CIS Newsletter

No. 220
January 2008

CIS Newsletter celebrates 20 years & still going strong!
Bringing news to over 145 countries in the CIS Network!

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Requests to CIS Centres for information from CIS HQ
  3. News from around the World - Australia, Canada, Europe, Germany, Japan, Korea, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, UK and the USA
  4. OSHE websites
  5. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

A very Happy, Healthy, Safe and Successful Year ahead as we start 2008.

Many thanks for all the lovely greetings cards and good wishes that I received during this Festive time.

Thanks also for the publications, emails and news - these are always gratefully received and are used as soon as possible.

The year ahead is already looking very busy for our CIS Network - the ILO Congress and CIS Annual meeting in Korea... see below for details. Also the Regional Meeting to be held in September 2008 in Geneva.

And very importantly planning for the 50th Anniversary in 2009 of the formation of the CIS Network - please start to think about this major event and how news of CIS and its activities can be broadcasted around the World. We will not get such a chance for another 50 years!!!

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

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. 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.

Some of you may have changed your email number and addresses in recent months, please let CIS Headquarters know your new email/address and also let me know as well - otherwise you will not get the CIS Newsletter or other news.

Remember >>>>

Use the CIS Logo on your web site and publications!

Thriving in 2008... Keep promoting and telling the World at large that CIS and its network exists! And start preparations for 28 April 2008 - World Day for Safety and Health at Work!

Remember that your News in the CIS Newsletter goes to over 145 countries and gets re-used in other magazines and websites. CIS Newsletters on the web are getting more and more used... With many thousands of hits per month... send your news to me and get even more publicity for your Information services!

Will you be Surviving in 2008?... perhaps you will if you make efforts in 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

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

Please consider the environment before printing this Newsletter

Feel free to use this Newsletter on your own web site/pages/e-news

News from Geneva

Gabor Sandi, Annick Virot and all the CIS Staff send you Good wishes for a Safe, Healthy, Happy and Successful 2008!

Gender mainstreaming and the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2008, Seoul, Korea

On the occasion of the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (Seoul, Korea 29 June - 2 July 2008), the International Labour Office (ILO) will hold a symposium on the theme of "Gender mainstreaming and occupational safety and health programmes". The organizer of this symposium is Dr Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director of the ILO International Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork).

Access the site of the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work: www.safety2008korea.org

Report of the Annual Meeting of CIS Centres 2007

If you have not already done so please read the 45th Annual Meeting of CIS Regional, National and Collaborating Centres was held on 20 September 2007 at the Düsseldorf Exposition Center (Germany). 36 representatives of CIS Centres worldwide were present.

Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director of the ILO SafeWork Programme and representative of the Director General of the ILO, opened the meeting and introduced three major themes to help achieving the objectives of SafeWork. These are:

The meeting enabled participants to exchange information on the activities and achievements of both CIS and CIS Centres. Mr. Gábor Sándi, Coordinator of CIS, rounded up information about the activities, new products and future challenges of CIS. Ms. Annick Virot, CIS Centres Network Coordinator, introduced issues related to the ILO Global Strategy on occupational safety and health [read more about the ILO Global Strategy], the Convention No. 187 on the Promotional framework for occupational safety and health [access Convention No. 187] as well as the need for strengthening the CIS Centres Network.

Access the Report of the annual meeting of CIS Centres 2007 which was chaired by Sheila Pantry OBE from the UK

Access links to the annual reports of CIS Centres and to the presentations made at the Meeting.

It was decided that the next annual meeting will take place at the margins of the XVIIIth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work to be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 29 June to 2 July 2008. Mr. Joon-Won Lee Secretary General of the Congress, gave a presentation on this event, which will include a Safety and Health Summit with selected leaders and decision-makers.

Access to the site of the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work: www.safety2008korea.org

Occupational Health, Hygiene and Safety Workshop in India, 11-15 February 2008

Nayati International, a non-profit organization in India, is organizing a workshop on Occupational, Health, Hygiene and Safety during the week of 11-15 February 2008.

The 5 day work shop is based on the Occupational Health training modules of WHO and is co-sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), United States, the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT).

