Editorial
Have a Safe, Healthy and Happy Festive Season
December 2002
Sheila Pantry, OBE
At this time of the year many people are pre-occupied worldwide in getting ready to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. But we know accidents, injuries and ill health can strike at anytime, and is no respecter of festivities. So the watchword is be careful! Not only at work, but also when travelling. It seems as if the world is constantly on the move - motorways, stations, buses, airports are all getting busier.
Update your 2003 Diary
As you start your New Year's diary think about the training, which perhaps has not been carried out for you and others. Look at the latest additions to the Diary of Events and you will see plans have been made already worldwide up to 2005 to have training courses, symposiums and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects.
For example, on 3 and 4 November 2003 there will be a major conference EUROSHE 2003 held in London. On 31 August - 4 September 2003 the First International Seminar on Good Management Practice - Interaction of Environment Safety and Quality is being held in Finland. One way of keeping up to date is to go to exhibitions and the world's major OSHE events.
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 OSHE events so that I can add them to the Diary.
Your OSHWorld Portal
On my various travels, including a recent trip to the Netherlands I constantly find new items of interest. 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.
This month's FOCUS article is on the latest developments in fire information provision. Fires can be devastating and it is important to know where to get the latest information.
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. Contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0)1909 772829 | E-mail: sp@sheilapantry.com
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.
Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD - your portal to validated and authoritative information.
Hope you had a zero accident and incident-free year in 2002 in your workplace. May I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Christmas wherever you are working in the world!