Editorial

2004 - the year to make real OSH improvements

January 2004
Sheila Pantry OBE

May I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year wherever you are working in the world! Many people returning to work after the festivities will, no doubt, be making plans to improve the standards of occupational safety and health (OSH). It is important that the practices and systems in the workplace are constantly reviewed and if necessary, improved. Your review may also indicate training requirements and updates and re-thinking how systems and services can be improved.

Your organisation could submit entries for the 2004 RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards. This is the ultimate testimonial to your company's commitment to health and safety. Undoubtedly, the most effective method of proving your health and safety ability to 'peers', suppliers and shareholders. Which is why every year The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - one of the world's leading health and safety organisations - invites companies of all sizes, from all sectors of industry and commerce and from all over the world to enter Occupational Health and Safety Awards Scheme.

These awards are aimed at companies who wish to prove to themselves and others that they take health and safety seriously. Also to those who are willing to play their part in raising health and safety standards right across the board, by working hard to improve their own performance. For more information contact RoSPA Awards Department | Tel: 0870 777 2091 | fax: +44 (0)121 248 2001 | email: awards@rospa.com

Update your 2004 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. Don't forget that on 10 and 11 November 2004 there will be a major conference EUROHSE 2004 held in London. Already bookings have been made. So do not wait until it is too late to get into this important event. The 2003 conference was deemed to be a great success by those attending. On 9 November 2004 the Food Safety in Europe 2004 www.fse2004.com conference will be held.

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

OSHWORLD celebrates its second anniversary with this edition! I do hope you find the information in it useful in your daily work. 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 details about the European Agency and the Organization of American States (OAS) agreeing to join forces to improve safety and health at work and also about South Africa's NOSA striking a global first with their HIV/AIDS management standard.

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 Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORR) as a Mainstream Health and Safety issue by Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Adviser, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

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. Giving up-to-date environment and integrated pollution prevention control (IPPC) information. The definitive source to help to meet ISO 14001 information needs for accreditation requirements. Thousands of full text pages of information are instantly accessible in ENVIRONMENT PLUS which contains the following information:

appropriate European Commission Directives, Regulations and Decisions, UK Acts of Parliament and appropriate Statutory Instruments from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Various Series from the UK Environment Agency and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- Planning Policy Guidance Series (PPGs)
- Process Guidance Notes Series (PGs)
- Technical Guidance Notes (TGs)
- Chief Inspector Guidance Series 1 (IPRs)
- Chief Inspector Guidance Series 2 (S 2)
- Pollution Prevention Guidelines PPG plus DEFRA's Information Service extensive bibliographic database of over 150,000 references to worldwide sources of information.

Environment Plus is affordable and easy to use.... you are not paying for information that you will never use. 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

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.

Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD - your portal to validated and authoritative information. Remember also to look at our other really useful sites - www.sheilapantry.com and www.shebuyersguide.com

And for those working in the Construction Industry Sector we hope you are planning to raise standards of OSH on your site during the European 2004 Year of Construction Safety.

Have a zero accident and incident-free year in 2004 in your workplace!