CIS Newsletter

No. 175
April 2004

CIS Newsletter celebrates 16 years & still going strong! Bringing news to over 135 countries in the CIS Network

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Promoting 28 April 2004 ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work
  3. News from around the World - Australia, Canada, China, Europe, ILO, Ireland, Russia, South Africa, Tunisia, UK, USA
  4. FOCUS on Building an Information Network in Russia
  5. Japan joins the European Network
  6. Smoking ban in workplaces in Ireland - further news
  7. OSHE web sites
  8. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

Spring is now really here in Europe and there is a lovely fresh look with new plants, flowers and blossom everywhere. 28 April 2004 is The World Day for Safety and Health at Work and is intended to focus international attention on promoting and creating a safety and health culture at work and to help reduce the number of work-related deaths each year. There is more about the Day in this edition. Please take this special day to make your CIS Centre known in your country - invite the media in to see what is being done, or have a special "open day" and give people the opportunity to hear about your work and products. Whatever you do you might send me a message so that I can share your successes with other Centres in our Network.

Also, as always there are some exciting news items from around the world in this edition - giving details of lots of very diverse products, services and events that are happening. You will be interested in Wiking Husberg's article on developing networks in Russia. And there is a special offer being made for some electronic products.

Sorry, no news from CIS HQ Geneva regarding the 2004 annual meeting, the where and when still being discussed.

Further to my note last month I hope that this year will see more CIS Members able to receive this newsletter by email. If you are reading this in print format and wish to receive it via email please let me know. I am checking out the emails listed in the ILO CIS Bulletin that comes out 4 times per year, and will send to those who as yet have not opted for this way of receiving it. I am very aware that when compiling this newsletter there are still Centres who do not have computer equipment, email facilities and FULL Internet accessibility.

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! It is amazing how much the CIS Newsletter content gets re-used around the world.

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.

Remember the back issues of the CIS Newsletter are available at the click of the mouse on www.sheilapantry.com/cis. Please note that my new email.

Best wishes to you and your colleagues.

Sheila Pantry, OBE

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

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

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

An Annual Event

28th April 2004

2004: CREATING AND SUSTAINING A SAFETY AND HEALTH CULTURE

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is intended to focus international attention on promoting and creating a safety and health culture at work and to help reduce the number of work-related deaths each year.

For more information see www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/worldday/index.htm

Join the ILO in promoting the 2004 World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This year, as in previous years, tripartite events are taking place world wide, and a number of products are available from this web page. Promote this important day.

Decent work is safe work

Special Offer to mark the April 28 2004 day......

OSH-ROM: ILO and Croner collaborate for World Health and Safety Day

To mark the ILO's World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2004, CIS information centres worldwide will be able to access occupational health and safety (OSH) information products free of charge for a month from this day. They will be able to search OSH-ROM the unique occupational health and safety database collection published by the International Labour Organization and other expert sources, via the Internet and on CD-ROM.

This new initiative is designed to increase the accessibility of critical OSH content to the 135 designated CIS centres worldwide. Depending on the level of interest in the initial phase, it is planned that it will be followed up with preferential OSH-ROM pricing for participating CIS centres, and may be extended to include other SilverPlatter products such as EINECS Plus and CHEM-BANK chemical hazards titles. If you are interested in taking part in this or similar initiatives, please contact Neil Clements at Croner: neil.clements@croner.co.uk.

SilverPlatter Health & Safety information products from Croner offer full-text legislation and guidance, hazardous chemicals information, and bibliographic research content. The SilverPlatter database format offers regularly updated, cross-searchable data using acclaimed retrieval technologies on CD-ROM, across networks and via the Internet. Data is carefully validated and annual subscriptions are available for single or multiple sites, according to the number of simultaneous users accessing the data. For more details, please see www.hspublishing.com.

Part of Wolters Kluwer (UK) Ltd and based near London, UK, Croner www.croner.co.uk is a market leader in the fields of health and safety, export and transport law, tax, company and commercial law, finance, employment law, and education management."

Contact: Neil Clements, Wolters Kluwer (UK) Ltd, 145 London Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 6SR, UK

News from Geneva

CIS Centres AGM 2004 - any requests for topics or workshops?

2004 CIS Annual Meeting will take place in the 3rd quarter of 2004. As yet the location is not specified, but may be Geneva. Do you have any topics for discussion or do you want any specific workshops arranging?

So, CIS colleagues, remember that this is your network, think about the future for CIS Centres, the networking, what YOU want to see happening. Start to be vocal and communicate ideas now to CIS HQ.

Message from Emmert Clevenstine....

"The CIS team in Geneva renews its thanks to the Centres for all the documentation that they send, and reminds them that essentially all documents received are recorded at:

www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/docs.htm

www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/period.htm

This means that the Web-using public can learn about the existence of a title even when CIS is not able to abstract the document for the CISDOC database. The Internet address of the issuing Centre is included in the list, to help users get to the source of any interesting title. CIS hopes that this extra publicity helps justify the contribution of the journals and other publications, and plans to make these lists more evident in a redesigned website."

Building a safer future - IOSH 04

This year's IOSH conference is going to be a cracker! With such an impressive line-up of speakers, and all the leading players in occupational health and safety in attendance, can you afford to miss it?

The conference, which takes place on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 April 2004 at the Harrogate International Centre, UK brings together health and safety professionals from across the globe under the banner this year of 'Growing professionally - developing influence'.

With 38 leading speakers participating in eight plenary and 23 breakout sessions, the conference is one of the leading health and safety events and is an excellent way to share best practice and network.

Of particular interest to those working in the construction industry will be the annual Douglas Short Memorial Lecture, which commemorates the former health and safety inspector who was instrumental in developing construction regulations during the 1960s. This year's lecture will be given by Dr Iain Cameron FIOSH RSP, head of division (construction, management and economics) in the School of the Built and Natural Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The lecture, which is entitled 'Integrating health and safety planning in construction using a gateway model', will highlight how strategic planning more than ever requires the incorporation of health and safety issues. Dr Cameron will reveal similarities between project management, construction design management (CDM) and safety management planning while also considering how, by using the 'Gateway' approach, the management of health and safety can be integrated into the project life-cycle.

A number of planning tools to support the integration of health and safety planning will also be identified during the presentation and it will be revealed how these benefit projects by allowing the management of health and safety to become part of the overall management function - adding value to the whole process rather than paperwork.

The presentation will appeal to CDM duty holders involved in project planning, such as clients, project managers, planning supervisors and designers. Contractors, health and safety managers and specialist suppliers may also be interested.

Attendees are also invited to be present at the closing keynote presentation by Dr Jukka Takala, director of the SafeWork programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the topic 'Decent and safe work - a global culture'. Attendance at both the memorial lecture and closing keynote presentation is free for all.

To book for the Douglas Short Memorial Lecture, or any other event options, from full conference participation to one day and half-day sessions, please telephone +44 (0)20 7017 5521 before 13 April or go to the conference website www.ioshconference.co.uk for further details.

Work smarter not harder - keeping up your professional OSH knowledge

Your Editor will also be making a presentation in the Exhibition Theatre at the Conference on 21 April 2004 and will cover:

Work smarter not harder - keeping up your professional OSH knowledge

News from St Petersburg, Russia

Roman Litvyakov, Institute of Industrial Safety, Labour protection and Social Partnership writes:

I have some information that could be interested for you and other people. Our Institute makes a new version of ILO Encyclopedia in electronic form in English language. In the near future new Encyclopedia will be available on the WEB site in Geneva as well as new CD version.

