CIS Newsletter

No. 252
September 2010

CIS Newsletter celebrates 22 years & still going strong!
Bringing news from Members to Members in over 154 countries in the CIS Network!

The CIS Newsletter is a monthly newsletter for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) International Occupational Health and Safety Information Centres and is edited by Sheila Pantry OBE from the UK. The CIS Newsletter is NOT an official publication of the ILO but a newsletter containing information from Members in CIS Centres and other sources and is intended to be shared by anyone who finds the data contained useful. Users are free to use and reuse the data in these newsletters.

Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. CIS News Agenda for the Annual Meeting 2010 in Beijing, China
  3. More News from Geneva
  4. News, Events and ideas from around the World including OSH Briefs - Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA, SLIC and the ITUC to name a few!
  5. OSHE websites to explore
  6. Diary of Events

The WHO Network of Collaborating Centre Connection (CCC) e-newsletter: www.cdc.gov/niosh/ccc

ILO CIS Network Newsletters: www.sheilapantry.com/cis

Editorial

Greetings

In this edition you will find the agenda for the CIS Annual Meeting to be held in China on 30 August 2010. I would welcome any notes of the meeting so that any news of the day can be shared with members of the CIS Centres who are not fortunate enough to attend.

The meeting will also discuss the summary of the results of the survey Questionnaire - I am sure that members will be very interested in these results and also the other reports being presented.

FOCUS

At this time of the year many organisations are looking forward and planning their work programmes for 2011. This should also include plans to promote World Day of Safety and Health that is held around the world on 28 April each year.

Planning campaigns and work programmes takes time, energy, budgets and most importantly extra time to contact people in your own country who may also wish to be involved. Start early!

The CIS Newsletter this month contains a roundup of information received from many parts of the OSH World - for which many thanks.

If you are planning any publications, conferences, seminars or training courses, then please send your details to me so that we can share your efforts with others. Don't forget to send me your latest news! It is amazing how much the CIS Newsletter content gets re-used around the world.

Remember that whilst there is so much occupational safety and health information around the world not all will be trustworthy. Make sure that any information that you use is validated and authoritative and up-to-date.

USE IT OR LOSE IT!

Don't forget to continuously promote CIS and the Network!

Even adding the CIS logo on the front page of your website would be a good first start. (Checked recently and only a few CIS Centres websites have the logo or links to CIS website).

Please do add the CIS logo on all your publications.

Any views you have on CIS and its work please send into CIS HQ - to Gabor Sandi sandi@ilo.org and Seiji Machida machida@ilo.org

Keep up your Publicity... tell them, tell them and tell them again... see ideas in www.sheilapantry.com/cis/other/wp01.html

Remember that CIS Newsletters electronic archive going back nearly 7 years is available on www.sheilapantry.com/cis

Thanks again for the publications, emails and news - these are always gratefully received.

Will you be Surviving in 2011?... 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

Reminder News from CIS regarding the Forum after the 2010 Annual Meeting

Gábor Sándi, CIS Co-ordinator writes

Dear Colleagues,

As a follow-up to our invitation to the 48th National, Collaborating and Regional Meeting of CIS Centres, we are pleased to announce that, after consultations with the Chinese partners, an agreement has been reached with the organizers of the 5th China International Forum on Work Safety to cover the registration fees of CIS Meeting participants with a view to encourage their participation in the Forum. As you know, the Forum will be held on 31 August - 2 September. We strongly encourage all participants of the CIS Meeting to extend their stay in Beijing so that they can attend the Forum. We look forward to receiving your confirmation of participating in both Meetings.

Yours sincerely,

Gábor Sándi
CIS Coordinator
International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS)

The 5th China International Forum on Safety at Work will take place after the CIS Meeting, on 31 August - 2 September 2010.
More information: www.sino-safework.org.cn/en/page_index3.php?id=2&m=2&b=1

News from CIS

48th Annual Meeting of CIS Centres, Beijing, China - Monday 30 August 2010 - Agenda

