CIS Newsletter

No. 199
April 2006

CIS Newsletter celebrates 18 years & still going strong!
Bringing news to over 140 countries in the CIS Network!

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. FOCUS: 28 April 2006 World Day of Safety and Health at Work
  3. News from Geneva - CIS 2006 meeting dates
  4. News items from CIS HQ
  5. News from around the World - Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Europe, France, Poland, Russia, Spain, UK, USA and Zimbabwe
  6. OSHE websites
  7. Diary of Events
  8. News Briefs

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

Winter is now over so we advance to Springtime in the Northern Hemisphere (as regular readers will know this is my favourite season). Spring is the time to renew, refresh and revitalize so perhaps it is a time to re-assess what we are doing in this OSHE World of ours.

28 April 2006 is World Day of Health and Safety a very important date in our Health and Safety World and to help you get ready for it please see information below on how you can get free access for April to OSH UPDATE - arguably the biggest collection of health and safety information sources containing over 540,000 records and with many thousands of of these have direct links to the full text.

Perhaps some of you are planning conferences, training courses and seminars, or revamping your services. Or perhaps taking a radical look at how you get the OSH message out to the many new industries and also to new workers. If you have a winning formula perhaps you might like to share it with others - so do send some news - don't keep it to yourself. Remember that your News in the CIS Newsletter goes to over 140 countries and gets re-used in other magazines and websites. CIS Newsletters on the web are getting more and more used... With many hundreds of hits per month......Publicity means... tell them (would be customers as well as existing customers of your Information services), tell them and tell them again...

This April 2006 edition draws attention to a number of forthcoming events.. ... also get out your diaries and enter (if you have not already done so) the dates and location of this year's CIS Annual General Meeting...

Wednesday - Friday 13-15 September 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

...And now start to make your plans to be at this year's CIS Annual General Meeting. We should aim to move along in developing the FUTURE of the CIS Network. Your ideas are very much needed - and if for some reason you cannot attend the meeting - then write your ideas down and send them in for the discussions.

Already some ideas put forward last year are starting to take place.

Some of the results the Working Parties Papers that can be seen on the www.sheilapantry.com/cis. I urge you, however busy you are, to keep these Working Group Papers in focus. It is important that the CIS Network flourishes and enlarges! The Network's success is Your success.

So please make time to read the contents of this Newsletter. I know that everyone is very mega busy, short of time and finance of course - but hopefully you find the items in the CIS Newsletter are worth investing some time - if only to scan through the items and find out what is happening in this wider OSH world of ours.

Many thanks to you who have sent emails and news - these are always gratefully received and are used as soon as possible.

Publicity... tell them, tell them and tell them again...

There is no Press Release this month - we leave it to you to make up your own announcing your 28 April 2006 events. Send out your press release with your own contact details to organisations and individuals in your country and elsewhere to start and use this ever-increasing valuable source of information. Send out to all your contacts, journal editors, media, universities and, educators, trainers as well as businesses!

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.

  1. Do you find this newsletter of any use?
  2. Do you use any of the content?
  3. If not, why not?

Are you travelling to the CIS Meeting in SEPTEMBER 2006?
Could you please let CIS know email Gabor Sandi sandi@ilo.org Annick Virot virot@ilo.org and myself sp@sheilapantry.com with your ideas?

If you are planning any publications, conferences, seminars or training courses, then please send your details to me so that we can share your efforts with others. It is amazing how much the CIS Newsletter content gets re-used around the world. Take advantage of free publicity! Remember you can see CIS Newsletter on the web site www.sheilapantry.com/cis where back issues are stored.

Remember >>>>
Surviving in 2006... By promotion, publicity and telling the World that CIS and its network exists!

All good wishes to you, your families 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
www.oshupdate.com

FOCUS: 28 April 2006 - World Day for Safety and Health at Work

28 April 2006 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work and is a very important day and opportunity for organisations worldwide to promote this day in their own workplace and work towards raising higher standards of health and safety. Are you planning your special event in your workplace?

The theme for 2006 is Decent Work - Safe Work - HIV/AIDS at work.

Dr Jukka Takala says "The 2006 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is intended to focus international attention on promoting and creating a preventative safety and health culture at work and to help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries each year. This year, as in previous years, tripartite events will be taking place worldwide. You are invited to join us in promoting this important day in your own country"

In 2003, the ILO began to observe World Day stressing the prevention of illness and accidents at work, capitalizing on its traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue. 28 April is also a day the world's trade union movement has long associated with commemorating victims of occupational accidents and disease. Go to www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/worldday/oshlinks.htm for further sources and others organisations involved in occupational safety and health.

It is vital that as many people as possible to prepare for it wherever they are - so hopefully this timely reminder will give you chance to promote health and safety in your own workplace. If you are short of ideas then look at the Working Group Paper 1 to which many of the ILO CIS Health and Safety Information Centres network members contributed - see www.sheilapantry.com/cis/other/wp01.html. There are many ways that you can make an effort to raise awareness of good health and safety practices, e.g.

The ILO Report for World Day for Safety and Health at Work - Geneva, 2006

The ILO have brought out a report for the 2006 World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. People want to be safe at work in the same way that they want work that is productive and delivers a fair income. They want security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration. Working people want freedom to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

Occupational safety and health is therefore an integral part of the Decent Work agenda. In other words, if a job is well-paid but unsafe, it is not decent work; if a job is done freely but exposes the worker to health hazards, it is not decent work; if the contract of employment is fair but the work impairs the workers' health and well-being, it is not decent work.

Decent work should be at the heart of global, national and local strategies for economic and social progress. It is central to efforts to reduce poverty, and a means for achieving development which is equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The ILO works to promote decent work through promoting occupational safety and health as well as through its work on employment, social protection, standards and fundamental principles and rights at work and social dialogue.

In each of these areas, people throughout the world face deficits, gaps and exclusions in the form of unemployment and underemployment, poor quality and unproductive jobs, unsafe work and insecure income, rights which are denied, gender inequality, migrant workers who are exploited, lack of representation and voice, and inadequate protection and solidarity in the face of disease, disability and old age. ILO programmes aim to find solutions to these problems.

Occupational safety and health at the ILO is the responsibility of the InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment - SafeWork. It addresses standard-setting activities, awareness raising and technical cooperation projects in the field of occupational safety and health. SafeWork's four main goals in fulfilling its part of the Decent Work agenda are to:

Contents

The report is available from the ILO Geneva
ISBN 92-2-118619-9 & 978-92-2-118619-9 (print)
ISBN 92-2-118620-2 & 978-92-2-118620-5 (web PDF)

If anyone wants the PDF version it is available on this website: ILO Report: Decent work - Safe work - HIV/AIDS.

