News from around the World

News Archive

July 2007

New Book - Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries
by Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP

Stress and conflict in the workplace undermine performance and can make people mentally and physically ill, and research indicates that ever-increasing numbers of people are experiencing excessive pressure of this kind - including aggression and abuse - in our rapidly changing world of work.

This applies to libraries and information organizations as much as anywhere; indeed they can be particular targets for verbal and non-verbal violent behaviour through their accessibility to the public, and there are also employees of such organizations who are suffering, often in silence, from aggression, bullying and harassment from a work colleague.

Tackling - and preventing - conflict and stress effectively is a legal responsibility for management, and can result in significant benefits for the organization in terms of recruitment and retention, employee commitment, performance and productivity, customer satisfaction, organizational image and reputation, and avoidance of potential litigation.

Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries defines clearly what should and should not be tolerated in a healthy and safe working environment, and introduces the reporting procedures and communication skills leading to conflict resolution, enabling both employees and managers to consider situations consistently based on risk assessment previously carried out. The chapters cover:

• Current health and safety concerns
• Are you at risk?
• The business case
• Risk assessment procedure
• Advice, guidance and legislation
• Taking action to solve interpersonal conflict
• Dealing with aggression and violence
• Support to be expected inside and outside the organization.

Also included are case studies, a glossary of health and safety terms, and sources of further information, including relevant legislation.

This book is essential reading for employees at all levels, and also for managers, team leaders, supervisors, personnel and human resources staff, complaints officers, union officers and anyone else in the information organization who may be called upon to deal with people.

Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP manages an independent information services consultancy and electronic publishing business, including websites. She has had a long and varied career in information management in a range of industry sectors, and also in government as Head of Information Services for the Health and Safety Executive. She specializes in worldwide occupational health and safety information and is an experienced trainer, writer, editor and lecturer.

Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries by Sheila Pantry OBE, BA, FCLIP
Facet Publishing, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE, UK
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
ISBN 978-1-85604-613-8
All titles available a 20% discount to Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals members.
Remember to quote your Membership Number if claiming the discount.

Available from Bookpoint Ltd, Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD | Tel: +44 (0)1235 400400 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 832068/861038 | Email: orders@bookpoint.co.uk | Further information - email: sp@sheilapantry.com

Also www.amazon.co.uk or go direct to www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Stress-Conflict-Libraries-Sheila/dp/1856046133

Why waste time clicking around for the latest Health, Safety and Fire information? Help is ready at your fingertips!

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. publish a number of health, safety, environment and fire electronic services that contain authoritative and validated information from well-known organisations around the world such as the Health and Safety Executive, European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, ILO Health and Safety Centre, Geneva, US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Fire Service College and UK Forensic Science Service.

These services are constantly updated, contain both full text and bibliographic information have been transferred onto new, easy-to-use software and host platform. All services are available for a 15-day free trial. And the collections contain guidance and advice NOT available on web sites!

The following services are long-established and are used worldwide by a wide variety of individuals, OSH practitioners, consultancies, organisations, universities, researchers and lecturers:

• Fireinf (previously Fire, Emergency and Preparedness)
• OSH UPDATE
• IRISH OSH UPDATE (includes content of OSH Ireland)

Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for free trials for all services that are cost effective. Why pay more for information? For a 15 DAY FREE - NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Ensuring that your health and safety policy is up-to-date... and Behavioural safety: Two New EurOHSE 2007 Workshops 10 October 2007

Angel Business Communications Ltd and Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd announce two practical workshops to be held at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London on Wednesday, 10 October 2007, 09.45 - 16.30.

Morning Workshop

Ensuring that your health and safety policy is up-to-date... Policy Statements revisited to be presented by Jeremy Stranks

This workshop will deal with:

• The legal basis for Statements of Health and Safety Policy
• The Statement of Health and Safety Policy as a "living document"
• Principal features of a Statement of Health and Safety Policy
• The need to reflect the current health and safety culture of the organisation
• Keeping the Statement up-to-date as a result of new legislation
• The relationship of the Statement to other health and safety documentation, including Health and Safety Manuals, safe working instructions, risk assessments, etc
• The use of annexes to the Statement with respect to, for example, new and expectant mothers, young persons and stress at work

For the practical exercise, there will be a specimen Statement of Health and Safety Policy for consideration by delegates followed by a report back session

Afternoon Workshop

An Introduction to Behavioural Safety and Safety Culture - Theory and Practice and also Advanced Behavioural Techniques presented by Dr Tim Marsh

This workshop will deal with:

• The differing types of Behavioural Programme and Initiative
• Overlaps with Safety Culture, Human Error, Human Factors (AI) and Health Integration of systems
• Strengths and Weaknesses of 'Top-Down' Approaches
• Strengths and Weaknesses of 'Bottom-Up' Approaches
• Writing, Validating and Using Lead Measures
• Maximising Analysis
• High impact awareness raising with a behavioural theme-how and when to use it.

Break Out Session: Tailoring an Approach to Suit Your Specific Situation.

