CIS Newsletter

No. 162
March 2003

CIS Newsletter celebrates 15 years & still going strong! Bringing news to over 135 countries in the CIS Network

Contents

1. Editorial

2. Important News from CIS HQ

3. Annual CIS Meeting & Workshops in London, UK and accommodation

4. News from around the World - Australia, Belgium, Canada, European Agencies, ILO Geneva, Netherlands, UK, USA

5. Introducing IALI

6. Web sites to explore

7. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

Recently you should have received your copy of the CIS Annual Meeting Report 2002 and will no doubt be writing your 2003 report (don't these years move on quickly?)

You will have seen the details in the January and February 2003 CIS Newsletter regarding the 2003 CIS AGM, visits and workshops. This month's Newsletter contains some more details and repeat of information in case some people missed the previous editions.

2003 CIS Annual Meeting will be the week beginning 19 May 2003 in London, UK. The full programme is below including accommodation opportunities. The April Newsletter will contain just a summary of the programme.

REMEMBER THE MEETING IS ONLY 2 MONTHS AWAY! and time flies by very quickly!!!!

Also remember to send to Geneva HQ any items which you wish to have placed on the agenda. If you wish to give a presentation please let CIS HQ and myself know so we can ensure the programme runs smoothly. You should send as soon possible any items you wish to have discussed. Also remember to send your annual reports in early.

As usual many thanks to all the contributors to this edition of your Newsletter - all news however small is most welcomed. If you are planning any publications, seminars or training courses, then please send your details to me so that we can share your efforts with others. Don't forget to send me your latest news!

Over 100 individuals and organisations have let me know that wish to receive the Newsletter by email....if you wish to join just let me know and I will send it. CIS newsletters can be found on www.sheilapantry.com click onto CIS Newsletters!

Perhaps your own website will want to link to them?

Best wishes to you and your colleagues.

Sheila Pantry, OBE

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK
Tel: +44 1909 771024
Fax: +44 1909 772829
Email: sp@sheilapantry.com
www.sheilapantry.com

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

News from CIS HQ, Geneva

Emmert Clevenstine writes:

CIS Web Portal

Despite the existence of this web site for some time there are, unfortunately only a very few entries. Send you details as soon as possible to make this web site more useful.

Update of the CIS Centres Directory

As usual, several Centres have informed us of changes in their telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, logos and names. Please check the address and other co-ordinates of the Centres in the list of CIS Centres. You may also have a look at the Directory on the CIS Web site:

www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/about/centres.htm

We take the opportunity to thank you for helping us keep the CIS Centres Directory up to date. And again, don't forget to have a look at the many attractive Web pages of the CIS Centres!

We have great pleasure in announcing that the National Safety Council of the USA has become a CIS Collaborating Centre for this country after a long history of active cooperation, and we look forward to many more years of even more fruitful collaboration. We are also very happy to announce the joining of the Caribbean Safety Development Programme as a new CIS Collaborating Centre in Antigua and Barbuda.

The work of the CIS is shared with an international network of over 130 institutions in ILO member States - National and Collaborating Centres. In most cases, these Centres are government agencies with direct responsibilities for labour affairs, but employers' organizations, workers' organizations and independent institutes are represented as well. They contribute to the processing and dissemination of information by collecting the relevant literature published in their countries and sending it to the CIS; they may also prepare abstracts of the documents, promote the publications of the CIS and other ILO units, produce translations of these publications, collaborate in the compilation of multilingual dictionaries in the area of occupational safety and health, participate in the annual meetings of the CIS Centres and engage in joint efforts to use the latest information technology to disseminate occupational safety and health information.

A country may have only one National Centre. When a National Centre is not enough to serve a country, for linguistic, geographical or demographic reasons, or when responsibilities for occupational safety and health are widely diffused, one or more Collaborating Centres may be named. It may also occur that no one institution qualifies as a National Centre, while one may be designated as a Collaborating Centre.

You can find information on our Centres in three ways. There is an alphabetic list on a series of small, fast loading web pages. For printing purposes you can load a singe-file version as well. Using the Database of OSH Institutions and CIS Centres you can search & update the data on-line. For in-depth information, including a search engine that works on all the Centres' pages, visit our Centres Portal at www.ilo.org/safework/info/cis.

CIS Annual Meeting 2003

Financial constraints are everywhere but ANY COUNTRY/CIS CENTRE RECEIVING TECHNICAL AID WHO BELIEVE THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE to go to the 2003 UK meetings SHOULD CONTACT THEIR OWN COUNTRY PROJECT TECHNICAL OFFICER IN THE FIRST INSTANCE AND IMMEDIATELY.

CIS activities during the week
NB Changes taking place all the time >>>>>

Monday 19 May 2003 and Tuesday 20 May 2003
RoSPA Expo and Conference - Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, UK
About 1 hour train journey from London Euston Station
This is a mega sized expo shows - well worth a visit and covering:

Tuesday 20 May 2003
For those not wishing to go to Birmingham, an alternative visit is being arranged to the British Library. Details to follow.

Wednesday 21 May 2003
At the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London
Two workshops will be held:

Wednesday 21 May 2003 Morning :
Creating the electronic OSH information and knowledge service and centre. There will be various presentations and discussions.