More News about the 28 April 2006 World Day for Safety and Health - to help you start to make your preparations - free access to information

I have organised a special benefit to enable CIS members to mark The World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2006.

Free access for a limited period has been arranged to OSH UPDATE, that provides entry to a wealth of specialised databases on health and safety information and can be accessed at www.oshupdate.com.

From Monday 3 April 2006 until Friday 12 May, OSH UPDATE will be available to CIS members on a trial basis and will enable them to maximise the value of World Day which is intended to focus international attention on promoting and creating decent, safe work.

CIS members can use the site for themselves and promote it to their users during this period of high visibility. To take advantage of this special arrangement CIS members can go to www.oshupdate.com, enter the username   cis   and password   oshday

Some of the ways CIS members can draw attention to ILO World Day of Health and Safety are by:

OSH UPDATE is expanding and agreements with other well-known information producers around the world are being sought so the databases can also be included. As well as the latest information, many reference sources go back 80 or more years and so a valuable tool for researchers, trainers and practitioners.

This new aggregation of databases contains thousands of relevant references with abstracts or keywords and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as the health risks of nanotechnology, corporate killing and corporate social responsibility, bio-terrorism, management of road risks, preparedness and business continuity and risk assessment. There are thousands of links to full text information.

There is NO Press Release in this edition - you can make your own up re the 28 April 2006 World Day for Safety and Health. If you do nothing else please send out an announcement to draw attention to it... Remember many voices can help to get the message to all those in workplaces.

World of Work Magazine

Always has some very interesting articles from around the world. Available in print format and available on the ILO web site www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/magazine/index.htm.

News from Geneva

Gabor Sandi, ILO CIS HQ writes

There will be a Regional Meeting of CIS National and Collaborating Centres in Latin America on Tuesday, 25 April in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Meeting will be held as part of the 3rd Argentinian Week of Occupational Health and Safety (III Semana de la Salud y Seguridad en el Trabajo), running up to the World Day on 28 April. I will represent CIS at the Meeting, and the ILO SafeWork programme at the World Day celebration.

Contact: Lic. María Teresa Safa, Comunicaciones y Relaciones Institucionales, Superintendencia de Riesgos del Trabajo, Buenos Aires | Email: safa@srt.gov.ar

After I come back, I can start preparing for the full CIS Meeting in Geneva in September.

CIS Themes

The CIS Themes pages on the CIS web pages are a new service and provide access to occupational safety and health (OSH) information resources on selected topics particularly relevant to the ILO and the world of work.

This includes referencing OSH literature (technical guidelines, legislation, web sites, etc.) made available by the ILO and by other international and national bodies around the world. Dealing with potential risks encountered in the workplace and measures for preventing occupational accidents and diseases the lists of resources are regularly updated on the basis of new information and products.

This service was created in response to expressed needs for more OSH-related information on current issues and events of international interest.

If you know of other resources providing such information regarding one of the topics listed below, please let CIS HQ know.

Protecting workers against avian influenza (updated on 15 March 2006)

Other themes

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

Facing Violence at work: new research

Training to help healthcare staff deal with violence at work is making a difference ― but only where it has a solid grounding in day-to-day situations, researchers have found. Practical training being given to nurses, doctors and other health professionals is generally yielding 'positive, but limited, short-term benefits' in dealing with the rising tide of aggression and violence they face in the workplace.

The UK University of Nottingham researchers conclude that to achieve this, training has to mesh with the over-arching systems and procedures in place in an organisation.

But they also found that poorly thought-out training being offered in some organisations is actually having the opposite effect, leaving staff feeling more anxious and less capable of coping with the verbal and physical abuse aimed at them.

In these organisations, a worrying gulf has grown up between the training theory and the reality of the situations actually faced by healthcare staff, the study revealed.

The Nottingham research, funded by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is the first national evaluation of violence management training of its kind. The academics hope it will help to inform future policy in the field of workplace violence and encourage good training practice nationwide.

Work-related violence remains one of the most serious occupational hazards facing staff working in the healthcare sector. Only police and security staff experience more violence at work than nurses and other health professionals, according to recent British Crime Surveys.

National Audit Office figures for 2001-2 revealed there were 95,501 reported incidents of violence committed by members of the public against healthcare staff at work. Tens of thousands more incidents are thought to go unreported.

'Violence management training' offered to staff ― for example de-escalation, breakaway moves, control and restraint, or some combination thereof ― has often been a key element of strategies to prevent or manage the problem. The Nottingham project was designed to both gather evidence about such training but also to inform and support those who manage, deliver and attend such courses.

Antonio Zarola, of The University of Nottingham's Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (IWHO), carried out the research with Dr Phil Leather, Associate Director of the Institute.

Mr Zarola said: "With the huge investment accorded to training in this area within the healthcare sector the question is no longer 'should we train?' but 'is training worthwhile and effective?'

"Until now, the simple answer to this question was, by and large, 'we don't know'! Research commissioned and published today by the HSE is an important milestone towards answering such an important question.

"On the basis of the substantial data gathered during the project, the healthcare sector is now in much stronger position to assess the impact of violence management training. In addition, important lessons have been learned and can now be disseminated about how to evaluate violence management training in any sector.

"Furthermore, and arguably for the first time, hard evidence has been gathered to inform the broad contours of what makes for an effective curriculum."

Recommendations made by the researchers include:

Two complementary reports have been published. Part 1, the Research Report, details the key research findings in answer to two fundamental questions: what impact does violence management training have? And what is the broad content and curriculum of the most effective violence management training?

Part 2 is the companion Practitioner Report. This report specifically addresses the issues of how to evaluate training and in doing so offers a series of tools to support and guide those with a responsibility or interest in designing, delivering or managing violence management training.

The report can be accessed at: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr440.htm

The University of Nottingham undertakes world-changing research and provides teaching of the highest quality. Ranked in the THES World Top 100 Universities, its academics have won two Nobel Prizes since 2003. An international institution, the University has campuses in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and China.

More information is available from:

10 years on - The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

Creating a safer and healthier working environment lies beyond the resources and expertise of a single Member State or institution. That's why the European Council set up in 1996 a European Agency for Safety and Health at Work: to bring together and share the region's vast reservoir of knowledge and information on occupational safety and health-related issues and prevention measures.

In the intervening 10 years, the Agency through its wide range of campaigning and information activities and with the active support of its many partners at both the European and national level has established itself as an important tripartite organisation in Europe's collective endeavour to establish a prevention culture in the workplace.

A number of initiatives are taking place to mark the Agency's 10th anniversary. A commemorative logo will brand all Agency publications, including an anniversary brochure, during the year. Key partners and stakeholders took part in a European forum on the eve of the annual meeting of the Governing Board on 20th March 2006.

