CIS Newsletter

No. 226
July 2008

CIS Newsletter celebrates 20 years & still going strong!
Bringing news to over 147 countries in the CIS Network!

Contents

  1. Editorial - Meeting and training session of CIS Members in London, 10-11 September 2008 all are welcome...
  2. News from the ILO/CIS
  3. News from around the World - Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, China, European Agency, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Korea, Malaysia, Switzerland, UK and the USA
  4. OSHE websites to explore
  5. Diary of Events

Editorial

Dear CIS Colleagues

As you read this newsletter - the ILO Congress is taking place in Seoul, Korea between 29 June and 2 July 2008. The Annual CIS Meeting has already taken take place. I expect to have some reports in the August edition of the CIS Newsletter.

As usual you can see there is a wealth of news in this edition of the CIS newsletter from around the world.

The London meeting is gathering momentum... a group of CIS members wish to meet up on 10-11 September 2008, in Central London, UK and are organising a Meeting of the CIS Members' Network. Everyone is very welcome. Latest news...

Gabor Sandi will represent the ILO at the Meeting of the CIS Members' Network on 10-11 September 2008. Gabor will inform participants of the results of the CIS Centres meeting in Seoul, of other relevant activities at the World Congress (including the Declaration), and of plans for the future by CIS, including the celebrations foreseen for the 50th anniversary next year.

A number of members have already indicated that they will be attending - please let me know as soon as possible if you intend to come this meeting.

The aim of this 2-day meeting that will include a training session on organizing campaigns, events and publicity for CIS Centres so that ideas can be shared and either used collectively or individually in each country. The main message for this 50th anniversary is raise the profile of Occupational safety and health information worldwide and especially the role of the CIS Centres. The programme will include an exchange of information from members.

See below for full details.

Everyone is invited - we each are paying our own travel, accommodation and meals as we always do. CIS network should benefit from this meeting enormously.

Don't forget a very important date that is ahead of us - the celebration of the 50th Anniversary in 2009 of the formation of CIS! We need to plan for this important event - 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!!!!!

Make my day and send your news... 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 now for over 6 years.

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!

Remember the motto of all publicity people... tell them, tell them and tell them again... so take every opportunity to give publicity to "Health and Safety at work"...

Thriving in 2008... Keep promoting and telling the World at large that CIS and its network exists!

And 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! Each month I get news of information centres and libraries that are being closed down!

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

Important Latest News for CIS Members

Meeting and training course for CIS Members will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, 10 and 11 September 2008 at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, Central London

The aim of the meeting is to enable CIS members to:

The Draft Agenda

The following draft agenda is a first stab of what we can/want do - but please do send in other topics...

Gabor Sandi will represent the ILO at the Meeting of the CIS Members' Network on 10-11 September 2008. Gabor will inform participants of the results of the CIS Centres meeting in Seoul, of other relevant activities at the World Congress (including the Declaration), and of plans for the future by CIS, including the celebrations foreseen for the 50th anniversary next year.

  1. What we should be doing to celebrate the CIS 50th anniversary in 2009 collectively and in our own countries
  2. Share best promotion and publicity practices in each of our countries - examples of successes
  3. Build on ideas that we have discussed over the years and which are captured in the report I wrote that can be accessed on www.sheilapantry.com/cis/other/wp01.html
  4. Use of the 50th anniversary of CIS to make people worldwide aware of the available validated and authoritative health and safety information centres, services, guidance and advice that CIS network members hold or have access to.
  5. Have an updating exchange of news from those attending
  6. Any other business topics

Everyone is invited - we each are paying our own travel, accommodation and meals as we always do when attending CIS Meetings. CIS network MEMBERS should benefit from this meeting enormously.

Please note that you will NOT receive any official invitation from CIS HQ because this meeting is an informal meeting, organised by CIS members for CIS Members.

A number of members have already indicated that they wish to attend this meeting.

If you are attending this September 2008 meeting please send your name, organisation, address and all up-to-date contact details including email number to:

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

Hotel accommodation prices have been sorted and will be sent to all delegates. If you are going to this meeting then contact details are above.

The location of the meeting is central London and easy access from all airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stanstead and the new St. Pancras International Train Station. See www.imperialhotels.co.uk. Details of travel to the Imperial Hotel will be forward to delegates.

News from the ILO CIS HQ

When you read this newsletter the World Congress will be ongoing - see website: www.safety2008korea.org

The Congress will be held in conjunction with the 24th APOSHO Annual Conference www.aposho.org/24th.

Two new CIS Centres

We warmly welcome the following two new CIS Centres to the network and hope to see their representatives at the forthcoming meetings and also to exchange information.

1) Iraq:
National Centre for Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Baghdad, Irak
Dr Hila Jassim Al-Thowaini
hilaljassim@yahoo.com
The person responsible for CIS activities is Mr. Mohammad Waleed

2) Mauritania:
National Office for Occupational Medicine
Ministry of Employment, Social Insertion and Vocational Training
1829 Nouakchott
Mauritania
Tel: 00 222 525 13 08
Fax: 00 222 525 13 30
Dr Mustapha Ghazoini
mostaphaghazoini@yahoo.fr
The person responsible for CIS activities is: Aminettou mint Dicro

The 97th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization

13 June 2008 saw the The 97th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization concluding its work after adopting a landmark Declaration designed to strengthen the promotion of Decent Work and develop new ways of responding to the growing challenges of globalization.

The annual International Labour Conference, which attracted more than 4,000 delegates representing governments, workers and employers from the ILO's 182 member States, also held wide-ranging discussions on rural poverty reduction, enhancing skills development, and considered a number of issues regarding adherence to international labour standards. In addition, it hosted a high-level panel discussion on the global food crisis and marked the annual World Day Against Child Labour.

The Conference hosted three eminent guest speakers, including H.E. Danilo Türk, President of the Republic of Slovenia, H.E. Martin Torrijos Espino, President of the Republic of Panama, and the Right Honourable Mr Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The Conference was presided over by Mr. Edwin Salamín Jaén, Minister of Labour and Labour Development of Panama. Conference Vice-Presidents were Mr. Tayeb Louh, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security of Algeria, Mr. Ashraf W. Tabani, President of the Employer's Federation of Pakistan and Ms Rabiatou Sérah Diallo, Secretary General of the National Confederation of Workers (CNTG) of Guinea.