With expert faculty from NIOSH, WHO Collaborating Centers and Certified Industrial Hygienists, the workshop is being conducted at IICT in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The workshop is designed with an interdisciplinary approach combining lectures, demonstrations, problem solving and skills building through interactive, small group and individual activities, where participants can begin applying skills learned to their jobs and their safety and health programmes.

Find more details about the workshop and consult the programme at www.nayati.org.

Are you making New Year's Resolutions?

This is a good time of the year for all organisations to review their health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures on a regular basis. Security should be part of this continuous risk assessment of the workplace. The results should give some valuable guidelines when carrying out the Business Continuity Plans to ensure that the business and the most important part - the people working in it, are kept safe and secure, not only in their health but in their jobs. Those attending the EurOhse2007 Masterclasses heard about these topics. As one of the speakers says - "there is much yet to be done"!

One topic keeps continually being discussed is on managing attendance and return to work, that included violence in the workplace. Have you checked recently to see if absenteeism in your workplace is connected to workplace violence?

Another area to watch is to ensure that you are up-to-date in your wider health and safety information. Remember ignorance of the law and its requirements is NO excuse. So do you want to keep up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the latest information? Do budget constraints not allow you to buy all the journals, newsletters and documents that contain the latest information? Can't afford the time to search for the latest information, legislation and standards? No staff to search for this information? And no time yourself to spend hours searching for information?

Then try these Practical, Affordable Solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd:

OSH UPDATE - are you using it? If not, why not?

OSH UPDATE - which is a service with a difference - a collection databases from really quality organisations such as the ILO CIS, US NIOSH and UK HSE is updated on a continuous basis, covering critical international occupational health and safety information with 800,000 citations from over 5000 journals and 100,000 monographs and technical reports with many thousands of items linked direct to full text.

Arguably the best OSH collection at the lowest price - innovative, up-to-date and very affordable.

Now in its second year OSH UPDATE is gathering users from around the world - if you would like to have a free 15 day trial of OSH UPDATE or any of the following products send your request to www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

International Trade Union Confederation Decent Work should be at the core of the EU-Africa Strategy

The EU-Africa Summit held in Lisbon on 8 - 9 December 2007 failed to put the creation of decent work at the heart of the relationships between these two continents. While the ITUC welcomes the desire to move away from the traditional donor/beneficiary relationship toward a partnership of equals, it deplores the fact that labour issues have not received the attention they deserve.

"Decent work is the legitimate aspiration of both peoples from Europe and Africa and it is regrettable that the EU - Africa Summit did not prioritize it. Despite an average economic growth of 7% throughout the African Continent, the creation of decent and formal work in Africa remains extremely limited. This clearly calls for a stronger political will and the implementation of more pro-active labour policies" says Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary.

Maria-Helena André, the ETUC deputy General Secretary, while presenting the Trade Union Statement to the Summit called upon the EU-Africa Strategy to recognize and promote the social dialogue as source of democratic governance and social progress. Unfortunately this recommendation is not well reflected in the agreed Strategic Partnerships and Action Plans.

Despite the official determination expressed by African and European Leaders to work together in the global arena on current key political challenges, such as energy and climate change, migration or gender issues, two issues of serious divergence hung over the Summit.

Firstly, the trade deal proposed by the EU in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) is generally denounced by African leaders for their expected negative impact on African nations' development. In this regard, the ITUC and ETUC are particularly concerned about the employment effect of EPAs and have called upon the EU to extend the negotiation process beyond the official deadline of 31 December 2007.

Both ETUC and ITUC who strongly denounce the massive violations of human and trade union rights taking place in this country, had expressed their whish to see the Summit addressing the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately the crisis in Zimbabwe is not even mentioned in the Summit.

www.eu2007.pt/NR/rdonlyres/BAC34848-05CC-45E9-8F1D-8E2663079609/0/20071208LISBONDeclaration_EN.pdf

Link to the Trade Union Statement: www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Trade_Union_Declaration_to_the_EU-Africa_Summit.pdf

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 305 national affiliates.

Turkey must improve workers' rights and gender equality and end child labour

The government of Turkey has serious work to do when it comes to both legislation and practice dealing with the country's trade unions and the conditions of its workers, a new International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) report makes clear.

Released to coincide with the Trade Policy Review of Turkey at the World Trade Organisation, the report finds that Turkey continues to limit workers' rights to organise in trade unions and for their unions to bargain collectively, that the Turkish labour market is marred by various forms of discrimination and that hundreds of thousands of children that are engaged in work they should not be in. be.