10 years...1 goal...4 key steps:

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 | Email: information@osha.eu.int | http://osha.europa.eu

Available in: Ceština, Dansk, Deutsch, Eesti, Ellinika, English, Español, Français, Italiano, Latviešu, Lietuviu, Magyar, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Slovencina, Slovenšcina, Suomi, Svenska

European Information Association: A guide to Official Sources by Patrick Overy

This was first published by the European Infomation Association (EIA) in 2002. It has been one of the European Information Association best sellers.

Now, EIA are delighted to announce a new and improved edition! Significantly revised, updated and expanded, the new edition has grown from 24 to 160 pages and will be invaluable to anyone who wants to know how the Union works, what its institutions do and how policy and legislation are made. Areas covered include the EU's Institutions and Agencies, European Treaties and Agreements, Justice and Home Affairs, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the European legal system and official websites and databases.

The book is a must for anyone working with European information sources and can be ordered online from the European Information Association at www.eia.org.uk

ISBN 1905106092
Price € 30 (£20) to EIA members € 45 (£30) to non-members

News from ARLAC Zimbabwe

Greetings to you and all at the CIS.

My name is Mary Muchengeti, the Information Officer/Documentalist at the African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC). I am pleased to say that ARLAC wishes to make a contribution to the CIS Newsletter by way of informing you of our forthcoming OSH related training programme.

ARLAC has organised and will conduct a training workshop as follows:

ARLAC training programmes are usually targeted at our membership (i.e. English speaking Africa countries), but we will be more than delighted to share with you the outcomes of the workshop.

Thank you.

Mary Muchengeti, Information Officer/Documentalist, African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC), P. O. Box 6097, Harare, Zimbabwe | Tel: + 263 4 210191 to 5 | Fax: + 263 4 210197/8 | mary@arlac.org.zw | www.arlac.org.zw

News from Canada

OSH ANSWERS: Working in a Standing Position

There is no single, ideal body position for working. The best position is a variety of positions, where the worker equally distributes loads on different parts of the body but causes no physical strain. The reality in many workplaces, however, is that workers often sit or stand for long periods of time. Any prolonged position can hurt your body, and standing is no exception.

Anyone whose job requires them to be planted on their feet for hours on end (salesperson, machine operator, assembly-line worker) can attest to the physical discomforts they may experience. These may include: sore feet, swelling of the legs, general muscular fatigue, low back pain, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

There are a variety of health problems that may be caused by prolonged and frequent standing. Without some relief by walking, blood may pool in the legs and feet. This can cause inflammation of the veins that may progress over time to painful varicose veins. Excessive standing also causes the joints in the spine, hips, knees and feet to become temporarily immobilized or locked. This immobility can later lead to rheumatic diseases due to degenerative damage to the tendons and ligaments.

If you are on your feet for a good part of the workday, you can reduce the ill effects on your posture - check out the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health CCOSH OSH Answers

www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/standing/standing_basic.html

Good idea to follow in your country...

'Getting to grips with HAV'
SPEEDY HIRE hand arm vibration campaign launch for the construction sector

Specialists from Speedy Hire, the UK's largest tool and equipment hire company, the Health and Safety Executive and liability / risk management consultants will launch 'Getting to Grip with HAV', a national safety campaign to highlight the dangers of hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) (white finger) which currently affects 300,000 in the UK.

With 5 million workers exposed to hand arm vibration and over 1 million at risk, the issue has now gone beyond a potential liability time bomb into reality. The condition, caused by regular exposure to vibration from hand-held tools, can cause several kinds of injury to the hands and arms including impaired blood circulation and musculoskeletal and nerve damage.

The total cost to the industry of the lost working days per year runs to tens of millions of pounds and future compensation claims are expected to be considerable.

Research conducted by Speedy found that half of construction workers are not concerned with hand arm vibration and two thirds are not aware of the safety regulations. As such, the campaign aims to educate the construction industry from the ground up.

As part of this, Speedy has worked with the major tool manufacturers and OPERC, the Off-highway Plant and Equipment Research Centre, to produce real life vibration data to enable accurate risk assessments for safe periods of exposure - previous OPERC research has shown that manufacturers' readings were often two to three times higher on site than those quoted by manufacturers.

If you wish to discuss the issue of hand arm vibration with Speedy Hire, the HSE and liability and risk specialists, please contact Paul Cook on Tel: +44 (0)161 60 60 262, paul.cook@citypress.co.uk

Contact Centre: Speedy Hire, Newmarket House, 20 The Parks, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 0JQ | Tel: 08457 730 730 | Fax: 0800 413 125 | www.speedyhire.co.uk/direct

News from Poland

European Conference on Protective Clothing (ECPC) and NOKOBETEF 8

Barbara Szczepanowska writes to inform you, that on 10-12 May 2006 in Gdynia, Poland, will take place: The European Conference on Protective Clothing (ECPC) and NOKOBETEF 8.The Conference is organized by CIOP-PIB in association with the European Society of Protective Clothing (ESPC) under the patronage of the Polish Ministry of Economy and the European Safety Federation.

The main purpose of the Conference is the exchange of knowledge and experience from the field of protective clothing, including gloves and footwear. The program of the Conference will include several scientific and technical topics. Further details:

10-12 May 2006 - European Conference - Protective Clothing - towards balanced protection
Gdynia, Poland
Contact: CIOP-PIB Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland | Tel: +48 22 623 43 82 | www.ciop.pl/11361.html | www.vdi-wissensforum.de

Oil & gas industry issues guidance on HIV/AIDS

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) has joined forces with the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) to address the management of HIV/AIDS in the context of oil and gas operations.

The oil and gas industry - like many others - engages in a variety of activities that could have an impact on the transmission of HIV/AIDS: for example, the relocation of expatriate workers into a remote area for the construction of a pipeline or transporting fuel or materials considerable distances by road.

Experience has shown that any activities that result in an increase in economic activity and employment within a defined area can accelerate the spread of the disease - with tragic results.

Together, the two associations have produced a new report aimed at oil and gas industry professionals with responsibility for formulating and implementing best health and sustainability practices across their organisations. In addition to summarising the basic facts surrounding HIV/AIDS, the report:

The report also identifies the actions an oil and gas company could consider as part of its commitment to dealing with HIV/AIDS. It focuses on a wide variety of issues including screening, discrimination and employee confidentiality, voluntary counselling and testing and medical treatment and education programmes.

'We're also stressing the benefits of a collaborative approach to the problem,' says Project Manager Rob Cox, who worked closely with the joint OGP/IPIECA Health Committee in producing the document. 'We have to remember that a large part of the problem - as well as the solution - is beyond the reach of our operations, management and control systems. The vast majority of employees who contract this disease do so outside the work environment. That's why efforts to control the spread of HIV/AIDS should involve a wider partnership with stakeholders in the area.'