At the conclusion of the Conference, ILO Director-General said, "This Conference demonstrated again the vitality of tripartism at the heart of the Organization, now re-energized to fully discharge its mandate in the context of the challenges of today." Mr. Somavia said the Conference had "placed decent work at the heart of the ILO's institutional system" through the adoption of the "Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization". (For further details see press release ILO/08/30)

In the final day's plenary, Dr. Carlos Tomada, Minister of Work, Employment and Social Security, Republic of Argentina, announced formally the recipients of the ILO's second annual Decent Work Research Prize as Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and leading Canadian labour researcher Harry Arthurs (For further details see press release ILO/08/22). On 6 June, the Conference Plenary discussed the ILO's new Global Report on freedom of Association.

During the last 10 years, the ILO has achieved a 50 per cent increase in ratifications of its eight fundamental Conventions on forced labour, child labour, discrimination, and freedom of association and collective bargaining, bringing universal ratification within reach. On 2 June, the Conference elected new members to the ILO's Governing Body for its next three-year term.
The Committee on Rural Employment held an in-depth discussion on the promotion of rural employment for poverty reduction. The Committee underscored the central role of agriculture as an engine of growth and poverty reduction. A wide range of topics were analysed, including trends in rural employment and decent work deficits, extending social protection coverage and the application of international labour standards in rural areas, as well as promoting better governance, empowerment and institutions.

The Committee on Skills adopted a set of conclusions to guide Governments and the social partners in strengthening the linkages between skills, productivity, employment, development and decent work. Improving the quality and availability of education and training for women and men can engender a virtuous circle in which skills development fuels the innovation, investment, technological change, enterprise development, economic diversification and competitiveness that are needed to accelerate the creation of more and better jobs and improve social cohesion.

ILO-CIS Bulletin on-line

For many years, CIS's most visible product was its bibliographic Bulletin called Safety and Health at Work. We stopped printing this Bulletin at the end of the 2003 publication year, and we are now pleased to offer its virtual equivalent as one of our electronic products available through the Internet. Each virtual Bulletin contains the latest additions to the CISDOC database, organized in the same CIS number order as the printed Bulletin used to be. No index is necessary, as every Internet browser has an inbuilt Find or Search function.

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

News from Europe

Healthy workplaces - a top priority in Europe
Reducing accidents and diseases by better assessing workplace risks

Every three-and-a-half minutes somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes. This means that almost 167,000 deaths a year result from either work-related accidents or occupational diseases. Most of these accidents and diseases are preventable, and the first step in preventing them is risk assessment.

That is the message of "Healthy Workplaces: Good for you. Good for business. A European campaign on Risk Assessment", the new Europe-wide information campaign launched by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

The campaign focuses especially on high-risk sectors such as construction, healthcare and agriculture, and on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will run over two years (2008-2009) and contribute to the objectives of the Community Strategy related to Health and Safety at Work (2007-2012), which aims to cut work-related accidents by a quarter across the EU.

Backed by the EU Presidencies, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the social partners, the campaign is running in all EU Member States and beyond.

Risk assessment is key to reducing accidents and workplace illness

Risk assessment is the process of systematically evaluating the risks to workers' safety and health from workplace hazards. It looks at all aspects of the workplace and the work that is carried out there, considering what could cause harm, whether hazards, accident risks or longer term health risks can be eliminated, and if not, what preventive or protective measures should be put in place.

The Healthy Workplaces campaign encourages companies to carry out their assessments properly, involving everyone in the workplace, and promotes successful good practice that can be adapted to a variety of workplaces.

Risk assessment is a powerful tool that enables employers to understand the action they need to take to eliminate or minimise the risks and to identify and take the measures necessary to protect the safety and health of their workers. It is the start of the process of safety and health management.

Risk assessment is at the heart of occupational safety and health policies

Despite many improvements in health and safety, every year millions of EU workers are injured or have their health seriously harmed at work. Many companies all over Europe are already carrying out successful risk assessments. However, empirical data shows there is still room for improvement, especially among SMEs.

Apart from their moral responsibilities, employers in the EU have a legal duty to protect their employees and to ensure their safety and health in every aspect related to work. The Framework Directive 89/391 has been incorporated into national law in all Member States and places a legal obligation on employers to manage occupational safety and health in their workplaces.

According to this directive, employers are legally required to carry out effective risk assessments as part of an on-going process of risk management. Some Member States have even stricter requirements for employers to protect workers.

Risk assessment has business and economic benefits

Workplace accidents and illnesses are costly. There is the human cost for workers and their families; there is the cost for organisations when things go wrong, including the cost of reduced productivity. And there are costs for governments, as accidents and illness place a burden on healthcare systems.

Creating safe working conditions enables companies to cut costs arising from occupational accidents and illness. Proper risk assessment helps reduce rates of sick leave, and insurance costs come down with fewer claims. More highly motivated workers are more productive and efficient, and staff turnover rates fall. This all helps businesses become more competitive.

Risk assessment is no mystery

The evaluation of workplace hazards can be a challenge, especially for small businesses. But risk assessment is not necessarily complicated, bureaucratic, or a task only for experts. A simple, step-by-step approach is often all that is needed, and many resources and examples of good practice are available to help make the process easier.

The Healthy Workplaces campaign wants to demystify the process, promoting a simple five-step approach, and encourage companies to carry out their risk assessment in-house on an ongoing basis.

Central campaign features

EU-OSHA launched the Healthy Workplaces campaign on Risk Assessment with a press conference in Brussels on 13 June 2008. Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA, highlighted the importance of the campaign topic and gave an insight into the campaign activities that will take place over the coming two years. Commissioner Vladimír Špidla put the campaign in the wider context of the Community Strategy for Health and Safety at Work (2007-2012). The Slovenian EU Presidency will be represented by Romana Tomc, State Secretary of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.

The Healthy Workplaces campaign engages a wide range of businesses and organisations to get the key messages across to their partners. Participating organisations and individuals can download a personalised certificate or show their commitment by getting involved as a campaign sponsor or partner.

During the European Week for Safety and Health at Work (20-26 October 2008 and 19-25 October 2009), a series of events will be organised involving the Agency's network of focal points, which are usually the national OSH authorities in each Member State.

The campaign also features Good Practice Awards, which recognise companies and organisations that have made outstanding contributions in promoting risk assessment in the workplace.

A wide variety of campaign materials are available in 22 EU languages and can be downloaded from the campaign website: http://hw.osha.europa.eu.

Included are awareness-raising posters and leaflets, factsheets, examples of good practice, quizzes, animations featuring the popular cartoon character Napo, a magazine providing technical information, and tips on how to organise and manage activities.

The site also provides access to risk assessment tools, for instance checklists by sector and hazard, to help with the practical aspects of risk assessments. All this material is available free for organisations to use, and to distribute among their stakeholders and partners.

