CIS Newsletter

No. 154
July 2002

CIS Newsletter celebrates 14 years & still going strong! Bringing news to over 135 countries in the CIS Network

Contents

1. Editorial

2. News from around the World...... Denmark, Egypt, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, ILO, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, UK and USA.

3. Titles you may have missed

4. Special reports from the Philippines and Romania

5. Diary of Events and OSHE web sites to explore

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

The year is galloping on and already preparations are being made for events such as the European Week for Health and Safety which takes place across Europe in October 2002, to major conference being planned for 2003.

There are also major new initiatives emerging worldwide to make our workplaces safer and healthier. Some countries are assessing where they are going in terms of occupational health and safety, but as agreed at the CIS Annual meeting in Vienna this year that we must all work harder to ensure that occupational safety and health (OSH) is at the top of all government agendas, just as some governments are urging companies to have OSH on all businesses' board room agendas! I wonder how many countries has a government where it is discussed at the top level, e.g. in the Cabinet? My guess that it would not take long to count the ones that have it! Maybe some of you can let me know if your country has OSH as a major priority?

An ever increasing number of CIS newsletters are delivered by email - well over 100 individuals/organisations received the emailed version. Many of the e-mailed recipients are those working in the wider OSHE field but who are NOT CIS Members. The CIS Newsletter is also on a number of web sites, e.g.. Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, CIOP in Poland etc. You are welcome to put it on your web site. Shortly the CIS Newsletter will be available via your editor's websites...... will let you know.

You know I welcome ideas for inclusion in the future editions of this Newsletter. Let me know if there are any areas you would wish to see covered in future.

A number of individuals and organisations have let me know that wish to receive the Newsletter by email.... just let me know and I will send it.

Best wishes to you and your colleagues.

Sheila Pantry, OBE
85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG,UK
Tel: +441909 771024
Fax: +441909 772829
Email: sp@sheilapantry.com
www.oshworld.com

CIS NETWORK OF NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTRES.........
WORKING TOGETHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER....

News from around the OSHE World

Denmark takes over the Presidency of the EU on 1 July

The Danish Prime Minister stressed the importance of observing the time schedule for the enlargement negotiations with the countries applying for accession to the EU

On Friday 28 June 2002, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Per Stig Møller and Minister for European Affairs Bertel Haarder presented the work programme for the forthcoming Danish EU Presidency.

Computers: revolutionising work and the risks of work, says UK TUC

Speaking at the launch of a week of action run by The Guide Dogs for the Blind, on the effects of visual display units on eyesight, Trades Union Congress General Secretary John Monks said 'computers and visual display units are revolutionising not just the work we all do, but the risks we run'

'Those risks bring with them responsibilities. The main responsibility lies with employers who must assess the risks and then inform and train their workers. In particular they should be informing them about their rights to regular breaks and regular eye tests. Unfortunately, Guide Dogs have found out that far too few employers - less than two thirds - tell their workers about their right to a free eye test.

'Guide Dogs have started to transform the 'me' society into the 'eye' society, and trade unions are grateful for the help that they are giving to people at work. Workers need to know what their 'eye' rights are, and employers need to make sure that VDUs are a business benefit, not an eye-straining eyesore.'

www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-5029-f0.cfm

Contacts:
Owen Tudor, TUC Health and Safety Specialist, on 07788 715261 or at otudor@tuc.org.uk

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: Nicky Brown on 0118 983 8242 or 07768 523996 (out of hours) or at nicky.brown@gdba.org.uk

ILO Annual Conference Adopts New Measures to Tackle the Challenges of Globalisation

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) concluded its 90th annual Conference on 20 June 2002 after adopting a series of measures designed to promote a more rigorous approach to tackling the challenges of globalisation and create an "anchor" for personal security through poverty reduction, job creation and improved workplace health and safety.