The main body of the OGP/IPIECA report is available from www.ogp.org.uk and www.ipieca.org

The memberships of OGP and IPIECA produce more than half of the world's oil and over a third of its gas from operations in more than 80 countries.

OGP represents the interests of the upstream industry before international regulatory and legislative bodies, with particular focus on the European Union and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

OGP's objectives are to achieve continuous improvement in safety, health and environmental performance and in the engineering and operation of upstream ventures.

As part of these efforts, OGP also promotes awareness of corporate social responsibility issues within the industry and among stakeholders.

IPIECA represents the industry on key environmental issues including oil spill preparedness and response, global comate change, operational issues and biodiversity. It is the industry's principal channel of communication with the United Nations Environment Programme.

Both OGP and IPIECA celebrated their 30th anniversaries in 2004.

For further information, contact: lloyd.slater@ogp.org.uk | Tel: +44 (0)7719573126

Trade unions to put decent work on the World Social Forum agenda

Within the framework of the Karachi Polycentric World Social Forum, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and its affiliate the Pakistan Workers

Federation (PWF) are holding a trade union panel on Sunday 26 March on the themes of privatization, investment, and the impact on national economies and the working class, with attention to the decent work agenda in the Asian region and the role of trade unions.

Asia is a continent that still faces a major problem of poverty. According to the Asian Development Bank, 60 percent (1.9 billion people) of Asia's population lives on an average of less than US$2 a day. The number of people living in extreme poverty (earning less than one dollar a day) totals about 690 million or 21.5 percent of the population. The soaring rates of unemployment in many countries have led millions to seek work under the most exploitative and dangerous conditions simply in order to survive.

As emphasized by the ICFTU, the ILO agenda for decent work in Asia states that the success of any poverty reduction strategy lies in the promotion of employment, workers' rights, protection and representation.

The ICFTU and the PWF are insistent that poverty reduction strategies can only succeed if they are firmly geared towards the creation of decent work. These considerations will form the core of a debate involving representatives of the ICFTU, ICFTU-APRO, the PWF, and other trade union and civil society organisations from Asia and around the world.

Other trade union-organized activities during the WSF include a Labour Forum on Tuesday 28 March. The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) will be present in Karachi, as will ISCOS-CISL (Italy) which is organising two initiatives, a workshop on labour, social and human rights and an activity on women working in the domestic sector. Both these initiatives will also take place on March 26th, starting at 15.00.

The ICFTU represents 155 million workers in 236 affiliated organisations in 154 countries and territories. The ICFTU is also a partner in Global Unions www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact Mohsen Ben Chibani in Karachi at +92 21 565 7000, or Kristian Weise in Brussels +02 224 0 327 www.icftu.org

Health and safety call centre specialists run occupational health help line

A South Wales company is helping the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deliver a new health and wellbeing advice line aimed at reducing the estimated £10 billion lost as a result work related ill-health in the UK.

Independent health and safety and environmental risk management specialists, the National Britannia Group, now runs the Adviceline and website support elements of a new £20 million Workplace Health Connect scheme launched recently by the HSE.

The service, which is aimed at smaller businesses employing between 5 and 250 people, will offer expert advice on issues such as back pain, stress and health and safety. Those using the Adviceline will also have access to on-site support, delivered locally by Workplace Health Connect Advisor teams, to prevent work-related ill health grinding many businesses to a near halt.

The programme, introduced by the HSE at the end of February, will be targeted at both employers and workers and is designed to help prevent work related illness and injury and to ensure a quick return to the workplace in the event of illness or injury.

Initially the service aims to handle around 60,000 calls in the first two years, make 4,750 free initial site visits and have a positive impact on 95,000 workers.

Managing Director of the Information Services Division of National Britannia, James Ostler, said: "Now both managers and members of staff of smaller businesses across the UK have a source of free impartial advice on how to minimise work-related ill health and avoid long-term sickness absence.

"National Britannia has a long track record of delivering this kind of service for the HSE. The Workplace Health Connect Adviceline will be another example of National Britannia providing the human face, or voice, of Health and Safety in the UK."

The service has an adviceline and website where free, detailed, practical advice on workplace health, safety and issues connected to returning to work is available. In addition a problem-solving service will carry out free workplace visits where necessary, to advise directly on workplace health issues. The visits will be carried out through one of five regional advisor teams, run by locally based workplace health experts, in Greater London, the North East, North West, South Wales and the West Midlands.

To resolve more complicated issues both employers and workers will then be directed to approved specialists to help identify and implement solutions applicable to their needs, which could include physiotherapists, ergonomics specialists, occupational health professionals or hygienists.

Health and Safety Minister, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, said: "This new confidential advisory service for small businesses offers cost-effective and simple solutions to help cut workplace injuries and ill-health. It is simply unacceptable that small businesses incur major costs because they are unaware of an effective and efficient solution to manage health and safety."

In the latest information from the Office of National Statistics it is estimated that over twelve million people in England and Wales work for around four million smaller businesses.

The National Britannia Group is one of UK's largest independent safety, health and environmental risk management specialists, employing a total of 500 people within its UK operations. More than 250 of these personnel are scientists or other qualified professionals. The business provides leading edge solutions in disciplines such as health & safety, food safety, water quality control, environmental management, occupational health and hygiene, fire safety and asbestos management. It is also a recognised leader in the provision of related training. Its heavy commitment to research and development has led to the creation of e-riskMANAGER, the world's first interactive web-based risk management system. For more information visit www.natbrit.com.

For further information contact, +44 (0) 29 2048 8778

News from the USA

The latest edition of LIFELINES ONLINE (Vol. II, No. 10) is available at the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA ) website. These are the headlines:

To view the stories and access our website, click www.lhsfna.org.

Also, please note that back issues of LIFELINES ONLINE -- as well as our print magazine, LIFELINES -- are posted for online viewing. The LIFELINES ONLINE archive and LIFELINES archive are fully searchable, so you can find the articles that relate to your topic of interest.

As always, we they forward to your feedback and comments on their website and LIFELINES ONLINE.

Steve Clark, Communications Manager, Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America, 905 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA

NIOSH Posts Nanotechnology Web Library for Use, Comment

NIOSH offers a new, Web-based Nanoparticle Information Library (NIL), www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/NIL.html, for public use and comment. The new, interactive database responds to the needs of scientists, business leaders, and others for information on different types of nanoparticles in current use, their physical and chemical characteristics, and their occupational health and safety implications.

