News from around the World

News Archive

February 2007

OSH UPDATE: your one stop shop to quality OSH information: growing all the time, keeps you up-to-date - ideal for OSH managers, universities, colleges and research Institutes

OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com - arguably the most informative collection of health and safety information at the lowest cost in the world has over 800,000 records - with an ever-growing percentage linking to full text. Updating is on a regular basis as new information is published.

In today's work life, it is important to keep your knowledge in occupational safety and health (OSH) up-to-date. At the same time, it is useful to look at your own work and to search for new ideas for the future. This is where OSH UPDATE can help!

OSH UPDATE is easy to use and links you direct to the latest sources of information. Keeping up-to-date in worldwide occupational health, safety, hygiene, road safety, water safety, environment trends and the very 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 this recently launched, very affordable Internet based service OSH UPDATE, from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd is the answer for you.

With this additional NIOSHTICs database OSH UPDATE now contains about 800,000 records.

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

Why not see for yourself?

For those really serious about all matters health and safety request a free 15 day trial www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd, 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 | www.fireinf.com

BAFSA Sprinkler Yearbook 2007

The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) has recently issued their Sprinkler Yearbook for 2007. Edited by well known expert Stewart Kidd, the 167 page book discusses in Part 1 - the Sprinkler Forum - fire safety legislation, a brief history of fire protection systems,; sprinklers for safety; water mist systems; wise up to fire and maintenance of sprinkler systems: the fundamentals. In addition it contains an article "Insurance: the door is opening". Part 2 contains the Reference Information that includes a List of BAFSA members and other useful information.

BAFSA represents a significant majority of third-party certified sprinkler installers as well as manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, insurers, the fire service and others with an interest in the field. The association is dedicated to making sure that sprinkler systems are installed to the highest professional standards.

Contact: BAFSA, Richmond House, Broad Street, Ely CB7 4AH, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1353 659187 | Email: info@basa.org.uk | www.bafsa.org.uk

International RSI Awareness Day 28 February 2007

February 28, 2007 will mark the eighth annual International Repetitive strain injury (RSI) Awareness Day - a day set aside each year to provide a focus for creating awareness and action on this issue. International RSI Awareness Day falls on the last day of February every year (because that's the only non-repeating date in the calendar - sometimes its 28 February, sometimes 29!)

RSI, also known as work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), is the umbrella terms used to describe a number of overuse injuries affecting the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and nerves) of the neck, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, arms and hands. Back pain, tendonitis, tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome are some common examples. These disorders can be caused by work activities that are frequent and repetitive, activities with awkward postures or requiring frequent bending or twisting, or tasks involving carrying, lifting, pushing or pulling heavy or awkward loads. They are a serious occupational health concern across the world and are recognized as a leading cause of significant human suffering, loss of productivity and an economic burden on society.

On this day, workers, health and safety professionals, health care practitioners and others worldwide take the opportunity to help raise awareness about RSIs and the need for action aimed at prevention, rehabilitation and fair compensation. Campaigns, exhibitions, seminars and conferences are conducted to highlight the work hazards that cause strain injuries, to promote workplace activities on strain prevention and to press for preventive action by employers and governments.

Various resources and events:

On Saturday, 24 February 2007, the RSI Action in association with the London RSI Support Group is organizing presentations on RSI conditions, treatments, therapies and prevention at the University College London, UK. There will be stalls and exhibitions from organisations, groups and individuals dedicated to helping those with RSI conditions.

The Workers Health and Safety Centre (WHSC) in Ontario, Canada, offers a wide range of materials, information and training services. It aslo provides a list of RSI Day events across Ontario. More details: www.whsc.on.ca/Events/RSI-Day

WHSC stressed that, in Canada, 2.3 million people (or one in every 10 adults) - mostly workers - suffer from RSIs and MSDs.

The Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) - one of the three CIS Centers in Canada - has recently produced a Frequently Asked Questions Fact Sheet on Preventing MSDs In the Office. Many other resources are available on this topic on the IAPA site.

The ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety is another important source of reference that addresses the issue of work-related RSIs and MSDs. It includes chapters on Musculoskeletal System and Ergonomics, as well as the following articles:

• Musculoskeletal disorders among fishermen and workers in the fish processing industry;
• Musculoskeletal disorders among visual display units operators; and
• Effect of psychosocial work factors on musculoskeletal disorders.

The ILO CISDOC bibliographic database contains references to numerous books, training manuals, articles, etc. on various OHS-related subjects including RSIs. CIS has extracted recent additions to CISDOC on repetitive work and musculoskeletal diseases, including complete bibliographic details, abstracts and internet links when available.

EUROHSE 2007 Conference - Spring into OSH

EurOhse 2007 Conference will be held at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London on Thursday, 19 April 2007 and aims to bring delegates up to date on a number of hot topics, including legislation development.

Benefits of attending

• Guidance and advice on The Hot Topics in the Workplace in 2007
• Challenges in understanding the impact of European and UK recent and impending legislation
• Examples and Case studies
• Networking and hearing what other managers are dealing with
• FREE OSH software

Where and when

Location

Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London

Date

19th April 2007

Time

Registration opens 08.30am - Conference runs 09.30am to 16.45pm

Cost

£395 (£295 if you are a member of IOSH, RoSPA, IIRSM or BOHS)

Conference Chair

Sheila Pantry OBE

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd and Angel Business Communications Ltd are delighted to invite you to attend this very topical one-day conference.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse and busy managers need to stop for a short while to assess what they are doing and to ask if they are really keeping up-to-date in their responsibilities in securing good standards of health and safety in their workplaces and to be able to show the cost benefits of doing so.

Who should attend?

• All Occupational Health and Safety Managers aiming to be up-to-date in 2007 with the latest Hot Topics.
• Directors and Senior level Managers who need to be aware about their health and safety responsibilities and the consequences of non-compliance.
• Representatives from organisations wishing to benchmark their own practices against other leading organisations.
• Health and Safety professionals looking to update and improve their own knowledge and skills-base on what is changing.

What will be discussed

• Management of change and the effects on workers including stress, aggression, bullying and violence;
• REACH - the latest legislation, guidance and actions needed
• Overview of the latest health and safety legislation requirements including the implications for smoking, alcohol and drugs at work; the need for setting policies
• Fire risk assessment; the how, why, when and the recent legislation and guidance
• Wider European health and safety scene

Make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.

Strengthening the competitive advantage of Europe's biomedical health care sector

Strengthening the competitiveness of Europe's biomedical health care sector is vital if value-creating research, development and jobs are to remain in Europe, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), the Dublin-based EU Agency, argues. In an effort to boost the competitive advantage of the sector in competition with those in the United States and Asia, Eurofound has contracted the Danish Technological Institute to map the current and future challenges the sector is facing, as well as finding ways how to address the lack of funding and the insufficient supply of qualified employees in Europe.

The 2163 European biotechnology companies employ over 96,500 people and generates over EUR 21.5 billion in revenue (2004).

Compared to other industries, Europe's biotechnology industry is small in numbers, but it is nonetheless vital when it comes to driving economic growth and innovation in other European industries such as the pharmaceutical industry, industrial production (washing powder etc.), agriculture, and food production.

'European policy-makers, as well as business executives and employees in Europe's biomedical health care sector, need a comprehensive understanding of change and the consequences of change on their sector, so that they can respond to an effective and proactive way,' says Jorma Karppinen, Eurofound's Director. 'This study is aimed at ensuring that company strategies, competences of the employees, and the regulatory framework meet future challenges.' The first step in the study is to map the trends and key drivers of change in the sector. Second, in order to illustrate the challenges facing different types of companies in the sector and the different paths taken by companies to ensure competitiveness and growth, the study will include four company portraits and two case studies of clusters. Based on the insights from the case studies, uture scenarios will be developed, enabling legislators, employers and employees to reflect on their choice of strategies for the future.