09:00 Opening (Assane Diop)
09:15 Election of a chairperson
09:20 Adoption of the agenda
09:25 Adoption of the report of the 2009 Meeting
09:30 Presentation on the SafeWork Plan of Action (2010-2016) (Seiji Machida)
09:50 Report on CIS activities and accomplishments since the 2009 Meeting (Gabor Sandi)
10:15 Coffee break
10:45 Report on changes introduced to the CIS databases and the CIS web site - Q &A (Gabor Sandi)
11:15 Report on the activities of the CIS Centres Network since the 2009 Meeting - Q &A (Annick Virot)
11:35 Presentation on the preparations for the World Congress - Istanbul, 2011 (Hediye Özgen Timuçin)
12:00 Lunch break
14:00 Presentation of the Seoul Declaration (Jin-young Kwon)
14:10 Introduction of the reports from CIS Centres (Manal Azzi)
14:20 Presentations from selected Centres
15:20 Two groups to share good practice
15:40 Two groups will present summary of learnt lessons and potential for cooperation between Centres
16:00 Coffee break
16:20 Summary of the results of the survey questionnaire (Annick Virot)
16:40 Discussion for survey results
16:50 General discussion of current issues and future trends affecting the CIS Centres network
18:00 Closure

CIS Members will also be able to visit the Beijing CIS Centre.

More News from Geneva

Last month Gabor Sandi asked members to fill in a questionnaire survey of all centres, asking for feedback about the use of CIS products.

35 replies have been received at CIS HQ and the results of the survey will be presented at the CIS meeting by Annick Virot. Hope to carry the results in the next edition.

Meanwhile you may find some reports (in the boxes) on www.sheilapantry.com/cis useful.
These reports contain many ideas and suggestions for the development of the CIS Network and for promotion of your own centre.

Just in case you missed this news last month!

Gabor Sandi has been offered a prolongation of his contract at ILO CIS until 28 February 2011 (i.e. 6 months). This means he can supervise at least the creation of a new input system for CISDOC and a new output format for the database.

News from around the World...

News from Safe Work Australia

Engineered Nanomaterials: Investigating substitution and modification options to reduce potential hazards

Safe Work Australia commissioned RMIT to undertake a survey of the current substitution/modification practices used in Australian nanotechnology-related activities and a literature review in order to determine the potential substitution/modification options that may reduce the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials used in Australia.

Format: PDF/MS Word
Publication Date: 2 August 2010
ISBN: 978-0-642-33100-7 (PDF)

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Pages/RP201008EngineeredNanomaterialsInvestigatingSubstitutionAndModification.aspx

Engineered Nanomaterials Feasibility of establishing exposure standards and using control banding in Australia

The focus of this report is to investigate the feasibility of:

In December 2007, the British Standards Institution (BSI) published: "Nanotechnologies - Part 2: Guide to safe handling and disposal of manufactured nanomaterials" (the BSI Guide). The BSI Guide defines four hazard type groups for engineered nanomaterials, includes information on benchmark exposure levels (BELs) which are guidance on control levels for nanomaterials in those groups, and provides control guidance for those groups based on control banding. Investigating the feasibility of establishing group-based Australian National Exposure Standards and using control banding for engineered nanomaterials involved a detailed assessment of the groups, the BELs and the guidance based on control banding.

Format: PDF/MS Word Publication
Date: 2 August 2010
ISBN: 978-0-642-33098-7 (PDF)
ISBN: 978-0-642-33099-4 (RTF)

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Pages/RP201008EngineeredNanomaterialsFeasibilityOfEstablishing.aspx

Work health and safety assessment tool for handling engineered nanomaterials

Report from Safework Australia. Nanotechnologies involve the design, characterisation, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling the shape and size at the nanoscale for example, in the size range from approximately one nanometre to 100 nanometres. This involves the manufacture of nanoparticles, nanoobjects, nanostructures or nanoconstructs with at least one dimension less than 100 nanometres to give them useful chemical, physical, electrical or optical properties that can be used in new and enhanced products.

This assessment tool may be used by:

Format: PDF/MS Word
Publication Date: 2 August 2010

www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/AboutSafeWorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Publications/Pages/AT201008WorkHealthAndSafetyAssessmentTool.aspx

News from Canada

Implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Programme manual available now

A new resource is available to help organizations establish and build upon their health and safety efforts. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has developed a manual that provides guidance for organizations on how to implement and maintain an effective occupational health and safety (OH&S) program.

This 134-page manual (in 8.5 x 11 inch format) will help organizations create an OH&S program with emphasis on effectiveness, compliance, diligence and documentation. It focuses on preventing or reducing hazards and risks to employees, equipment, material and environment by using workplace hazard assessments, and monitoring and improving your OH&S program.

The manual provides over 50 sample policies and checklists for the implementation of an OH&S program, and is organized by sections that cover commonly required components of an OH&S program. It will assist employers, owners, managers, supervisors, operators - and the organization as a whole - by providing guidance on the development, maintenance and continual improvement of an OH&S program.

For more information, please visit the CCOHS website or call the Inquiries and Clients Services Telephone 1 (800) 668-4284.