The ILO's annual International Labour Conference, which brings together governments, trade unions and employers representing the Organisation's 175 member States, was marked by what ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called an "exceptionally rich" discussion surrounding globalisation, child labour and other issues and saw a "broad and steadily deepening consensus over the goal of decent work for all".

Two distinguished guests of honour, the Rt. Hon. Dato' Sei Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, addressed the issue of globalization during the Conference. Prime Minister Mahathir said that globalisation in its actual form cannot be "the remedy for the social ills of the world" and called for "globalisation with a social dimension." Prime Minister Arthur condemned the linkage of labour standards and trade as "immoral and counterproductive" and said the ILO "must have more clout in the formulating of global, financial and trade policy and not just an advisory role."

Measures Adopted

The Conference adopted a call for a new ILO programme of work that would focus on the issues of employment generation, social protection and poverty reduction for those in the informal economy. The new programme should provide a roadmap for future ILO activities aimed at extending rights to those who need them and access to the benefits of labour standards and the global economy.

The Conference also adopted a Recommendation on the Promotion of Co-operatives. The new instrument asks members to adopt measures to promote co-operatives in all countries to create employment, develop their business potential, increase savings and investment and improve social well-being. Ranging from small-scale to multimillion dollar businesses across the globe, co-operatives are estimated to employ more than 100 million women and men, and have more than 800 million individual members. They are also an important means to integrate unprotected workers in the informal economy into mainstream economic life.

In the area of health and safety at work, the Conference adopted a new Protocol to the Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 155, 1981, and a Recommendation updating a 22-year-old list of occupational diseases. The Protocol asks ratifying member States to establish and review requirements and procedures for the recording and the notification of occupational accidents and diseases, dangerous occurrences and commuting accidents. The Protocol also asks member States to publish annual statistics following classification schemes that are compatible with the latest international schemes of the ILO or other relevant international organizations.

The Conference examined the situation in the occupied Arab territories and heard pledges in support of enhancing ILO efforts to create jobs in the area and promote dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. Mr. Somavia said the ILO would allocate resources immediately with a view to establishing a Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection.

The Organisation launched the World Day Against Child Labour which saw events in countries around the world aimed at reinforcing the global movement to abolish child labour.

Application of International Labour Conventions

As part of ILO efforts to end the use of forced labour in Myanmar, the ILO Committee on the Application of Standards had a special discussion on recent events, including the opening of an ILO Liaison Office in Yangon, and the exaction of forced labour, particularly by the military, which has not yet been brought to an end. The Committee emphasised the need for real, rapid and verifiable progress and encouraged the ILO to pursue resolutely its dialogue with the Government and all the parties concerned.

The Committee also considered cases in 24 countries and drew the special attention of the Conference to its discussions of three cases: Sudan, Ethiopia and Venezuela. The committee cited Sudan for non-observance of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) and shared the concern of the Committee of Experts regarding "the practices of abduction, trafficking and forced labour affecting thousands of women and children, not only in the south of the country where there was armed conflict, but also in government controlled areas". On the case of Ethiopia and compliance with the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) the Committee made an urgent appeal to the Government to ensure that it would act in conformity with the provisions of this fundamental Convention. In particular it insisted that teachers' trade union rights be fully respected both in law and practice. Regarding Venezuela and the same fundamental Convention No. 87 on freedom of association rights, the Committee noted there has for several years been concern on the right of workers and employers to form organizations of their own choosing.

www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/index.htm

News from Ireland

CIS Members will wish to know that Ruth O'Flaherty, Health and Safety Authority, Dublin, Ireland left the HSA on 5 July 2002 to take up a post as Research Librarian at the Attorney General Department, Dublin, Ireland.

Members will remember Ruth's energies and enthusiasm at the 2000 CIS Meeting which was hosted by the HSA.

We wish Ruth every success in her new post and in her future career and thank her for all her help to CIS.

Make my day.... please send some news ....