How to get involved

EU-OSHA encourages individuals and organisations to get involved in the campaign, and to organise their own events and activities during the European Weeks or at any other time during the campaign.

For more information on events and how to become involved, get in touch with the focal point in your country. The contact details can be found on the campaign website. http://hw.osha.europa.eu/contacts_activities

For organisations planning their own events for the European Week, our website provides examples of good practice, as well as forums for sharing ideas, giving feedback, and finding out what other people are doing. Please also check the Partners section on the campaign website: http://hw.osha.europa.eu/partners

Good health and safety is good business, and proper risk assessment is worth investing in.

Further links

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2009

We invite applications from libraries and organisations with a mandate to provide public access to information to apply for the Access to Learning Award (ATLA) 2009.

The award recognizes excellence and innovation in public libraries and similar institutions in providing access to information through the use of computers and the Internet, at no cost to the user. The recipient will receive a prize of US$1 million.

The 2009 brochures (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), application form and further information are now available from www.gatesfoundation.org/atla.

Please note: the closing date for the 2008 award is 31 October 2008.

If you, or any of your contacts, have any questions please do not hesitate to contact ATLA at atla@gatesfoundation.org

Carol Priestley, Director, Network for Information & Digital Access (NIDA), 37/39 Ludlow Road, London, W5 1NX, UK | Tel: 44 (0)20 8997 3274 | Web: www.nida-net.org

FOCUS

Blossom and Grow Successfully Cultivating Industrial Hygiene (IH) in Romania by Roy Buchan*

The country desperately needs properly educated occupational hygienists with a primary responsibility to visit workplaces, to change hazardous work environments and to prevent occupational diseases.

I have a powerful success story to tell you. During the fall semester of 2007, I was privileged to teach the first comprehensive graduate course in occupational hygiene in Romania. I taught at The Gh. Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania, and the course was presented in the Department of Engineering and Materials Science. The course was a tremendous success, but there is much more to tell.

Many Americans don't know much about Romania, so I begin with a short discussion of the country, followed by a brief history of my personal activities there throughout the years, which eventually led to initiation of a new graduate course and program in occupational hygiene last fall.

About Romania

Romania is located in Eastern Europe between Hungary and the Black Sea. It is made up of mountains and agricultural plains covering 91,699 square miles, with a population of almost 63 million people. Romania owes its name, and much of its language, to its time as a part of the Roman Empire. Throughout the centuries, Romania has been occupied by many countries, the most recent being the Soviet Union. For 24 years, the Romanian people were repressed by the harsh Communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu. He was overthrown and executed in 1989 during a popular revolt of the people. A new constitution was approved in 1991, and the country is now a democratic republic.

The economy is based on manufacturing of machinery and transportation equipment, production of fuel, steel, minerals and several metals. Agriculture is primarily corn, wheat, grapes and some livestock. From my personal experience, Romania produces wonderful wines. The country was initially slow to adjust to a market economy. Now, with improvement in its basic infrastructure, steady economic progress is being made, including steady growth in the country's GDP. Thankfully, the standard of living for most Romanians is steadily improving. Of special note, Romania was recently approved to join the European Union.

Romania has a wonderful educational system, with a literacy rate above 96 percent. The city of Iasi is considered the center of Romanian culture and the arts. Iasi is also a university city, with a population of 250,000, in addition to 70,000 students studying for advanced degrees.

Seeds of Passion

I was first invited to teach a one-week short course in occupational hygiene to physicians at a public health institute in the Romanian capital of Bucharest in 1997. During that visit, I was given a tour of a silicosis clinic, where they told me the clinic lost 3,000 people each year to the disease. As you know, silicosis is a progressive pneumoconiosis with no cure; the only remedy is prevention. Clearly, there was a tremendous need in Romania for occupational hygienists to prevent these deaths. During the course, when discussing silicosis I was challenged by physicians in the class that this number of fatalities was too high. Nevertheless, the number quoted to me for 1997 was 670 fatalities, which remains extremely high for a country of Romania's size.

Occupational disease in Romania is presently the purview of physicians in occupational medicine. Most of these physicians are very capable. Some are knowledgeable in occupational hygiene, and some go into the field to evaluate work conditions. However, their primary workload is the treatment of those people suffering occupational diseases. The occupational medicine physician has a tremendous workload treating the ill, and he or she does not have enough time to deal with hazards in industries to prevent disease.

These circumstances led to my passion: To introduce and have accepted the profession of occupational hygiene in Romania. The country desperately needs properly educated occupational hygienists with a primary responsibility to visit workplaces, to change hazardous work environments and to prevent occupational diseases.

Growing Support

After my 1997 visit, I was invited back several times to present lectures at professional conferences and to teach short courses. During that time, I came to know a sizable number of enthusiastic professionals who wanted to form a Romanian occupational hygiene association. While there were many people involved, the names that come to mind are Radu Branisteanu, an occupational hygienist with considerable experience, and his wife Livia, a physician; Carmen Atenie, an occupational physician; and Eugen and Anca Gurzau, both environmental physicians. Along with Cindy Becnel, an industrial hygienist from Colorado, we began to create the professional society.

In January 2001, AIHA sponsored my trip to Bucharest, where I worked with the Romanians to write bylaws for their new association. In late 2001, AIHA paid for the government license required to establish the Romanian Occupational Hygiene Association (ARIO). AIHA has since sponsored several professional conferences with ARIO, educating professionals related to occupational hygiene and also promoting the profession where it did not exist before. Soon after ARIO was founded, the Rocky Mountain Section of AIHA made arrangements to be its sister association, accomplishing much through this relationship.

Throughout the years, a small number of people from the United States have taught short courses in Romania. Steve Levine, PhD, CIH, has been an active contributor. Most recently, under the leadership of Cindy Becnel, several industrial hygienists representing the RMS-AIHA, in cooperation with Dr. Eugen Gurzau, conducted a field-oriented short course for students in the city of Cluj-Napoca. These American industrial hygienists used their own time and money to put on the course and should be praised for their effort.

However, while short courses are beneficial, I came to believe that if occupational hygiene was to really take root in Romania and become a recognized and active profession, highly educated professionals with university degrees had to be produced to stand beside occupational physicians and toxicologists in the task of preventing occupational disease. To have this happen, I believed there had to be university programs to educate and prepare these new occupational hygienists for careers that would take them into the workplace and properly address occupational hazards.