"Considering Turkey's ambitions of joining the European Union, we are puzzled by the fact that Turkey still restricts trade union freedom. The European Commission has repeatedly noted that Turkey must make progress in this area. We can only agree wholeheartedly", said Guy Ryder, General Secretary of the ITUC.

"Turkey excludes many of its citizens, particularly public sector workers, from being members of unions. Its police and other authorities meddle in trade union activities, making a mockery of the nominal freedom of association in the country. Again and again, the state obstructs collective agreements negotiated between unions and local authorities, in spite of rulings against this practice by the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey needs to improve its importance a long way in order to adhere to the international standards and conventions the country has signed up to", said Ryder.

Other flaws in relation to the respect of workers' rights that the Turkish government must address include insufficient protection against anti-union discrimination and significant restrictions on the right to strike.

The report also shows that although by law there is no discrimination between men and women, in practice women are concentrated in low quality and low paid jobs, particularly in the private sector. There is a salary gap and an educational gap between women and men, with illiteracy among women being much higher than among men.

"While Turkey's laws may not directly place women in a weaker position, the legal framework remains inadequate to deal with the fact that women are in this situation and that they face discrimination, harassment and abuse on a daily basis", said Ryder.

The report finds that while there has been some progress, child labour continues to be a problem in Turkey. The most recent statistics show that 764,000 children between 12 and 17 are at work, primarily on family farms, in industry and in unregistered activities. There are large numbers of street children working as street vendors or in forced begging. Though efforts to reduce child labour continue, these appear to be insufficient and there are shortcomings in the current legislation.

The ITUC report on Core Labour Standards in Turkey can be found: www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Turkey_CLS_report_for_WTO_TPR_-final.pdf

News from Canada Workshop to Explore Reducing Painful Work-related Disorders

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) have teamed up to co-host Pushing, Pulling, Lifting, and Lowering: A workshop on manual materials handling in the workplace.

The conference will take place on the 4 March 2008 in Mississauga, Ontario and provide a forum to discuss manual materials handling from a variety of perspectives and what can be done to reduce musculoskeletal disorders at work.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major pain - in the muscles, tendons or nerves in the lower back, shoulders, neck, elbows, wrists or hands and the cause of suffering for thousands of workers every year. Lifting, lowering, pushing and pulling contribute greatly to MSDs whether in manufacturing, construction, trucking, healthcare, forestry or agriculture.

This conference is for managers, supervisors, health and safety committees and anyone with an interest in reducing MSDs in workers.

The workshop features a keynote presentation by Dr. Tom Waters, certified professional ergonomist and Senior Safety Engineer at NIOSH, renowned internationally for his work on the revised NIOSH lifting equation - the most commonly used tool to measure if workers are exerting too much effort to lift or lower.

An array of experts in the field will also speak from the perspectives of research, consultants, injured workers, disability management, labour, management, and regulatory.

CCOHS is offering a live webinar of the event for those registrants who prefer to participate from the comfort of their own computer or meeting room.

More information, including registration and pricing details about the workshop and the webinar is available on the CCOHS website: www.ccohs.ca/events/mmh.

Contact: Eleanor Westwood, Manager of Communications, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety | Tel: + 1 905/572-2981, Ext. 4408 | Email: eleanorw@ccohs.ca | www.ccohs.ca

News from the USA

NIOSH Opens Safety Site for Teen Workers

More high school students than ever before have part-time jobs, but most get little guidance or training on the workplace hazards they might face. Sometimes, the boss provides a brief orientation and leaves it to the other young workers to "fill in" the new guy. Too often, there is no orientation at all, and young workers become victim to their own sense of invincibility.

If your son or daughter - or a teenager you know - is working, you might help prevent a tragedy by directing him or her - or, perhaps, a teacher or school guidance counselor - to NIOSH's new website: Youth @ Work: Talking Safety. This site provides links to state-specific information and materials to help alert teenagers about on-the-job dangers.

Perhaps most impressive for young workers will be the online, downloadable, six-minute video of teens talking about injuries they sustained at work and what they've learned about their rights and how to protect themselves. Produced by the Massachusetts Department of Labor, the video is effective and motivational, in part, because all the interviewers and commentators are, themselves, teens. It is teens - sometimes somber, occasionally laughing - talking with their peers about the danger of work.