Contact:

News from Finland

Finland bans tobacco display in Europe's toughest tobacco control law

ASH- Action on Smoking and Health congratulates the Finnish President, who on 24 August 2010, signed a new law putting tobacco displays out of sight in shops. Finland joins a growing number of countries including Ireland, Canada and Norway that have adopted the measure to protect young people from tobacco marketing. [1] In several jurisdictions, including Scotland and England, tobacco manufacturers have initiated legal challenges to defend this highly effective marketing asset. [2]

The Finnish law does not stop at ending tobacco displays: it also makes it an offence for under 18s to possess tobacco products. Buying cigarettes on behalf of a minor becomes an offence punishable by up to 6 months in prison.

Martin Dockrell, Director of policy and research at the health charity Action on Smoking & Health said:

Across the UK those who make and sell cigarettes have been fighting tooth and nail to overturn this legislation but the tide is running against them. Laws for smokefree public places started in a few small jurisdictions and rapidly spread across the globe. We are seeing exactly the same process here, the only question is: Will the UK be one of the first major economies to implement a display ban or will it be the first to cave in to tobacco industry pressure and reverse a law that has already been passed by parliament?

[1] To date 5 countries have implemented tobacco display bans: Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and Norway. The ban on tobacco displays in Finland will come into effect on 1 January 2012. A ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be implemented from 1 Jan 2015.

[2] Legal challenges have been issued in England, Scotland and Norway.

The following is a summary of the new Finnish tobacco law:

The new objective of the Tobacco Act is to put an end to the use of tobacco products in Finland. The purpose is to achieve this aim by preventing in particular children and adolescents from taking up smoking. Finland is the first country to lay down the aim of putting an end to smoking in a law. The Government proposed passing the bill on Wednesday 18 August. The purpose is that the President of the Republic will approve the proposed Act on Friday.

The purpose of the Act is to restrict the marketing and supply of tobacco products especially in the everyday life of children. Not only shops but also private persons may not sell or supply tobacco products to persons under 18. According to the Act, even selling one cigarette or fetching a packet of cigarettes from a shop to a minor person should be interpreted as a tobacco selling violation, for which the person can be fined or sentenced to prison for a maximum of six months. It is also forbidden to offer tobacco without payment to minor persons, but this is not punishable however.

People under 18 are forbidden to import and possess tobacco products. A fine can be imposed on import of tobacco products, but possession is not punishable under the law. In the future, also sellers of tobacco products must be aged at least 18 years.

There will be a total ban on the sale of snuff in Finland, as the ban on import and sale will be extended to also apply to private persons. Ordering snuff e.g. via the Internet will also be forbidden. A maximum of 30 packets, each containing 50 grams snuff, may however be imported for one's own use. It will be forbidden to import snuff as a gift.

The prohibitions against smoking will be extended e.g. in facilities used by children and young people, the joint facilities of apartment house companies, events organised outdoors and hotel rooms.

In the future, tobacco products or their trademarks may not be displayed in retail sale facilities. Customers can at their request be shown a catalogue or be given a printed list of the prices of the tobacco products on sale. Furthermore, the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be forbidden. The Medicines Act is amended to the effect that nicotine preparations can be sold, besides in shops, kiosks and gas stations, also in restaurants.

The Act enters into force on 1 October 2010. The prohibition on display of tobacco products as well as the restrictions on smoking in hotel rooms enter into force at the beginning of 2012. The vending machines for tobacco products will be forbidden as from the beginning of 2015.

News from Finland

Cochrane Occupational Health Field

The Cochrane Occupational Health Field has been transformed to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Group as of the 30th of July 2010. In addition to the tasks of the COHF the new Review Group will be responsible for the entire editorial process from title registration to review publication. Please, do get in touch if you have any questions about occupational safety and health reviews.

The pages are found from www.cohf.fi We are currently in the process of updating our pages.

Irja Laamanen
M.Sc., Senior Adviser
Knowledge Transfer in Occupational Health and Safety Finnish Institute of Occupational Health www.cohf.fi | www.ttl.fi

News from France

Ergonoma Journal N° 20 June 2010, is available (summary below):

Ergonoma Journal, bilingual English/French quarterly, goes to 33 European countries and to more than 30000 ergonomics, health and wellness at work managers.

Ergonoma Journal is an information source without equivalent for anybody concerned by ergonomics, health and wellness at work.