To be successful, OSH managers constantly need to reassess the effectiveness of their information services and to ascertain whether they are really delivering the services needed by their users. In doing so it is now essential to take on board the opportunities afforded by new technology. An information service is no longer necessarily defined by the restrictions of a particular physical location or specific opening hours.

For anyone wishing to establish an electronic information/knowledge service, whatever the type or size of organization they work in, and is equally essential for those wishing to convert an existing traditional service into an e-information service. Ideas and examples of how an e-information service can be created, maintained and marketed in a cost effective way. Key issues covered include:

Wednesday 21 May 2003 Afternoon
Creating the successful OSH Publicity Campaign involving inspectors,
Workshop 2. Promotion and Publicity Ideas for CIS Centres
This will have short presentations about 20 minutes each (IS that long enough for you or do you want 30 minutes - just let me know

a) Vern Anderson NIOSH

b) Irja Laamanen FIOH

c) Sheila Pantry

d) Roman Litvyakov - experiences in creating a Information service - the virtual Internet Academy of Safe Work and Russian Information System for labour Protection.

e) hope to get someone else - perhaps one of the Asia or African countries.... working on this! Does anyone want to make a 10-15 minute presentation?

Then a BREAKOUT INTO GROUPS and for the delegates to think about a "topical subject" and make a PR plan - we did something similar a few years ago - but the technologies are helping to get messages out in various ways.

Also when we go to the HSE for the visit on Thursday 22 May 2003 I have asked them to do a session on how they organise Campaigns etc so that will be complementary to our workshops.

There will be various presentations and discussions. The participants should be able to draw up their own campaigns after this workshop and also the visit to HSE the next day.

Wednesday Evening 18.00 - 19.30
There will be a get-together "Reception" sponsored by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd held in the Atrium at the Imperial Hotel at 18.00. Rest of the evening free.

Thursday 22 May 2003 morning 10.00-13.00
Visit to the UK Health and Safety Executive, Globe Room, Rose Court, London

A number of presentations will be given by HSE staff and will complement the workshops held the previous day. HSE is the National CIS Centre.

Buffet Lunch, kindly provided by HSE will be served after the morning meeting.

Because the location of the Health and Safety Executive, Rose Court, Southwark Bridge Road which is south of the River Thames - it is proposed that people meet at the Imperial Hotel at 09.00 hours and that we go into by taxi cab (5 people to a taxi).

Thursday 22 May 2003 afternoon 14.00 - 17.00
Back at the Imperial Hotel, Tudor Room, London The 2003 CIS Annual Meeting will start. Please let Emmert Clevenstine or Sheila Pantry know if you wish to give a short (10 minutes) presentation .

Thursday evening - Free for late night shopping, theatre, music, eating or just enjoying London!

Friday 23 May 2002 09.30 - 15.00
The 2003 CIS Annual Meeting will continue.

There will be two presentations:

Roger Bibbings MBE will talk about the role and activities of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). RoSPA has been in existence for over 80 years and is instrumental through its many activities in being a major "mover and shaker" in the UK OSH scene.

Representative from NEBOSH - the National Examining Board for Occupational Safety and Health will be introducing the new International Certificate for Occupational Safety and Health.

Hotel Accommodation for CIS Meeting.....

To help you....

1. Arrangements have been made with the Imperial London Hotels Ltd regarding hotel bookings which people must booked themselves.

2. The Imperial Group offer the following hotels - all in the Russell Square location.

A 10% reduction of the usual price has been arranged - see details below.

If CIS members wish to share twin rooms then this of course will cut the costs again.

Imperial Hotel £65.70 single £87.30 twin room (£43.65 each if sharing) with Full English Breakfast.
Ask for a quiet room looking over the Courtyard.

President Hotel £67.00 single £89.00 twin room (£44.50 each if sharing) with Full English Breakfast.

Royal National Hotel £66.00 £85.00 twin room (£42.50 each if sharing) with CONTINENTAL Breakfast ONLY

Bedford Hotel £71.00 single £94.00 twin room (£47.00 each if sharing) with Full English Breakfast.

Tavistock Hotel £61.00 single £81.00 twin room (£40.50 each if sharing) with Full English Breakfast.

All the above Hotels have ensuite bathrooms and showers, TV and Radio

There is also:

County Hotel £39.00 single £50.00 twin room (£25.00 each if sharing) with Full English Breakfast.
NOTE Without private bathrooms.

Contact:

Reservations Manager, Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London WC1B 5BB | Tel: +44 20 7278 7871 | Fax: +44 20 7837 4653 | email: info@imperialhotels.co.uk | www.imperialhotels.co.uk for further details of the hotels, map etc.

NB When making the booking mention the CIS Meeting being held in the Imperial Hotel arranged by Sheila Pantry and ensure that you have the discounted prices. Please note that Sheila cannot make your bookings - you will have to make your own reservation using credit card or other deposit.

Overlooking some of London's most beautiful garden squares The Imperial Hotels have bars, coffee shops, Internet cafes and all are within walking distance of major attractions such as the British Museum, Covent Garden, Theatreland, Oxford Street - for shopping, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the National and Portrait Galleries.

The Imperial hotels are surrounded by a wide choice of cafes, bars, restaurants to suit all tastes.

There are of course 100s of hotels and other guest accommodation in London, remember that London is very, very busy in the morning rush hour and public transport is very crowded and can add to your travel costs.