The problems of health and safety at work are mounting for teenagers as more of them work, not only in the summer, but throughout the school year. Last spring, OSHA established a special website that provides guidance to parents, educators and employers of younger workers as well as teens, themselves. It also publishes state-by-state employment regulations. The site stresses that parents should take an active role in their children's decisions about work and should familiarize themselves with government regulations on child labor.

Request from Finland...

Dear All

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) has participated in a European project, where we have built a semantic web site. It contains information on occupational cancer risks and prevention. The site is called Euroworksafe: www.euroworksafe.eu. From there are also links to CIS ILO and other pages, where is information on the topics mentioned.

Now there is the third validation going on. If you were interested in looking at the results and doing evaluation I were very happy about this effort. We need to report about the validation results to EU and need over 2000 evaluations. You can find the link to the form from the first page, but please get acquainted with the pages first.

Kind regards,
Irja Laamanen,
FIOH

Herrsching Summer School "Occupational Health Crossing Borders" May 18th - 30th, 2008

The summer school "Occupational Health Crossing Borders" is for postgraduates and professionals from low and middle income countries working in occupational health who would like to know more about how occupational health is organized in different parts of Europe and the US. It will be an interactive course where participants will also present the occupational health systems of their home countries. The course will take place at the Training Center of the Bavarian Farmers' Association in Herrsching, Germany from May 18th - 30th, 2008.

Professionals from the European Association of Schools of Occupational Medicine, International Commission on Occupational Health, WHO, OSHA-Europe, NIOSH, and professors from other European countries have agreed to present during the summer school.

The deadline for registration is February 15, 2008. Twenty scholarships are available. Participants have to fulfill ONE of the following criteria in order to be eligible for a scholarship:

  1. Have studied at one of our four partner universities (Universidad de Chile, Universidad Austral, Universidade do Parana, Universidad Andres Bello), or
  2. Have spent at least some part during their training at a German medical school (e.g., medical clerkship, courses, internship).

For more information in Spanish and English including course fees, lodging, contact information, and the registration form, please visit: www.networm-online.eu. The course is limited to 30 participants.

China: Mine explosion kills 105

Chinese officials say 105 miners are now known to have died in an explosion in a coal mine in Shanxi province in northern China on 6 December 2007. State media said the managers of the mine have been arrested for causing the tragedy by mining a coal seam that had not been authorised for production. They also allegedly delayed reporting the incident for six hours while conducting their own rescue operation. The underground blast occurred at the Rui Zhiyuan mine in Shanxi province's Linfen city, state-run news agency Xinhua said. Xinhua said rescue workers believed managers at the mine had tried to launch a rescue operation by themselves, 'which magnified the number of casualties.'

Li Yizhong, the minister who heads up the State Administration of Work Safety, is to lead an official investigation into the tragedy. Li criticised mine bosses, who abandoned the scene as the tragedy developed, and local work safety and coal mine authorities for providing sub-standard supervision and management. Three local work teams inspected the mine last month, but reported no problems. An average of 13 miners are killed every single day in China's coal mines. In August, 181 miners were killed when floodwater poured into a mine in Shandong province in the east of the country (Risks 321). Rising demand for energy and fuel means that owners and local officials often ignore safety issues in pursuit of profits.

Partnership for better worker health

Europe's largest body for health and safety professionals has said that cross-profession partnerships must be forged to help improve workers health.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said that without doctors, nurses, health and safety practitioners, HR and managers working in partnership, the UK's hopes of cutting the 2.2 million who suffer an illness caused or made worse by work will be hampered.

Commenting on IOSH's response to the national director for work and health, Dame Carol Black's review into the health of Britain's working age population, IOSH president Ray Hurst said it was also important government funding was in place, and that there's a greater push towards 'worker-friendly' workplaces.

"We're pleased the government is conducting this review as we believe good work-related health is vital for workers, their families, employers and for the country as a whole. But it's imperative the relevant professions work together as teams on this and also fully involve workers in the decision-making processes.

"The key to reducing illness is protection and prevention, but where illness does develop there has to be access to effective treatment quickly. This needs to be coupled with appropriate rehabilitation provision. That's why it's so important for all those professionals working in health-related disciplines to pull together.