By providing the database, NIOSH hopes to further the ability of researchers and decision-makers to address the question of whether work-related exposures to nanomaterials may have unintended health consequences. The Library is part of NIOSH's strategic program for conducting advanced research on the occupational health and safety implications of nanotechnology, providing interim guidance on occupational health practices, and stimulating new partnerships. Further information on this strategic program is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.

DIARY DATE 2006 Nanotechnology Conference and request for papers and poster presentations

NIOSH and the University of Cincinnati will cosponsor the International Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety: Research to Practice on December 3-8, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

The conference is centered on the impact of nanotechnology on occupational and environmental health and safety from two perspectives: promotion and protection of individual safety and health along the life cycle of nano-based products, and the use of emerging technology in prevention, detection and treatment of occupational and environmental diseases.

The deadline for receipt of abstracts for paper presentations and workshops is May 31, 2006. Abstracts for poster presentations will be accepted until June 30, 2006. For more information, visit the conference Web site at www.uc.edu/noehs.

Kansas State University Offers Free Library of Downloadable Safety Training Materials

Kansas State University has developed a free library of downloadable safety training materials in cooperation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The training materials are suitable for self-study or as a component of traditional instructor-led training. The student workbooks and instructor's guides are available as PDF files in English and Spanish at www.ksre.ksu.edu/agsafe.

All safety training materials may be downloaded free of charge and reproduced as needed for training. The training materials were developed for the landscaping and horticultural services industry, and current titles include: Mowing and Trimming Safety, Motor Vehicle Safety, Tractor Safety, Skid Steer Loader Safety, Chipper/Shredder Safety, Tree Trimming Safety, Aerial Lift Safety, Supervisor Manual, and Instructor Manual.

In addition, the same Web site provides links to pilot-test versions of training materials that are being developed for the food processing industry. These titles include Back Injury Prevention,

Lift Truck Safety, Machine Hazards, Fall Prevention, and Working Safely Around Hazardous Substances. Spanish versions and additional titles will be available in the near future.

All safety training materials were developed through OSHA's Susan Harwood Training Grant program, and all have been reviewed by OSHA personnel for accuracy.

Mitch Ricketts, CSP, Health, Safety, and Environmental Coordinator, K-State Research & Extension, 144 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-4008,USA | Tel: +1 785-532-7068 | Fax: +1 785-532-6563 | Email: mrickett@oznet.ksu.edu

British Library Desktop Document Delivery Via Google Scholar

The internet's search engine and the world's greatest research library are joining forces to offer researchers, students and academics desktop delivery of millions of full text scholarly research articles.

From today, searches on Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) will include links to the British Library's document delivery service. Search results will be matched against the Library's holdings and where a match is made, users will have the option to obtain articles held via the British Library's online document ordering interface, British Library Direct (http://direct.bl.uk)

Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, said: "We exist for everyone who wants to do research and we give priority to initiatives that make our collection more easily accessible."

"By partnering with Google Scholar, the British Library will enable users to identify and locate relevant articles more effectively than has previously been possible. By linking results to our pay-as-you-go service, British Library Direct, we'll provide a swift and easy means for them to have the items they require delivered straight to their desktop."

Below each successfully matched Google Scholar result, a 'BL Direct' link will appear. Users that click on the link will be taken to an online ordering form already populated with the bibliographic details of the desired article enabling copyright fee-paid supply to the desktop.

Until now, online subject searches yielded many results that could not provide researchers with access to full text. By linking Google Scholar's search software with one of the world's largest document supply services, users can now complete the discovery-to-desktop-delivery process.

Particular subject strengths in the British Library's research collections include medicine, pharmacy, engineering, science, food and agriculture, economics, environment, law and education. Articles that are available from the Library can be delivered direct to users' desktops via Secure Electronic Delivery - in as little as two hours.

For further information, please contact Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office (telephone +44 (0)1937 546126, email: ben.sanderson@bl.uk), or Google media contact Nathan Tyler (telephone: +1 650 253 4311, email: nate@google.com).

Notes for Editors

1. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The British Library's collections include 150 million items from every era of written human history beginning with Chinese oracle bones dating from 300 BC, right up to today's newspapers. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.

2. Google Scholar enables users to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Researchers, students, librarians and academics use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.

Request for information help from Botswana

Organisational structures of OSH regulators in various countries... do you have any information? Kaelo Roderick Yane writes:

Dear Ma'am, Greeting!

I have been detailed by Mr. T.M. Bakwena, the Botswana Chief Health and Safety Officer (i.e. Chief Inspector of Factories) to approach your good office for assistance with the subject structure. The Division of Occupational Health and Safety (formerly the Factories Inspectorate) in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, has been struggling to come up with a practicable organisational structure that is appropriate for its mandate of regulating ". . . conditions of employment . . . as regards the safety, health and welfare of persons employed . . . and . . . the safety and inspection of certain plant and machinery . . .".

The sticking point is how to cater for the regulation of occupational HEALTH. Can or should this be the responsibility of the ministry responsible for health or that responsible for labour matters.

I would be much obliged if you could also sound out the large family of CIS national centers and collaborating centers.

My e-mail address is: kyane@gov.bw

Kind regards.

Yours, Kaelo Roderick Yane.

 

Some information that may also help others...

Hi Kaelo

Thanks for your message which arrived whilst I was on holiday in India re the following

The Division of Occupational Health and Safety (formerly the Factories Inspectorate) in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, has been struggling to come up with a practicable organisational structure that is appropriate for its mandate of regulating ". . . conditions of employment . . . as regards the safety, health and welfare of persons employed . . . and . . . the safety and inspection of certain plant and machinery . . .". The sticking point is how to cater for the regulation of occupational HEALTH. Can or should this be the responsibility of the ministry responsible for health or that responsible for labour matters.

I hope the following will help you reach a decision

1. I think you will find it almost impossible to be able to work successfully a split approach... especially as globalisation is more and more taking place - OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH is very important and should be part and parcel of the whole setup.

2. You will create confusion if one lot of inspectors go into a company for health and one for safety! Also it is economically impractical to have two lots of inspectors visiting the same company. Also consider the impact from outside of your country - especially if foreign companies wish to work in Botswana.

You should also be considering the working environment also... both inside the organisation and the impact of the work activities on the external environment (e.g. fumes, dust, possibilities of damage to the members of the public and public properties). And of recent times there is a growing importance of fire safety as part of the whole picture.