We are using the same Russian software for the Internet and CD that we have for Russian version. We have improved it and made the same user interface for CD and WEB. So, It is going to be quite easy for people to use the Encyclopaedia.

We are making also special database for International Chemical Safety Cards that is compatible with Encyclopaedia database. So, it will be possible to make search through both database - ENC and ICSC. Links from the ENC (from places where we can see names of chemical substances or CAS codes) is also going to be established. Tools for updating of both databases are also being made. Demo version of this resource should be ready in a couple of weeks.

More news will be sent as developments take place.

New Titles not to be missed...

New book has occupational hygiene covered

A new 450-page book covering all the key occupational hygiene issues from a health and safety perspective will be available later this month.

'Health and safety: hazardous agents' is a new book published by IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) that delves into the complex area of managing occupational hygiene, which combines elements of physics, biology, chemistry and psychology.

The book focuses on controlling exposure of people at work to hazardous agents by applying a basic risk assessment and management framework, and is designed specifically for health and safety professionals.

Written by Dr Chris Hartley, who teaches occupational health and hygiene at Aston University, Birmingham, UK the book covers: chemical agents, biological agents, ionising and non-ionising radiation, lighting, thermal effects, noise, vibration, physical misfit and psychosocial misfit.

'Health and safety: hazardous agents' is essential reading for:

Chris Hartley is a former NEBOSH chief examiner and was course manager for Aston's diploma for HSE inspector trainees. His consultancy and research work has given him over 20 years' experience of a broad spectrum of low and high-risk workplaces.

Copies of the casebound book (ISBN 0 9013 5734 0) are available, price £57, from the IOSH Services orderline on +44 (0)1787 249293.

IOSH, The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire LE18 1NN, UK | Tel: +44 (0)116 257 3100 | Fax:+44 (0)116 257 3101 | www.iosh.co.uk

Visit www.safestartup.org the website for health and safety information for small businesses. Read and discuss topical health, safety & environmental items.

JISHA Annual report 2003

The Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA) has issued the 2003 annual report that covers a wide range of activities. The number of occupational accidents in Japan is on a declining trend from a long-term perspective, yet about 530,000 people are killed or injured each year. As for the health of workers, the percentage of people found to have abnormal symptoms at the regular health examinations in the workplace has been rising. In addition, the number of people who feel severe anxiety or stress in the workplace has been increasing.

Under such circumstances, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has released the 10th Industrial Accident Plan entitled "Aiming to reduce risks in the workplace and ensure safety and Health of All Workers". The Ministry seeks to implement measure to achieve the objectives in the Plan within five years from 2003-2007.

The annual report also contains information about JISHA's activities, International Cooperation Activities, publications and web sites.

Contact: JISHA, 5-35-1, Shiba, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan | Tel/Fax: +81 3 3454 4596 | Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp | www.jisha.or.jp | www.jaish.gr.jp | www.jicosh.gr.jp

SST from Tunisia

The latest edition - No. 28 Jan. 2004 of Sante et Securite au Travail (SST) from the Tunisian Institute and CIS Centre contains some interesting features:

Contact: Rachida Souissi, ISST, 5 Bd M Khaznadar, 1007, Tunis, Tunisia | Tel: +71 561 636 Fax: +71 571 902 | Email: DG.isst@Email.ati.tn

Workers Life from South Africa

The latest edition of new look Workers Life magazine contains news and articles on a range of information including Medical aid; HIV-AIDS treatment for all; Disability - no bar to a good job; Negligence is not acceptable; Apprenticeship gives way to Learnership; WHO seeks to manage diabetes; NOSA's AIDS Management System is a big hot worldwide.

Contact: NOSA, PO Box 26434, Arcadia 007, South Africa | Tel: +(012) 303 9700 | Fax: +(012) 303 9870 | Email: worklife@nosa.co.za

Health and Safety Report from Canada

The Health and Safety Report from Canada Volume 2, Issue 2 - February 2004

Contains:

Hazard Alert Protecting those who work alone

Working alone takes many forms - staffing convenience stores and fast food outlets, logging, driving taxis and trucks and policing. While the jobs are as varied as the economy, the common thread is that these workers work by themselves without close or direct contact with their co-workers and may be distant from immediate assistance. That should not stop them from receiving as much support and training as possible so they can do their jobs safely.

Thorough, new guidelines, from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Labour, spell out the province's legal standards and offer numerous tips to employers and the employees across the country who work their shift alone. Full Story www.ccohs.ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2004/02/ezine.html#hazardalert

For direct access to the Health and Safety Report www.healthandsafetyreport.com/ezine.htm

Australia's National Occupational Health & Safety Commission (NOHSC) and occupational diseases

CEO, Mr Robin Stewart-Compton announced at a recent conference in Canberra that the NOHSC is about to undertake a major review of all standards, codes and guides to better target occupational disease. He commented that the commission felt there are several gaps in Australia's knowledge of occupational disease which need to be remedied.

Such diseases targeted include:

In particular, the CEO commented the NOHSC review would also include a major review of all standards, codes and guides covering such things as hazardous chemicals, atmospheric contaminants and acceptable exposure levels.

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Australian Fumigated shipping containers: Safe transport and unloading guide

A new Victorian WorkSafe Guide now is available on the Worksafe website. The purpose of this document is to provide health and safety guidance to employers on how they can control the risks associated with transport or unloading of fumigated shipping containers. Federal quarantine laws require containers to be fumigated if the container holds products made from natural or fibrous material and if the container comes from countries known to be a source of animals or insects that would present an agriculture threat to Australia. These countries are mostly from tropical or sub-tropical regions.

Information about the specific countries and the type of products that must be fumigated can be found at the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service web site. (See under the "Further information" heading at the end of the Guidance Note for more details.)

Every person who manages or who employs people carrying out the shipping, transport or unloading of a container that has been fumigated has a duty under Victoria's occupational health and safety law to control the risks associated with exposure to the fumigants. (For more details, see "Legislative responsibilities")

Fumigants in common use

The most common chemical used in fumigants is methyl bromide. Methyl bromide is an odourless, colourless, toxic gas. To make the fumigant detectable, methyl bromide is often mixed with small amounts of chloropicrin. Chloropicrin is a chemical intermediate, fumigant, fungicide, insecticide, and is also used as tear gas. Chloropicrin is very dangerous and poisonous if inhaled in high concentrations. The substance attacks the eyes and may irritate nose, throat and skin. Repeated minor exposure may have a cumulative poisoning effect.

Other fumigants are used, including phosphine. However while the risks of exposure to these fumigants are the same as methyl bromide, the use of these substances is less common.

www.worksafe.vic.gov.au

Keep pace with international debate

Launched in 2003, Policy and Practice in Health and Safety is a high level international forum for the analysis and debate of a wide range of work environment issues. This new biannual journal from the UK Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is aimed at those who practise, tutor, research or study health and safety regulation and management.

Professor David Walters of Cardiff University is Editor of Policy and Practice. The journal addresses practical workplace health and safety issues as well as focusing on a broader context - the social, economic and political policies that shape employment and work.

The Editorial Board reflects worldwide academic and scientific authority on health and safety and the working environment.

The journal is available in both hard copy and online formats.

Full details are available at www.iosh.co.uk/policyandpractice.