"In addition to making Britain's workplaces safer, healthier and more 'worker-friendly', we believe employers could use workplaces to offer free information and support, helping to actively promote good health, wellbeing and quality of life to millions of people. IOSH is already raising awareness through its free on-line occupational health toolkit and will also be issuing guides on rehabilitation and wellbeing in the New Year.

"We're keen that resources and effort are properly focused and we've highlighted the importance of using research to find out what works best to promote health, an area we've recently commissioned research into. Further government research is needed and we're calling on them to extend their provision and evaluation of government-funded occupational health services; to provide tax incentives for employer-provided therapies facilitating sustainable rehabilitation for workers; and to pilot awareness training in rehabilitation for OSH practitioners."

Paul Marston, IOSH media officer, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire, LE18 1NN, UK | Tel: +44 (0)116 257 3100 | Fax: +44 (0)116 257 9141 | www.iosh.co.uk

Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO) Technical Trophy Competition 2008

The Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO), an International Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Institute, in association with SureFire Systems Ltd, a UK based premier fire safety systems supplier and installer throughout the UK and Europe, are pleased to announce the annual IFPO/SUREFIRE TECHNICAL TROPHY COMPETITION. The Competition is for the best Technical Paper or Essay on any Fire or Fire Safety Related subject.

The winner receives:

FIREINF is arguably the World's Premier Collection of Fire and Fire-Related validated and authoritative information that aims to help all those seeking such information.

Emphasis is on all aspects of Fire, Emergency and Preparedness, Management Principles, Fire Risk Assessment, Practices and Research, Standards and Legislation.

To enable participants to formulate a paper, the following subjects are given as guide:

  1. Fire Safety Media, Is It Effective?
  2. Can Fire And Security Measures, Be Compatible?
  3. Fire Prevention, Can Fire Prevention Be Improved?
  4. Are Domestic Sprinkler Installations The Way Ahead?
  5. Fire Investigation - Can Fire Investigation Be Improved?
  6. Can We Improve Fire Prevention On The Domestic Front?

A copy of the general rules of this competition is available from: The Institute of Fire Prevention Officers, P.O. Box No 9341, MANSFIELD NG18 9EF, United Kingdom | Tel: + 44 (0) 20 8651 5174 | Email: secretary@ifpo.org.uk | www.ifpo.org.uk

CIS needs your Help for the following... please reply as soon as possible...

Dear CIS Centres,

Using its network of Centres, the CIS in Geneva wishes to establish a list of countries, which have adopted:

  1. a national policy on occupational safety and health (OSH)
  2. a national programme (plan or strategy) on OSH

in accordance with the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No 187).

This information will provide us with a better understanding of the current status of OSH globally and enable us to compile and disseminate the information through our Website.

If your country has adopted either 1) or 2), above, or both, please could you send the texts to our email address ciscentres@ilo.org, indicating any relevant Web pages.

Alternatively, if not available on the Web, the texts may be faxed to the CIS Secretariat at: Fax: +41 22 799 67 40

Thank you in advance for your kind collaboration.

Michèle Nahmias, Senior OSH Specialist, SafeWork, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22

News from Japan

Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA) Newsletter
Safety and Health in Japan September 2007

Includes: The Role of the OSH Education centre in Labour Accident Prevention; Activities of Industrial Safety and Health organisations; Labour Administrative Activities, including measures to reduce suicides; Research and Statistics - including fatal and serious industrial accidents in 2005; Majority of bus fires caused by insufficient inspection and oversight in maintenance; Akita University to develop suicide prevention curriculum in the 2008.

Contact: Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, 5-35-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014 Japan | Tel/Fax: +81 3 3454 4596 | Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp | www.jisha.or.jp

News from Japan

JISHA's Annual report and Activities 2007

The latest Annual report from the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA) shows a range of activities undertaken.

For copies of the 2007 JISHA Annual Report contact: JISHA, (ILO-CIS National Centre in Japan), 5-35-1 Shiba, Minatoku, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan | Tel/Fax +81 3 3454 4596 | Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp | www.jisha.or.jp

News from Australia

You may be interested in the Chinese edition of Enhancing Occupational Safety and Health by Geoff Taylor, Kellie Easter and Roy Hegney.