3. The way forward would be for RISK ASSESSMENT to be part of your OSH legislation. You might find the following UK Health and Safety Executive information useful - especially the" 5 steps to risk assessment" document - it is the first document linked for you - see www.hse.gov.uk/risk/debate.htm

4. There are many countries worldwide that started with just safety inspections and over the last 40 years or more have moved to see the combining of safety, health and welfare, environment and fire - the whole of the European Union looks at safety and health together- see the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work http://osha.europa.eu/info. For legislation go to: http://osha.europa.eu/legislation. Also see: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=148&langId=en. European Commission has widen the scope of its activities, in cooperation with the European Agency for health and safety at work and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, in favour of information, guidance and promotion of a healthy working environment by paying particular attention to small and medium-size enterprises. The site includes details of EC health and safety publications, laws, committees and activities. It also shows you the latest thinking/strategy for the EU... these links take you to the individual web sites of the Agency and the Foundation and also the Strategy and also to the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee - SLIC - see the left hand column on this web site.

UK as an example
You might want to look in depth at countries such as the UK - web site www.hse.gov.uk go direct to www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans and scroll down to see the range of documents that may be of help in divising your own structures, strategies and plans. There is a structure in the document under the heading

General
Health and Safety in Great Britain [PDF - 1.05 MB]
Reading these may help you quickly come to a solution in your own country - and have one act that is an "umbrella" act that allows the implementation of separate pieces of legislation to be created, e.g. The Health and Safety at Work Act, etc 1974 see also www.hse.gov.uk/a-z/l.htm#legislation

Of course you can use these documents as a template for your own documents - localised etc. Again will save time. See also Ireland see web site www.hsa.ie

There are many other countries such as Australia, Canada, etc. if you go to our website www.sheilapantry.com/oshworld/links_s2.html#H and look under Health and Safety - many countries are linked - click on the links

Also very important is the ILO and especially Worksafe InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment publications see www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework. There are a number of documents etc that will help you

In particular you should read and possibly adopt >>>>>>>>>>>

Health and Safety Management Systems ILO-OSH 2001
www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/managmnt/index.htm
International Labour Office ILO: Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems that you can read it under the heading occupational safety and health scroll down on the list and order it or otherwise purchase it online at www.ilo.org/publns or from Publications Bureau, ILO, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland

Look at the various documents listed and especially: Labour inspection and occupational safety and health management systems - Summary report of the Joint ILO/IALI international symposium, Dusseldorf, Germany, May 2001 (in PDF format, 926 KB).

6. The International Association of Labour Inspectorates - IALI is very important - as you know as representative and useful see www.iali-aiit.org/iali/html_en/welcome.html

Hope this helps in reaching your goals. Please feel free to come to me for any further information. I will put a note in the April edition of the CIS Newsletter - to see if others can help.

Best wishes
Sheila Pantry
6.3.06

HSE announces new timetable for Construction Design Regulations

Today, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced the revised Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations would be implemented in Spring 2007. The Regulations will revise and bring together provisions in the existing CDM Regulations 1994 and the Construction (Health Safety and Welfare) (CHSW) Regulations 1996 into a single regulatory package.

In response to the three-month consultation exercise the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has agreed to postpone implementation from 1 October 2006. The new timetable has the support of the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) CDM Review Working group.

Stephen Williams, HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction said: "The revised CDM Regulations will replace the two key sets of existing regulations. When we began our review of those regulations, the HSC set us some important and challenging objectives. HSE and its partners believe we are well on the way to producing a set of replacement Regulations which will achieve those objectives, but we would be selling ourselves short if we rushed our proposals through.

"We need more time to make sure we get the changes right and the industry also needs to have adequate time to familiarise itself with the finalized CDM package.

Stephen Ratcliffe from the Construction Confederation said: "We recognize the importance of getting these changes right. Moving the proposed implementation date forward gives us more time to prepare guidance for our members, and this will form an important part of the overall package."

HSC discussed a report on the emerging findings of the consultation at its open meeting in December 2005, and decided the new regulations should be supported by an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and industry-produced guidance. To give industry time to plan and prepare for the regulatory changes, HSE intends to make a final draft of the ACoP available 3 months in advance of the Regulations coming into force. In the meantime HSE will be working with the industry to co-ordinate production of industry-specific guidance as agreed by the HSC.

"Revision of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 1994, Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) (CHSW) Regulations 1996, Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance". 2005 Consultative Document CD200, published by HSE - see www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd200.htm

CONIAC advises HSC on the protection of people at work and others from hazards to health and safety within the building, civil engineering, engineering and construction industries. CONIAC was reconstituted at the beginning of 2004, with a smaller membership and a new approach. The new approach reflects the desire of HSC to work in partnership with intermediary groups in the construction industry and to take forward the new HSC Strategy. CONIAC has six sub groups to take forward its workplan. These sub groups align closely with the aims of the Construction Divisions Priority Programme.

See: www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/coniac

"Revitalising Health and Safety in Construction". 2002 Discussion Document, published by HSE, see www.hse.gov.uk/consult/2002.htm

New advice for employers on involving workers in health and safety management

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched new resources for employers to help them involve workers in health and safety management. Published as part of a new "worker involvement" website the tools provide a wealth of sound help and advice to businesses.

"The active involvement of workers is fundamental to good health and safety management," says Zoe Woodrow, Policy Adviser in HSE's Worker Involvement Programme. "However, we know that many employers find it a difficult area to address. These resources provide a range of examples and suggestions that we hope will help employers and managers to encourage joint problem solving in their workplaces."

Industry has welcomed HSE's focus on involving workers and the new tools. "We have long recognised the need for better engagement with workers in managing health and safety risks in the rubber industry," says Steve Hinks, Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at Pirelli UK Tyres Ltd and member of the Health and Safety Commission's Rubber Industry Advisory Committee. "Many companies, particularly smaller ones, are unsure of the best ways to go about engaging with their workers in an area like health and safety. We are pleased that HSE has produced these helpful materials and will be promoting them to our members."

Included in the package are case studies, which clearly show the range of organisations that have successfully involved workers in managing health and safety. Examples include:

"The diversity of organisations that are benefiting from worker involvement and the variety of systems they have put in place show that there is no 'one size fits all' solution but that all organisations - whether in the private or public sector, whether large multi-site operations or smaller manufacturing firms - can involve workers in successful health and safety management," says Zoe Woodrow.

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and HSE are committed to improving levels of worker involvement in health and safety management. HSE is confident that these new resources will contribute to this aim by giving employers practical suggestions for how they can give staff the opportunity to contribute. HSE's Worker Involvement Programme will continue to develop its new webpages to encourage employers and workers to co-operate in managing health and safety risks.