New European Legislation

New pieces of legislation from the European Parliament are available free of charge and in full text from the European Commission web site quoted below
NB THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL IS NOW ENTITLED Official Journal of the European Union not COMMUNITIES

Directive 2003/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 February 2003 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (noise) (Seventeenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Official Journal of the European Union, L42, VOL. 46, 15.2.2003, 38-44
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:042:SOM:EN:HTML

Directive 2003/11/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 February 2003 amending for the 24th time Council Directive 76/769/EEC relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (pentabromodiphenyl ether, octabromodiphenyl ether)
Official Journal of the European Union, L42, VOL. 46, 15.2.2003, 45-47
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:042:SOM:EN:HTML

Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC
Official Journal of the European Union, L41, VOL. 46, 14.2.2003, 26-32
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:041:SOM:EN:HTML

Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 172/2002 of 6 December 2002 amending Annex XVIII (Health and safety at work, labour law, and equal treatment for men and women) to the EEA Agreement
Official Journal of the European Union, L38, VOL. 46, 13.2.2003, 38-39
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:038:SOM:EN:HTML

Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
Official Journal of the European Union, L37, VOL. 46, 13.2.2003, 19-23
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:037:SOM:EN:HTML

Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Official Journal of the European Union, L37, VOL. 46, 13.2.2003, 24-38
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:037:SOM:EN:HTML

Directive 2002/88/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 December 2002 amending Directive 97/68/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from internal combustion engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery
Official Journal of the European Union, L35, VOL. 46, 11.2.2003, 28-81
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:035:SOM:EN:HTML

News from Canada

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is now offering a free, monthly e-news service to all Canadians and global workplace participants.

Signing up is quite easy. Just visit www.ccohs.ca and click on the "e-news" tab in the top navigation bar to subscribe for free.

For further information contact:
Sue Andreychuk, Marketing Officer, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 250 Main Street East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1H6 | Phone 905-572-2981 ext 4554 | Fax 905-572-2206 | www.ccohs.ca

Flomerics plc help mobile phone manufacturers minimise the amount of electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitted by their handsets

A new version of a simulation software package developed by UK-based Flomerics plc (www.flomerics.com) is set to help mobile phone manufacturers minimise the amount of electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitted by their handsets, thereby reducing the potential health-risks associated with mobile phone use.

As controversy and concern continues to rise over the damaging effects that the absorption of EM radiation can have on human brain tissue, Flomerics' Micro-Stripes v6.1 software will enable mobile phone manufacturers to ensure that their products are safer.

Micro-Stripes v6.1 gives mobile phone manufacturers the ability to ensure their new devices meet Government Radio Frequency (RF) guidelines by simulating and evaluating electromagnetic emissions from a standard mobile phone antenna. By considering the characteristics of human brain tissue, such as density and its electrical properties, the software is able to visually and mathematically represent the penetration and the absorption rate of electromagnetic radiation into the brain.

The new software package from Flomerics has been launched amid increasing concern that exposure to mobile phone radiation may destroy cells in parts of the brain and can affect memory, movement and learning, and could cause premature onset of illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease or even cancer. Although it is not yet clear whether these findings can be applied directly to humans, recent laboratory tests on rats have shown that the radiation from mobile phones has an adverse effect on their overall health. There have also been reports of people suffering from headaches, fatigue and loss of concentration after using their mobile phones. In Britain, a 27-year old woman with a brain tumour is taking a mobile phone manufacturer to court, whilst biologist, Roger Coghill, has been given permission to bring a case against a provider of mobile phone equipment for failing to warn people of radiation hazards.

"Being able to simulate the amount of absorbed EM radiation within brain tissue is a key issue for mobile phone manufacturers," explains Rachid Aitmehdi, Head of Flomerics' Electromagnetic Division. "The general public have become very aware of the potentially harmful health effects of EM radiation, and the mobile phone industry is under increasing pressure from the Government and pressure groups to ensure that radio frequency emissions are kept as low as possible to reduce potential health risks."

The figure of merit on how EM radiation is deposited within human brain tissue is known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). As part of the certification process on all new mobile phones, the Government's Department of Health is seeking to develop a European standard for measuring SAR values. Research carried out by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), responsible for researching exposure limits to radiation emitted by handheld phones, recommends a localised SAR limit of 1.6 mW/g averaged over any 1g mass of human tissue in the head. "Micro-Stripes 6.1 can help Design Engineers evaluate the SAR performance of their hardware on a virtual prototype before any compliance tests are undertaken," concludes Rachid Aithmehdi.

Further information about Micro-Stripes can be obtained from: Rachid Aitmehdi, Flomerics Ltd, 81 Bridge Road, Hampton Court, Surrey, KT8 9HH, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1773 718 083 | Fax: +44 (0)1773 760 985 | Email: rachid@flomerics.co.uk

News from Europe

EU committed to meeting safety and health challenges of enlargement

Representatives of EU and candidate countries' government and social partners met recently in Bilbao to discuss health and safety in an enlarged Europe. The seminar, organised jointly by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the European Commission and the Greek Presidency of the EU.

The seminar 'Challenges of Enlargement - the Community Strategy on safety and health at work the and role of the European Agency' took place in Bilbao, Spain on Tuesday, 18th February 2003. Key participants at the seminar included:

This was the first tripartite meeting where candidate countries met with their EU counterparts to debate the implications of enlargement for the new Community strategy on health and safety at work and for the activities of the European Agency.