Your Editor

FIRE WORLDWIDE: continues to expand with the June 2002 edition

Fire Worldwide Full Text Collection aims to gather scientific, technical, medical guidance and advice from a variety of authoritative organisations from around the world which will be of benefit to all working in the fire and fire related industry. Includes appropriate fire, health, and safety (not just fire) legislation from the European Commission and the United Kingdom Government. Legislation also gives good guidance. Also contains documents from US NIOSH, The UK Fire Protection Association, World Fire Statistics from CTIF.

The Bibliographic Collection

Fire Worldwide also contains the World's premier collection of a number of complementary fire and fire related bibliographic databases from 5 worldwide organisations. These databases are enhanced with c2000 new references in this edition.

In addition, two new databases have been added in this edition which contains references and abstracts to 2488 fire and fire related British Standards Institution specifications and references from the UK Government Department.

FREE 30 DAY TRIAL
Fire Worldwide is available on a 30 day free trial. Why not try it for yourself and check out the contents of this exciting sources of information against your own workplace/academic needs. Send your request by telephone, post, fax, email or mail to Safety and Chemical Services Ltd (SCS) Broad Oak Enterprise Village, Broad Oak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AQ, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1795 435 899 Fax: +44 (0)1795 435 901
SCS is Ovid Technologies Ltd/SilverPlatter key distributor of health and safety titles
Major credit cards accepted.

News from South Africa

Workers Life reports.....

The latest edition of Workers Life June 2002 contains a number of topical subjects including:

Contact: Workers Life, NOSA, 508 Proes Street, Arcadia 0083, Box 26434 Arcadia, Pretoria 0007 South Africa, E-mail: worklife@nosa.co.za

Stress essentials: Practical solutions that work

A summary report of a conference held to bring together health and safety and management practitioners and representatives.

www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-4984-f0.cfm

Titles you may have missed.....

Ergonomics: A Risk Manager's Guide to Reducing Injuries, Costs, and Liabilities
by W.F. Peate and Karen A. Lunda, March 2002
Considers taking your organization beyond compliance to long-term prevention and control. Numerous sample programs and forms.

Principles of Risk-Based Decision Making
by the US Coast Guard, May 2002
Provides managers with the foundation for creating a proactive organizational culture that systematically incorporates risk into key decision-making processes.

Risk Management Planning Handbook, 2nd Edition
by A. Roger Greenway, June 2002
Leads businesses that house more than 100 hazardous or toxic materials on-site through the process of creating and effective risk management plan and provides them with a thorough understanding of the requirements for everyday decision making.

Policy and Practice in Health and Safety: a new international journal

As Europe's leading professional body for health and safety practitioners, The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health - IOSH is facilitating and contributing to the health and safety debate with the provision of a new forum for academic and policy discourse by producing a new journal - Policy and Practice in Health and Safety which will be launch in May 2003. The editorial board reflects internationally recognised academic and scientific specialists.
For details contact: Caroline Brookes, Head of Publishing, The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 1NN, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 116 257 3100 | Fax: +44 (0)1116 257 3101 | Email: c.brookes@appleonline.net | www.iosh.co.uk

News from the USA

New CDC and NIOSH Directors appointed

The appointment has been announced of Jon Howard, M.D., M.P.H., J.D., LL.M., as Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Dr. Howard has served as the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the California Department of Industrial Relations since 1991. In this position, Dr. Howard administers all of the occupational and public safety programs in California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health and directs a staff of nearly 1,000.

Dr. Howard received his Doctor of Medicine from Loyola University, in 1974; his Master of Occupational Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, in 1982; his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1986; and his Master of Laws in Administrative Law and Economic Regulation from the George Washington University, in 1987.