HSE's new worker involvement website can be viewed at: www.hse.gov.uk/involvement

Involving workers is a key point of the HSC's strategy for workplace health and safety. Further information can be found in the document 'A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond' at: www.hse.gov.uk/strategy and in the Collective Declaration on Worker Involvement at: www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hscdeclaration.pdf

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC)'s Rubber Industry Advisory Committee advises the Commission on the protection of people at work and others from hazards to health and safety arising within the rubber industry. For more information on HSC's advisory committees, boards and councils see: www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/index.htm

The case studies include:

Workplace Health Connect: free advisory service on health and safety for small businesses goes live: New service to reduce estimated £10 billion cost to UK economy

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has just launched Workplace Health Connect, a new free advisory service on workplace health for smaller businesses: "This new confidential advisory service for small businesses offers cost-effective and simple solutions to help cut workplace injuries and ill-health. It is simply unacceptable that UK small businesses incur major costs because they are unaware of effective and efficient solutions to manage health and safety."

Delivered in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive, the service aims to reduce the incidence of workplace ill health, which leads to 28 million working days lost, at an estimated cost of £10 billion to the UK economy.

Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Smaller businesses have always driven the UK economy forward and we want to give them every opportunity to continue this role. However, workplace ill health is costing small businesses up to 10% of their total payroll costs, which can put real downward pressure on their bottom line. We therefore want to help small business stop workers becoming ill at work and help them to get back to work as soon as possible, if they do, which is ultimately why we have launched Workplace Health Connect."

Workplace Health Connect will provide free, impartial and practical advice and support on health, safety and return to work issues. Small businesses in England and Wales can access the service via an Adviceline (0845 609 6006). Where needed, this will be followed up by workplace visits from qualified Workplace Health Connect advisers. These visits are available in London, the North East, the North West, South Wales and the West Midlands.

Workplace Health Connect advisers are able to advise on a range of issues that can affect workplace health including: poor manual handling technique, incorrect use of chemicals, poor hygiene in the workplace, working in dusty or noisy environments and working at a badly set up workstation.

The Workplace Health Connect service is designed to help tackle and reduce the incidence of work related ill-health in England and Wales and principally lead to a 6% reduction in the incidence rate of workplace related ill-health and a 9% reduction in the number of days lost due to injuries and ill-health. The service will be delivered in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive.

The Adviceline, which covers England and Wales, will give free, detailed and tailored practical advice to callers - both smaller business employers and workers - on workplace health, safety and return to work issues. Smaller businesses are defined as employing between five and 250 people.

In Scotland, Healthy Working Lives (formerly Safe and Healthy Working) is available to smaller businesses, offering a similar service to Workplace Health Connect. The service in Scotland can be accessed on 0800 019 2211 see www.healthscotland.com/hwl

A Workplace Health Connect website explaining the service can be accessed at www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk

Whilst the Adviceline will be available for any employer, manager or worker working for smaller business within England and Wales, workplace visits are only available in five regions for the present. These regions cover some 40% of smaller businesses. It is proposed to extend the service in early 2007 to provide service coverage for some two thirds of smaller businesses in England and Wales.

The Adviceline will encourage employers in the five regions to take up the offer of a workplace visit. Where employers want to take up the offer, they will be referred to the appropriate regional problem-solving service to make arrangements for the visit.

A key aim of the workplace visits will be to transfer knowledge and skills to employers. Advisers will spend time getting to know the business and identifying any potential health or safety issues in the workplace. They will provide advice on the best way of combating these and develop a plan with the employer for improving the way risks to health and safety are managed in the workplace. A written report will summarise findings and an action plan for resolving issues identified. Clients will also be offered a follow-up visit offering further support. Where necessary, employers will be signposted to specialist support.

OSHE websites to explore

The following may be of interest to OSHE information seekers, if you have a favourite website please let me know... Also look at www.oshworld.com - see the links under country and also under subject.

Agriculture   SPAIN
http://osha.europa.eu/good_practice/sector/agriculture
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work website on prevention of ill health and accidents in agriculture and implementing actions that will improve health and safety at the workplace. This page provides links to sources of information and guidance for those working in the agriculture. There is a wide range of information for everyone involved with agriculture.

Back Pain   UK
www.betterbacks.hse.gov.uk
The UK Health and Safety Executive guidance that supports and supplements HSE's Better BACKS campaign launched in June 2005, which promoted practical tips to employees and businesses on managing back pain.

Back Pain and catering staff   UK
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais24.pdf
The UK Health and Safety Executive guidance for catering staff that supports and supplements HSE's Better BACKS campaign launched in June 2005, which promoted practical tips to employees and businesses on managing back pain.

Construction waste   UK
www.ciria.org.uk
The UK Construction Industry Research and Information Association CIRIA has developed a construction waste and resources website to share knowledge and best practice in building industry to reduce waste and improve resource productivity. List case studies, guidance, legislation and related sites.

Electrical injuries   UK
www.hse.gov.uk/electricity
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) pages on the main types of electrical injury and their effects. Also what the HSE is doing to reduce the accident rate and how to prevent electrical injuries. Also lists frequently asked questions and other information.

Health and Safety   UK
www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk
The UK Health and Safety Executive Workplace Health Connect service is designed to help tackle and reduce the incidence of work related ill-health in England and Wales and principally lead to a 6% reduction in the incidence rate of workplace related ill-health and a 9% reduction in the number of days lost due to injuries and ill-health. The service will be delivered in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive. The Adviceline, which covers England and Wales, gives free, detailed and tailored practical advice to callers - both smaller business employers and workers - on workplace health, safety and return to work issues. Smaller businesses are defined as employing between five and 250 people. In Scotland, Healthy Working Lives (formerly Safe and Healthy Working) is available to smaller businesses, offering a similar service to Workplace Health Connect. The service in Scotland can be accessed on 0800 019 2211 see www.healthscotland.com/hwl.

Legionnaires' disease   UK
www.hpa.org.uk/publications/2006/spa_pools
The UK Health Protection Agency HPA and Health and Safety Executive have compiled the guidance Management of Spa Pools - Controlling the risks of infection. It is aimed primarily at commercial operators of spa pools, it contains invaluable information for those who have spa pools in their homes. The HPA will shortly be producing a quick reference leaflet to highlight guidance for those with spa pools and whirlpool baths in their homes. The principal route of Legionella infection is through the inhalation of the bacteria into the lungs. The risk of Legionnaires' disease rises with increasing numbers of bacteria inhaled. People are at risk of infection because water creates an aerosol that can be inhaled.

Noise   SPAIN
http://osha.europa.eu/good_practice/risks/noise
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work website on action to be taken to prevent workers from occupational noise. There are two parts to the site - information for workplaces (good practice) and information on programmes and policies. Good practice information is for those acting to reduce the risk of injury and ill-health in the workplace. Before good practice information is applied, an assessment of the hazards and risks present in the workplace should be carried out and reference made to relevant national legislation.

Toluene Collection   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/toluene
The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH pages are designed as a resource for individuals working with toluene and give advice and guidance in the NIOSH pocket book, other publications and resources.