IOSH, The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire LE18 1NN, UK | Tel: +44 (0)116 257 3100 | Fax: +44 (0)116 257 3101 | www.iosh.co.uk

News from Europe

Web sites increase to 20 languages

Commission President Romano Prodi and the ten Commissioners-designate launched a first wave of European Union websites in the languages of the new member states this week. At the end of the first informal meeting of the enlarged College, President Prodi stressed the right of each and every person in the EU to be informed about the major decisions of the EU in their own language. He said: "The EU needs the support of its public, and to have that, it must show respect for their cultural identities and their diversity. The ability for everyone in the EU to interact with the European institutions in their own language is a fundamental prerequisite of a democratic Europe". A first wave of information pages in the languages of the new member states was published this week on the European Union's website Europa. http://europa.eu

The launch of the first wave of Europa pages in nine new languages was accompanied by the launch of a new internet page introducing the ten Commissioners-designate from the new member states.

FOCUS: Building an information network

Wiking Husberg, ILO Moscow Office

"Work is central to peoples lives, to the stability of families and societies. It is key to poverty reduction and to the achievement of social inclusion and social cohesion. Such work must be of acceptable quality. Decent Work must be Safe Work and we are a long way from achieving that goal."
Juan Somavia, Director-General, ILO - World Day of Safety, 28 April 2002

Information can save lives and money

Human suffering has no measurable cost. The loss of a mother or a father cannot be calculated in rubles or dollars. Additionally, poor working conditions cost money; for the individual, the company, the society. The ILO estimates that 4 % of gross national product is lost due to hazard pay, accidents, emergencies, loss in production and lost property. Many researchers claim that safety adds to quality and productivity; that investment in safety brings money back in productivity.

The State of Russia: from the Citizens' point of view

The following data are an excerpt from a recent report by the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Oleg Mironov summing up the state of human rights in Russia over the past five years.

Percentage of workers employed by enterprises and organizations working in hard or harmful working conditions: more than 40 percent

Number of registered occupational accidents annually: more than 360,000

Number of registered fatal accidents annually: around 8,000

Safe working conditions and a decrease in occupational accidents and work-related diseases can be reached, when we know, what is hazardous and how we can eliminate these hazards. To improve working conditions, knowledge is needed on hazardous occupations, machines, work methods and chemicals; on safe technical solutions to hazardous situations; on prevention and protection; on safety management. This practical information is needed at the workplace, in the safety committees, for the inspectors, for the employer, for the manufacturer and for the policy makers.

Ensuring safe working conditions it is a part of normal quality and production management. Providing adequate working conditions is an investment in the human resources and skills of the work force at the enterprise, in quality and productivity. This is not an extra cost. On the contrary, and especially in Russia where the law is stipulating compensation for work in hazardous working conditions, poor working environment costs money for the enterprise and the society in the form of increased costs of hazard pay and added leave for work force employed in sub-standard working conditions, for personal protective equipment, for compensation costs for accidents and diseases and lost days of production and quality. Not to mention that hazardous working conditions can lead to personal disasters, loss of family members, social exclusion and child labour.

Breaking the language barrier

The strategy of SafeWork in the countries of ILO Moscow Sub-regional office has been to assist local OSH institutions

In addition to the Russian Federation, Russian is a commonly understood language in the CIS countries and some neighbours. An information network has been set up to ensure that the Russian speaking world has access to the latest cutting edge occupational safety and health information. A network of OSH information centres all over the Federation, now expanding to the neighbouring countries Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, disseminates the information to Russian speaking safety experts.

Russia is an enormous country spanning ten time zones. To reach out to all areas and institutions, ILO Moscow and Russia is combining the traditional printing of safety publications with high-tech approach utilising effectively Internet, electronic networking and CD-ROMs to transfer information. The Internet Academy on Safe Work (www.safework.ru) is an OSH Internet portal linking Russian language Internet resources - ILO publications, a Russian database on OSH legislation, the resources of the St Petersburg Industrial and Labour Protection Institute as well as international resources. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development in Russia decided in May 2002 to create the Russian Information System of Labour Protection (RISOT) on the platform. This information system is specifically serving the Ministry's regional departments and OSH specialists.

Russia and the neighbouring countries have experienced and skilled OSH expertise, but many times language forms a barrier for information exchange. The ILO provides over 20 000 pages of relevant, scientific and modern occupational safety and health information in Russian, comprising the ILO Encyclopaedia on occupational safety and health, ILO Codes of Practice and Guidelines, IPCS chemical safety data sheets, etc (details in the box on the next page).

The user frequency of the Internet Academy is steadily rising and is exceeding 3500 readers per month. The Internet discussion forum has become an active place for OSH experts to share opinions and experience.

Danish funded projects assisted Russia to develop a network of information centres around the federation at the end of the 90s, bringing the number to over sixty centres. Since the establishment of the RICOT the info centres' network has expanded substantially, incorporating regional labour departments, universities, OSH centres, training institutions and manufacturers. Now the RISOT has several links to every region.

Information and awareness is placing OSH high on the political agenda

The joint effort of national OSH experts and institutions and ILO is already starting to pay off; safety and safe working conditions have become a high priority on the political agenda.

The OSH information network was instrumental in promoting the World Day of Safety and Health at Work on the 28 April 2003. The joint effort of ILO Moscow, Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Trade Unions and several OSH institutions in Russia produced hundreds of different events - seminars, exhibitions, conferences, book publications, work place meetings to commemorate workers killed in occupational accidents and to promote safety culture at work. Most of the other CIS countries organised their own activities in relation to the Day. At the ILO Moscow bi-lingual web site www.ilo.ru you can find related ILO fact sheets, statistics, articles and interviews devoted to the Day as well as a list of selected activities that took place.

Within the last 12 months several other major milestones can be mentioned

July 2002
Mr Juan Somavia, Director-General, ILO was promoted to Honorary Doctor in occupational safety and health in the Moscow State Social University
Sept-Nov 2002
Preparation of a Russian Encyclopaedia on OSH starts
November 2002
Int'l Congress "Safety and labour protection 2002" including an OSH exhibition
November 2002
Ist Congress "Profession and Health", Moscow
December 2002
Duma hearing on legislative means to improve working conditions
April 2003
World Day on Safety Culture at Work, all CIS countries
May 2003
III All-Russian Conference on OSH 2003, Moscow

The decision of the Russian Ministry to establish the official OSH information system RISOT on the Internet was innovative and farsighted - very much ahead of conventional thinking. Russia is now building a comprehensive electronic network comprising information on organisations and contacts, legislation and regulations, several databases, regional information, statistics, etc. The broad information base and the official status of RISOT is attracting more and more organisations and experts to both utilise and contribute to the information system.

The Russian Internet Academy of Safework and the Russian information system on occupational safety and health RISOT are truly contributing to the sharing of information for improved working conditions.

Wiking Husberg, Senior OSH specialist, ILO Moscow office

ILO Moscow OSH publications 2000-2002

1. The 4-th edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Safety and Health

2. "Ergonomic checkpoints" (Manual)

3. The role of labour inspections in the transitional economies

4. ILO Codes of practice (1,000 ex.):

In print:

5. ILO and other international publication on Economics and OSH

  1. Dorman P. Three Preliminary Papers on the Economics of Occupational Safety and Health, Geneva, April 2000
    • The Cost of Accidents and Diseases
    • The Role of Economic Incentives for Occupational Safety and Health
    • Investments in Occupational Safety and Health
  2. Dorman P. The Economics of Safety, Health and Well-Being at Work: An Overview, Geneva, May 2000
  3. Economic Instruments for Sustainable Development (summary)
  4. Economics of the Working Environment (the results of the Project on Working Environment Economics in Finland; 1997)
  5. The TYTA Model. Implement for Evaluating the Company's Working Environment Costs, International Publications 1999
  6. Finnish datasheets on economics and OSH
    • Costs of an occupational accident
    • Costs of an day of absence due to occupational accident or disease
    • Poor housekeeping in the warehouse and backroom of a shop
    • Improving the order and housekeeping of a production line
  7. The Economic Viewpoint in Occupational Safety and Health Supervision, International Publications 1999

6. Three CD-ROMs published

7. Articles in newspapers, magazines, Internet pages

You may also find this and other information related to OSH issues on the Russian OSH homepage: www.vcot.ru | www.cotspb.ru |  www.safework.ru

This article is reproduced with the kind permission of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and was first published in the Barents Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety 2003; 6(2):47-9'.