Dr. Howard began his career in occupational health as an internist in the UCLA School of Medicine Pulmonary Fellowship Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 1979. During his clinical work, he worked closely with asbestos-exposed shipyard workers and published research findings related to workplace asbestos exposure and occupational lung disease. After leaving Harvard,

Dr. Howard served as a resident at University of California at Irvine (UCI), where he organised and set up a clinic at the UCI Medical Center that was the first one devoted exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of occupational disease. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Howard also was an Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of California at Irvine, a Medical Director and Chief Clinician of an AIDS community services clinic in Los Angeles, and served as a former Assistant Counsellor to the Under-secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Howard is a board-certified occupational physician and has authored numerous papers on occupational health law and policy.

Also announced is the appointment of Dr. Julie Gerberding as the new CDC Director. She's the first woman Director of CDC. Her background is in HIV and hospitals, and she was in the forefront during the anthrax episodes.

Five million UK workers have had their workplace health services taken away in the last ten years

Responding to research published by the UK Health and Safety Executive and the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh the UK TUC General Secretary John Monks said:

“At a time when we need to get more sick and injured people back to work, it is a tragedy that employers are actually scrapping workplace health services rather than expanding them. Many employers don't even know how much money they are wasting by throwing skilled workers down the drain.

'Britain needs to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, but we also need to help people who suffer them get back to health and back to work as fast as possible. Employers are shuffling those responsibilities onto the Government and onto the victims, and it’s got to stop. We need a legal right to workplace health services like they have in Scandinavia, and the Government is going to have to step in and put some of the extra NHS money to work for people at work.'

The research for the HSE shows that in 1990, 50% of the workforce (over 12 million workers) had access to an occupational health service. The latest data shows that only seven million workers, about 30%, have retained access to such services. Three quarters of large firms provide workplace health services, compared with just a third of small firms (10-50 workers). 40% of employers spent under £1,000 a year on occupational health, but less than one in ten of such employers (9%) actually worked out whether they were saving money or wasting it. Even among employers who paid out over £30,000 a year, only just over half (59%) evaluated their expenditure.

www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-5033-f0.cfm

Bad news from the UK

Sickness absence in the UK due to workplace injury and illness amounts to 19 million days a year - forty times as many days as are lost through industrial action.

That sickness absence costs the economy as a whole between £4-9 billion. Most of the costs fall on the victims and on the Government.

27,000 people leave the labour market for ever every year because of a workplace injury or illness - amounting to over a quarter of a million people in the last decade - one of the reasons why more people are off work because of disability and long-term ill-health than because of traditional unemployment.

A full TUC briefing on the research is on the TUC website at www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-4940-f0.cfm

HSE press releases and contract research reports can be found on www.hse.gov.uk

Other enquiries: Owen Tudor, UK Trades Union Congress Health and Safety specialist, on Tel:+44 (0) 7788 715261 or email: otudor@tuc.org.uk

Further news from Egypt

OOPs >>>>> Correction >>>> re Egypt National Centre in the June 2002 edition the email was wrongly quoted for further information contact:
Mohamed Allam, Director General of Training Department and Information Centre
NIOSH, Cairo Egypt. Email should be niosh@idsc.net.eg
NOT Email: niosh@idsc.net.org WEB SITE IS CORRECT www.niosh.gov.eg

News from the USA

Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks.

This guidance is the result of recent building vulnerability assessments conducted by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). As with most hazards, there are preventative steps that can reduce the likelihood and mitigate the impact of terrorist threats. Tried and proven principles in the control of air-borne contaminants can be joined with similarity focused safety and security principles to provide guidance on how we design and operate our building environments.

US National Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks.

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No.2002-1392002 28 pages
Includes a list of web sites containing further information.
Available from: US NIOSH, Publications Dissemination, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati OH 45226 1998, USA. Tel: +1 800356 4674 Fax: +1 513 533 8573
Email: pubstaft@cdc.gov | www.cdc.gov/niosh

News from the UK

Reduce the risks - cut costs: The real costs of accidents and ill health at work

New free leaflet from the UK Health and Safety Executive covers the following:

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.