It is published by Chemical Industry Press, Beijing this month as Zhiye Anquan Jiankang. The translator is Prof Fan. Y Xiao of the Safety Engineering Department of the China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.

It joins its Spanish stablemate Mejora de la Salud y la Seguridad en el Trabajo published by Elsevier Espana, Madrid

This has previously been published in English in the UK, 2004, and Spanish, 2006.

Chemical Industry Press in Beijing has opted to reproduce the book as it appears in English (with some updates and a short extra section on coal mine gas drainage), rather than have it contextualised, as we did for the Iberoamerican version. So CIP decided not to include a new introduction summarising the Chinese OHS situation and law.

Geoff Taylor, Perth

See http://shop.cip.com.cn/product/20080101/111319787122011176.html

News from the USA

US NIOSH informs and leads Nanotechnology Actions by international partner organisations

The United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided technical input, support, and leadership for three recent actions by international organisations to address the occupational safety and health implications of nanotechnology.

"Internationally, scientists and policymakers recognize that it is important to address the question of whether workers face a risk of job-related illnesses and injuries in the production and industrial use of nanomaterials," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "We are pleased that NIOSH has a key role in contributing to this world-wide scientific dialogue."

Dr. Howard added, "NIOSH's actions help to advance the research that is critical for incorporating safety and health into this advanced technology in its formative stages, developing consistent technical approaches internationally, and supporting U.S. leadership in the global market."

The recent NIOSH contributions to the international research were these:

News Briefs

GERMANY

The latest edition of KANBRIEF no.4 /07 is now available

KAN - Kommission Arbeitsschutz und Normung's latest edition of KANbrief has recently been published and is available on the Internet. KANBRIEF is available in English, German and French www.kan.de from where it can also be downloaded in PDF format. Printed copies are available free of charge from the KAN Secretariat (info@kan.de).

Special Theme under discussion: CE marking and the GS mark

30 years of GS "tested safety"

The GS mark: a successful mark for prevention activity

The CE mark is not a safety mark which businesses can rely upon when selecting products.

Conversely, the GS mark signifies that health and safety are assured by a neutral body. In the view of the German statutory accident insurance institutions, the European Commission's intention to abolish the GS mark without replacement by an equivalent mark constitutes a major retrograde step for prevention.

Does compliance with the directives automatically equate to safety?

The European Commission's answer to this question appears to be a clear "yes". In the course of revision of the New Approach, the Commission therefore intends to force the Member States to remove all national marks from their legislation. The theme of the proposal is the strengthening of CE marking. The general objective is clear, however: the measure is an attack on the German GS mark, and therefore damaging to consumer safety.

EU safety mark delivers no added value

In the view of the Confederation of German Industries (BDI), a need for action exists regarding CE marking. The BDI described this need in September 2007 in a position paper concerning CE marking and the discussion of a EU safety mark.

CE-coach - a trusty guide in the maze of CE marking

Studies conducted by market surveillance authorities and businesses have found that considerable uncertainty still exists concerning the CE marking of machinery and plant. In collaboration with industry and universities, the Environment Ministry of the region of Baden-Württemberg is to lead the CE-coach initiative, the aim of which is a substantial improvement in knowledge of CE marking in accordance with the directives.

KANBRIEF is available on the web www.kan.de

KANBRIEF is published quarterly contact: DR. Ing Joachim Lambert, Alte Heerstr.111. D-53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany | Tel: +49 (0) 2241 231 3463 | Fax: +49 (0) 2241 231 3464 | Email: info@kan.de | www.kan.de

News Briefs

ALGERIA

DAIRY DATE 2nd Algeria Fire, Safety and Security Expo to be held on 4-6 May 2008, in the Algerian capital Algiers

This is considered as the most important event of the year in the Algerian fire, rescue, police and emergency response industries.

The 2nd Algeria Fire, Safety and Security Expo is Algeria's most powerful gathering of key government decision-makers:

Can you afford NOT to be there?