Making It Last

In late 2005, I e-mailed Radu to ask if it would be possible for me to teach a graduate course in occupational hygiene at Iasi Technical University in the fall of 2007. Radu responded immediately that the course would be welcomed. In the spring of 2006, AIHA sponsored my trip to Iasi to work out details and gain approval for the new graduate course. During that trip, Radu and I met with the university president (Professor Dr. Eng. Nicolae Badea), the department head of Engineering and Materials Science (Professor Dr. Eng. Constantin Baciu), and Andrei Albulescu, chief inspector of the Territorial Labor Inspectorate, Iasi. The outcome was fantastic, the course was to be held, and Professor Dr. Eng. Badea requested syllabi from Colorado State University to begin planning a full graduate program in occupational hygiene.

In 2006, I started to contact people to assist in the development of the new course by providing modern equipment and books. One must remember we were starting from ground zero, with nothing available but a very sparse inventory of antiquated equipment. If the course was to succeed, we had to have the basic tools (equipment and books) to teach an "in-depth" modern graduate course. Many came willingly to our rescue. Paul James of Quest Technologies provided $10,000 worth of noise and heat stress equipment. Debbie Dietrich of SKC provided approximately $10,000 in air-sampling equipment. AIHA purchased an additional $2,000 worth of equipment to fill in the gaps. AIHA also sent 20 of the AIHA-published "White Books." Dean Lillquist, of the ACGIH Foundation, provided twenty 2006 TLV books. Personally, I was pleased to offer my services as a volunteer faculty member. Radu also volunteered his time, free of charge, as translator and educator.

I arrived in Iasi in September 2007, nervous, not knowing the language or what lay ahead. Radu met me at the airport around midnight and took me to the small apartment provided by the university that was to serve as home. The apartment was within walking distance of my office and the classroom, which was very convenient. I had three days to settle in before beginning to teach the course, so there truly was no time to suffer any anxiety. The faculty and support personnel treated me as an honored guest, providing support for anything I needed to present a complete course in occupational hygiene.

Prior to my arrival, the proposed course was advertised widely. There were more applicants than could be accommodated. All 20 students were working professionals - physicians, chemists, toxicologists, engineers, safety inspectors and one dentist - necessitating that we teach the course outside of normal work hours. The course was taught every night of the week for two hours, totaling the equivalent of 50 one-hour lectures. This was more than the equivalent of a three-credit, semester-long course in the United States. This regimen created a very heavy workload during the day and on weekends preparing lectures. Radu translated all of my PowerPoint slides into Romanian (students downloaded all the lectures when the course was completed), and he translated for me during lectures. Radu also demonstrated all of the equipment in Romanian, eliminating me as an intermediate. This format worked fantastically.

As it turned out, the students were incredible. After some discussion of the way American courses are taught, with class participation being the norm, we established free interchange of ideas, shared experiences and, of course, answered questions, which also stimulated more discussion. The course turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my career as an academic.

While I was there, other significant accomplishments were made. First, through the efforts of Constantin Baciu, a new graduate program in occupational hygiene was approved by the university. Of great importance, Andrei Albulescu visited my last lecture to inform the class that he was taking a proposal to the Romanian Department of Labor to have occupational hygiene approved as a recognized profession. This alone will ensure the growth of occupational hygiene in Romania in the future.

More to Come

In closing, the course was an outstanding success, but much more has grown from the seed of one new course. Occupational hygiene will take root in Romania due primarily to the hard work, dedication and vision of my colleagues at Iasi Technical University and Andrei Albulescu. Since my return to the United States, significant events have occurred to support my last statement. Radu was hired to further develop the graduate program. A new Department of Occupational Hygiene and Safety has been established, and a new baccalaureate program in occupational hygiene and safety for engineers is being finalized. This new program already has been approved by the university and is now under consideration from a higher authority.

Finally, this great success continues to be a culmination of the work of many dedicated people and organizations. However, the most important is the AIHA International Affairs Committee. This success is typical of past IAC-AIHA endeavors in that it comes from the sweat equity of AIHA members and friends of AIHA. I am so fortunate to have been involved, and I plan to return at the request of Constantin Baciu in spring 2008 to teach a more advanced course.

*Roy Buchan, DrPH, CIH, served AIHA as president in 2005-2006. He is professor emeritus at Colorado State University, where he developed an industrial hygiene program and continues to teach. Buchan resides in Fort Collins, Colo. He can be reached at (970) 223-7039 or rvbuchan@msn.com.

News from Albania

2,400 Children in School Thanks to Unions

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June held an event under the theme "Education is the Right Response to Child Labour". In Albania, where over 40,000 children are working rather than attending school, a project led by two teaching unions* has demonstrated how emphasising the importance of education can yield concrete results. The members of the two unions recognise that their job is not limited to teaching alone and that they also have a responsibility towards the children not on the school roll. Thanks to this project, if children do not attend or stop attending school, the teachers go to their home and discuss the reasons with their parents. They try to find solutions with them, to convince them of the vital importance of schooling for the future of the child and the family. The moral authority the teachers enjoy in the community generally helps them to convince the parents. Over 2,400 children, including many from the Roma community, are now back in school or have been saved from dropping out thanks to this trade union project.

The entire Albanian trade union movement is now looking to the success of the teaching unions' project as an example in its efforts to combat child labour. During a round table attended by the ITUC in Tirana on 26 April 2008, a number of unions launched an appeal for international trade union support to assist in the fight against child labour in export manufacturing. The problem lies in the clothing and footwear sectors, where firms subcontract part of the production out to home workers, some of whom use their children's help, making it difficult for them to keep up with their schooling. The indecent prices international buyers impose on Albanian firms go some way towards explaining this exploitation and the need for international trade union action.

* FSASH and SPASH, affiliated to Education International

For further information, also see the Union View on child labour in Albania and the project of the Albanian unions: www.ituc-csi.org/albania-keeping-children-in-school.html

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates. Website: www.ituc-csi.org

News from Canada

LATEST ISSUE - INFO IRSST (Electronic newsletter from the Institut de recherché Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail)

www.irsst.qc.ca/media/documents/en/InfoIrsst/Archives/InfoIRSST_v06n03.htm

Pleasant reading!

Jacques Millette, Communications Director, IRSST, 505, De Maisonneuve blvd. West, Montréal (Québec), Canada H3A 3C2 | www.irsst.qc.ca | communications@irsst.qc.ca

More News from Canada

New Software Helps Improve Quality of MSDSs

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has developed software to help writers produce high quality, accurate, WHMIS-compliant Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

In Canada, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) requires that manufacturers and suppliers provide MSDSs with information to help workers know about product hazards and how to work safely with them. CCOHS developed CANWrite, an MSDS writing software to help support Canadian businesses that need to produce MSDSs for their products. The software is intended to improve the quality and usability of MSDSs in workplaces and improve the safe use of chemicals.