Reduce the risks - cut costs. 2002. HSE INDG355. www.hse.gov.uk
Available from: HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, C010 2WA, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1787 881165. Fax: +44 (0) 1787 313995

News from The Hazards Centre ..... No Union, No Protection

The latest edition of Hazards June 2002 lead story says that when it comes to workplace harm, hygienists might have a measure for it and doctors a diagnosis for it, but only workers with collective power have much chance of doing anything about it. And there is no shortage of up-to-the-minute evidence illustrating this "union safety effect". It also goes on to say that organised workplaces are safer workplaces.

Among the many other articles are corporate crime and asbestos roundup. To subscribe to Hazards and further details contact:
Jawad Qasrawi, Hazards, PO Box 199, Sheffield, S1 4YL, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 114 267 936 | email: sub@hazards.org | www.hazards.org

News from the UK

Stating your Business: guidance on preparing a health and safety policy document for small firms

This guidance contains an outline health and safety policy statement which you can complete and use as a way of complying with the law. The outline statement is aimed at small firms but larger organisations could also use it within individual workplaces or departments.

New free leaflet from the UK Health and Safety Executive covers the following:

Remember - what you write in the policy has to be put into practice. The true test of a health and safety policy is the actual conditions in the workplace, not how well the statement was written.

Stating Your Business: guidance on preparing a health and safety policy document for small firms.. 2002. HSE. INDG324. www.hse.gov.uk

Available from: HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, C010 2WA, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1787 881165 Fax: +44 (0) 1787 313995

News from the USA

NORA News: National Occupational Research Agenda.

The latest edition of NORA News Spring 2002gives details of partner perspectives, extramural awards, spotlight on the extramural programme.

NORA News Spring 2002
All Available from: US NIOSH, Publications Dissemination, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati OH 45226 1998, USA.
Tel: +1 800356 4674 | Fax: +1 513 533 8573
Email: pubstaft@cdc.gov | www.cdc.gov/niosh

News from the Philippines

All sectors of Philippine society-government, labour, management, NGOs, the academe and professional organizations agree that OSH is non-negotiable; and that the current drive for increased productivity and competitiveness can be enhanced through better OSH services. The following conclusions and recommendations are meant to contribute to the on-going debate on how to bring this mutually reinforcing linkages about.

1. Policy and program co-ordination

[1] ZAP stands for Zero Accident Program, WISE for Work Improvement in Small Enterprises, and ISTIV for Industrious, Systematic, Timeliness, strong Values for work productivity program.

2. Enforcement

3. Data Collection and Analysis

Occupational injuries and illnesses survey need updating, thus improving sound evaluation of socio-economic burden of occupational diseases and injuries is still difficult for many reasons. Reliable information, gathering and analysis is hampered by limitations in formulation and implementation on violations for example regarding:

More specifically, improved OSH data would lead to the formulation and implementation of sound primary, secondary and tertiary OSH programs. Up-to-date information on safety and health would facilitate effective advocacy among workers and management at national, sectoral or plant levels, and facilitate the institutionalization of effective and responsive mechanisms that can adequately address the increasing sophistication of work environment.

4. OSH Research Priorities

The research capacity and coordination of various government agencies like OSHC, BWC, International Labor Studies (ILS), NWPC of the DOLE, NGOs, as well as the academe like the UP-SOLAIR needs strengthening with focus on:

5. ADB Capability Building

ADB, through its constitution and lending program should play a key OSH promotional and advocacy role, interalia:

Contact: Dulce Estrella-Gust, Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), Occupational Safety and Health Centre, Quezon City.
Tel: +63 2 928 6690
Email: oshcenter@oshc.dole.gov.ph | www.oshc.dole.gov.ph

2002 European Year of...

2003 will be European Year of Disabled People

2002 International Year of ... and International Decades and Years

1993-2002 Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa

1993-2002 Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons

August

9 August - International Day of the World's Indigenous People

12 August - International Youth Day

23 August - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=27835&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

News from Japan

General Guidebook on Industrial Health 2001

This 174 page handbook covers a wide range of activities in occupational health in Japan. There is an overview of the present status of industrial health in Japan. The legislation involved, cases, statistical data relating to both occupational diseases and ordinary diseases. This latest guidance covers topic areas such as dust, lumbago, heat exhaustion, mental health, organic solvent poisoning, lead poisoning, health standards in the office, and carbon monoxide poisoning in the construction industry.