Contact: Estefani Bailey, Project Coordinator, New-Fields Exhibitions, Middle East & North Africa, Abu-Hail Street, Al-Nayli Building # M5, P. O. Box 14003, Dubai , UAE | Tel: +971 (4) 268 6870 | Fax: +971 (4) 262 4569 | Email: ebailey@nfemail.com | www.New-Fields.com

News from China

DAIRY EVENT WorkSafe China 2008: 5-7 March 2008

"2008 China OHS Management Conference". is the chemical-industry-specific conference which aims to provide participants with the most practical OHS strategies and solutions from our expert presenters on the following main issues:

Organised by Avail Corporation which is based in Shanghai. Avail's core business is the provision of business intelligence through thoroughly researched business-to-business conferences, training courses and customized courses. The business also acts as an agent for companies seeking to provide business services to the Chinese market. More information on Avail Corporation can be found on our website.

Contact: Alan Wong, Avail Corporation | Tel: + 86-21 6229 1717 ext. 116 | Fax + 86-21 6229 1718 | Email: awong@availcorp.com | www.availcorp.com

Make my Day... Please send some News - Your Editor

OSHE web sites to explore...

Also look in www.oshworld.com/links.html for hundreds of links to authoritative and validated web sites

BELGIUM

Cefic Long-Range Research Initiative (LRI)   BELGIUM
www.cefic-lri.org
Cefic Long-Range Research Initiative (LRI)LRI's mission is to identify and fill gaps in the understanding of the hazards posed by chemicals and to improve the methods available for assessing the associated risks

European Commission: Treaty of Lisbon   BELGIUM
http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty/index_en.htm
European Commission web site of The Treaty of Lisbon signed by the Heads of State or Government of the 27 Member States in Lisbon on 13 December 2007 will provide the European Union (EU) with modern institutions and optimised working methods to tackle both efficiently and effectively today's challenges in today's world. In a rapidly changing world, Europeans look to the EU to address issues such as globalisation, climatic and demographic changes, security and energy. The Treaty of Lisbon will reinforce democracy in the EU and its capacity to promote the interests of its citizens on a day-to-day basis.

European Commission: Health   EUROPE
http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/index_en.htm
European Commission presents the official public health portal of the European Union that contains a wide range of information and data on health-related topics and activities.

UK

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD: Absence measurement and management   UK
www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/absence
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) information, guidance, practical advice, guidance, surveys, tools on alcohol and drugs.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD: Alcohol and drugs   UK
www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/drugs
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) information, guidance, practical advice, guidance, surveys, tools on alcohol and drugs.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD: Occupational Health   UK
www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/occpnhlth
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) information, guidance, practical advice, guidance, surveys, tools on occupational health.

National Packaging and Waste   UK
http://npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk
UK National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) is a web-based database supported by the Environment Agency, Defra, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service (NIEHS), the Advisory Committee on Packaging, companies obligated by the packaging regulations, reprocessors, exporters and compliance schemes.

National Back Exchange   UK
www.nationalbackexchange.org
UK National Back Exchange is a multidisciplinary group for those with an interest in backcare and prevention of work related musculoskeletal problems. It aims to promote the exchange of information and ideas on back care, develop and promote common standards of training in safer handling, promote initiatives and act as a forum for providing evaluation and audit of current practice in all matters associated with back care, to lobby employers to provide back care advisory services to reduce work related back problems and to provide support and advice for members.

Resuscitation Council   UK
www.resus.org.uk
UK Resuscitation Council provides education and reference materials to healthcare professionals and the general public in the most effective methods of resuscitation.

USA

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)   Hurricanes   USA
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH) information on dealing with hurricanes. and to prepare for a hurricane, secure or protect potential home hazards, such as utilities.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)   Science Blog   USA
www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) introduced a new NIOSH Science Blog on Nov. 5, 2007, to further communicate the scientific issues related to NIOSH's research and recommendations, and to stimulate discussion on those issues. The blog or web log is intended as a new way to help NIOSH fulfil its mission of translating research into practice for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. It is designed to provide an expeditious system for partners and stakeholders to present ideas to NIOSH scientists and each other, while engaging in robust scientific discussion with the goal of protecting workers.