CANWrite addresses many of the challenges faced by MSDS writers. Standardized phrases are provided to help author the MSDS - with the bonus feature that French versions of these phrases will be generated 'on the fly'.

Other features of the software include:

'We know that many manufacturers and suppliers lack the expertise to write quality MSDSs and prepare proper safety guidance on chemical hazards. With CANWrite we want to support Canadian businesses - especially small to medium enterprises - and apply CCOHS' chemical expertise and resources,' commented Dr. P.K. Abeytunga, CCOHS Vice President and Director General. 'We want to equip people with the tools and resources they need to work safely with chemicals.'

Future releases of CANWrite will incorporate requirements of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in time to help Canadian chemical manufacturers and suppliers implement any changes to MSDSs that GHS may create.
More information about CANWrite is available on the CCOHS Web site: www.ccohs.ca/products/canwrite.

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

News from the EUROPEAN AGENCY

Reducing Accidents at Work through Risk Assessment: new campaign

Every year 5,720 people die in the European Union as a consequence of work-related accidents. Most of these accidents and diseases are preventable, and the first step in preventing them is risk assessment.

That is the message of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work information campaign on risk assessment. For more details see

(IP/08/931)

News from Germany

Retaining employees' capacity for work following sickness

The 4th International Forum on Disability Management will be held in Berlin from 22 to 24 September 2008.

How can businesses retain employees' capacity for work following sickness and disablement? Experts from throughout the world will address this question at the 4th International Forum on Disability Management (IFDM), which is to be held at the Berlin Congress Centre from 22 to 24 September 2008. The IFDM will be hosted by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), together with the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Over 120 speakers from almost every corner of the globe will be presenting the latest findings on how employees can be returned to vocational life following sickness. Besides generic topics, the programme covers numerous talks on subjects such as issues specific to older employees, psychosocial disorders, and cancer. Other topics are particular requirements in production, the service sector, and the public sector.

The 2008 IFDM is aimed particularly at delegates from employers' and employees' groups, experts from companies and state institutions, researchers, providers of prevention and rehabilitation services, insurance institutions, disability managers, legal experts, business managers, medical doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. To register for the congress, visit the website at www.ifdm2008.de. The conference fee is €550 for registration by 31 July, €690 thereafter. One-day visitors' cards can be purchased for €230.

The DGUV

The DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance) is the association of accident insurance institutions. Its members insure over 70 million people against the consequences of occupational, school and commuting accidents and occupational diseases. As accident insurance bodies, they possess comprehensive expertise in occupational safety and health, and in medical and vocational rehabilitation.

Press contact: Stefan Boltz, DGUV Press department | Tel.: +49 30 288763-768 | Fax: +49 30 288763-771 | Email: presse@dguv.de

News from India

Pioneering Initiative to improve quality of education in rural India

Education stakeholders worldwide will focus on education and learning as a means to combat child labour with the World Day against Child Labour on Thursday, June 12.

India has one of the world's fastest growing economies yet two-thirds of the population is still illiterate.

However, a revolutionary initiative has been designed to improve the quality of education in rural India by taking new technology into remote villages.

HiWEL, Hole in The Wall Education Limited, is an education system where children can use self-sufficient, remotely monitored computers which are online and loaded with links to educational material.

Set up like a cash point, the computers are placed in the sides of buildings, walls of schools and other public locations.

The founder of HiWEL, Chief Scientist Emeritus of the NIIT group and currently Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University, Dr Sugata Mitra, started the project in 1999 as a research initiative to determine alternative pedagogy across rural India.

"India is developing a reputation as a serious global outsourcing base and we needed to investigate how the country would cope with multiple industries moving here," Dr Mitra said.

"We needed to know if the existing education system would work over a long period to provide people with an education level to sustain the intellectual impact of companies moving their bases to India," he said.

In June, 2000, Dr Mitra installed computers in Madantusi to study the impact of the HiWEL on the community's children. Dr Mitra was astonished by the results - Hindi-speaking children, who had previously spoken no English at all, had learned how to use the Internet and were teaching themselves around 400 English words per month.

Dr Mitra continued to experiment with the technology and installed computers in Kalkaji, Shivpuri and dozens of other locations, with 200-300 children sharing a village computer and becoming PC-literate within three months.

To investigate how far this kind of self-organised learning can go, Prof. Mitra recently loaded a computer with an English biotechnology program on it in Kuppan, a remote village in South India. When he returned three months later, he discovered a young girl who had seen the program, contacted a relative about it and had taught herself about biotechnology and DNA sequencing from the computer programs. She had then proceeded to teach other children.

India is now the largest global outsourcing provider and Dr Mitra hopes that NIIT Technologies Ltd can use HiWEL to educate the next generation of IT and outsourcing professionals.

"Since the early 1990s, NIIT Technologies has been in the forefront of introducing new technology to young people. The challenge now is a much greater one - the development of talent in rural India through education. Indeed, a talent pool from rural India would be one of the only ways of tackling the worldwide shortage of skilled people. Through initiatives such as HiWEL, NIIT Technologies hopes to promote quick and far reaching IT literacy in the country."

India is now the largest global outsourcing provider and Dr Mitra hopes that NIIT Technologies Ltd can use the HiWEL to educate the next generation of IT and outsourcing professionals.

HiWEL is currently being used in Cambodia, the border between Pakistan and China as well as several African countries with more than 300,000 children having used the computers.

About NIIT Technologies Ltd

NIIT Technologies is a leading IT solutions organisation, servicing customers in North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and Australia. It offers services in Application Development and Maintenance, Enterprise Solutions including Managed Services and Business Process Management to organisations in the Financial Services, Transportation, Retail, Manufacturing and Government sectors.

NIIT Technologies' software development processes are assessed at SEI CMMI - Level 5 Version 1.2. Its human resource processes are assessed at the highest level of maturity at PCMM Level 5. Further, NIIT Technologies has processes and systems for information security management certified in accordance to the ISO 27001 standard, and its facilities offering Managed Services conform to ISO 20000 standard of Service Management.

For further information visit www.niit-tech.com

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News from the ITUC

World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2008 ITUC Mini action guide on Child Labour

On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2008, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) launched a new "Mini Action Guide on Child Labour," providing campaigning tools and direct support to trade unions to fight against child labour. According to the ILO, some 218 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labour. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions.

The guide, which was produced with support from the ILO-IPEC programme, highlights the fact that some sixty-nine percent of working children are involved in agriculture compared with nine percent in industry. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest number of child labourers with 122 million, followed by sub-Saharan Africa (49.3 million) and Latin America and the Caribbean (5.7 million). With twenty-six percent, the proportion of children engaged in economic activities in sub-Saharan Africa is currently the highest of any region in the world. Child labour can also be found in many industrialised countries.