Trichloroethylene   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/trichloroethylene
The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH pages are designed as a resource for individuals working with Trichloroethylene and give advice in the NIOSH pocket guide, other information and links.

Diary of Events

If you have details of any conferences, seminars, training courses and events then please send to your Editor. You can also check and please use any of the data in www.oshworld.com/diary.html.

1-2 May 2006 - Canadian Environmental Conference and Trade Show (CANECT 2006)
Environmental management, compliance and engineering
Toronto, Canada
Contact: Environmental Science and Engineering, 220 Industrial Pkwa S., Unit #30, Aurora, Ontario, L4G 3V6, Canada | Tel: + 1 905 727 4666 | Fax: +1 905 841 7271 | Email: steve@esemag.com | www.esemag.com

10-12 May 2006 - European Conference - protective Clothing - towards balanced protection
Gdynia, Poland
Contact: CIOP-PIB Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland | Tel: +48 22 623 43 82 | www.ciop.pl/ecpc | www.vdi-wissensforum.de

15-19 May 2006 - 2nd European IRPA Congress on Radiation Protection
Cité des Sciences et de l'industrie, Paris.
Contact: COLLOQUIUM, 12 rue de la Croix-Faubin, 75557 Paris Cedex 11, France | Tel: (+33) 1 44 64 15 15 | Fax: (+33) 1 44 64 15 16 | Email: irpa2006@colloquium.fr

19 May 2006 - Reducing Occupational Health Risks in Construction: manage the risks not the symptoms
Institution of Civil Engineers, London, UK
Contact: Abby Clue, ICE Conferences, London | Tel : +44 (0) 220 7665 2318 | Email: conferences@ice.org.uk  | www.ice.org.uk

19 May 2006 - Asbestos Liabilities Litigation, Risk and Claims Management
Holiday Inn, Regents Park, London, UK
Contact: Jenny Barlow, Informa, UK | Email: jenny.barlow@informa.com | www.informa.com

24 May 2006 - The Corporate Manslaughter Bill
Crowne Plaza Hotel, London, UK
Contact: Jenny Barlow, Informa, UK | Email: jenny.barlow@informa.com | www.informa.com

31 May -16 June 2006 - ILO Conference: 95th Session
Geneva, Switzerland
Contact: ILO Official Relations Branch | Tel: +41 22 799 7732 | Fax: +41 22 799 8944 | Email: RELOFF@ilo.org | www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/reports.htm

5 June 2006 - Health and Safety Insurance Conference
Institution of Civil Engineers, London, UK
Contact: Institution of Civil Engineers, London, UK | +44 (0)20 7665 2313 | www.iceconferences.com

11-14 June 2006 - ASSE Safety 2006: Conference and Expo
Seattle, Washington, USA
Contact: American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) | www.asse.org/expo

19-20 June 2006 - 5th European Conference on promoting workplace health: 30-40-50 plus Healthy Work in an Ageing Europe. Organized jointly by The Upper Austrian Sickness Fund (OÖGKK) and the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP)
Linz, Austria
Contact: European Network for Occupational Health Promotion: PEGASUS - Congress and Incentives, Haydngasse 21, 1060 Vienna, Austria | Tel: +43 1 599 33 207 | Fax: +43 1 599 33 46 | Email: enwhp2006@pegasus.at

22 June 2006 - NASHiCS Conference Tackles The Major Health & Safety Issues Affecting The Care Sector In 2006 and Beyond!
Brussels, Belgium
Contact: Florence Bindelle, FERMA | Tel: +32 (2) 227 11 38 | Email: florence.bindelle@ferma-asso.org | www.ferma-asso.org

27 August - 1 September 2006 - 13th International Society for Respiratory Protection (ISRP 2006)
Canada
Contact: Cathy Lennox, 3M Canada Company, 1840 Oxford Street East, London, ON N5V 3R6, Canada | Tel: +1 519 452 6765 (direct extension 2689) / TollFree phone (within USA and Canada only) 1 800 265 1840 x 2689. | Fax: +1 519 452 6142 | Email: toronto@amersectisrp.org | www.amersectisrp.org/toronto

30 August - 1 September 2006 - Geneva Forum - Towards Global Access to Health
Geneva, Switzerland
Contact: Forum Secretariat, MCI Suisse SA, Rue de Lyon 75, P.O. Box 502, CH-1211 Geneva 13, Switzerland | Tel: +41 22 33 99 581 | Fax: +41 22 33 99 601 | Email: Genevahealthforum2006@mci-group.com | www.hcuge.ch/genevahealthforum

11 October 2006 - FERMA - Federation of European Risk Management Associations Pan-European Risk Management Benchmarking Survey Seminar
Brussels, Belgium
Contact: The National Association for Safety & Health in Care Services (NASHiCS) | Tel: +44(0) 20 7403 3990 | www.nashics.org

5-8 December 2006 - 10th Anniversary International Specialized Exhibition "Safety and Labour Protection - 2006"
Organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation in association with Designers, Manufacturers and Suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment
Moscow, Russia
Contact: Company SPECODEZHDAOPTTORG, 20/13, M. Gruzinskaya str., 12342 Moscow, Russia | Tel: + 095 252-31-10 / +095 252 31 96 / +095 252 12 25 | Fax: +095 252 21 89 | Email: knovikov1@yandex.ru

New Briefs

From Germany

Kanbrief - latest edition contains news on International Standardization, ICSMS Europe Network, Project on noise emissions... Printed version free of charge and Internet version
Contact: KAN - Kommission Arbeitsschutz und Normung, Geschäftsstelle, Alte Heerstraße 111, 53757 Sankt Augustin | Tel: +49 (0)22 41 2 31- 03 | Fax: +49 (0)22 41 2 31- 3464 | E-Mail: info@kan.de | www.kan.de

From Sweden

AMS International News contains information about the international work of the Swedish Labour Market Board (AMS)
Contact: International Secretariat, Tommy Linde, AMS, SE-11399 Stockholm Sweden | Email: tommy.linde@ams.amv.se | Tel: +46 8 58 60 60 00 | Fax: +46 8 58 60 60 32

From UK

British Asbestos Newsletter gives details of worldwide asbestos developments. Web sites are also quoted for further information.
Contact: British Asbestos Newsletter, P O Box 93, Stanmore HA7 4GR, UK | Tel: +44 (0)20 8958 3887 | Fax: +44 (0) 020 8958 9424 | Email: ban@lkaz.demon.co.uk | www.britishasbestosnewsletter.org

Make my day...

Send Your news to your Editor: sp@sheilapantry.com

Don't forget

13-15 September 2006 - CIS Annual Meeting 2006 and Training Workshop, Geneva

See also details of various events worldwide in this edition!