News from around the World

News Archive

December 2006

ILO welcomes EU decision to promote Decent Work for All

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed the decision of the European Council of Ministers to adopt a set of conclusions on the promotion of decent work in the European Union and through the world, saying it provided powerful new support to efforts aimed at making decent work a global reality.

The ILO said the decision of the European Council was the most recent in a series of moves that have strengthened links between the ILO's Decent Work Agenda and the policies and actions of the EU, and would pave the way for cooperation that could "realize the innovative power of productive and decent work".

"Europe is showing leadership on a crucial issue at a crucial time," said Friedrich Buttler, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at a conference on "Promoting Decent Work in the World: the Contribution of the EU" organized by the European Commission in Brussels on 4-5 December. "That leadership - and a stronger partnership between the EU and the ILO - is critical to making decent work a global reality."

Noting that unemployment in Europe was "disturbingly high" at 17 million - especially among youth under the age of 25 - while half the world's workers were unable to rise above the US$ 2 per person, per day poverty line, Mr. Buttler said. "The harsh reality is that despite five years of relatively strong economic performance, the world is not generating enough decent jobs to keep pace with a 40 million annual increase in the global labour force or substantially reduce unemployment and working poverty".

"This is a tragic waste of human lives and has many troubling implications for our societies," Mr. Buttler said.

The European Council Conclusions on Decent Work for All adopted Friday 8 December 2006 will position the EU as part of a global strategy on decent work for all. In 2005, the UN World Summit gave strong support to the goal of full and productive employment and decent work for all as part of worldwide efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Another breakthrough occurred in July of this year when the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council in Geneva endorsed decent work as a global goal.

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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 and risk assessment. The databases are:

• Publications from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work we have made all the references link direct to full text
• CISDOC the International Labour Office CIS Health and Safety Centre database has many full text links especially to ILO documents and to other documents published in the last couple of years
• ILO Recommendations, Protocols and Conventions has all links to the full text
• European Union legislation has links to full text for the majority of the references
• UK legislation database - links all the references dated from 1987 direct to the full text - i.e. majority of content of this database
• UK Health and Safety Executive HSELINE - we have added nearly 2000 full text links to HSE's own documents
• UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), starting to add full text links
• NIOSHTIC-2 US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), strong on full text links - to their own documents and also to some journals
• Canada Ryerson University RILOSH
• OSH standards specifications including those from the British Standards Institution.

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Stop sniping... Letter to the London Times, 9 Dec 2006

Sir, There has been a steady stream of hostility towards the Health & Safety Executive, accusing it of creating red tape, restricting personal liberty, encouraging excessive risk aversion and supporting a claims culture. This highly negative portrayal does not reflect the experience of those at the sharp end, in business, trade unions and the professions who work closely with the HSE.

The HSE's 2006 performance report, Measuring Up, shows that over the past three decades this organisation has, with others, helped to save more than 5,000 lives and has actually cut the number of health and safety regulations on the statute books by half.

There is a distinct danger that unremitting criticism of the HSE will obscure the reality that most H&S regulation is fair, well balanced and works unnoticed to keep workers and the public safe. In a rapidly changing world of work, in which health, safety and wellbeing are increasingly critical to competitiveness, it is vital that we value and support the work of this world class organisation.

ROB STRANGE

Chief Executive, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

DAVID BALLARD

Chief Executive, British Safety Council

GRAHAM JUKES

Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

ERROL TAYLOR

Deputy Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary, TUC

WILL HUTTON

Chief Executive, The Work Foundation

PAUL REEVE

Health & Safety Adviser, Electrical Contractors Association

GARY BOOTON

Director of Health, Safety & Environment, EEF 'the manufacturers' organisation

www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-2494183,00.html

Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals Conference

Abstracts will be accepted until February 17, 2007. The conference will be held June 17-20, 2007 in Golden, Colorado, USA and is cosponsored by NIOSH and the Colorado School of Mines.

Scientists will exchange information on the science, knowledge gaps, challenges and policy opportunities related to exposures of the skin to chemicals with special emphasis on improved prevention of local and systemic injury and disease.

More information on the conference can be found at www.mines.edu

28 April 2007 - World Safety and Heath Day - start preparing now!

The theme for the International Labour Office (ILO) World Safety and Health Day to be held on 28 April 2007 will be "Making Decent Work a Reality - Safe and Healthy Workplaces".

