News from around the World

News Archive

August 2006

RoSPA offers its "stamp of approval"

The UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is offering its "stamp of approval" for workplace health and safety training courses run by other organisations.

RoSPA's new Course Accreditation service is available for training courses offered on the open market to paying delegates and also those delivered to an organisation's own employees.

It encompasses a thorough review process, giving organisations the peace of mind that their courses have been independently assessed and are deemed to embody best practice.

It is also a powerful symbol of quality to favourably influence training course buying decisions.

The accreditation process consists of a review of the course content and all related material, including trainers' notes and delegate packs, after which recommended improvements and corrections must be implemented before RoSPA Accreditation - which runs annually - is granted.

John Lester, RoSPA Workplace Safety General Manager, said: "Once accredited, courses can then be advertised and delivered under the prestigious 'Accredited by RoSPA' banner. There is even a special version of the instantly recognisable RoSPA red square logo that can be used to promote the relevant courses on an organisation's website and for catalogues, sales brochures and attendance certificates."

RoSPA also offers an Occupational Safety and Health Course Development service through which it designs a course syllabus and materials to meet the particular training requirements of individual organisations. Courses are initially delivered to an organisation's internal trainers, who then train other employees, and are accredited annually.

For more information telephone 0870 777 2227, email: training@rospa.com or see www.rospa.com/safety-consultants/work/course-approval

Protect your business while you fly: A guide for business travel in times of heightened security

Following the recent terror alerts, resulting in the need to put all your hardware in the hold of a plane, Russell Bolan, European CEO of global systems integrator Dimension Data gives his top tips for keeping your business agile and secure in times of heightened security:

1. Back up your data before you fly

When travelling you should always back up your data in case of theft, loss or damage to your hardware.

At the moment your laptop, mobile phone and Blackberry may well have to travel in the hold of an aircraft rather than in your hand luggage. This heightens the risk of loss, theft or breakage.

To avoid getting to your meetings empty handed or arriving back from a business trip without any notes, make sure you save any work to CD or memory stick as a backup in your suitcase.

As your backup and hardware are both travelling in the hold, it is necessary to back-up data to your UK LAN (Local Area Network) so that you can access the information, even if your hardware and your backup devices are lost.

IT departments will also need to ensure that employees have sufficient capacity in their remote LAN back-up allowance during times of heightened security.

2. Keep your data secure

Although it is more likely that your bag will be taken by someone with the same luggage rather than a calculated theft by a cyber-criminal, you should take simple steps to make sure you do not put your information at risk.

The contents of your laptop and any access to a virtual network should be protected by a password at the very least. The name of your first-born or favourite band is not sufficient - make sure you update passwords frequently and use a combination of letters, symbols and numbers.

Documents backed-up on devices such as CDs and memory sticks should always be password protected so they cannot be accessed if lost or stolen.

If working with confidential documents you may well want to ask your IT department to consider encryption to keep data secure.

3. Work where you can

Security alerts can leave you stranded at the airport for hours on end. Most businesses have VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to enable employees to log on to their computer network remotely, whether through their laptop over a wi-fi hot spot or via an internet café.

Make the most of these opportunities and log on while you wait in the airport before check-in or in your hotel lobby. Don't check-in your luggage until you need to so you can maximize the time you use your laptop for.

If you're working from an internet café terminal, check with your IT department that your VPN is sufficiently robust to counter any security risk associated with remote access.

4. Keep your business agile

The qualities of video conferencing and conference calling have improved and these methods are beginning to replace the need for face-to-face meetings. Although it is nice to meet in person, there are likely to be people reluctant to travel as well as increased journey times and delays.

If you have a trip scheduled which is delayed or unlikely to happen, consider other collaborative working methods. Technologies such as "meeting place" enable participants to share documents and video/tele-conference form the office boardroom as well as from individual remote PCs.

About Dimension Data

Dimension Data plc (LSE:DDT), a specialist IT services and solution provider, helps clients plan, build and support their IT infrastructures. Dimension Data applies its expertise in networking, security, operating environments, storage and contact centre technologies and its unique skills in consulting, integration and managed services to create customised client solutions.

www.dimensiondata.com

UK Workplace Health Connect visits on target: Over 1,000 businesses request a Workplace Health Connect Visit

Less than five months after the launch of the UK Workplace Health Connect, 1,000 small businesses have requested a visit from a Workplace Health Connect adviser. This puts the service on target for reaching 110,000 workers through workplace visits in England and Wales, over the next two years.