See www.ttl.fi/BarentsNewsletter

You may be interested in looking for other articles in the Barents Newsletters

News from Ireland

HSR Conference May 2004

Venue: Lynchs Green Isle Hotel, Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

From mid-2004 onwards health and safety managers will have to adapt to a new legal world. By mid-year the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) will be established and processing claims for compensation for work-related injuries and illnesses. Before the year has passed the new Civil Liability and Courts Bill will have become law. While the Bill will require claimants to notify companies of claims within two months of suffering an accident or contracting an illness, issue proceedings within one year of the event and to swear verifying affidavits, it will also require companies to respond with speed to claims.

This will impact on health and safety managers who have to advise companies on the facts about claims, on which claims to defend and on how claims might be defended. Working in effect as litigation managers, health and safety managers may have to swear affidavits verifying the honesty of the company's defence. Companies will have to make decisions on whether to let claims proceed through the PIAB route or to defend claims and go straight to court. And when going to court, companies will have to consider mediation as part of the court process. Many companies may, as an alternative, want to adopt their own mediation scheme.

At this year's Health & Safety Review Annual Conference, a panel of experienced practitioners from the world of law, risk management and claims management will look at the challenges posed by the new legal world, so that health and safety managers and organisations will be well informed on how to manage claims in the PIAB era.

But however important it is to manage litigation well, health and safety is above all about prevention. It is about preventing injuries caused by poor design and illnesses caused by failure to be conscious of health risks, by activities such as smoking. This year's panel of speakers is completed by an experienced ergonomist and a seasoned occupational physician, who will address the ergonomic and health issues affecting workplaces.

You can download a copy of the conference brochure from the PDF section of www.healthandsafetyreview.ie just click the link entitled 'HSR Conference 2004'.

Should you have any queries, or would like to book your place now, please call Deborah on +353 1 497 2711.

EU anti-smoking campaign hits the road again

To coincide with the UK's "No Smoking Day" on 10 March, London was chosen as the starting point for this year's pan-European anti-smoking campaign - "Feel free to say no". The campaign, to help combat smoking among young people, forms part of the Commission's broader tobacco control strategy, targeting 36.2 million young people between 12 and 18 years across the EU, with some 13 million smokers in the UK.

A huge campaign truck forms the centrepiece of the road show that contains a stage for a variety of events including live acts by pop bands.

With an annual budget of €6 million, further campaign activities for the year include a school competition and new television and print adverts in the youth media.

Health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne said: "We expect that this year's road show will bring over one million young people into direct contact with 'Feel free to say no'. It is well known that eight out of ten smokers start when they are between 12 and 18 years old. Once they are hooked by the nicotine, these people no longer have a real choice. That's why we want young people to feel free to say no to tobacco while they still have the choice."

www.feel-free.info

UK HSE working with NHS to reduce risk to staff and patients

Responding to the findings of the staff survey published by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), Chris Taylor, Head of the Health Services Unit at the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: "The findings about the risks faced by NHS staff are useful and confirm what we already know. Stress, manual handling, and violence, for example, are a significant problem for staff and the illness and disruption they cause place a major burden on the delivery of health services.

HSE are working with health services to improve working conditions for NHS staff and at the same time improve the service to patients. Health Service are a priority for HSE and our inspections of NHS trusts are already focusing on the major risks highlighted by the CHI survey.

They are also working with the Department of Health, the main NHS agencies and staff organisations to provide the tools for improving health and safety. Initiatives include:

The CHI report illustrates why sensible health and safety needs to be an integral part of any efficient organisation. NHS trusts and their managers should take an active role in the health and safety of their staff, to ensure the delivery of top quality care to patients.

Kyoto Protocol

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol provide the only international framework for combating climate change. The UNFCCC, the first international measure to address the problem, was adopted in May 1992 and came into force in March 1994. It obliges all its signatories to establish national programmes for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to submit regular reports, and demands that the industrialised signatory countries, as opposed to developing countries, stabilise their greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000.

This goal, however, is non-binding. By differentiating between industrialised and developing countries, the UNFCCC recognises that industrialised countries are responsible for most of the global greenhouse gas emissions and also have the institutional and financial capacities for reducing them. On 11 December 1997, governments took a further step towards stopping the global increase in greenhouse gas emissions and adopted a protocol to the UNFCCC in the Japanese town of Kyoto. Building on the UNFCCC framework, the Kyoto Protocol sets legally binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions in industrialised countries and envisages innovative market-based implementation mechanisms aimed at keeping the cost of curbing emissions low. Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialised countries are required to reduce the emissions of six greenhouse gases (CO2, which is the most important one, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride) on average by 5.2 % below the 1990 levels during the first "commitment period" from 2008 to 2012. There are no emission targets for developing countries. International negotiations on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol after 2012 are to start in 2005. After the United States (responsible for 36.1% of the global 1990 CO2 emissions) withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol in early 2001, Russia (responsible for 17.4% of the global 1990 CO2 emissions) now holds the key for the Protocol's entry into force. It has announced that it will ratify soon.

Europe needs to make better use of its older workers

A Commission policy document just released examines how the European Union can make better use of the potential of its older workers. The concept of active ageing is a key component of achieving the European Union's stated goal of more and better jobs by 2010.

Targets have been agreed to increase the employment of older workers on the labour market, but progress has been slow. The Commission highlights early retirement schemes as a particular cause for concern. "Europe's older workers have much to offer, and we need to ensure that they are given the maximum support to remain in the labour market," said Margot Wallström, acting Commissioner for employment and social affairs. Increased life expectancy means that people have greater opportunities to fulfil their potential over a longer life-span. However, their employment will be a key factor in maintaining living standards.

Quality of life, a key priority across the enlarged European Union

Although differences in living conditions are considerable, values and priorities determining quality of life across Europe are not very different. This is the main conclusion from a joint report on living conditions and quality of life by the European Commission and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Condition.

Having a good job is ranked as the highest factor for a good life across Europe, and the fight against unemployment is universally perceived to be one of the most important means of improving the economic and social conditions of family life. Margot Wallström, acting Commissioner for employment and social affairs commented: "With this report, we have for the first time an analysis of social conditions across all current and future member states, plus candidate countries. It provides an interesting picture of 'social Europe' on the eve of enlargement."

The European Foundation has launched its initiative to monitor and report on living conditions and quality of life in Europe. In preparation for the findings of its 28-country survey, the Foundation will publish seven reports based on several Eurobarometer surveys on quality of life in the EU and in the acceding and candidate countries. The illustrative report is available online at www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/qualityoflife

International Women's Day: 2004 offers many opportunities to promote the role of women in Europe

To celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March 2004, the Commission is following the practice adopted over the last four years and organised a Conference which will explore the place of women in politics and EU Institutions.

This is especially relevant this year which includes an unprecedented enlargement of the Union and Parliamentary elections across Europe. President Prodi and Commissioner Wallström will open the Conference. Welcoming the events organised Vice-President for administrative reform Neil Kinnock said: "International Women's Day is a time to focus on the needs, opportunities, accomplishments and potential of women the majority of people in the World and in our continent and to renew commitment to the advance in equity that still needs to be achieved."