The purpose of the strategy, adopted by the Commission in 2002, is to modernise EU health and safety policy and means to reflect the impact of the changing world of work. The seminar gave key stakeholders the possibility to discuss whether the strategy sets out the right priorities and instruments regarding the situation and needs in the candidate countries. According to recent research candidate countries suffer from higher levels of traditional safety and health risks at work compared to the EU-15. 40% of workers in candidate countries consider their safety and health are at risk because of their work, compared to 27% in the EU Member States.

Commenting on the seminar, Anna Diamantopoulou said:

'Enlargement brings a host of new challenges for workplace health and safety - particularly reducing the existing gap in occupational safety and health levels between the current and the new Member States. All the candidate countries have made enormous efforts to ensure that their administrations and legislation meet European standards. If we continue our joint efforts, I am convinced that enlargement will help to improve the quality of working life in the new Member States and that we will succeed to make Europe a safe and healthy place to work - for all.'

The Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, said 'the seminar stressed the need for a continuous commitment of Member States and European institutions to meet the challenges of enlargement. The Agency has a special obligation as it is well placed to ensure an efficient integration of the new Member States and to devise practical safety and health solutions, geared to their special situation. We have already taken a number of preparatory initiatives together with the candidate countries and look forward to an even stronger contribution in a future, enlarged Europe.'

Contact: 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 | e-mail: information@osha.eu.int

News from Australia: Four out of five workers want an end to overwork

Eighty per cent of Australian employees want more family friendly workplace laws and a cap on long working hours, according to one of Australia's largest workforce surveys.

Australian union federation ACTU's National survey of workplace issues covers more than 8,000 employees nationwide and found high levels of workplace stress, insecurity, financial difficulty, understaffing, excessive workloads and unpaid overtime.

'Most Australian employees say they are under increasing workplace pressure which is damaging their personal and family life, but two-thirds say they are still worse off financially,' said ACTU president Sharan Burrow.

Fifty-five percent of employees surveyed said the impact of work on their personal life had increased in the last few years, and 75 per cent of these reported a negative impact on their families. ACTU found 79 per cent felt there should be a limit on the number of hours worked in a week and 78 per cent reported understaffing and work overload. Contact ACTU for the news release, factsheet and full survey report

UK HSC welcomes construction industry initiative to improve safety and health performance

Britain's builders are making an industry-wide effort to reduce its high rate of accidents and improve occupational health. A series of Safety & Health Awareness Days, 'Help for the industry from the industry', is being held around the country throughout February and March.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health & Safety Commission (HSC), said that he was encouraged to see the construction industry working together to improve its health and safety performance.

Mr Callaghan said: "These safety and health awareness days are an excellent example of how the industry can work together to improve its health and safety performance."

"It is only by working together that we will see the recent improvements in the construction industry fatality statistics be converted into a real trend for improvement. A sustained effort from industry is required to secure year-on-year improvements."

In 2001/02 the number of fatal injuries to workers in the construction industry fell to 79 from the previous year when 105 people died while at work. In the last ten years a total of 948 people have died and many thousands more have sustained a major injury or a health problem due to unsafe work practices in the construction industry.

The Safety & Health Awareness Days are aimed at small contractors who employ fewer than 16 people and the self-employed, who together make up 83% of the industry, giving them the opportunity to find out about the latest developments in improving health and safety.

Mr Callaghan said: "These awareness days represent an ideal opportunity for small builders to learn more about safety and health at work. Large companies are playing their role in helping smaller players by conveying key safety and health messages."

The events are practical and include demonstrations and the latest information on a variety of topics including working safely at height, roof work, using ladders, manual handling, safe loading and handling, safe use of power tools, asbestos identification, cable finding and building collapses.

Each event has been organised locally by a partnership including the Federation of Master Builders, Working Well Together groups, members of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Construction Group and health and safety professionals from large local construction companies, with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The events have already been held in February at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston near Edinburgh; at the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre, Aberdeen and at Filton, Bristol; and at the Newcastle Racecourse in Newcastle.

Additional events will be held on 4th March at Beverley Racecourse, East Yorkshire; 11th March at Askham Bryan Agricultural College near York; 21st March at Newark Showground Nottinghamshire; and 26th March at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey.

If you are in the industry and employ fewer than 16 people or are self-employed and would like to know more about these events, information is available on the Working Well Together website http://wwt.uk.com or contact Joy Jones on Tel: +44 (0)20 7556 2130.

Please relieve me, let me go - TUC campaigns for respect for workers' right to go

The UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) has launched a campaign to force Britain's bosses to treat their workers with respect and provide them with the right to paid time off to spend a penny.

The TUC sets out its 'Gotta go' campaign in the Spring issue of the TUC-backed health and safety magazine 'Hazards' www.hazards.org/toiletbreaks. In the article, the TUC draws attention to a legal loophole which says that Britain's bosses have got to provide lavatories for their staff, but don't have to let them go when they want.

The TUC wants workers to have the right to go on paid time, without the loss of any wages. Peeing is not a privilege says the TUC, and notes that some employers are working their staff so hard that they don't even have the time to visit the gents or the ladies. A 2002 survey found that 54% of British workers were too busy to take toilet breaks and a quarter of those questioned said that the poor condition of workplace loos put them off going.