Subscribe the paper edition for 20 Euros per year or 30 Euros for two years, using the enclosed subscription form (30 and 50 Euros outside Europe)

Patrick Le Martin, AMT Europe Ergonoma, 32 Morsans, 28800 Neuvy en Dunois France | Tel: +332.37.44.04.60 | Fax: +332.37.44.04.50 | patrick@ergonoma.com | www.ergonoma.com

News from Ireland

Promoting good health and attendance instead of penalising absence

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has just published a report promoting good health and attendance instead of penalising absence. Average rates of absence across Europe are between 3% and 6% of working time and the cost is estimated to be about 2.5% of GDP, according to a new report from Eurofound on the patterns of absenteeism in the 27 European Union (EU) Member States and Norway.

Promoting good health and attendance instead of penalising absence has become a growing policy issue. Although countries reporting a decline in absenteeism slightly outnumber those with increases, the research shows there is no common pattern. The research has uncovered two fundamental findings. The first is the limited amount of knowledge of the extent, causes and costs of absence. The second is a shift in policies regarding its management and control. Data on absenteeism scarcely exists in some countries and is patchy in others. In addition, the different definitions and means of measurement make international comparison difficult. There are few clear patterns in the data and no overall trend in the rate of absence, though the recent recession might exert a downward effect.

The most common causes of absence are health problems, although broader issues such as monotony and work-related stress are also mentioned in some countries.

The study addresses patterns of absenteeism EU27 and Norway, the costs involved, policies for dealing with absence and general developments in relation to promoting health and well-being.

Promoting good health and attendance instead of penalising absence
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2010

Full report: www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/studies/tn0911039s/tn0911039s.htm

News from Turkey

Change of contact name for Turkey CIS Centre

Selen Sozen is going on maternity leave. The new contact person will be Ozgen Timucin, who will be attending the CIS Meeting in Beijing and will give a talk on the preparations for the World Congress to be held in Istanbul, 2011.

Contact: Hediye Özgen Timuçin, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Occupational Health and Safety Center, Turkey | Tel: +90 312 257 16 90/ 619 | Fax: +90 312 257 16 11 | Email: otimucin@csgb.gov.tr

News from the UK

New Accreditation Scheme for Safety Consultants

A new UK scheme to accredit safety consultants will be announced in the coming weeks. A feasibility study on such a scheme, was commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive last year and undertaken jointly by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. It was reported in the August 2010 edition of The Occupational Hygiene Newsletter that the review of Health and Safety by Lord Young has given added impetus to this subject.

The new scheme has been developed by a group of bodies in the Health and Safety profession, chaired by Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the HSE. It will be a voluntary scheme that aims to help raise the standard of safety advice being given by consultants to employers. It will also make it easier for those employers who do need to use external safety advice to find consultants in whom they can have confidence. A joint announcement about the scheme will be made in late summer when details have been decided. The starting point for the scheme is the accreditation of safety consultants. The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) sought to be part of the scheme from the outset, but this was not possible due to pressures of time. BOHS has recently become a member of the development group and is active in raising the profile of occupational hygiene. It has been agreed that discussions will be opened with BOHS on the possible extension of the scheme to occupational hygiene consultants before the end of the year.

At this stage the scheme will be for consultants dealing solely with traditional safety issues. It does not presently address occupational hygiene issues such as chemical hazards. Businesses requiring consultants to advise on the management and control of health hazards in the working environment should continue to use the BOHS Consultants Directory which can be found at www.bohs.org/education/professional/consultants

This Directory remains the only UK listing of qualified occupational hygiene consultants. The foreword for the 2009/10 version is written by Geoffrey Podger.

The accreditation scheme for safety consultants will be voluntary and a fee will be charged to cover administration. There will be a publicly available register accessible on-line. The group of organisations involved in discussions about the scheme includes:

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
www.cieh.org
International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM)
www.iirsm.org
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
www.iosh.co.uk
Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
www.rehis.org
British Safety Council (BSC)
www.britsafe.org
British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)
www.bsif.co.uk
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
www.hse.gov.uk
National Exam Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
www.nebosh.org.uk
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)
www.rospa.com
British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
www.bohs.org
Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (IEHF)
www.ergonomics.org.uk

For further information, please contact: Sandi Atkinson, Membership Services Manager, BOHS, 5/6 Melbourne Court, Millennium Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8LZ, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1332 250718 | E-mail: sandi.atkinson@bohs.org | www.bohs.org

News from SLIC

Hazardous substances in Motor Vehicle Repair (MVR): Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) European campaign

During 2010 there is a European-wide campaign 'Risk Assessment in the Use of Hazardous Substances'. This has been initiated by the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) that seeks to promote consistency in health and safety standards and enforcement across Europe. The aim of the project is for a simple, practical and effective initiative that:

In the UK the focus is on risks from hazardous substances in motor vehicle repair.