According to the ITUC mini guide of action, trade unions have a responsibility to society and workers in general to ensure that labour standards and legislation are respected by all employers at all levels. Workers' organisations have a long tradition of defending human rights and workers' rights, and child labour violates both children's and adults' rights.

The World Day Against Child Labour this year is emphasizing education as a key factor in the eradication of child labour. The day will be marked around the world with activities to raise awareness that education is the right response to child labour. Around 72 million children of primary school age are not enrolled in school. There are also many who are enrolled but who do not attend regularly or who drop out. Good quality education and training is necessary for children if they are to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in the labour market; such education and training is also important to economically and socially excluded children and youth so that they can lift themselves out of poverty. Wherever children miss out on education, poverty will continue from one generation to the next, explains the mini guide.

"Too many children have lives profoundly affected by the fact that instead of going to school they have to go to work," said Guy Ryder, ITUC general secretary. "Effort must be made by all, with governments, employers, unions and others all playing their part," he added.

To fight against child labour, the guide gives advice on issues such as using collective bargaining, participation in tripartite dialogue, promoting international labour standards, joining the Global March Against Child Labour and the Global Trade Union Alliance to Combat Forced Labour and Trafficking, and campaigning for the ratification and implementation of the ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182.

The ITUC is closely linking its work in the Global March Against Child Labour and the newly-emerging Global Trade Union Alliance to Combat Forced Labour and Trafficking. The ILO estimates that up to fifty percent of all forced labour victims worldwide are children. Increasingly, children are becoming forced child labourers as a result of human trafficking. Children in in-house domestic work, in rural agriculture or isolated estates, in mining, brick making, textiles and fisheries are particularly vulnerable to this "worst form of child labour" as specified in ILO Convention 182.

On this World Day Against Child Labour, the ITUC shares the serious concerns with the ILO about the increased risk that the reconstruction of Burma will involve further use of child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, and military recruitment of children. Despite the fact that Burma officially made human trafficking illegal in September 2005, trafficking is still a serious problem in the country. A particular concern is the possibility that displaced and orphaned children will be pushed into forced labour, as traffickers will target displaced people and women and children who have lost their families. Unaccompanied or separated children are easily deceived by promises of safety and a better place to live, and "brokers" are reportedly recruiting children in shelters already.

For more information on IPEC (International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour): www.ilo.org/ipec/Campaignandadvocacy/WDACL/2008/lang--en/index.htm

To read the full ITUC mini action guide: www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/guide_CL_EN_Final.pdf

Information on 12 to 12

What is 12 to 12? The 12 to 12 Community Portal is a community of people from various walks of life all working together against child labour. The aim of this initiative is to bring attention to the issue of child labour from June 12th to June 12th, and every day after that until child labourers are finally given the chance to enjoy their rights as children and one day realize their full potential as the adults that they will become.

Fore more information on 12 to 12: www.12to12.org

News from Italy

Prevention Today from ISPESL

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL) is the CIS National Centre in Italy and has produced a quarterly journal of multidisciplinary research on occupation safety and health entitled Prevention Today (Prevenzione Oggi).

Prevention Today is available in English and Italian and publishes original scientific papers in the following areas: safety technologies, occupational hygiene, occupational medicine, psychosocial factors, environmental impact of production plants.

In addition to the research papers, the journal includes: The Editorial, which covers the latest issues in occupational safety and health with studies ands analyses of political and legislative aspects by experts in the field; Focus, which highlights prevention research results by focusing on the state of the art of specific research themes, with particular reference to the dissemination of knowledge and its impact on occupational safety and health.

The articles are being indexed into OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com.

Editorial Office: ISPESL, Department of Organization Processes, Via Alessandria 220/E, 00198 Rome, Italy | Tel: +06 44280296 | Fax: +06 44250972 | Email: prevenzioneoggi@ispesl.it | http://prevenzioneoggi.ispesl.it

News from the UK

Health, safety and migrant workers

TUC has issued new online guidance for migrant workers. And a new webpage from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides advice for their employers.

A TUC safety leaflet, published with HSE and translated into 19 different languages, is an attempt to improve safety awareness for this growing segment of the UK workforce. The leaflets are in Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Greek, Gujarati, Pashto, Portuguese, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian and Welsh, as well as English.

HSE's online guidance targets employers, employment agencies, employment businesses, gangmasters and other labour providers and spells out their responsibilities under health and safety law towards migrant workers.

News from the USA

The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has produced the following publications:

"Explosion Hazards from Methane Emissions Related to Geologic Features in Coal Mines" DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-123. www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/outputid2936.htm

Spanish version of this NIOSH publication and Web pages are now available: "NIOSH sobre entrenamiento en espirometria" ("NIOSH Spirometry Training Guide") DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2004-154c. www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/docs/2004-154c_sp

Health Hazard Evaluation Report now available
Manufacturing Sector - Evaluation of potential ergonomic hazards. The NIOSH health hazard evaluation program responded to a union request at a piston and cylinder liner plant. The request concerned potential musculoskeletal hazards resulting from job tasks. The most common complaints were pain or discomfort in the low back and shoulders resulting from heavy lifting and awkward postures. NIOSH recommended that managers add adjustable lifts and tables to reduce bending and reaching and that they train workers to be aware of unsafe work practices. Investigators recommended that employees take the time to work safely and lift properly, as well as promptly report any injuries or unsafe work conditions to their supervisors. The final report is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0124-3060.pdf.

NIOSH website on Natural Disasters & Severe Weather, types of Disasters and Weather Emergencies
This covers: earthquakes, extreme heat, floods, hurricanes, landslides and mudslides, tornadoes. Tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires and winter weather.
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/natural.html

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OSHE web sites to explore...

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

We look at websites in different parts of the world that are offering quality information.

AFRICA

African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety   AFRICA
www.ttl.fi/AfricanNewsletter
African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety gives details of the occupational health and safety activities in the English speaking African countries. In full text, the newsletter is produced by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. ISSN 1239-4386.

SHE Africa.info   AFRICA
www.sheafrica.info
SHE Africa.info the official web site for the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Joint effort on Occupational Health and Safety in Africa. Covers: Human resource development focused on capacity building; National policies, programmes and legislation; Information, research and awareness raising; and Promotion of occupational health and safety in particularly hazardous occupations, vulnerable groups (including informal sector workers and children) and in newly transferred technologies.

ASIA

Asian Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety   ASIA
www.ttl.fi/Asian-PacificNewsletter
Asian Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety gives details of the occupational health and safety activities in the Asia Pacific countries. In full text, the newsletter it is produced by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. ISSN 1237-0843.