Positive Action Against Stress - Meeting the Everyday Challenge!

In anticipation of the introduction of the new management standards on stress due to be published in the UK in 2004, by Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Carole Spiers Group (CSG) has already been approached by many organisations to provide them with information that they can give to their employees, to increase their awareness and understanding of the nature of stress and its management.

CSG have therefore produced a new 16 page illustrated booklet, "Positive Action Against Stress - Meeting the Everyday Challenge". As well as providing an introduction to stress and how to recognise its telltale signs and identify its causes; the booklet also includes ten proven strategies to help individuals manage their stress levels.

It may be, for example, that you are:

This illustrated booklet has been written in an easily understandable and reader-friendly style, and gives practical advice to anyone who needs help with reducing their stress levels.

It can either be bought off the shelf or jointly branded with your organisation's details (and customised cartoons if required) - enabling you to use it, for example, for induction packs, company promotions, trade fairs, health promotion activities, an in-house library, seminars, forums, or as support information following a training course or the implementation of a corporate stress policy.

To order copies or for more information contact: Carole Spiers Group, 83-85 Gordon Ave, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK | Tel: +44 (0)20 8954 1593 |  Email: info@carolespiersgroup.com | www.carolespiersgroup.com

March 24th was World TB Day

"Every breath counts - stop TB now!" wass the theme for World Tuberculosis Day 2004. The day will coincide with the opening of the second Stop TB Partners Forum, to be held in India, the country with the world's highest TB burden.

The Stop TB Partnership Secretariat was pleased to announce World TB Day 2004 and the Second Stop TB Partners Forum, which was held 24-26 March 2004 in New Delhi, India. The event convened ministerial delegations of the 22 highest tuberculosis burden countries, as well as high-level political invitees from the G-8 countries, and all Stop TB partners. The meeting highlight ed progress at country level and the importance of private and civil sector involvement.

www.stoptb.org

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a plan to expand collaboration between national tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS programmes to curb the growing pandemic of TB/HIV co-infection, with a principal focus on Africa where 70% of the world's 14 million people who are co-infected live.

The new policy guidelines define activities necessary to address the dual epidemic of TB and HIV and gives clear guidance for countries on the circumstances under which these effective activities need to be carried out. It will give critical support for '3 by 5', the WHO plan to provide antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to three million people living with AIDS by the end of 2005.

"TB/HIV is a deadly combination and needs to be tackled with an approach treating the whole person," said Dr. LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of the World Health Organization. "With effective treatment, TB can be cured, HIV managed, and the health of millions of people preserved."

A key element will be to rapidly expand voluntary HIV testing and counselling in TB programmes, with the aim of identifying and referring more than half a million TB patients who are HIV positive for ARV treatment in the next two years. With additional training for health workers, TB programmes will also assist in HIV prevention, ARV distribution and patient care.

At the same time, TB case-finding will be intensified in high HIV prevalence settings by introducing screening and testing for tuberculosis into HIV/AIDS service delivery points. In Africa, up to half of all people with HIV/AIDS develop TB, and up to 80% of tuberculosis patients are HIV infected.

By routinely screening and testing people with HIV/AIDS for TB, co-infected cases, without TB disease, can be treated with prophylactic drugs that prevent development of active tuberculosis, and cured if they already have it. This will prolong the lives of people with HIV/AIDS until they can benefit from the expanded availability of ARVs in the coming years.

UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr. Peter Piot, said: "TB is perhaps the greatest and most deadly opportunistic infection associated with AIDS. By tackling TB and HIV together, we can have a significant impact on improving the quality of life of people infected with HIV, while also controlling TB and preventing new infections."

The vast majority of HIV-infected people do not know their HIV status and seek health care from general service providers. HIV testing and counselling for TB patients using rapid tests offers an entry point for a continuum of prevention, care, support and treatment for HIV/AIDS as well as for tuberculosis.

"Evidence has shown that the uptake of HIV testing by TB patients is high, so mainstreaming HIV testing and counselling into TB programmes will identify many more candidates for ARV treatment," said Dr. Mario Raviglione, the Director of WHO's Stop TB Department. "We also know that ARVs reduce the development of TB in people with HIV, in some cases by up to 80%. So promoting and expanding a collaborative approach makes perfect sense."

The launch of the "Interim Policy on Collaborative TB/HIV Activities" guidelines coincides with the fourth round call for proposals by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The deadline for submissions is April 2004. The interim policy will enhance proposals which address the dual epidemic of TB and HIV. Already, the Global Fund has committed US$ 2.1 billion over two years to programmes in 120 countries.

Taken together, the two epidemics represent a massive challenge to public health. Forty million people are currently infected with HIV, and 5 million more are infected every year. According to WHO, one third of the world's population is now infected with the TB bacillus, with more than 8 million people developing the active disease and 2 million dying of it each year.

For further information contact:

All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on this subject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO home page: www.who.int

Selling death Global Asbestos plc - it lies, it kills, it robs the dead

It blocked a deal that would have made it more difficult to unload asbestos on the developing world. It bought scientists and column inches in national papers. And it is killing hundreds of thousands each year. Hazards Magazine exposes the global asbestos industry's desperate battle for survival - at any price.

New reports reveal how the global asbestos industry has manoeuvred to rob asbestos disease victims of compensation, has lied about the financial impact of compensation claims on its profits and has used a dirty tricks campaign to push its deadly product.

Special online feature, Hazards magazine, 7 March 2004: www.hazards.org/asbestos

Japan joins European Network

European Agency and the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association agree to join forces to improve safety and health at work. Japan's participation is an important step in establishing a global Internet portal for occupational safety and health (OSH) information.

The Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA) is set to become the latest member of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work's online information network http://osha.europa.eu.

The Agency's unique network of websites provides access to global information on legislation and regulations, good safety and health practice, research, statistics, training and other fields. It has grown rapidly since its launch in 1998 to become the world's largest online repository of validated and up-to-date safety and health information. As the latest partner in the Agency's network, the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association will join forces with some of the biggest names in workplace safety and health information. Network partners already include the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organisation and the Organization for American States, as well as specialist safety and health institutions in more than 30 European countries, Australia, Canada, Brazil and the United States.

Commenting on the arrangement, the Director of the European Agency, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, said: "I'm especially pleased to welcome JISHA as our first Asian network partner. Workplace safety and health is a matter of global concern and geographical barriers should not stand in the way of the flow of information that can raise safety and health standards in workplaces across the world. Through this cooperation arrangement, businesses, workers and experts in Europe and Japan will be better informed in the future about regulatory demands, new research findings and good practices. And therefore be in a better position to meet the safety and health challenges of globalisation."

The Japanese website is expected to go online before the summer of 2004.

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

Health and Safety experts call for smoking ban to protect hospitality workers

New Croner Survey Finds 84 Percent in favour of a smoke-free pubs and restaurants. Britain's hospitality workers should be legally protected from having to work in smoky environments which could cause long-term damage to their health.

That's the conclusion of new research carried out amongst almost 350 health and safety experts by Croner, the UK's leading provider of business information, advice and support.

Eighty-four per cent of respondents to the survey, which was carried out via Croner's web-centre, said they believed that smoking should be banned in pubs, cafes, bars, restaurants and similar places to protect the health of the people who work there.

The survey's findings come at a time when public demand is leading to a swift increase in the number of pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK which are either partially or completely smoke-free.

Both the Royal Colleges of Medicine and the TUC have called for new legislation to protect hospitality workers from the effects of workplace smoke. And a new study from the Sydney Public Health Unit in Australia reported that non-smoking areas in bars do not protect staff and customers from the effects of smoke in other parts of the premises.