Diary of Events

If you have a seminar, conference or exhibition that you would like to promote - please send details to your Editor. Also look in www.oshworld.com/diary.html

26-29 February 2008 - SICUR 2008
Madrid Exhibition Centre, Madrid, Spain
Contact: www.sicur.ifema.es

3-4 March 2008 - RoSPA National Water Safety Congress 2008 "Information into Education" Looking to the future
Thistle Hotel, Bristol, UK
Contact: RoSPA Events, Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Birmingham B5 7ST | Tel: +44 (0)121 248 2120 | Fax: +44 (0)121 248 2094 | www.rospa.com/LeisureSafety/AdviceAndInformation/WaterSafety

3-6 March 2008 - 7th Panafrican Congress on Occupational Health (PACOH): Prevention initially: the informal economy and its risks; chemical hazards in industry and agriculture; child labour; mental health in the African context
Cotonou, Benin
Contact: General Secretariat PACOH 2008, 01 B.P. 188, Cotonou, Benin | Tel: +229 21 30 52 22 | Fax: +229 21 30 52 23 | Email: info@pacohbenin.org | www.pacohbenin.org

9-13 March 2008 - Fifth international course on Age management: Life course and work
Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselkä (Lapland), Finland
Contact: Pirjo Turtiainen, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, FINLAND | Tel: +358 30 474 2349 | Email: pirjo.turtiainen@ttl.fi | www.niva.org/courses.htm

12-14 March 2008 - IALI Conference 2008: Towards healthy, safe and decent work through alliances, ethics and influence
Organized by SafeWork SA - the occupational health and safety (OHS) and industrial relations authority of the Government of South Australia - and the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) in cooperation with the OHS authorities of Australia and New Zealand and the ILO.
Adelaide, South Australia.
Contact: IALI 2008 Conference Secretariat, SafeWork SA, Level 4, 1 Richmond Road, Keswick, South Australia 5035 | Tel: +61 8 8303 0469 | Fax: +61 8 8463 4978 | Email: iali2008@safework.sa.gov.au | www.safework.sa.gov.au/iali2008conference

18-19 March 2008 - IOSH 2008 conference
Arena and Conference Centre Liverpool, UK
Contact: IOSH | www.iosh-conference.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=32/t=m/goSection=22

31 March - 2 April 2008 - 8th International Work Congress on Work Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation
Durban, South Africa
Contact: mnyenti@uj.ac.za | www.uj.ac.za/wc2008

2-3 April 2008 - Cooperation for Waste Issues - The 5th International Conference on Solid waste, Sewage and Air emissions management
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Contact: Ms Iryna Popova, Director of EcoInformm P.O.B. 81, Kharkiv, 61052, Ukraine | Tel/Fax +38 (057) 712-11-05 | Email: world_of_waste@mail.ru | www.waste.com.ua/cooperation

7-12 April 2008 - Fire Department Instructors Conference 2008
Indiana Convention Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Contact: FDIC, P.O. Box 973059, Dallas, TX 75397-3059 USA | Tel: +1 888 299 8016 or +1 918 831 9160 | Fax: +1 888 299 8057 or +1 918 831 9161 | http://fdic08.events.pennnet.com | www.fireengineering.com

8-14 April 2008 - AOHC 2008: American Occupational Health Conference
New York, USA
Contact: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) | Tel: +1 847 816 ext 374 | www.acoem.org

14-17 April 2008 - MIPS - 14th International Exhibition, Protection, Security and Fire Safety and Conference
Expocentr, Krasnaya Presnya, Moscow, Russia
Contact: http://mips-expo.com

15-17 April 2008 - Hazards XX - Process safety and environmental protection: Harnessing knowledge - challenging Complacency: Symposium and Exhibition - IChemE
Weston Building, University of Manchester, UK
Contact Mike Adams | Tel: +44 (0)1539 732845 (phone / fax) | Email: mikeadams@rawgreen.fsworld.co.uk | www.icheme.org/events.aspx

16-18 April 2008 - 3rd Biennial Conference: Australian Association for Manual Handling of People
Melbourne, Australia
Contact: Pippa Wright, Conference Convenor, Australian Association for Manual Handling of People | Email: info@conorg.com.au | www.aamhp.org.au

16-18 April 2008 - Disaster Management 2008: An endeavour to combat disaster
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India
Contact: Services International, New Delhi, India | Tel: 91 11450 55561/64 | Email: info@servintonline.com | www.dmindiaexpo.com

25 April - 2 May 2008 - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Contact: American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., 2920 Brandywine Rd., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA | Tel: +1 770 455 7757 | Fax: +1 770 455 7271 | www.aaohn.org

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