Addressing attendees at a stakeholder breakfast event, attended by representatives from the insurance industry, trade unions, trade associations and charities, Geoffrey Podger, chief executive, Health & Safety Executive, said: "We have been really encouraged by the success of the Workplace Health Connect service to date. By 13 July 2006, over one thousand small business owners had asked a Workplace Health Connect adviser visit them in their workplace, to give them practical, impartial and free advice on how to manage health and safety.

"I am delighted that we are on target for the number of businesses requesting visits because those business owners can expect to receive confidential, high quality advice and support specifically tailored to their place of work. The highly skilled advisers will guide them through what they need to do, focussing their attention on the kind of risks that cause real harm and suffering, and help them to prioritise actions. Workplace Health Connect, in partnership with HSE, really is helping to demonstrate, in the workplace, that sensible health and safety is not about dotting "i"s and crossing "t"s - it's actually about putting practical actions into effect."

Workplace Health Connect is a service, delivered in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive, which provides confidential, practical and free advice on workplace health and safety issues. It is designed to help tackle and reduce the incidence of work related ill-health and injury in England and Wales. Employers in organisations which employ between 5 and 249 workers can access the service via a dedicated Adviceline on 0845 609 6006. A team of highly qualified advisers is available to talk through individual queries on areas ranging from undertaking health and safety risk assessments, through to helping manage sickness absence or tackling stress or back injuries in the workplace.

Further information can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/workplacehealth

Present status of Japanese Industrial Safety and Health: 2006 edition

This 38 page report Present Status of Japanese Industrial Safety and Health: 2006 covers a range of topics:

• Data on Occupational Accidents and Diseases - giving trends and breakdown and numbers of deaths and injuries by scale of workplace; occupational accidents caused by machinery and equipment; occupational accidents caused by tertiary industry; deaths and injuries by age group
• Serious Accidents - trends and causes
• Occupational Diseases - trends, breakdown of occupational diseases and medical examinations

The Appendix includes:

• Government and non governmental organizations involved in industrial safety and health
• Safety and Health laws and regulations
• Outline of the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA)

To obtain a copy in English contact: Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA), ILO-CIS National Centre in Japan, 5-35-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108 0014 Japan | Tel: +81 3 3454 4596 | Email: kokusai@jisha.or.jp | www.jisha.or.jp

African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety May 2006

The latest edition of the African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety, May 2006, Vol.16, no.1 contains a number of interesting articles:

• Preventative safety and health culture by Jukka Takala, ILO
• Can regular inspections alone improve health and safety culture in Uganda? by L.A. Abongomera, UGANDA
• Zero accident vision, by J. Saari, Finland
• The long road to safety consciousness, by K.C. Martin, KENYA
• Work and health in Southern Africa, by M. Ryan, SOUTH AFRICA
• Action on pesticides under the programme on Work and Health in Southern Africa (WAHSA)by AVF. Ngowi, TANZANIA and L. London, South Africa
• Transition of general clinics at enterprise level towards occupational health services clinics, by T. Ghebreyohannes, ERITREA
• The safety situation of Namibia's charcoal industry, by V. Mulongeni, NAMIBIA
• Asbestos Symposium for Latin American countries, by J Rantanen, Finland
• Letters from the Editor S. Lehtinen, Letter to the Editor, by J. LaDou, USA and R. O'Neill, UK et al. Response from B. Mutetwa, ZIMBABWE
• Asbestos - a continuing challenge for international health community, H. Vainio, FINLAND

For full text see www.ttl.fi/en/publications/electronic_journals/african_newsletter and scroll down to African Newsletter 1-2006 Creating health and safety culture.

British Asbestos Newsletter

Each edition continues to report on a range of asbestos developments and actions taken - for full text go to www.britishasbestosnewsletter.org or contact: British Asbestos Newsletter, P.O. Box 93, Stanmore HA7 4GR, UK | Tel: +44 (0)28958 3887

Facts and Figures 2005 from INRS

The latest annual review of the activities of the Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité pour la prévention des accidents du travail et des maladies professionnelle (INRS) has been published. This year's report provides a much wider panorama of activities undertaken during the year with key indicators for information, training, assistance, studies and research.

Also includes relations at European and International levels. INRS priority has been to highlight the challenge and the outcomes of related prevention action, rather than to identify the operating procedure, on which action is based.

To obtain a copy in English contact INRS, Centre de Paris, 30 rue Olivier Noyer, 75680 Paris Cedex 14 France | Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 44 30 00 | Fax: + 33 (0)1 40 44 30 99, www.inrs.fr | or INRS, Centre de Lorraine Avenue de Bourgogne - B.P. 27, 54501 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France | Tel: +33 (0)3 83 50 20 00 | Fax: +33 (0)3 83 50 20 97

Eurogrip's brochure and Annual report for 2005

Eurogip is the link between the French Social Security system and Europe in the area of occupational risks: it analyses developments at community level and in other European Union countries and puts forward the viewpoint from of the Social Security system.