On the other side of the argument, some parts of the hospitality industry have expressed concern over the massive commercial damage that a blanket ban on smoking in hospitality venues would have on the trade. The tobacco industry also disputes the scientific evidence behind claims that passive smoking is harmful.

Katherine Hunter, health and safety expert at Croner, which is part of Wolters Kluwer UK, believes that employers need to be thinking now about how they protect their staff, regardless of any future legislation.

She says: "Non-smoking areas, hi-tech ventilation systems and even complete bans on smoking have been introduced in different venues in recent years, but our survey result would seem to suggest that the health and safety profession doesn't think these measures go far enough.

"There is obviously a difficult balance for the hospitality industry to strike between ensuring they offer the range of facilities that will lead to customers coming through their door and ensuring that they meet the 'duty of care' that they have to their employees.

"As more and more has come to be understood about the health dangers of passive smoking, and other parts of the world have banned smoking in public places, the issue of hospitality workers' health and safety has come further into the spotlight."

Katherine believes employers in the hospitality industry need to proactively take steps to ensure they are meeting their statutory duty to provide a 'safe place of work.'

She continues: "Under the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992, all employers have to take 'adequate measures' to ensure 'effective and suitable provision' of 'fresh or purified air' within the workplace. We would recommend that hospitality sector employers carry out effective risk assessments of their premises and undertake whatever 'reasonable' measures are necessary to meet their workplace responsibilities."

"No case law currently exists around this issue, but with countries like Ireland now deciding to ban smoking in all enclosed workplaces, the likelihood is some will eventually emerge here. Employers should therefore be acting now to pre-empt future problems."

NEW standards BS EN ISO 14698 Parts 1 & 2
Guidance on biocontamination control

Hygiene has become increasingly important in modern society. So that manufacturers can create safe and stable products, it is essential that they use hygiene or biocontamination control. Now that the use of anti-microbial agents has been reduced or forbidden, organizations need to increase their biocontamination control measures.

BSI Business Information has recently published BS EN ISO 14698 Cleanrooms & associated controlled environments - Biocontamination control, the first general international standard for biocontamination control, which comes in two parts:

Part 1 - General principles and methods provides the basic principles of biocontamination control and testing; establishing and verifying the formal system; expressing, interpreting and reporting results; training and documentation. It also gives information to help you to:

Part 2 - Evaluation and interpretation of biocontamination data presents a framework for the evaluation of microbiological data and the estimation of results obtained from particle samples taken in risk zones - using the principles and methods given in Part 1 of this standard.

Contact: Santa Marku, Senior Marketing Manager, BSI Business Information | 020 8996 7983 | Santa.Marku@bsi-global.com

To order any of BSI products contact BSI Customer Services | Tel: +44 (0) 20 8996 9001 | Fax: +44 (0) 20 8996 7001 | Email: orders@bsi-global.com

BSI Business Information, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL | Tel: +44 (0) 20 8996 9000 | Fax: +44 (0) 20 8996 7400 | www.bsi-global.com

Innovation from JSP at the mega UK SAFETY & HEALTH EXPO 2004

11-15 May 2004 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham UK

JSP are pleased to be exhibiting again at the UK's leading Safety Exhibition at the NEC and are taking the opportunity to show new product ranges on Stand No. B50, Hall 9. These products include items separately listed below.

New Mark VI/VII Safety Helmet

JSP are pleased to launch the long awaited arrival of the Mark VI/VII Safety Helmet, the most feature rich safety helmet and safety attachment system in the marketplace yet. The product includes the integral dropdown Sureslide® visor, ventilation in the crown of the helmet and the superbly engineered new EasyJust® harness system which gives the end user new levels of comfort in a safety helmet. The Surefit™ Ear Defender and Visor Attachment system has been specifically designed for this helmet and features spring-loaded standoff positions during downtime for added ease of use. The product also has some innovative features such as a penholder and a namecard holder. Other products include:

New Classic GP and Classic Extreme Ear Defenders

New Powercap Lite

2004 - Safety & Health Expo....The Total Exhibition Solution for the Safety and Health Industry, 11-13 May 2004, NEC, Birmingham, UK.
JSP Stand No. B50, Hall 9 | www.safety-health-expo.co.uk

Big Brother bosses are bad for business and health

'Stop snooping', a report in the latest edition of the TUC backed Hazards magazine just published says that new technologies and the lack of privacy rights at work mean bosses can monitor employees constantly and secretly, which is bad for their productivity and health.

'Stop snooping' reports companies in the UK and abroad eavesdropping telephone calls, measuring toilet breaks, monitoring emails, internet use and computer work and using CCTV, hidden cameras, smart cards and tracking devices to keep an eye on other work activities.

Further, the largely unregulated rise in drug, alcohol and health testing of employees, and the real threat of genetic screening being used to 'weed-out' unsuitable staff or applicants, has led the Information Commissioner to propose a Code to protect the privacy of information about workers' health. The TUC is today (Thursday) also publishing its response to the Code, which it welcomes but wants to see toughened-up.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said:

"Big Brother bosses do not get the best out of employees. Staff who are being snooped on are less productive and less healthy.

"There has been an unregulated boom in the intrusive and ineffective drug, drink and health testing of employees. The positive step to tackle this needs to be toughened up to make sure tests are only used when absolutely necessary."

Hazards Editor, Rory O'Neil, said:

"Snooping isn't just taking liberties, it's pure folly. Productivity goes down, accidents, ill-health and sick leave go up and the workforce feel more like felons than valued employees.

"If employers want to know what their staff are doing they should ask them. Consultation and participation are not dirty words, they are the key to a productive workplace."

'Stop snooping' draws on a US study showing that monitored workers suffered more work dissatisfaction, depression, extreme anxiety, exhaustion, strain injuries and neck problems than unmonitored workers. It also includes research showing that a lack of autonomy at work is a major cause of work-related stress and strains, heart diseases and sickness.

Examples of Big Brother bosses in 'Stop snooping'

A social worker received more than £200,000 in compensation after enduring a vicious assault by a client "which could have been avoided". The victim's union, UNISON, condemned Swansea City and County Council after the worker, who was not able to work again, and her family were videotaped by private detectives checking out her injuries.

At Guys Hospital the local trade union officials discovered hidden cameras in the staff locker room and post room. The management claimed that the police had advised them to install cameras to investigate alleged mail tampering. However the police denied giving any such advice and the cameras were removed.

In another case, unions found that cameras had been installed in a locker room used by female staff to change. The employer, Securicor said the cameras had been installed in the wrong room.

For more on drink, drug, genetic testing visit: www.hazards.org/testingtimes

TUC recommendations to toughen up the Code covering drug, drink, medical and genetic testing (Employment Practices Data Protection Code (part 4)):

The full 'Stop snooping' report is available at: www.hazards.org/privacy

Advice for employees on workplace monitoring and surveillance is available at: www.workSMART.org.uk

Ireland's Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) has now published Guidance for Employers on the enclosed workplaces smoking ban legislation

The guidance document gives the background to the legislation and sets out what will, when the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2003 becomes law, become section 47 of the Public Health Tobacco Acts 2002-2004. This section bans smoking in enclosed workplaces, with limited exceptions. As reported in HSR March 2004 the ban will apply to:

The ban will not apply to:

The OTC advises employers to have a written Workplace Smoke-Free policy. The guidance document states that employers are required to make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance and lists what the OTC regards as reasonable minimum efforts:

  1. having a smoke-free workplace policy
  2. displaying no smoking signs
  3. removing ashtrays and providing stubbing out bins at entrances.