Order/Download campaign posters: www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/european-campaign-posters.htm

www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/european-campaign.htm

News from International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Youth Unemployment a "Social Time-Bomb"

The ITUC has described the high and rising levels of youth unemployment globally as a "social time-bomb", which risks damaging the social, economic and political fabric of countries around the world. New figures released by the International Labour Organisation on the United Nations Youth Day, underline the dramatic increase in the number of young jobless as the employment impacts of the global economic crisis continue to worsen.

"More than 80 million young people are now out of work and many millions more are trapped in short-term, low-paid jobs or in the informal economy. An entire generation of young people is being left behind, and the consequences of this for society will be severe. Governments have to act urgently to get job-creation moving, by maintaining economic stimulus where it is needed rather than by cutting public expenditure," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

While youth unemployment has been steadily increasing for more than a decade, the ILO report shows that the economic crisis caused an explosive increase in the jobless rate, with an additional 8 million young people out of work between 2007 and 2009, bringing the overall percentage to 13%. The report analyses the situation in industrialised and emerging economies, which have the highest overall levels ever recorded, as well as the developing world, where increasing youth unemployment is compounded by some 152 million young "working poor" caught in extreme poverty.

Even if the global employment situation does begin to improve, youth unemployment is expected to reduce more slowly than for older workers, and the pattern of short-term, part-time and precarious work for those young people able to find work will persist unless governments act effectively. The long-term economic and social impacts of high youth unemployment are well documented, and the damage to social cohesion from the current crisis is likely to be long-lasting and deep.

"Trade unions across the world are pressing governments to adopt macro-economic policies which put employment at the centre, as well as specific measures to improve the access of young people to decent jobs and quality education and training. We as trade unions also need to do more to reach out to young people, to keep their concerns at the top of our own agenda both in terms of government policy as well as protection in the labour market and the workplace," said Burrow.

To read the ILO report: www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_143356/index.htm

ITUC web pages on youth, including Young Workers Blog: www.ituc-csi.org/+-youth-+.html

The ITUC represents 176 million workers in 156 countries and territories and has 312 national affiliates.

www.ituc-csi.org and www.youtube.com/user/ITUCCSI

News from Spain

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Mid-year Review and Launch of the new Healthy Workplaces Campaign on Safe maintenance

To mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April, EU-OSHA has launched its new Healthy Workplaces Campaign for 2010-11, promoting safe maintenance across Europe. Commissioner László Andor expressed his full support for the campaign at its launch press conference.

Safe maintenance is good business: 30 pan-European organisations join as Official Campaign Partners

Companies and associations from the private and public sector, including some of Europe's well known companies, have joined forces with EU-OSHA in the new Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2010/11 on safe maintenance.

Workplace Health Promotion improves productivity and well-being

EU-OSHA engages in Workplace Health Promotion to encourage the improvement of health and well-being at work, and thereby cutting the cost of illness in the EU workforce. Workplace Health Promotion leads to reduced absenteeism, enhanced motivation, and improved productivity.

Health and safety of healthcare staff

The healthcare sector is large, employing around 10% of all workers throughout the European Union. More than three quarters of them are women. Workers employed in this sector have to deal with a wide range of activities and environments that pose a threat to their health and put them at risk of occupational disease or work-related accidents. In the Agency's updated healthcare section you will find a broad variety of good practice information ranging from the prevention of needlestick and sharps injuries to promoting mental health in a form of case studies, frequently asked questions, risk assessment tools and links to relevant information across Europe.

Visit updated section on healthcare including new case studies and FAQs

Follow the Agency on Twitter!

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is now on Twitter. This new communication channel offers flash-updates on upcoming events, news, press releases, publications, blog entries, web teasers, YouTube videos, audiovisual materials, etc.

http://twitter.com/eu_osha

New publications from the Agency

Maintenance and Occupational Safety and Health: a statistical picture

Around 6% of workers are involved in maintenance activities on a daily basis. Because they carry out a wide range of different activities, they are exposed to many and varied hazards at work. There are physical hazards (e.g., noise, vibration, excessive heat and cold, radiation, high physical workload), chemical hazards (work with asbestos, welding, exposure to dangerous substances when working in confined spaces), biological hazards (legionella), and psychosocial hazards (poor work organisation). Maintenance workers are also at risk of all types of accidents. Figures from EUROSTAT indicate that around 10-15% of all fatal accidents are related to maintenance operations.

