Editorial
Is regulation the best way for success in the OSHE World?
November 2002
Sheila Pantry, OBE
Despite the large amount of quality information that is available in the world, the accident, fatality and ill health figures keep arriving. Recently released International Labour Office (ILO) figures report 2 million Work-related fatalities annually through work-related accidents and diseases. For every fatal work-related disease there are about 100 other illnesses causing absence from work. The biggest killer in the workplace is cancer, causing roughly 640,000 or 32 per cent of deaths, followed by circulatory diseases at 23 per cent, then accidents at 19 per cent and communicable diseases at 17 per cent. So is tighter regulation such as that seen in the UK this last few days the only answer?
This month's FOCUS article is on the latest developments in Asbestos in the UK where there is much activity with new regulations coming into force.
Remember to look at the Products and Services on this web site and see what is new and updated, such as Environment Plus which has attracted users not only from the UK but around the world. The guidance, advice, and the information in the legislation will help all those achieve a more environmentally safer and healthier workplace and surroundings. There is an ever increasing range of full text information now in Environment Plus. See for yourself and take a free 30 trial - either via the Internet on on CD-ROM.
As always OSHWORLD's regular pages are constantly updated, with new events planned as far ahead as 2005 in the Diary of Events which lists training courses, symposiums and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects. Remember that even if you cannot attend these many events, speakers and organisers are often willing to share their knowledge. Look at the details - where possible I add in the web sites of these events so you can request further information. And do let me know if you are organising any occupational safety, health, and environment events so that I can add them to the Diary.
Globally there are continually new titles, news items, new products so remember to look at the News to find the latest information from a number of sources such as the European Environment Agency reporting European Summer 2002 smog levels that exceed the critical threshold three days in four, to the US NIOSH Pocket Guide and many news items and new publications which you will want to know about. Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites which you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. drugs and alcohol abuse in the workplace.
Some of the longer standing sites have been built up and now contain vast amounts of information on specific topics, and it is not always apparent that some "nuggets of gold" are available. OSHWORLD goes "data mining" looking for such topics and you will see many entries in the subject links which will take you to these topics. All links are constantly checked to ensure that no "orphan" links exist. And you work smarter not harder if you bookmark OSHWORLD.... we do the checking for you!
Most information services have a reference shelf where you can quickly check the reference sources - so OSHWORLD brings you a collection of Reference sources.
Click onto the various Bookshops to order any new document as they are being published. Many of these Bookshops such as H&H Scientific Information Ltd have a constant stream of new titles available.
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Remind everyone to make 2002 a zero accident and incident-free year in your workplace. Perhaps the information awareness campaigns of the European Week for Safety and Health Campaign on Working on Stress will have given many people some help in tackling their workplace stress problems.