No smoking signs should be displayed conspicuously.

A person convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of up to €3,000.

The OTC has also published guidelines for the licensed trade. Both sets of guidelines can be found on the OTC's web site www.otc.ie - look under the heading Current Features, see March 3rd reference to guidelines and click to view.

HSA answers

The Health and Safety Authority (HAS) has this week published on its web site Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the smoking ban. This is a most useful publication and can be accessed on the Authority's web site www.hsa.ie. Click on What's New and scroll down to click on the document. The answers deal with questions such as smoking in car parks and company cars, as well as the issue of smoking shelters, termed in the answers outdoor smoking facilities. It also deals with the issue of breaks.

Herbert Mulligan, Editor, Health & Safety Review | www.healthandsafetyreview.ie

Clinical trials partnership to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB

European research Commissioner Philippe Busquin was in Dakar recently o launch the operational phase of the €600 million (£411m) "European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership" (EDCTP - www.edctp.org).

The programme focuses on the three major poverty-related killer diseases of sub-Saharan Africa: AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Since 95% of deaths from these diseases are in the developing world, and 90% of these deaths in Africa, the clinical trials programme is initially targeting this continent as its top priority. The European Union is funding clinical trials and fostering clinical research in developing countries, with €200 million (£137m).

A further €200 million will come from EU member states, and another €200 million will be funded by other international donors and industry. On top of this, the EU is also devoting €200 million to basic (pre-clinical) research in this field. Commissioner Busquin commented: "Research into treatments for diseases does not just mean working in laboratories; it also means working with the sick and infected in their own communities. This is one of the biggest international R&D efforts against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis ever. African and European countries must unite in their efforts to share expertise and build genuine political consensus, driving forward long-term policies and programmes to tackle HIV/AIDS and other poverty-related diseases." The EDCTP programme brings together EU member states plus Norway, African countries, international donors and the pharmaceutical industry in a joint effort to combat these three poverty-linked diseases by facilitating and accelerating phase II phase III clinical trials for new drugs and vaccines.

New NIOSH initiative, Steps to a Healthier US Workforce

This is US NIOSH effort to engage all who share the common goals of protecting and improving the health of people who work. It seeks to stimulate innovative approaches to integrate health protection at work with reduction of risk from non-work health threats.

The protection, preservation, and improvement of the health of people who work are goals shared by workers, their families, and their employers. Whether or not an illness or injury is caused by work, the consequences are often the same: suffering, loss of income, increased health care expenditures, reduced quality of life, and limited opportunities, both for the directly affected individuals and for those dependent on them.

Despite the common consequences of health problems resulting from hazards and risks on and off the job, there has been a longstanding separation between efforts to control health risks and hazards from work and those focused on individual and community health risk reduction outside the workplace. The Steps to a HealthierUS Workforce initiative attempts to bridge that gulf—to enlist the knowledge, commitment and experience of members of both the occupational health protection community and the health promotion community toward a common goal. Frequently common debilitating diseases such as COPD, heart disease, depression and lung cancer can be caused or made worse by multiple risk factors on and off the job, singly or in combination. An integrated, comprehensive approach to identifying and reducing the contributors to disease, disability, and death in people who work may prove more effective than the current fragmented strategies.

To explore the value and potential limitations of the initiative, NIOSH hosted a planning meeting in December 2003. Participants from labor, industry, professional associations, government agencies, and academia engaged in a day of lively dialogue. Breakout groups considered the potential benefits and limitations of the initiative, identified the broad and diverse group of stakeholders with an interest in this area, and developed a framework for a major national symposium to launch the initiative. This Symposium is scheduled for October 26-28, 2004, in Washington, DC. For up-to-date information on the Steps initiative planning meeting and the upcoming symposium, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/worklife/steps

This new initiative stems from the larger U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative, Steps to a HealthierUS, which aims to promote behaviors, actions, and programs to help Americans live longer, healthier, and more satisfying lives.

New NIOSH Strategic Plan launched

To better meet the needs of the changing American Workforce, NIOSH is currently developing its Fiscal Year 2004 - 2009 Strategic Plan. This new plan will serve as a strategic framework for the Institute over the next six years by establishing relevant, cross-cutting Institute-wide goals and measures that support NIOSH's vision and mission. As the government's primary scientific organization that focuses on occupational safety and health, NIOSH succeeds in reaching its goal of reducing workplace injury, illness, and death only through the efforts of its partners. Throughout this strategic planning process, NIOSH encourages its stakeholders to actively participate in influencing the future strategic directions of the Institute by providing commentary and feedback on the current draft strategic plan. The current FY 2004 - 2009 draft strategic plan outline can be viewed at www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/strategic. NIOSH welcomes your comments and your continued support of the Institute. Comments can be sent to nioshstratplan@cdc.gov.

News from France

Tanked up and safe thanks to Truchot Laurens' PEC50 sampler

Truchot Laurens, the French-based industrial valves specialist, has developed a new concept in safety sampling for road tankers. The PEC 50, an innovative retractable system, can be fitted onto the draw-off hook-up on the lower part of the tank. The capacitive ball valve enables a representative sample of the product (50 ml) to be drawn off. The product is never in contact with the ambient air during the sampling operation. This feature offers clear advantages in ensuring the safety of personnel. The PEC 50 also ensures site safety and safeguards the environment. Besides, as all the liquid stays in the sampling valve, there is no risk of leaks. .

Due to safety and quality requirements set by organizations that use chemical substances, samples must be taken upon product delivery to ensure compliance with specifications. In most cases, samples are taken via a hatch near the top of the tank. This method presents several disadvantages. First of all, the sample obtained is not representative of the product. Secondly, the operation is potentially dangerous for the person taking the sample (usually the driver). It also presents hazards related to possible falls, or to the splattering of harmful chemical products, among other factors.

The PEC 50 operates with dead man's safety protection. Leaks are prevented even in mid-position. The system is hooked up to the tank via a standard, 80-diameter fire-hose-type fitting. It may be hooked up to all types of tanks and is used instead of the draw-off hose. The intermediate swing, joint hook-up enables the equipment to be positioned vertically, where it is held in place using a hand-wheel system. A handle makes the device easy to transport and it weighs less than 10 kilograms.

Truchot Laurens designs and manufactures industrial specialty valves and related equipment, and is a leader in its field. The company is located in South-Eastern France, near the city of Lyons. For more information about the company, go to: www.truchot.fr

3 clicks to the information? Clicking and getting no-where? Want to keep up-to-date?

Do what many people around the world are doing and check out......... the fast growing.......
www.oshworld.com
Your portal to occupational safety, health, fire, chemical, environment information.
More links and information added on a regular basis.

Price of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety cut in half!

The ILO's Bureau of Publications has started the New Year off right by cutting the price of the Encyclopaedia (both English and French) in half. Visitors to their Web site www.ilo.org/global/publications will find that it is now $250, Sw.Fr.275, £150 or 175Euros - ISBN 92 2 109203 9 and the single-user CD-ROM ISBN 92-2-109818-4 is just £105.

The 4th and final volume of the French version of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety arrived in Geneva from the printer on Friday Jan. 23rd 2004

Full details on www.ilo.org/safework/info/databases/lang--en/WCMS_113329/index.htm

Contact: Nick Evans, Head of Publications, ILO-London, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7828 6401 Ext 203 | Fax: +44 (0) 20 7233 5925 | Mobile: 07793 559992 | Website: www.ilo.org/public/english/region/eurpro/london_r

OSHFE web sites to explore

New Website for Laser Users

Laser marking, engraving, welding and cutting systems, are now used throughout industry, education establishments and in research facilities to process a wide and varied range of materials.