Under UK health and safety regulations, employers have got to provide suitable, sufficient, clean, accessible, adequately ventilated and well lit conveniences. There must be enough toilets to allow everyone at work to use them without undue delay, especially if there are a number of workers who start, lunch and finish at the same time.

To help workers find out more about their bathroom rights, the TUC has answered some commonly asked questions on www.worksmart.org.uk - its world of work website - such as: My workplace washroom is filthy - shouldn't my employer keep it in a better state? Does my employer have to provide separate male and female loos? Is my employer allowed to dock my pay for taking loo breaks?

TUC General Secretary Elect Brendan Barber said: "It's incredible to think that in the twenty first century, workers are still being penalised for going to the loo. Employers clinging to Dickensian bathroom break policies should understand that if they trusted and respected their staff, and treated them as adults, not naughty children, they would end up with a healthier, better motivated, more productive workforce."

The TUC wants workers to send in their loo break woes to draw attention to the problem, and shame bad bosses into providing better toilet breaks. Examples of disrespect can be sent by email to badbogs@worksmart.org.uk or posted to "Got to Go" at TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS.

The TUC campaign has a number of case studies to highlight the crazy khazi situation in many UK workplaces:

The TUC's 'Gotta go' campaign is calling for:

A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on the TUC website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Hazards magazine is the TUC-backed workplace health and safety magazine and is recommended reading for all trade union safety reps and others concerned about workplace safety. Hazards, PO Box 199, Sheffield S1 4YL (0114 267 8936) | Email: sub@hazards.org | Online subscriptions: www.hazards.org/subscribe.htm

Can't go, won't go ...

www.hazards.org/toiletbreaks

www.eurohs.eu.com

In the 2002 Loo Breaks Study, Christine Norton, a nursing professor at St Mark's Hospital, London, asked 200 workers if they "had any problems using toilet facilities to pass stools while working." Of these 151, over 75 per cent, said they had a problem at least some of the time.

She adds: "Two-thirds of the sample completing questionnaires believed that the type of work they did, the structure of their working day or the activities they were involved in during the day prevented them from taking loo breaks at work." One in three said management "imposed rules and regulations that led them to defer taking loo breaks" during the working day.

Norton found half of call centre staff deferred toilet breaks "because of management and related issues, and one if four deferred several times a week or more." Nurses reported similar problems with "work culture". Call centre workers, teachers and nurses were particularly badly affected.

Christine Norton. Loo breaks at work! Is there a problem? EurOhs, vol. 2, no. 7, pages 26-27, November 2002.

Titles not to miss...

New TUTB publication

Globalizing technical standards: Impact and challenges for occupational health and safety by Ed. Theoni Koukoulaki and Stefano Boy
2002, 104 pages ISBN : 2-930003-44-8.
Will be also available in French (March 2003).

This publication sets the European standardization process in its changing context where European standards are increasingly being framed at the international level. The development of standards to fill out the European directives that ensure free movement for work equipment but also affect health and safety is now moving up to a more global setting. At the time when the European Union brought in its New Approach to technical harmonization, standardization was essentially a national exercise. Now, industrial production is almost without exception a European and international activity : in a globalized market with strong growth in international trade, manufacturers see international standards as a key to gain market access and boost trade. This book sets out to exemplify some aspects of the current debates on how European and international standards as developed in the ISO and IEC can affect the health and safety of Europe's workers.

Table of contents

The resume is available on http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/publications/pub11.htm

Publications Department, TUTB-BTS | www.etuc.org/tutb | ghofmann@etuc.org | Phone : +32 (0)2 224 05 52 (60) | Fax : +32 (0)2 224 05 61 | ITUH Building, 5 bd du roi Albert II, B-1210 Brussels

ACGIH's 2003 TLVs and BEIs booklet and also the 2003 Guide to Occupational Exposure Values are now available.

News from IRSST Canada

Since we are always interested in keeping you up to date on the research carried out or funded by the Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute Robert-Sauvé (IRSST), we are introducing a new tool: Info IRSST. It is an electronic newsletter that contains our press releases, our new publications as well as our new research projects.

We are pleased to invite you to read this first issue. You sent us your e-mail asking to be informed about the IRSST's new activities; we have therefore given you a subscription to this newsletter. It will replace all the other mail that you normally received. However, if you want your name removed from our mailing list, just click on the link provided at the end of Info IRSST.

IT TAKES ONLY A CLICK TO ACCESS INFO IRSST
www.irsst.qc.ca
www.irsst.qc.ca/en/info_irsst-archives.html

We are taking this opportunity to remind you that our site is regularly updated and that it is a mine of information on all of our activities and programs. Some 750 publications resulting from our work are also available to be downloaded free of charge.

Thank you, and pleasant reading!

Jacques Millette, Direction des communications, IRSST | Email: jacques.millette@irsst.qc.ca | www.irsst.qc.ca

Major OSHE Conference in London November 2003

EurOHSE2003 Conference takes place on the 4-5 November 2003 and the venue for the conference is the Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London, UK.

EurOHSE2003 Conference looks at the major themes of the European Commission's " Adapting to change in work and society: a new Community Strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006 " Focusing in on the European Commission's thrust and initiatives towards a healthier and safer European work place.