'In our experience, the combination of a concise mapping of a sector together with in-depth case studies and a set of thought-provoking scenarios offer an eminent starting point for strategic considerations and decisions within the companies and organisations within that sector,' says project manager Tine Andersen from the Danish Technological Institute. 'Therefore, it is our hope that our results will be studied and discussed by stakeholders, legislators, and in the companies that we aim to portray.'

The project ends in September 2007. However, the mapping report will be available in March 2007, and the six case studies are conducted and published from March to May 2007. The scenarios will be available on the project's website in August 2007.

www.eurofound.europa.eu/news/news-articles/other/press-release-14-february-2007

Temping damages your health

As temping and fixed-term contracts spread across Europe, a growing body of research suggests that these types of employment are harmful to health.

An analysis of Spanish and German statistics found that temporary workers have a bigger probability than permanent workers of dying from smoking- and alcohol-related illnesses.

The incidence was highest among men. The study's authors point to the material and psychological consequences of insecure employment conditions as factors in this excess mortality.

Are Fixed-Term Jobs Bad for your Health? A Comparison of West Germany and Spain
Vanessa Gash, Antje Mertens, Laura Romeu Gordo
IAB Discussion Paper No. 8, 2006, 36 pages
http://doku.iab.de/discussionpapers/2006/dp0806.pdf

Don't forget 28 April 2007 - World Safety and Heath Day - start preparing now!

The theme for the International Labour Office (ILO) World Safety and Health Day to be held on 28 April 2007 will be "Making Decent Work a Reality - Safe and Healthy Workplaces".

The idea behind it is to promote the new convention C. 187 Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006: www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en

DIARY DATE - NIOSH Malaysia will organize Malaysia 10th National Conference of Occupational Safety & Health (COSH2007) 20-22 August 2007

COSH2007 is an annual event organized by NIOSH, its aim to discuss current issues and challenges in occupational safety and health. This is the tenth conference held at the national level, and the response received from the industries and organizations for these past few years have been very encouraging.

Date

20-22 August 2007

Venue

Genting Highlands, Malaysia

Theme

OSH - Reinforcing The Commitment

URL

www.niosh.com.my

Fee

RM650 (Early Bird)

RM700 (NIOSH Members/Government)

RM750 (Normal Fee)

RM550 (Students/Speakers)

Contact: Mohd Hussin Bin Abd Salam, Info. Service, Comm & Tech Unit, National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Malaysia | Tel: +603-87692100 Ext. 2200 | Fax: + 603-89265900 | Email: mohd.hussin@niosh.com.my

European health and safety statistics: Proposal

The 23 page Proposal for a Regulation of The European Parliament and of The Council On Community Statistics on public health and health and safety at work (presented by the Commission) can be found 2007/0020 (COD) (COM(2007) 46)

DIARY DATE - An International Conference on Healthy Air - Better Work 2007

29-31 May 2007, Marina Congress Center, Helsinki, Finland

Welcome to the WorkAir2007 Conference! Exposure to hazardous impurities in the indoor environment of workplaces can lead to symptoms of illness and even diseases, while discomfort due to inadequate ventilation and poor indoor air quality lowers work ability and productivity.

WorkAir2007 is the first international conference in which IEQ and the management of indoor air and environment, of occupational settings, in particular, is the main focus. In this Conference we focus not merely on the quality of indoor air but on the whole indoor environment in non-industrial workplaces such as offices, schools, day care centres and hospitals.

Deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 February 2007... But they may well accept a late entry

Deadline for early registration is 1 April 2007.

The Conference is organized by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) and the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, in collaboration with the Finnish Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.

The Conference is sponsored by the Finnish Work Environment Fund, Ministry of the Environment, and Senate Properties.

www.ttl.fi/en/international/conferences

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