of information that has, over the past 10
years become the essential source for organisations and practitioners
seeking up-to-date information on all aspects of occupational safety and
health (OSH) in Ireland. From the November 2006 edition it will
have an additional database containing Northern Ireland's Health and
Safety legislation. These new additions will of course be in full text so
that the user has instant access to the piece of legislation that is
required. This new database will help organisations that work both in
Northern Ireland and in Ireland and is provided at no extra cost to the
subscribers.
If you think health and safety is expensive try having an accident.
This sobering thought should persuade Ireland's organisations, training
companies and colleges that they must have the most authoritative
information at their fingertips.
Much time is spent these days searching the Internet for validated and
authoritative information often resulting in out-of date sources. In this
fast moving world it is essential to have quick access to validated,
authoritative and constantly updated information collections. The ones,
such as OSH-IRELAND that are brought together and maintained by
information specialists are one sure way of getting good quality data.
As new research and new ways of working, with the attendant alterations
in products, services and technology developments means that no-one,
especially those responsible for securing good standards good standards of
health and safety in their workplaces of all kinds, should be without the
latest information.
Those seeking health and safety Information should also be aware that
the myth abounding in the world that everything is published on the
Internet and is free is just not true!
Easy to use and very affordable, OSH-IRELAND is published by Sheila
Pantry Associates Ltd with the co-operation of the Health and Safety
Authority, Dublin, Ireland and other prominent OSH organisations, and
contains the following complementary databases providing full text
information:
- Occupational safety and health and related Acts of the Oireachtas
and Statutory Instrument
- Appropriate European Health, Safety and Environment Directives
- Health and Safety Authority's (HSA) current publications, reports,
guidance, advice & annual reports
- Standard Forms, Certificates of Exemption and Exception
- Other relevant Government Department publications
- Irish Business & Employers Confederation (IBEC) health safety
guides and "Your Questions Answered"
- National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) health and safety
standards
- National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) publications and NISO
e-Newsletter
- UK Health and Safety Executive guidance and advice
- OSH Ireland also contains three bibliographic databases containing
references to appropriate
National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) OSH standards (in
addition to those included as full text documents), health and safety
British Standards, and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
(RoSPA) extensive bibliographic database of records to a wide range of
journal articles, guidance and advice from worldwide organisations.
OSH-IRELAND contains thousands of full text pages of information -
see the contents on www.sheilapantry.com
but why not take a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL now?
Send your request for an Internet trial now www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
There is also opportunity for a number of small companies or a group of
consultants to form a consortia to subscribe to OSH Ireland - the most
effective way of getting up-to-date and validated information.
Contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | 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
NEW
Zero tolerance for violence against children in the workplace: A
new report by the United Nations on violence against children is to be
transmitted to the UN General Assembly this week. One of its sections is
devoted to violence as it affects children who work.
According to the report, the key departure point has to be a policy of
zero tolerance of violence against children who are working - whether
legally or in child labour.
Frans Roselaers, Director of the ILO's Department of Partnerships and
Development Cooperation and member of the editorial board of the report
says that although the end of child labour may be in reach, stopping
violence against working children is an urgent need.
The United Nations Secretary General's Study on Violence Against
Children. The report to the General Assembly is available on-line at: www.violencestudy.org.
The full text of the study's findings are published in World Report on
Violence against Children, by Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, forthcoming
November 2006.
www.unviolencestudy.org
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