ISBN 9789291913282
DOI: 10.2802/30149

http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/literature_reviews/maintenance_OSH_statistics/view

New and Emerging Risks in Occupational Safety and health: Outlook

The occupational safety and health status of the EU workforce is affected by many factors, not least its changing demographic structure, the spread of new technologies and a reduction in the importance of economic sectors that previously dominated, such as industry and mining. This is bringing about changes not only in the numbers of jobs in each sector, but also the types of jobs that are available. The age profile of the workforce is changing. New technologies are creating new categories of employment. Globalisation means that health threats that were once distant easily spread around the world in a short period of time. If the EU is to preserve the health of its workforce and maintain its economic strength and its competitiveness, it needs to meet these challenges proactively. This Outlook offers an overview of the present and future trends of relevance to occupational health, the main workplace risks and their prevention. Outlook is published in 22 languages in order to reach as many of our stakeholders as possible. For more information on any of these topics, you can find an extended article - in English only - on the Agency's website: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/outlook

ISBN 9789291912230

Annual Report 2009: spending on health and safety is an investment not a cost

EU-OSHA has continued to emphasise the importance of workplace health and safety for successful organisations. Main projects in 2009 include the ESENER survey, the Healthy Workplaces Campaign on Risk Assessment, a pan-European photo competition and the Healthy Workplaces Film Award. The report also offers an outlook into 2010. Throughout Europe, 2009 was a year of economic crisis, with many economies struggling to emerge from recession, and with unemployment rates rising. In these difficult times, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (hereafter, EU-OSHA or the Agency) continued to emphasise the importance of health and safety for successful organisations.

16 June 2010; 76 pages
ISBN 9789291913046
DOI: 10.2802/22381

http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/annual_report/2009full/view

News from the USA

Staying Safe in Extreme Heat Conditions... NIOSH Resources Provide Help

NIOSH wants to help you stay safe while working in extreme heat conditions-preventing, recognizing, and responding promptly to warning signs (www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress or www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat). Also, NIOSH's Fast Facts on the topic are available for download at www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-114/pdfs/2010-114.pdf.

NIOSH researchers continue to address the complex technical challenges inherent in measuring and controlling occupational exposures to nanoparticles

In a new article in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, researchers describe results from their strategic use of different instruments in one facility to identify sources of carbon nanotube emissions, and to distinguish those manufactured materials from other sources of nanoscale particles in the workplace. This approach may help practitioners to determine appropriate approaches for monitoring occupational exposures to nanoparticles in other workplaces.
http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/5/514

Vessel Disasters, Falls Overboard are Leading Causes in Commercial Fishing Deaths

Vessel disasters and falls overboard continue to be the main causes of deaths among commercial fishing crews, NIOSH researchers find in a study published in the July 16 Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. The study reports numbers and rates of U.S. commercial fishing deaths from 2000 through 2009, examines trends and causes, and discusses opportunities for further safety interventions. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5927a2.htm?s_cid=mm5927a2_w#tab2

OSH BRIEFS

Better Regulation: a critical assessment by Laurent Vogel and Eric Van den Abeele

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) published a report on the European Commission's "Better Regulation" programme in late March 2010. The Commission is promising that scrapping or revising a number of directives will save businesses around 40 billion Euros by reducing the "administrative formalities" they impose. In Better Regulation: a critical assessment, Laurent Vogel and Eric Van den Abeele reveal the agenda within the agenda.

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), 2010, 72 pages

http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/publications/pub49.htm

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE 2011 Conference to be held 5-7 April 2011, The Holiday Inn, Stratford upon Avon, UK

OH2011 is already on the horizon and will be held in Stratford upon Avon, UK, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeped in English culture and history.

Please visit www.bohs.org/events/annual-conference for information on how to submit abstracts. The final deadline for abstracts is 30 September 2010.

Please contact louise.hall@bohs.org if you require any further information.

NIOSH in "Top Ten" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene List

On July 8, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene announced the top ten most highly cited articles published in that journal from 2007-2009 (www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cited/UOEH.pdf). Four of the top 10 papers were published by US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers:

Struggling to find authoritative and validated OSH information at a realistic cost? OSH UPDATE is here to help...