For copies contact:
JISHA - the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association
(ILO-CIS National Centre in Japan)
5-35-1 Shiba, Minatoku,
Tokyo 108-0014,
Japan.
Tel/Fax +81 3 3454 4596
Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp
Web: www.jisha.or.jp

Do what many people around the world are doing and check out.........

www.oshworld.com

Your portal to occupational safety, health, fire, chemical, environment information

News from Romania

OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT IN MEDICAL STAFF: FIRST PILOT CENTRE IN THE ROMANIAN HEALTH SYSTEM
by Adriana Todea (1), Adrian Streinu-Cercel (2), Aurelia Ferencz (1), J. M. Haguenoer (3), Martinez Garcia (Franþa) (3)

1. Institute of Public Health Bucharest  2. Prof. Dr. Matei Balº” Institute of infectious diseases, Bucharest  3. Ministry of Labour – France

For many years in Romania, traditional occupational health was considered a “workers” medical speciality. Thus, it's tasks and attributions were aimed at workers at high risk of developing silicosis and lead ill health, occupational health physician being ignored and forced to handle only these fields which were considered the biggest health threat.

Without minimising the workers health problems, which, unfortunately, still exist in many Romanian industrial work-places, I will further enhance the aspects regarding occupational health importance as it is considered worldwide, in hospitals and other health institutions, in which, those who attend patients’ health are less concerned about their own health.

On an international level, the medical field is considered, due to it's specific and diverse work-places, as being one of the most dangerous ones. Medical staff work under exposure to hazardous agents: biological, physical, chemical and ergonomic, factors that induce exposure specific occupational diseases.

Daily problems

Psychological strain created from medical staff's responsibility when handling a patient's life, has a great impact upon its health in this field. Exposure to many biological agents: viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi is ubiquitous in all work-places from the moment of biological sampling ending up in different laboratories where these biological samples are analysed; human contact during work induces various means of contamination from physical exam to different medical activities: injections, punctures, surgery, dentistry treatments.

Employees’ work in radiology units, where usually the technology is ancient, is another example proving the amount of hazard of these working conditions. B and C type hepatitis, tuberculosis, allergies to disinfectants and drugs, skin disorders in medical staff are marked by the number of occupational diseases declared each year by the occupational health physician in Public Health Directorates all over the country. Nurses’ workloads highly exceeds current norms. They carry sacks of waste, at weights that defy safe limits, on staircases and in hospitals’ yards.

In hospitals’ kitchens, food storerooms, laundries, laboratories, the most elementary ergonomic principles are unknown, which can lead to injuries and occupational diseases. Microclimate, night lighting measurements in patients’ rooms, emergency rooms, noise measurements in kitchens, laundries, laboratories are sporadic or absent.

“Staff” doctor usually doesn't exist or has an activity far from occupational health field. The short number of occupational health specialists in Romania makes it impossible to deal with the large amount of problems all over the country.

Project creation

Therefore the twinning project RO 9907-06, started by the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity, "Creation of a protection system for workers exposed to hazardous agents at work-place” is welcomed in this context.

The work plan began in July 2001, by analysing the legislation transposing the 7 community directives in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS). Simultaneous, it was decided that the "Matei Balº” Institute of Infectious Diseases in

Bucharest would become the pilot centre in Romania for improving working conditions in all Romanian hospitals. This centre was selected because its structure and type of activities are relevant to the European Directive through their working conditions’ diversity and dangerousness.