The brochure shows how Eurogip works.

Eurogip Annual report for 2005

The 29 page report contents - in both English and French show the salient events in the activity of Eurogip in the year 2005. It also lists the activities under the following headings: Standardization; Information -Communication; Public Relations; Surveys, Projects and coordination of notified bodies.

Contact: Isabelle Leleu, EUROGIP, 55 rue de la Fédération, 75015 Paris, France | Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 56 30 40 | Fax: +33 (0) 1 40 56 36 66 | Email: eurogip@eurogip.fr | www.eurogip.fr

OSH UPDATE keeps everyone informed and healthily and safe

Keeping up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the latest information can be time consuming. Do budget constraints not allow you to buy all the latest journals, newsletters and documents that contain the latest information? Can't afford the time to search for the latest information, legislation and standards? No staff to search for this information? And no time yourself to spend hours searching for information?

Then do what many organisations and individuals have done recently and take out a subscription to OSH UPDATE!

This newly launched, very affordable Internet based service OSH UPDATE, from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd is the answer for you. Powered by Head Software International's Headfast/Discovery Internet publishing software, OSH UPDATE containing over 540,000 references is now available and is updated monthly see www.oshupdate.com.

OSH UPDATE records has links to the full text where possible - this is all done for you!

It currently contains ten bibliographic databases from worldwide authoritative sources:

• UK legislation database - links all the references dated from 1987 direct to the full text - i.e. majority of content of this database
• UK Health and Safety Executive HSELINE - we have added over 1700 full text links to HSE's own documents
• UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
• Publications from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work we have made all the references link direct to full text
• NIOSHTICS US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), strong on full text links - to their own documents and also to some journals
• Canada Ryerson University RILOSH
• CISDOC the International Labour Office CIS Health and Safety Centre database has many full text links especially to ILO documents and in the last couple of years
• ILO Recommendations, Protocols and Conventions has all links to the full text
• European Union legislation has links to full text for the majority of the references
• OSH standards specifications including those from the British Standards Institution.

OSH UPDATE will expand - we are continuing to make agreements with other well-known information producers around the world and these databases will also be included. As well as the latest information, many reference sources go back 80 or more years and so a valuable tool for researchers, trainers and practitioners.

This new aggregation of databases contains thousands of relevant references with abstracts or keywords and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as the health risks of nanotechnology, corporate killing and corporate social responsibility, bio-terrorism, management of road risks, preparedness and business continuity and risk assessment.

The title price for a single user via the Internet is GBP250.00/Euros 360.00 /US$ 450.00 per year - less than 68 pence/1 Euro /1.2 dollars per day

The price* (see below for further details) reflects our aim to bring health and safety guidance, Advice, research, journal articles, papers, standards to the attention of health and safety practitioners and managers, researchers, trade union safety representatives, occupational physicians, information specialists in industry, colleges and universities, government staff, inspectors, university and college safety directors, university and college lecturers and those in training - at a cost that is affordable and a service that is time efficient.

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Why not take a 30-DAY FREE TRIAL of OSH UPDATE and see for yourself.

If you are interested in taking up this service on trial please email/fax with your details, or contact us to ask further questions.

Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP, Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 85 The Meadows, Todwick, Sheffield S26 1JG, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com | www.sheilapantry.com | www.oshworld.com | www.shebuyersguide.com | www.oshupdate.com
Electronic Products: Environment Plus | Fire Worldwide | OSH Ireland | OSH UPDATE

*Subscription for one year of OSH UPDATE

• Single user GBP250.00/Euros 360.00 /US$ 450.00 per year
• 2 - 4 simultaneous users GBP375.00/Euros 540.00 /US$ 675.00 per year
• 5 - 8 simultaneous users GBP500.00/Euros 720.00 /US$ 900.00 per year
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• 13 - 16 simultaneous users GBP1000.00/Euros 1440.00 /US$ 1800.00 per year
• if more simultaneous users are required then please ask price

Hand-held tool investigation wins 2006 Liberty Mutual BEST PAPER Award

In a study involving hand-tool use, researchers identified an objective methodology to assess stresses imposed on the hand. The published research paper, "Contact Pressure Distribution at Hand-Handle Interface: Role of Hand Forces and Handle Size" (International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, Vol. 35, pp 267 - 286, 2005) won the 2006 Liberty Mutual Best Paper Award.

The investigation was realized through collaborative efforts of three research groups from CONCAVE Research Centre of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada; Engineering Control Technology Branch of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown, WV; and Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) in Montréal, Canada.

