Focus

Focus Archive

Promoting quality at work: information for safe, healthy and productive jobs

September 2009

The protection of the safety and health of workers as provided for in legislation in many countries, by the European Treaty and where there is no legislation, by the Recommendations and Conventions of the International Labour Office is paramount.

These pieces of legislation, recommendations and conventions have been followed up by successive action programmes and campaigns worldwide by governments, inspectorates and other organisations concerned to raise standards of safety and health at the workplace.

But one of the most important actions to achieving good standards of safety and health at the workplace is to produced validated and authoritative guidance and advice that is understood at all levels in the workplace from directors, managers, supervisors, safety representatives and the workers.

Secondly it is necessary to disseminate this information on a very regular basis via:

• Information networks - especially building the links to all industry sectors. There are many examples such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Focal Point Network; the International Labour Office CIS Health and Safety Centres in 154 countries - this network celebrates in 2009 its 50th anniversary! There are other networks such as institutions and associations that have regular contact with their members to keep them informed of the latest knowledge, campaigns and legislation.
• Information collections - bringing knowledge together for easy access. Examples include OSH UPDATE that brings together 19 databases including HSELINE, CISDOC, NIOSHTICS-2, CCOHS to name a few that has collectively over 800,000 pieces of guidance, advice, legislation, research reports, standards, reports, papers etc. There is also FIREINF that offers 16 databases on fire and fire related topics from wildland fires to carrying out risk assessments to protect the workplace.
• Information services - communicating knowledge, expertise and advice. Such services are found in most countries. Check out these in OSHWORLD under countries and subjects.

A word of warning here - many organisations worldwide are cutting down or worst still closing down their information services/libraries in the mistaken belief that it is ALL there on the Internet and FREE OF CHARGE! This is just NOT TRUE.

Without knowledge and information quality training in the workplace would not be possible. Which brings us to the title of this piece...

Promoting quality at work: information for safe, healthy and productive jobs