Eminent speakers from around the world with backgrounds in government, industry, research and education will discuss future ways of working and training, the need for risk assessment for all aspects of everyday work life, corporate killing, fire safety, managing road risks, fitness for work, researching for tomorrow's workplace, enabling the disabled in the workplace and the roles of the social partners in securing a healthier and safer workplace.

See www.eurohse2003.com for full programme

Copies of the programme will also be given out to CIS members attending the annual meeting.

Introducing the International Association of Labour Inspection

The International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) was established in 1972 in order to provide professional support to labour inspection organisations throughout the world. The aims of IALI are:

The IALI Statutes were first adopted on 20th June 1972 and were last amended on 19th June 2002. Copies are available in English, French, Spanish and German, from either the IALI website or from the Secretariat (details below).

Since its inception, IALI has worked in partnership with the International Labour Office (ILO). In 1978 the ILO conferred upon IALI the status of a Non-Governmental International Consultative Organisation.

Membership

Membership of IALI is open to any group of Labour Inspectors and Labour Departments of any State or Region of a Federal State that is responsible for the planning or direction of Labour Inspectors or for inspecting compliance with labour legislation (Article 4a of the Statutes). On 1st January 2003, there were 92 members of IALI from 73 different countries across the world.

As from 1st January 2003, annual membership fees range from 550 Swiss Francs (SF) to 2200 SF depending on the size and status of the individual member.

Activities and administration

IALI has a 3-year rolling programme. The 2002-2005 programme includes a range of activities for each year, such as conferences held in different parts of the world and often organised jointly with the ILO. In 2003, for example, ILO/IALI conferences are to be held in Costa Rica and Bulgaria. Once every 3 years, IALI holds a Congress and General Assembly for its members, usually in Geneva. The Association also encourages regional activities and programmes organised by its members.

IALI aims to provide regular professional updating and information for its members through its website (www.iali-aiit.org), which is in English, French, Spanish and German, and also its 'Forum' newsletters. The 'Forum' is published each year and covers various topics of general interest to the membership.

The administration of IALI is undertaken by an Executive Committee, details of which are available on the website, and a Secretariat.

Further information about IALI's future programmes, its organisation, its Statutes and other publications can be obtained from the website or from the Secretariat, whose address is:

Malcolm Gifford, IALI Secretariat, c/o Health and Safety Executive, Bootle, L20 7HE, UK | Tel: +44 151 951 4486 | Fax. +44 151 951 3984 | e-mail: malcolm.gifford@hse.gsi.gov.uk

Paul Huijzendveld, Secretary General IALI and also General Director, Dutch Labour Inspectorate will be one of the speakers at the Eurohse2003 conference www.eurohse2003.com which takes place in London on 4 and 5 November 2003

News from the Netherlands

Dutch Ministry publishes international online magazine

The new edition of the online magazine Shared Spaces is now published. This digital magazine from the Netherlands Ministry of Spatial Planning, Housing and the Environment is a quarterly publication that looks at living, space and the environment. The goal of the publication is to bring attention to these subjects and serve as a platform for the exchange of visions, ideas and practical examples, with the emphasis on finding solutions to problems.

The theme of this new edition is urbanisation. More and more people are living in cities. In the 21st century this will include half of the world's population. In Europe already 70% of the population are city dwellers. In this edition people in whose life or occupation cities play an important role tell their story. Government Architect Jo Coenen talks about his vision of Dutch urbanisation, the mayor of Rotterdam and the Dutch correspondent of the Economist exchange ideas, and from Calcutta, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo comes a report about the specific challenges that these cities face. In addition to this, practical examples are given from the Netherlands of sustainable building, new cities and renovation in large urban areas.

The digital magazine is supplemental to the existing international Web site of the Netherlands Ministry of Spatial Planning, Housing and the Environment. The international site is a medium in which the ministry departments focus on international issues and share policy information with their colleagues abroad.

With help of the online magazine international dilemmas can be given extra attention and interest can be generated from abroad. English speakers can ask questions and register for the general international newsletter from the ministry. The Newsletter keeps subscribers up to date on the latest news from the ministry and new editions of Shared Spaces.

Relevant Web sites:

For more information (not for the publication):

Rob Burkhard, Ministerie van VROM, Central Communications Directorate | +31 (0)70 3391435 of | +31 (0)6 19208722 (gsm) | Email: rob.burkhard@minvrom.nl

European major occupational safety and health (OSH) monitoring systems

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has brought together short descriptions of the major occupational safety and health (OSH) monitoring systems currently in use in the Member States and other countries on the website http://osha.europa.eu/en/topics/osm.

OSH monitoring systems are instruments used for measurement and analysis in the area of occupational safety and health. They are commonly used to inform and guide government policy. Typically, these systems are used to give an indication of the number of work accidents or occupational diseases, or they might record information about places of work, or about the activities of the organisations involved in ensuring good working conditions. The systems included in this web-feature collect data regularly, although the intervals can be as long as five years, and generally cover all or most of the country's working population.

You may view the information in two ways; either listed by type of system or by country of use. If you need more information on a particular system then click on the name of a system. It is possible to get more detailed information about most of the systems by following the internet links or using the information about publications and contacts.

The Agency will be adding to the web site as they receive details of further systems to include.