Risk assessment steps

A complex team consisting in Romanian and French physicians, engineers, psychologists performed a complex analysis of the occupational risk of all work-places in the "Matei Balº” Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The first stage consisted in risk recognition and assessment in all work-places of all employees. Besides biological agents musculoskeletal strain, fire risk, exposure to chemical and physical hazardous agents, ionising radiation and general ergonomic problems have been identified. For each particular situation necessary solutions to prevent occupational diseases and to ensure healthy working conditions and a general employees’ well being have been discussed. These activities lead to the start of a program for improving working conditions in the health pilot center.

The first step was to organise the OHS committee in the hospital, who will analyse and address each work-place problems. Important measures regarded updating, appropriate functional circuits, hospital access settlement, and means to reduce physical labour. Another accomplishment was the construction of the OHS service intended for the hospital's employees, where each employee's health is checked from OHS point of view, according to the Ministry of Health and Family's Order no. 761/2001.The operation is ongoing. It is necessary when caring for patients’ health, employees in the health field must protect their own health, and think about the health of their own families as well whilst undertaking their daily tasks.

News from Portugal

New publications from IDICT:

(More titles in the August CIS Newsletter)

Available from
IDICT, CIS Centre, Av. Republica, 84-4, 1600-205 LISBON, Portugal
Tel: +217 927 060 | Fax: + 21 7927040 | email: bernadete.oliviera@idict.gov.pt

News from the UK

National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) Business Plan 2002-2003

The UK NRPB has just issued it's Business Plan 2002/2003 states that the Chief Medical Officer's proposal for a new Agency into which NRPB would be assimilated. The establishment of the New Health Protection Agency by 1 April 2003 provides the major challenge facing the Board in the coming year.

The report states that all the NRPB key targets ad activities were achieved in 2001/2002, including the development of the new website. The key targets for 2002/2003 include work in the following areas: emergency response, optical radiations, radiation-induced cancer in children and adults, contaminated land and materials, occupational exposure, communications and public health.

National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) Corporate Plan 2002-2007
The UK NRPB has also just issued it's Corporate Plan 2002-2007 summarises the work that NRPB will be doing over the next five years.

NRPB Business Plan 2002/2003and also NRPB Corporate Plan 2002-2007 contact:
Information Office, National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1235 831600 (international 44-1235 83160)
Fax: +44 (0) 1235 833891 (international 44-1235 833891)
E-mail: nrpb@nrpb.org or downloaded from the web: www.hpa.org.uk/radiation

News from the European Foundation

Working conditions in candidate countries and the European Union
by Pascal Paoli

In 2001, the Foundation carried out a survey on working conditions in 12 candidate countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia. The questionnaire-based survey is identical to the three working conditions surveys carried out in the EU Member States in 1990, 1995 and 2000, allowing for comparisons to be drawn between these two groups of countries. This leaflet presents the main findings of the candidate countries’ survey.

Reference: EF0246
Catalogue No.: TJ-43-02-890-EN-C
Published: 2002
Language: English

Working time preferences in sixteen European countries

by Harald Bielenski, Gerhard Bosch and Alexandra Wagner

Increased labour market participation is the key to achieving an inclusive European society for all. This report focuses on the issue of working time in the context of present employment policy priorities. It analyses findings from a survey carried out by the Foundation into working time across the 15 EU Member States and Norway.

Pages: 164. Reference: EF0207. ISBN: 92-897-0177-3. Catalogue No.: TJ-44-02-262-EN-C. Published: 2002

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Wyattville Road
Loughlinstown
Dublin 18
Ireland
Tel: + 353 1 2043100
Fax: + 353 1 2826456, + 353 1 2824209
Email: postmaster@eurofound.ie
www.eurofound.ie

Other details about the European Foundation:

Press Office
The Foundation's Press Officer, Måns Mårtensson, is happy to answer questions from journalists. His contact details are: Tel: +353-1-2034124 | Fax: +353-1-2036456 | Email: mma@eurofound.ie

Information services
The Foundation was established to provide information to the members and staff of the European Institutions and the social partners (trade unions, employers' organisations, member state governments), and serving them is our priority. We try to answer all enquiries, which should be addressed to the information centre

Many of the Foundation's publications are available for download from the website.