Most of these lasers burn away layers of the material to make a cut or mark, this causes the emission of hazardous toxicological particles and gas. Examples are Benzene and Toluene from certain plastics and Chromium and Nickel from metals. Virtually all materials when processed will emit some fumes that are hazardous to the health of the operator; even seemingly harmless materials such as cardboard and paper labels can produce respirable dust and formaldehyde. Increasingly stringent environmental legislation deems that exhausting hazardous fumes outside into the atmosphere is becoming a restricted option, so the alternative is a filtration system.

It is imperative to ensure the laser operator is not exposed to hazardous fumes from the process and so only the correct type of fume extraction system should be installed. Any system should take into account factors such as the laser make and model, the airflow required, the volume of hazardous material produced, the fume composition and many other factors.

To help the laser operator and their employers, Purex International has developed a new website containing process survey forms that the laser operator can use to fill in their process detail and find out which extraction system is required. There are separate forms for laser marking, engraving, welding and cutting applications as well as resources such as links to Health and Safety information and other laser related sites.

To make sure your lungs aren't the first filter that laser fume meets, visit www.laserfume.com

Contact: Marketing Manager, Purex International
USA: Purex Americas, 1024 S. Arlington Street, Akron, Ohio 44306, USA | Tel: 330-786-9030 | Fax: 330-724-2202 | Efax: 253-663-0316 | Cell: 330-352-4210
UK: Purex International, Purex House, Farfield Park, Manvers, Rotherham, S63 5DB | Tel: +44 (0)1709 763000 | Fax: +44 (0)1709 763001 | Email: purex@purexltd.co.uk

EUCOMED links for the elimination of sharps' injuries

Eucomed is the European Medical Technology Industry association, and one of the areas which they are currently active in is the elimination of sharps' injuries. The links refer to the various activities which Eucomed have embarked on over the last few years:

Manifesto calling for EU action: www.eucomed.be/?x=4&y=46&z=118&id=491

Position paper: www.eucomed.be/?x=13&y=29&z=58&id=417

Seminar held at the European Parliament: www.eucomed.be/?x=2&y=50&z=227

Section dedicated to sharps' injuries: www.eucomed.be/?x=4&y=46&z=118

Section dedicated to safety issues: www.eucomed.be/?x=4&y=46

Jessica Johnson, Communications Assistant, Eucomed, 14 Place St Lambert, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels, Belgium | tel: 32(0) 2775 9239 | fax: 32(0) 2771 3909 | www.eucomed.org

CHINA

China Coal Information Institute (CCII)   CHINA
www.coalinfo.net.cn
China Coal Information Institute (CCII) site a range of coal mining safety and health information, including research, coal book and audio-video publishing, coal economic policy, science and technology, market and price, trade and statistics. Also has details of China coal industry, China coal journal, China coal news, China coal law and China safety production law..

BELGIUM

International Council of Chemical Associations   BELGIUM
www.icca-chem.org/en/Home/ICCA-initiatives/Long-range-research-initiative-LRI
The International Council of Chemical Associations, ICCA LRI website has now integrated the three 'regional' components of the ICCA - LRI programme: European Chemical industry Council, Cefic, Japanese Chemical Industry Association and American Chemistry Council. A new search capability has been added enabling searching across all three regional websites to deliver a 'one stop shop' for information on LRI research activities worldwide. Entering a topic and/or chemical of interest will result in a list of links to all available relevant LRI research information.

Diary of Events

The events listed may serve also to inspire similar ones to be organised in your country.

October 2004 is Health and safety month for Europe - with 25 Member States organizing their own special events.........

October 2004 - NISO Annual Conference
Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, Ireland
Contact: National Irish Safety Organisation, Ireland | Tel: +353 (0) 1 465 9760 | Email: bookings@niso.ie | www.niso.ie

13-16 October 2004 - Arbeitsshutz aktuell 2004
Weisbaden, Germany
Contact: Hinte GmbH, Germany | Tel: +49 721 931 33 730 | Fax: +49 721 931 33 810 | www.arbeitsschutz-aktuell.de

18-22 October 2004 - The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health: Part 1
Marriott Goodwood Park Hotel and Country Club, Goodwood, Chichester, UK
Contact: Customer Services, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9602 | Fax:+ 44 (0)20 7259 0283 | Email: services@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

19-20 October 2004 - Firex North 2004
International Centre, Harrogate, UK
Contact: Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) | Tel: +44 (0) 1252 739 142 | www.asfp.org.uk

27-29 October 2004 - 63rd National Industrial Safety and Health Convention
Osaka, Japan
Contact: Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, 5035-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1080014 Japan | Tel/Fax: +81 3 3454 4596 | Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp | www.jisha.or.jp

7-11 November 2004 - Occupational Skin and Airway Allergies - Exposure, Risk Assessment and Prevention: 4th International course
Hotel Frederiksdal, Lyngby, Denmark
Contact: Gunilla Rasi, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FIN-00250 Helsinki, FINLAND | Tel: +358 9 4747 2498 | Fax: +358 9 4747 2497 | Email: gunilla.rasi@ttl.fi | www.niva.org

9 November 2004 - Waste Management: law and practice
Hilton London Olympia Hotel, 380 Kensington High Street, London, UK
Contact: Customer Services, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9602 | Fax:+ 44 (0)20 7259 0283 | Email: services@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

9 November 2004 - Food Safety in Europe 2004
Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London
Contact: Mary Meadows, Office and Logistics Manager, European Occupational Health and Safety Magazine (EurOhs), Angel Business Communications Ltd | 34 Warwick Road, Kenilworth CV8 1HE, Warwickshire, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1926 512424 | Fax: + 44 (0)1926 512948 | Email: mary@angelbc.co.uk | www.fse2004.com

10 - 11 November 2004 - EurOhse2004
Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London
Contact: Mary Meadows, Office and Logistics Manager, European Occupational Health and Safety Magazine (EurOhs), Angel Business Communications Ltd | 34 Warwick Road, Kenilworth CV8 1HE, Warwickshire, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1926 512424 | Fax: + 44 (0)1926 512948 | Email: mary@angelbc.co.uk | www.eurohse2004.com

15-16 November 2004 - The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health: Part 3 and Examinations
Marriott Goodwood Park Hotel and Country Club, Goodwood, Chichester, UK
Contact: Customer Services, Croner Training, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK | Tel: +44 0845 120 9602 | Fax:+ 44 (0)20 7259 0283 | Email: services@cronertraining.co.uk | www.cronertraining.co.uk

30 November - 3 December 2004 - 6th International Congress on Work Injuries Prevention, Rehabilitation and Workers Compensation organised by the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, ILO, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Rome, Italy
Contact: WorkCongress6 Secretariat - INAIL - Directorate of Communication, Piazzale Giulio Pastore 6, I-00144 Rome RM, European Union | Tel: +39 (06) 5487 2115 / 5607 / 5608 | Fax: +39 (06) 5487 2019 | Email: secretariat@workcongress6.org | www.workcongress6.org

2005

19-22 April 2005 - 10th International Conference on Occupational Respiratory Diseases (ICORD) organised by the International labour Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in China
Beijing, China
Contact: Mr Wang Mushi, Secretariat, National Organizing Committee, 10th ICORD 1 Xizhimenwai Nanlu, Beijing 100044 P. R. China | Tel: 86 10 68792527, 68792531 | Fax: 86 10 68792528 | Email: executive@icord2005.com | www.icord2005.com

12 June 2005 - Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals - 2005
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Contact: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, USA | www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/OEESC2/conference_info.html