AUSTRALIA

Australasian Fire Authorities Council (includes New Zealand and Hong Kong)
www.afac.com.au
AFAC is a peak representative body for fire and emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region. It was established in 1993 and has 23 full members and 14 associate members, including Australian fire and emergency services and land management agencies, the Australian Council of State Emergency Services, Emergency Management Australia and the New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Hong Kong and East Timor Fire Services. Gives details of research, newsletter, events, information and links.

Australasian University Safety Association   AUSTRALIA
www.ausa.org.au
The Australasian University Safety Association gives details of its constitution setting out its aims, principles and activities.

Australian Building Trades Group of Unions Drug and Alcohol Committee   AUSTRALIA
www.btgda.org.au
Australian Building Trades Group of Unions Drug and Alcohol Committee site gives helpful information regarding the policies in place in the construction industry for drug and alcohol testing, safe removal of syringes and dealing with accidents. It also provides access to conference papers presented by the Sydney-based committee and the resources and products it offers.

Australian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety   ACOHS   AUSTRALIA
www.acohs.com.au
Australian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety aimed and people and organisations in the agricultural, petrochemical, construction, shipping industries. Offers material safety datasheet, chemical safety solutions, substance labelling, drugs and poisons information. Links with other organisations, gives news and events.

Australian Lung Foundation   AUSTRALIA
www.lungnet.org.au
The Australian Lung Foundation assists the relief of people suffering from lung disease, and promotes better lung health. Offers downloadable fact sheets about lung health, patient support, activities and events, publications, physicians and researchers plus General Practitioners information.

Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission: Hazardous Substances Database Information System   AUSTRALIA
http://hsis.ascc.gov.au
The Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission NOHSC has made available online a new Hazardous Substances Database Information System, which can provide hazard classification information for over 3,500 substances and the associated national exposure standards for over 580 atmospheric contaminants. The HSIS provides access to two data sets, one for hazardous substance information and the other for exposure standard information. The data for substances that are common to both data sets are linked. Both data sets can be searched using a range of search criteria. Search results (including the full data sets) can be printed or saved electronically.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation   CSIRO   AUSTRALIA
www.csiro.au
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the largest research organisation in Australia and one of the world's largest and most diverse scientific research institutions. Work touches just about every aspect of Australian life: everything from the molecules of life to the molecules in space - finding ways to improve our quality of life and economic performance. 6500 staff perform research and development over a broad range of areas of economic and social value including: agriculture, manufacturing, minerals and energy, construction, health and the environment

Environment Australia   AUSTRALIA
www.erin.gov.au
Environment Australia advises the Commonwealth government on policies and programmes for the protection and conservation of the environment. Extensive site with links to other relevant environment sites.

Fire and Emergency Services of Western Australia   FESA   AUSTRALIA
www.fesa.wa.gov.au
Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) and associated volunteers respond to a wide range of emergencies including fire, cyclones, storms, floods, road accidents, chemical spills and earthquakes as well as undertaking search and rescue operations on land and water. FESA also aims to reduce injury, loss of life and destruction of property in the community through proactive measures. FESA helps the West Australian community prepare, prevent (where possible) and respond safely to disasters. Contains information, current projects, news and links.

Fire and Emergency Management Services of Western Australia FESA   EMS   AUSTRALIA
www.ems.fesa.wa.gov.au
Fire and Emergency Management Services of Western Australia (FESA) Emergency Management Services is a division of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA). Working with the community, the role of FESA's EMS Division is to achieve a safer Western Australian community. Contains information, current projects, news and links.

Fire Protection Association Australia   FPAA   AUSTRALIA
www.fpaa.com.au
Details of the Fire Protection Association Australia activities, seminars, conferences, video and book sales, information, bulletins and newsletters, online library services, links to external organisations.

Institution of Fire Engineers Australia Inc.   AUSTRALIA
www.ife.org.au
Institution of Fire Engineers Australia Inc. information, news, services products, conferences and seminars. Links to various fire information web sites.

Australian Safety and Compensation Council   ASCC   AUSTRALIA
www.ascc.gov.au
Through a partnership of government, unions and industry the ASCC leads and coordinates national efforts to: prevent workplace death, injury and disease; improve workers' compensation arrangements; and improve the rehabilitation and return to work of injured workers. The ASCC also: provides a national forum for State and Territory governments, employers and employees to consult and participate in the development of policies relating to OHS and workers' compensation matters; and promotes national consistency in the OHS and workers' compensation regulatory framework.

National Occupational Health and Safety Commission: asbestos information   AUSTRALIA
www.ascc.gov.au/ascc/aboutus/publications/nationalstandards/listofnationalcodesofpractice.htm
National Occupational Health and Safety Commission on 17 October 2001,declared a prohibition on the use of chrysotile asbestos in Australia. The prohibition will take effect simultaneously under regulations in each Australian OHS jurisdiction by no later than 31 December 2003. Further information about asbestos and its prohibition in Australia appears in the public discussion documents on the NOHSC website.

National Safety Council of Australia, Safety News   AUSTRALIA
www.nsca.org.au/Resource_Centre/National_Safety_Magazine/Overview_1.aspx
National Safety Council of Australia, Safety News gives information on the latest edition - contents, feature, news index, news briefs, archive, international information and safety links.

Northern Territory Government Department of Employment, Education and Training   AUSTRALIA
www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
The Northern Territory Government Department of Employment, Education and Training covers Work Health and obligations, Workers' Compensation and Electrical Safety. Also includes courses available for employers, workers and the public.

Queensland Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations   AUSTRALIA
www.dir.qld.gov.au/workplace
Queensland Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations gives information about occupational health and safety news, legislation, codes of practice, information sheets, health and safety alerts, publications, hazardous substances case studies, conferences and papers, educational programmes, contact details and addresses, related sites, and other information.