The authors include Yasser Aldien, who has recently completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at CONCAVE Research Centre, Concordia University; Subhash Rakheja, Ph.D., fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and professor and Vehicular Ergodynamics Research chair at Concordia; Mr. Dan Welcome and Dr. Ren Dong, NIOSH researchers; and Paul-Émile Boileau, Ph.D., IRSST scientific director.

Liberty Mutual and the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics established the Liberty Mutual Best Paper Award in 1994 as a means of recognizing excellence in safety and health research. Each year, the Editorial Board selects an author(s) of the most exceptional paper published in the Journal during the previous year. Liberty Mutual sponsors the award program because it reflects the company's commitment to quality research into the reduction of pain and suffering in the workplace.

Taming the beast: A look at the many forms and guises of workplace violence

When it comes to violence in the workplace, such as sexual harassment, bullying and threats, abuse of power and even murder, people are asking why it happens, and who can stop it. But violence is a ubiquitous shape shifter, lurking in formal and informal workplaces alike, and it is often hard to pinpoint its occurrence and its instigators.

Today, workplace violence is receiving more exposure, and organizations like the International Labour Office (ILO) are taking a steadfast stance against it by developing standards, codes of practice and community awareness.

Based on the ILO's newly released Violence at work, in its third edition (see details below), Alicia Priest explores who's at risk, what's at stake and what's being done to stop it in the recent World of Work magazine www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/magazine/56/violence_work.htm

Duncan Chappell and Vittorio di Martino. Violence at work. Third edition, Geneva, International Labour Office, 2006. ISBN 978-92-2-117948-1.

Time to re-assess the training needs of staff and book the EurOHSE Masterclasses 2006/7 offered by the experts

EurOhse 2006/7 Masterclasses will provide key points for future activities for all those responsible for securing good standards of health and safety in the workplace, and excellent networking opportunities.

Angel Business Communications Ltd and Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd are delighted to announce that EurOhse2006 will be a series of Masterclasses on topics that have been requested by delegates at previous conferences.

The Trainers are all very experienced and the first four Masterclasses will be held in November 2006 and two more in February 2007 - all being held at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square London, details as follows:

Monday, 6 November 2006
MASTERCLASS - The Six Day-to-Day Habits of a Pro-Active Safety Culture: Active Monitoring in the workplace
Trainer - Dr Tim Marsh, Managing Director of Ryder-Marsh (Safety) Limited

Tuesday 7 November 2006
MASTERCLASS - Training in management of road risk (MORR)
Trainers - Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Advisor, RoSPA, Dr Will Murray, Research Director for Interactive Driving Systems and Chief Inspector Ian Brooks, Metropolitan Police

Wednesday 8 November 2006
MASTERCLASS - How to implement drinks and drugs policies in the workplace
Trainers - Ava Fine and John Griffiths, Work2 Health

Thursday 9 November 2006
MASTERCLASS - Working at Heights: covers all the requirements of the new legislation
Trainers - Geoff Hornby, Alex Sammut and Paul Ramsden, ISAC UK Ltd

Tuesday 6 February 2007
MASTERCLASS on Training of Business Continuity Management teams
Trainer - John Sharp, FBCI (Hon) FCMI, MCIM, Managing Director, Kiln House Associates Ltd and the Continuity Forum, Policy and Development Director.

Wednesday 7 February 2007
MASTERCLASS on Training of emergency planning teams
Trainer - Les Moseley, University of Coventry, Director of the Coventry Centre for Disaster Management and Course Leader for the professional diploma course in Emergency Planning

Places will be limited for these interactive Masterclasses ... Bookings have already started - make sure that you book early!

SPECIAL REGISTRATION OFFER
The cost per Masterclass is £295.

If you register for 2 Masterclass events you will receive a 10% discount.
If you register for 4 or more Masterclass events you will receive a 20% discount

Payment must be received prior to the event. Delegates are responsible for making hotel bookings. The organisers reserve the right to alter the content of the programme. Payment can be made online via our secure World Pay system, payment can be made by cheque or you can request an invoice to be sent to you. This booking includes admission to the Masterclass and lunch/coffee for the day.

For further details regarding the content of the Masterclasses contact the programme organiser Sheila Pantry | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Email: sp@sheilapantry.com.

For further details regarding booking a place contact: EurOhse 2006, Office and Logistics Manager, European Occupational Health and Safety Magazine (EurOhs), Angel Business Communications Ltd, Unit 6, Bow Court, Fletchworth Gate, Burnsall Road, Coventry CV5 6SP, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 2476 718970 | Fax: +44 (0) 2476 718971 | Email: jesse@angelbc.co.uk