Visitors
Groups wishing to visit the Foundation should contact Roseanna Creamer.
Visitors to the Information Centre are welcome, but please make an appointment first by contacting Jan Vandamme.

TRAINING in HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

The UK based National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) courses are offered by over 400 programme organisers throughout the world.

NEBOSH qualifications are recognised and respected by employers in all sectors of employment and provide the benchmark standard against which others are compared.

NEBOSH is the only health and safety awarding body that has been given accreditation by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). You can therefore be assured that a NEBOSH qualification provides evidence of real achievement.

The new, unitised Syllabus for The National General Certificate has just been announced, which will be examinable from 6 December 2002.

To support this a A new Guide or The National General Certificate has been produced

Teams of professionally qualified examiners, moderators and assessors, overseen by an Advisory Committee of eminent people from national institutions, work hard to ensure that NEBOSH qualifications maintain their deserved reputation for excellence.

For further information contact:
NEBOSH, Dominus Way,
Meridian Business Park,
Leicester LE19 1QW, UK
Tel: +44 (0)116 263 4700
Fax: +44 (0)116 282 4000
email: info@nebosh.org.uk
www.nebosh.org.uk

DIARY OF EVENTS

Ideas Bank..... If you cannot get to these seminars, training courses and conferences ask the organisers for details. You may wish to offer a similar course in your country.

11 September 2002 - Control of Contractors: one day training course
Rubens Hotel, Buckingham Palace Road, London, UK
Contact: Sally Turner, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9604 | Fax:+ 44(0)20 7730 5083 | Email: sally.turner@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

25 September 2002 - Fire Risk Assessment: one day training course
The Strand Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ, UK
Contact: Sally Turner, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9604 | Fax:+ 44(0)20 7730 5083 | Email: sally.turner@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

26 -27 October 2002 - Worker Training in a New Era: Responding to New Threats
Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Sponsored by US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the MidAtlantic Public Health Training Center
Contact: Mary L. F Doyle, Johns Hopkins ERC, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room W7041 Baltimore, MD 212005 2179, USA | Tel:+1 410 955 0423 | Fax: +1 410 614 4986 | Email: mdoyle@jhsph.edu | www.jhsph.edu/ERC/NewThreats.html

31 October 2002 - Control of Contractors: one day training course
The Marriott Courtyard , London Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore Coventry, UK
Contact: Sally Turner, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9604 | Fax:+ 44(0)20 7730 5083
Email: sally.turner@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

13-16 November 2002 - International Conference on Rural Heath in Mediterranean and Balkan countries.
Foggia, Italy.
Contact: International Centre for Pesticide and Health Risk Prevention, Via Megenta 25, 20020 Busto Garolfo (Mi), Italy-18 | Tel: +39 0331 406611 | Fax: + 39 0331 568023 | Email: mail@icps.it

2003

23-28 February 2003 - ICOH 2003 : 27th International Congress on Occupational Health
Iguassy Falls, Brazil
Contact: Secretariat, Av. Candido de Abreu, 200 Galeria sala 06, CEP 80530-902, Curitaba, PR, Brazil | Tel/Fax: +55 41 353 6719 | Email: icoh2003@icoh2003.com.br

28-30 October 2003 - 3rd National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS)
Sheration Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Contact: US NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati OH 45226 1998, USA | Tel:+1 800356 4674 | Fax:+1 513 533 8573 | Email: pubstaft@cdc.gov | www.cdc.gov/niosh/noirs/noirsmain.html