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

You may also be inspired to organise something similar in your country

August 2008

4-8 August 2008 - ASTM Boulder Conference on Surface and Dermal Sampling 2008
Boulder, Colorado, USA
Contact: Kevin Ashley, NIOSH Division of Applied Research and Technology (Symposium Chair) | www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/filtrexx40.cgi?U+mystore+swqs8906+-P+EVENT_ID+1080+/usr6/htdocs/astm.org/SYMPOSIA/callforpapers.frm

14-16 August 2008 - International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International 2008
Denver, Colorado, USA
Contact: www.iafc.org

17-22 August 2008 - 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate
Organized by the Technical University of Denmark, in collaboration with several international and national institutions
Copenhagen, Denmark
Contact: Snejezana Skocajic, Conference secretary, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering, Nils Koppels Allé, Building 402, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark | Tel: (+45) 45 25 40 07 | Fax: (+45) 45 93 21 66 | Email: info@indoorair2008.org | www.indoorair2008.org

17-22 August 2008 - Eighth international course on occupational dermatology
Hämeenlinna, Finland
Contact: Gunilla Rasi, NIVA, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FIN-00250 Helsinki, FINLAND | Tel: +358 30 4741 | Fax: +358 30 474 2497 | Email: niva@ttl.fi | www.niva.org

26-27 August 2008 - 11th Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact: Secretariat COSH 2008, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Lot 1, Jalan 15/1, Section 15, 43650, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. | Fax: +60 (0)3 8926 5655 | Email: cosh2008@niosh.com.my | www.niosh.com.my/cosh2008

26-28 August 2008 - NOSHCON 2008: 47th International Conference & Exhibition on Occupational Risk Management
KwaZulu-Natal, Drakensberg, South Africa
Contact: Beatrix Oberholzer | Tel: +27 (0) 12 683 0200 | Email: beatrix@nosa.co.za | www.noshcon.co.za

September 2008

1-4 September 2008 - Third ICOH International Conference on Psychosocial Factors at Work: From knowledge to action
Quebec, Canada
Contact: Prof. Renée Bourbonnais, Département de réadaptation, bureau 3275, Faculté de médecine, Université Lavail, Ste-Foy, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada. | Email: Prof. Renée Bourbonnais and info@icoh-wops2008.com | www.icoh-wops2008.com

11-12 September 2008 - EUROSHNET: the 3rd European Conference on Standardization, Testing and Certification - Safer Products for Competitive Workplaces
Cracow, Poland
Contact: CIOP, Warsaw, Poland | www.ciop.pl/16650.html#2

14-17 September 2008 - Leveraging Partnerships - CSSE 2008 Professional Development conference
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Contact: The Canadian Society for Safety Engineering (CSSE) 39 River St Toronto ON M5A 3P1 | Tel: +1 416-646-1600 | Fax: +1 416-646-9460 Email: csseinfo@associationsfirst.com | www.csse.org

14-18 September 2008 - 14th International Society for Respiratory Protection
Dublin, Ireland
Contact: www.isrp.com/dublin

15-17 September 2008 - 35th Seminar of the European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists
Toulose, France
Contact: Julie Debout, Toulouse School of Economics (INRA-LERNA) & IDEI, Université Toulouse, Sciences Sociales Manufacture des Tabacs - Aile Jean-Jacques Laffont, 21 allée de Brienne, 31000 Toulouse. France | Tel: +33 (0)56112 8621 | Fax: +33 (0)56112 8637 | Email: contact@egrie2008.fr | www.egrie.org

15 September - 15 October 2008 - 5th International Cyberspace Conference on Ergonomics 2008 - CybErg08- Local Knowledge - global applications
Online Conference
Contact: secretariat@cyberg2008.org | www.cyberg2008.org

17-19 September 2008 - 19th Asia Conference on Occupational Health
Singapore
Contact: Conference Secretariat, Messe Dusseldorf Asia Pte Ltd, 9 Temasek Boulevard, #23-03 Suntec Tower Two, Singapore 038989, Singapore | Tel: +65 6332 9620 | Fax: +65) 6332 9655 / 6337 4633 | Email: acoh2008@mda.com.sg

22-23 September 2008 - Health and Safety Training for Managers and Supervisors
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Contact: Irene Brelsforth, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS), 135 Hunter Street East Hamilton ON L8N 1M5 | Tel: +1 905 572-2981 x4467 | Fax: +1 905 572-2206 | Email: ireneb@ccohs.ca | www.ccohs.ca

22-24 September 2008 - National Safety Council 2008 Congress and Expo
Anaheim, California, USA
Contact: National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca IL 60143 | Tel: 1-800.621.7619 or 630-775-2056 | Fax: 708-344-4444 | E-mail: customerservice@nsc.org | Web: www.congress.nsc.org

23 September 2008 - Update to Changes in the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Directive (Half Day course)
ERA Technology Ltd, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22, UK
Contact: The Events team, ERA Technology Ltd, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7SA, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1372 367319 | Fax: +44 (0)1372 367099 | Email: events@era.co.uk | www.era.co.uk

23-25 September 2008 - 10th International Particles Conference
Manchester, UK
Contact: British Occupational Hygiene Society 5/6 Melbourne Business Court, Millennium Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8LZ, UK | Email: admin@bohs.org | www.bohs.org

25 September 2008 - National Fork Truck Safety Conference 2008
Warwick University, Warwick, UK
Contact: The John Knowles Company Mariners, Penwerris Lane, Falmouth TR11 2PF, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1256 381 441 | Email: mail@fork-truck.org.uk | www.fork-truck.org.uk

25 September 2008 - Safe operations - the FLTA - Fork Lift Truck Safety Conference
Warwick University, UK
Contact: Fork Lift Truck Association | Tel: +44 ( 0) 1256 381 441 | Email: mail@fork-truck.org.uk | www.fork-truck.org.uk

25-26 September 2008 - Western States Occupational Network (WEST-ON)
The Sheraton Denver Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver, Colorado 80202, USA
Contact: Yvonne Boudreau, MD, MSPH, Medical Epidemiologist CDC/NIOSH/DRO | Tel: +1 303 236-5945 | Email: yboudreau@cdc.gov

27-30 September 2009 - 5th International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases
Crakow, Poland
Contact: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, 8 Teresy St., 91-384 Lodz, Poland | Tel: +48-42-6314 903 | Fax: +48-42-6568 331 | Email: alad@sunlib.p.lodz.pl | www.imp.lodz.pl

29 September - 1 October 2008 - The Shape of Safer Practice 2008: National Back Exchange Conference
Hinckley Island Hotel in Hinckley, UK
Contact: May Butcher, Conference Coordinator, National Back Exchange, Linden Barns, Greens Norton Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8AW, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1327 358855 | www.nationalbackexchange.org/conference_2008

30 September - 3 October 2008 - 4th International Conference: Prevention of Occupational Accident in a Changing Work Environment
Organized by the Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (ELINYAE) and supported by the International Labour Office (ILO), the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the European Network of Safety & Health Professional Organisations (ENSHPO).
Contact: Conference secretariat, Heliotopos Conferences, 28 Ypsilantou str. GR-172 36, Dafni, Athens, Greece | Tel: +30 210 9730697 | Fax: +30 210 9767208 | Email: wos2008@heliotopos.net | wos2008.conferences.gr

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