In its first five years, the Agency has focused on four priority areas -

The headings on the web site fall under the following headings:

These are produced to provide policy makers and practitioners with high-quality, state-of-the-art information about occupational safety and health which is vital if further progress is to be made in combating safety and health problems within Europe.

The Agency Reports are available in: Español, Dansk, Deutsch, Ellinika, English, Français, Italiano, Nederlands, Português, Suomi and Svenska, typically are:

Issue 405: OSH Monitoring: The State of Occupational Safety and Health in the European Union - Pilot Study.

Issue 404: OSH MONITORING: The State of Occupational Safety and Health in the European Union - Pilot Study; Summary Report

Issue 403:OSH MONITORING: State of Occupational Safety and Health in the EFTA Countries

Issue 401:OSH MONITORING: Data to describe the link between OSH and Employability (Working Paper)

For further details contact:
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain | Email: information@osha.eu.int | fax: +34 94 479 4383 | http://osha.europa.eu

Web sites to check

Legionella ....... checking information sources, by Sheila Pantry, OBE

The name "Legionnaires' disease" was coined in 1976 after a respiratory disease affected many delegates attending a convention in Philadelphia held by the American Legion of Pennsylvania. Eventually, the bacteria that was responsible for the disease was isolated and named as Legionella pneumophila. Two distinct illnesses, Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever, have been associated with the Legionella species. Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia. Pontiac fever is a mild, non-pneumonia influenza-like illness. It is not clear why the same causal agent can produce two distinct illnesses.

Information about Legionnaire's Disease issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires
Information about Legionnaire's Disease, what is it, causes, prevention, treatment

ACoP The precautions required to minimise the risk of infection are given in the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP).
Legionnaires' Disease: control of legionellosis (L8) and Technical Guidance (HS(G)70)

How to Deal with Sick Building Syndrome - Guidance for employers, building owners and building managers", HS(G)132, HSE Books

Sick Building Syndrome ; a Review of the Evidence on Causes and Solutions", HSE Contract Report No. 42/1992, HSE Books.

The HSE publications can be obtained by Mail Order from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS. Tel: 01787 881165. Fax: 01787 313995.

details in www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires

HSE Press Release 4 January 2001. Approved Code of Practice and Guidance
www.hse.gov.uk/press/c01002.htm
Gives details of the Health and Safety Commission Approved Code of Practice and Guidance The control of legionella bacteria in water systems.

Legionnaires' disease: a guide for employers
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/iacl27.pdf
Leaflet for employers

Biological Hazards index
www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/information.htm
This index is worth looking at give activities and also biological agents publications.

The Public Health Laboratory Service
www.phls.org.uk
The Public Health Laboratory Service protects the population from infection by working with others to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases - for more information about Legionnaires disease visit their website.

Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
www.defra.gov.uk
List a number of documents on indoor air quality by using the site search facilities.

The British Occupational Hygiene Society
www.bohs.org/library/technical-publications
Technical Guide 15 on Direct reading devices for airborne chemical contaminants gives some useful advice, by Paul Evans, Peter Walsh, Steve Lewis and Bob Old (Note online version does not allow printing or copying of content)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
www.cdc.gov/niosh
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the United States Public Health Service and the division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that is concerned with workplace health and safety.
NIOSH was requested to evaluate the environment of the workplace and any possible health concerns and have formulate a questionnaire which will be useful for anyone starting to carry out an assessment. This can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv
A word search of the NIOSH website on 'legionella' will also bring up related topics which can be viewed as full text documents.

US Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)
Concerns with Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) have increased since energy conservation measures were instituted in office buildings during the 1970s minimising the infiltration of outside air and contributing to the build-up of indoor air contaminants.
IAQ generally refers to the quality of the air in an office environment. Other terms related to IAQ include Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and "Sick Building Syndrome." Complaints about IAQ range from simple complaints such as the air smelling odd to more complex, where the air quality causes illness and lost work time. It may not be easy to identify a single reason for IAQ complaints because of the number and variety of possible sources, causes, and varying individual sensitivities.

The OSHA web site www.osha.gov/SLTC/indoorairquality covers a range of guidance under headings such as "Recognition", "Evaluation", "Control" and "Compliance" with related technical links under formaldehyde, multiple chemical sensitivities and ventilation.

US Environmental Protection Agency web site www.epa.gov/iaq on indoor air quality has a good range of advice and guidance under headings "Homes" "Large Buildings/Offices" and "Publications" whilst IAQ Hotlines and IAQ Links will lead to other details. The EPA's IAQ pages cover other related topics such as asthma, carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke, air ducts etc.

US Indoor Air Quality Association Inc is a non profit organisation dedicated to promoting the exchange of indoor environmental information. The IAQA web site is www.iaqa.org

US American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) web site www.acgih.org lists a wealth of guidance and advice.

Standards

Standards are important and give good guidance and detailed information. Go to the web sites of the various standards bodies which give details and also allows, for a price, the full text of the standard. Go to the web sites for information details and check the catalogues e.g.

The ILI organisation which has offices in the UK, USA, Germany and France is the specialist in worldwide hardcopy standards and specifications and via its web site www.ili-info.com checks can be made of their databases and items ordered.