Germany ratified C187 and now total ratification is 16

Convention No. C187

(Source: ILOLEX - 29. 7. 2010)

Country Ratification date Status
Bosnia and Herzegovina 09/03/2010 ratified
Cuba 05/08/2008 ratified
Cyprus 14/05/2009 ratified
Czech Republic 13/10/2008 ratified
Denmark 28/01/2009 ratified
Finland 26/06/2008 ratified
Germany 21/07/2010 ratified
Japan 24/07/2007 ratified
Republic of Korea 20/02/2008 ratified
Republic of Moldova 12/02/2010 ratified
Niger 19/02/2009 ratified
Serbia 16/09/2009 ratified
Slovakia 22/02/2010 ratified
Spain 05/05/2009 ratified
Sweden 10/07/2008 ratified
United Kingdom 29/05/2008 ratified

Ratified: 16
Conditional ratification: 0
Declared applicable: 0
Denounced: 0

The August issue of the US LIFELINES ONLINE (Vol. VII, No. 3) is available at the LHSFNA website

These are the headlines:

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

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

Feedback and comments on our website and LIFELINES ONLINE.

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

OSHE web sites to explore...

We look at websites in different parts of the world that are offering quality information. This month we continue to look at a variety of websites from the UK.

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

If we do not have your web site listed please send it to me sp@sheilapantry.com

Environment Agency   EA   UK
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Environment Agency new information is constantly appearing including full text data, guidance and technical advice, particularly on integrated pollution prevention control. Contains the Chemical Release Inventory.

Environmental Protection UK (Noise Pollution)   UK
www.environmental-protection.org.uk/noise
Environmental Protection UK information on noise pollution.

European Fire Sprinkler Network   UK
www.eurosprinkler.org
European Fire Sprinkler Network connects those in Europe who share its aim to improve fire safety through the greater use of fire sprinklers. Members regularly receive email updates on items of common interest, and can call on the Network for information and data to support local campaigns. The Network also supports this web site, which acts as a resource of information on fire sprinklers. Working with its members, the Network establishes contacts with those responsible for fire safety at a European level, so as to inform and educate them about the benefits of fire sprinklers.

European Information Association   UK
www.eia.org.uk
European Information Association (EIA) very informative website covers EIA publications, training events, European Union basic information and information policy and databases.

European Process Safety Centre   EPSC   UK
www.epsc.org
European Process Safety Centre (EPSC) - the European Process Safety Centre - is an international industry-funded organisation which provides an independent technical focus for process safety in Europe. EPSC's activities are sponsored by chemical manufacturing companies and related businesses with a keen interest in chemical process safety.

Explosive Industry Group, CBI   UK
www.fireworksafety.co.uk
These pages have been prepared by the Explosive Industry Group of the CBI to help users of fireworks have a safe and enjoyable celebration. You will also find information for teachers and enforcers on this site.

Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians   UK
www.facoccmed.ac.uk
The Faculty Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians was set up in 1978 to provide a professional and academic body empowered to develop and maintain high standards of training, competence and professional integrity in occupational medicine. Its objectives are to act as an authoritative body for consultation in matters of education and public interest concerning occupational medicine; promote for the public benefit the advancement of education and knowledge in the field of occupational medicine; develop and maintain for the public benefit the good practice of occupational medicine, providing for the protection of people at work by ensuring the highest professional standards of competence and ethical integrity.

Faculty of Public Health (FPH)   UK
www.fph.org.uk
The UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is the standard setting body for specialists in public health. They work to improve the public's health through our three key areas of activity: education and standards, professional affairs, advocacy and policy. A Faculty of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom and has a membership of over 3000. The Faculty seeks to promote for the public benefit the advancement of knowledge in the field of public health medicine. The Faculty is an authoritative body for the purpose of consultation in matters of education or public interest concerning public health medicine. The Faculty seeks to collaborate with other organisations in establishing effective public health advocacy.

Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES)   UK
www.fees-network.org
Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) is an umbrella organisation for ergonomists across Europe. Gathers all the groups' contact details as well as events, activities and resources page which includes information on European Union funding. Links to eLearning portals and relevant journals plus a summary of the key organisations and European standards.

Federation of Occupational Health Nurses within the European Union   FOHNEU   UK
www.fohneu.org
The Federation of Occupational Health Nurses within the European Union FOHNEU is a non profit making organisation for scientific purposes and represents the 45,000+ occupational health nurses working in the European Member States. Gives details of its aims, membership, meetings etc.

Fire and Blast Information Group (FABIG)   UK
www.fabig.com
The Fire and Blast Information Group (FABIG) is a non-profit, cross-industry membership based organisation committed to the dissemination of knowledge and best practice and the development of guidance on the prevention and mitigation of fires and explosions and on the protection of facilities and personnel against fires and explosions.