The idea behind it is to promote the new convention C. 187 Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006

www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en

New publications from the US National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH)

The following new publications may be of interest to readers:

• Evaluation of cancer occurrence in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector. NIOSH investigators responded to a management request to determine if there was an excess of cancer cases among current and former workers at a power plant. The concern arose because of contamination of a power plant's potable water with hydrazine, which was used as an anti-corrosive additive in the boilers. Using state cancer registry data, NIOSH investigators calculated cancer rates among current and former employees and compared them to rates in the surrounding communities. No significant excess of lung, colon, or all cancers combined among workers potentially exposed to hydrazine was found. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2003-0097-3018.pdf.
• Evaluation of noise exposure in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector. NIOSH investigators responded to a management request to determine if a risk for hearing loss was posed by noise from conveyor belts and baggage inspection equipment in the checked baggage screening areas of an international airport. Of the 13 employees monitored, one had a noise dose exceeding the NIOSH recommended exposure limit, but none had exposures above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit. A spectral analysis of noise levels revealed a high-pitched noise that was not loud enough to pose a risk for work-related hearing loss, but was irritating to the employees. NIOSH investigators recommended further evaluation of noise exposures followed by development of a hearing conservation program, if needed, and engineering controls to reduce specific noise exposures. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2005-0197-3010.pdf.
• Evaluation of diesel exposure in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sector. NIOSH investigators responded to a joint union/management request to assess equipment-generated diesel exhaust during move/load/unload operations at four marine terminals. NIOSH investigators collected air samples for diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide, and total particulate; interviewed employees; and reviewed illness and injury records. Although most diesel exposures were not above recommended exposures limits, exposure levels and employee symptoms indicated that a potential health hazard existed for workers in certain job titles. NIOSH investigators recommended work practice changes and engineering approaches to reduce exposures. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2003-0246-3013.pdf.
• Evaluation of silver iodide exposure in the manufacturing sector. NIOSH investigators responded to a management request to assess exposure to silver iodide during the manufacturing of cloud-seeding flares. Concerns were raised by the occurrence of thyroid disease in several employees. Silver iodide exposures levels were less than 0.4 mg/m3; occupational exposure limits have not been developed for silver iodide. Exposures to aluminum, magnesium, and strontium were well below occupational exposure limits. Based on their review of employees' medical records NIOSH investigators concluded that diagnosed medical conditions were not related to workplace exposures. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2004-0239-3014.pdf.
• Evaluation of styrene and other process-related exposures in the manufacturing sector. NIOSH investigators responded to an employee request concerning potential long-term effects from exposure to smoke and chemicals generated while manufacturing polystyrene and cutting polyethylene sheeting and expandable polystyrene foam. NIOSH investigators conducted area and personal breathing zone air sampling. All sample results were below applicable occupational exposure limits. The full report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2005-0243-3016.pdf.

ILO's preparedness for avian influenza

The 4th International Conference on Avian Influenza took place on 6-8 December 2006 in Bamako, Mali, and provided new insights into the disease and latest developments on national integrated strategies to combat it.

The Conference was also organized to promote, mobilize, and help coordinate financial support from the donor community for the national, regional and global response to highly pathogenic avian influenza and to support efforts at all levels to prepare for a possible human influenza pandemic. Thus, a new version of the Consolidated Action Plan for Avian and Human Influenza (AHI) was introduced at the Conference. Produced on behalf of UN technical agencies, the Plan is a comprehensive unified strategy for the UN system on pandemic influenza prevention, preparedness and response to control avian influenza. It builds on the AHI action plans, funds and programmes developed and implemented by each agency.

The ILO's tripartite structure places it in an extremely favorable position to address the concerns by governments, employers and workers engaged in combating AHI at the national and enterprise levels. Improvements in working conditions, including occupational safety and health, as well as dissemination of information on control measures (such as using appropriate protection, taking precautions and educating workers) are particularly relevant in terms of preventive actions. The ILO's conventions and other instruments provide regulatory a framework, support and advice enhancing national infrastructures, systems and programmes and strengthening national capacity for tackling AHI.

The ILO is part of this consolidated UN effort and its financial requirements for 2007 amount to a total of US$ 2,450,000. The consolidated document is also to be used to raise resources from ILO's constituents and other donors. The ILO efforts on this issue are coordinated by the Crisis Response and Reconstruction Programme.

Selected Internet Resources on Protecting Workers Against Avian Influenza

The International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/index.htm has made a list of selected internet resources providing information on the protection of workers against avian influenza. Prepared and made available by international and national organizations, the documents and guides address risks when working with poultry, in laboratories, as airline crews, etc. Control measures involve using appropriate protection, taking precautions and educating workers in order to prevent an outbreak in the human population.

Access the CIS page on Protecting workers against avian influenza www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/themes/themes-avian.htm

This is also available in French and Spanish

Design your own Poster

If you have scanned the web and the press for a safety poster that suits all your needs without success then the UK Safety Point bespoke range could well be of interest.

For example EMCOR Rail went this route and commissioned a range of eleven striking posters to suit the organisation's health and safety needs exactly. These striking posters from the Safety Point design studio are supplied in heavy-duty encapsulation to withstand the ravages of everyday life on site or in the office.

The publisher of Safety Point safety posters, Heath Technical Services, has announced the introduction of a Bespoke Safety Poster service. As few as twenty of these Bespoke Safety posters can be produced to client's specification with typically a cartoon character and client-specified text.

Ask for a quote from Stan Allen at Heath Technical Services, 6 Sandfield Gardens, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8AR, UK | Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 208 653 4648 | Email: stan@allen1889.freeserve.co.uk