Diary of Events

These events may inspire you to make a similar event in your country

20-22 March 2003 - Work, Stress and Health: Challenges in a Changing Workplace
Sheraton Hotel, Toronto, Canada
Contact: Wesley Baker, American Psychological Association. Women's Programs Office. 750 First Street, NE, 20002-4242, Washington, DC, United States | Tel: +1 202-336-6124 | Fax: +1 202-336-6117 | Email: wbaker@apa.org

24-25 March 2003 - Applying Biomarkers in Occupational Health Practice
La Fonda on the Plaza, Sante Fe, Mexico, USA
Contact: Connie Kidd, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA | Tel: +1 513 533 8434 | Email: ckidd@cdc.gov | www.cdc.gov/niosh/exhibits.html

27 March 2003 - Getting the safety message across
Jurys Great Russell Street Hotel, 16-22 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LR, UK
Contact: Helen Daniels, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9604 | Fax: +44 (0)20 7730 5083 | Email: helen.daniels@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

2-4 April 2003 - 1st European Tradeshow on Ergonomy of workstation and wellness for everybody
Parc des Expositions Bordeaux, France (Simultaneous translation English and French)
Contact: A.M.T Europe, BP 1 F- 28800 Sancheville, RC Paris A 384 227 849, France | Tel: +33 (0)237 44 0460 | Fax: +33 (0)237 44 0450 | Email: info@confoseat.com | www.confoseat.com

23-24 April 2003 - Professionals in Partnership: IOSH 2003 Annual conference and exhibition
Scottish Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), Glasgow, UK
Contact: Edward Low, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Wigston, Leicester, UK | Tel: +44 20 7017 5455 | Email: enquiries@iosh.co.uk | www.iosh.co.uk

5-9 May 2003 - Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems Training Course (Code A350048) in English
Bangkok,Thailand
Contact: The Social Protection Programme, International Training Centre of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Lavoro 10, 10127 Turin, Italy | Tel: +39 011 6936576 | Fax: +39 011 6936548 | Email: socpro@itcilo.it | www.itcilo.it

19-30 May 2003 - Estrategias para promover la seguridad y salud en el trabajo (SST) en pequeñas y medianas empresas Training Course (code A200026), in Spanish
Turin, Italy
Contact: The Social Protection Programme, International Training Centre of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Lavoro 10, 10127 Turin, Italy | Tel: +39 011 6936576 | Fax: +39 011 6936548 | Email: socpro@itcilo.it | www.itcilo.it

21-22 May 2003 - The State-of-the-Art Research (STAR) Symposium: Perspectives on Musculoskeletal Disorder Causation and Control
Ohio State University (Main Campus), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Contact: Gary Allread, Institute for Ergonomics at the Ohio State University, USA | Tel: +1 614 292 4565 | Email: ergonomics@osu.edu | www.cdc.gov/niosh/exhibits.html

11 June 2003 - Best Practice in the 21st Century: IOSH Ireland Annual Seminar
Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Ireland
Contact: Declan Gibnet, IOSH Branch Development Officer, Ireland | Tel: +353 1850 544688 Mobile 086 254 4688 | Email: iosh@worksafe.ie

23-24 June 2003 - NORA 2003: Working Partnerships Research into Practice
Hilton Crystal City, Washington, DC, USA
Contact: Roger Rosa, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA | Tel: +1 202 305 7856 | www.cdc.gov/niosh/exhibits.html

14-25 July 2003 - Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems Training Course (Code A900028) in English
Turin, Italy
Contact: The Social Protection Programme, International Training Centre of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Lavoro 10, 10127 Turin, Italy | Tel: +39 011 6936576 | Fax: +39 011 6936548 | Email: socpro@itcilo.it | www.itcilo.it

5-6 September 2003 - Injury and Safety Management Conference 2003
Novotel Brighton Beach, Brighton-le-Sands, Sydney, Australia
Contact: Julie Barclay, Conference Organiser for Occupational Therapist Association Australia, Creating Solutions for the Future, 600 Victoria Road Ryde NSW 2112, PO Box 142 Ryde NSW 1680 | Tel: +61 2 9808 1822 | Fax: +61 2 9807 1609 | Email: conference2003@otausnsw.org.au

20-31 October 2003 - Inspección estatal de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo (code A200027), in Spanish
Turin, Italy
Contact: The Social Protection Programme, International Training Centre of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Lavoro 10, 10127 Turin, Italy | Tel: +39 011 6936576 | Fax: +39 011 6936548 | Email: socpro@itcilo.it | www.itcilo.it

18-21 November 2003 - XVIth International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork
Santos , Brazil
Contact: Frida Marina Fischer, Claudia Roberta de Castro Moreno, Departmento de Saúde Pública - Universidade de São Paulo,Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715 Cerqueira César, São Paulo CEP 01246-904, Brazil | Fax: + 55 11 3085 0681 | Email: shiftwork2003@edu.usp.br | www.fsp.usp.br/shiftwork2003

11-16 July 2004 - Living in a Safe Chemical World, The 10th International Congress of Toxicology, ICTX. Finnish Society of Toxicology and International Union of Toxicology.
Tampere, Finland
Contact: CTX Congress Secretariat, Congreszon, Itälahdenkatu 22 A, FIN-00210 Helsinki Finland | Tel: +358 (0)9 58409 350 | Fax: 358 (0)9 58409 555 | Email: ictx2004@congreszon.fi | www.ictx.org