Fire and Rescue Service   UK
www.fire.org.uk/fire-brigades.html
Fire and Rescue Services in UK - list of names, addresses, telephone numbers and some web sites.

Fire and Rescue Service   UK
www.communities.gov.uk/fire
Department for Communities and Local Government Fire and Rescue Service UK website containing details, factsheets and related links

Fire Brigades' Union   UK
www.fbu-ho.org.uk
Represents all uniformed employees of local authority fire brigades. Contains details of meetings and publications.

Fire Industry Association   FIA   UK
www.fia.uk.com
Fire Industry Association (FIA) is a trade association formed in April 2007 by the merger of two leading associations within the fire protection industry - FETA (Fire Extinguishing Trades Association established in 1916), the trade association of companies responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of portable fire-fighting equipment and BFPSA (British Fire Protection Systems Association established in 1966), the coordinating body for the UK fire systems industry.

Fireinf   UK
www.fireinf.com
Unique collection of 17 databases from worldwide authoritative sources containing over 533,000 records to full text documents and bibliographic sources. Produced by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. Free 15 day trial available.

Fire Information Group   FIG   UK
www.figuk.org.uk
Fire Information Group is a UK based network of people working in fire industry as fire information specialists, consultants, fire and forensic experts.

Fire Protection Association   FPA   UK
www.thefpa.co.uk
The Fire Prevention Association is the national fire safety organisation in the UK, one of twenty similar bodies existing worldwide for the promotion of great fire safety. It is supported by the Association of British Insurers and Lloyd's. Offers training, advice, consultancy, and publishes the journal 'Fire Prevention' which disseminates information about the widest possible range of fire safety matters. It publishes other guidance, advice, recommendations, codes of practice and videos. Collects, analyses and publish statistics, identifying trends and promotes research.

Fire and Risk Sciences FRS of BRE Ltd   UK
http://projects.bre.co.uk/frsdiv
Fire and Risk Sciences FRS of BRE Ltd is one of the largest fire testing laboratories in Europe, is the UK's leading multi-disciplinary centre for research based consultancy on all aspects of fire safety and security.

Please Do Not Forget ... Make my day ... please send your news items to your Editor!

Diary of Events

These events may inspire you and your organisation to offer similar type of events.

If you have a seminar, conference or exhibition that you would like to promote - please send details to your Editor.

Keep on training staff - this is essential to ensure safe and healthy workplaces.

Also look in www.oshworld.com/diary.html that is constantly being updated.

12-15 September 2010 - Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) 2010 Professional Development Conference & Exhibition
Delta Halifax Hotel/World Trade & Convention Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact: Terry Cunningham, Manager, Conferences & Events, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering | Tel: +1 416 6461600 |Fax: + 1 416 646 9460 | Email: conference@csse.org | www.csse.org/content/conference

13-15 September 2010 - Ergonomics and Human Factors: Strategic Solutions for Workplace Safety and Health
Boston, MA, USA
Contact: Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Continuing Professional Education, USA | Tel: +1 617 384 8692 | Email: contedu@hsph.harvard.edu

13-17 September 2010 - Fire and Explosion Investigation
University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Contact: University of Leeds | Tel: +44 (0)113 343 2494/8104 | Email: cpd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk | www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/cpd/FireExpolsionInvestigation.shtml

15-18 September 2010 - Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) 2010 National Conference
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, Boston, MA, USA
Contact: www.aohp.org/pages/education/national_conference.html

27-29 October 2010 - Second International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector
Conference Centre, Meer en Vaart 300, 1068 LE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Contact: Oud Consultancy | www.oudconsultancy.nl

6-10 November 2010 - 138th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association (APHA)
Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, USA
Contact: American Public Health Association (APHA), USA | www.apha.org/meetings

8-10 November 2010 - International Conference on Commercial Driver Health and Wellness
Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, 300 South Charles Street, Baltimore, USA
Contact: Transportation Research Board (TRB) and Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Gerald P. Krueger, Ph.D. | Tel: +1 703 850 6397 | Fax: +1 707 768-3421 | Email: JerryKrueg@aol.com | www.trb.org/Conferences/HealthWellness2010.aspx

13-16 March 2011 - 7th Global Congress on Process Safety
Chicago, IL, USA
Contact: www.aiche.org/conferences/specialty/gcps.aspx

2012

18-23 March 2012 - 30th International Congress on Occupational Health
Monterrey, Mexico
Contact: Bob Orford MD, ICOH National Secretary for USA, International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) | www.icohweb.org/membership.asp | www.icohcongress2012.org

Please Do Not Forget ... Make my day ... please send your news items to your Editor!