Advanced Behavioural Techniques

• Models of Behavioural Prediction, Coaching and Motivational Interviewing.
• Maximising Ownership
• Leadership Behaviours
• Driving and Home Safety & Next Steps

If you wish to speak directly to a conference contact to book your delegate place, or to find out more information, please call Jesse Bhadal on Tel: +44 (0)24 76 718970 | Email: jesse@angelbc.co.uk

A+A 2007 - its getting closer!

A+A 2007 18-21 September 2007, the trade fair in Düsseldorf where exhibitors show everything required for Safety, Security and Health at Work, is not far away.

International Trade Shows Link Ltd, the UK representative for the Messe, would like to remind visitors that tickets and catalogues are now available.

Contact: ITSL Ltd, Ramsay House, Marchmont Farm, Link Rd, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 6JH, UK | Tel: +44 (0)1442 230033 | Fax: +44 (0)1442 230012 | Email: info@itsluk.com

EU Protecting women and children

Initially established in 1997, Daphne, the European Union's programme to combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk, has been extended until 2013.

Daphne III was formally adopted as Decision 779/2007/EC and entered into force on 4 July.

Source: Official Journal, L173, 3 July 2007 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:173:SOM:EN:HTML

Daphne website: http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/2004_2007/daphne/funding_daphne_en.htm

European Union Green paper on climate change

The Green Paper 'Adapting to climate change in Europe - options for EU action' (COM (2007) 354) (SEC(2007)849 has now been published.

Looking at the role of the EU, Member States, regional and local authorities, it "examines climate change impacts in Europe, the case for action and policy responses in the EU." It also considers the "external dimension" and "the opportunity for the EU to provide international leadership in this area."

Green Paper text: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0354:FIN:en:PDF

European Health and Safety: new Strategy

The European Council has adopted a Resolution on the new Community strategy on health and safety at work (2007-2012).

For more information Source: Official Journal, C145, 30 June 2007 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:145:SOM:EN:HTML

DIARY DATE - USA'S NIOSH Chief to Keynote 5th International Bird Flu Summit, on 27-28 September 2007 in Las Vegas, USA

Dr. John Howard, director of the USA's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will discuss how precise workplace planning can significantly contain the spread of a pandemic, and blunt its worst effects on the U.S. economy.

NIOSH, the lead research institution in workplace safety and health standards, is attached to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

He will show attendees how to engage unions, workers and all stakeholders to create workplace pandemic preparedness plans that are systematic, cost-effective and tested against the worst scenarios.

His keynote will also detail how to identify risk levels in workplaces, classify worker exposure, develop sick leave and other HR policies, and systematically mitigate pandemic hazards in the workplace by installing engineering controls, coaching workers to engage in protective behaviors, and establishing work practice controls such as the routine use of disinfectants, no-touch trash cans and disposable towels.

Experts estimate that in a pandemic, all businesses and organizations will experience a 30 to 40 percent drop in workforce, as employees call in sick, leave to take care of family members, or become afraid to get infected.

With 85 percent of the country's critical infrastructure in private sector hands, workplace planning in the business community plays a vital role in ensuring national pandemic preparedness and response.

"We are honored that Dr. Howard is joining us," says Samir Farajallah, President and CEO of New-Fields Exhibitions, the summit organizer.

"Attendees to the 5th International Summit can gain critical insight from the impressive resume of administrative, academic and public health experience that Dr. Howard brings," he said.

Dr. Howard received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Loyola University (1974), a Master of Occupational Health from the Harvard School of Public Health (1982), a Juris Doctor from UCLA (1986), and a Master of Laws in Administrative Law and Economic Regulation from George Washington University (1987). Howard is a board-certified occupational physician and has written numerous papers on occupational health law and policy.

At the summit, Dr. Howard will join a distinguished roster of speakers from international, federal and local public health offices, law enforcement agencies, hospitals and health organizations, scientific institutions, emergency management response groups, and leading businesses, who will tackle the complex issues related to pandemic preparedness, response and recovery.

For more information about the conference contact: New Fields, 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 600 South, Washington, DC 20004, USA | Tel: +1 202 536 5000

Canada's IRSST new guide on respiratory protection against bioaerosols and the document was translated in English

There is growing interest in the risks of exposure to infectious bioaerosols for everyone who has a role to play in occupational health and safety (OHS). Choosing and using respiratory protection can be key decisions, among other things, in cases of exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), tuberculosis, avian or pig flu, anthrax, etc.

The objective of this document is to guide in the selection of respirators against bioaerosols in hazardous situations for workers in different sectors: hospitals, household waste sorting centres, wastewater treatment centres, agriculture, food and beverage processing, etc.

The document first includes a brief description of respirators, air filtration mechanisms and the assigned protection factors for respirators, completed by information on their fit, seal and care. It then presents the respiratory protection required for infectious and non-infectious bioaerosols.

At the end of the document are a few examples on the choice and use of respirators for various work contexts. The appendices contain a decision tree for selecting a respirator against bioaerosols as well the current standards and regulations.

Lavoie, Jacques; Cloutier, Yves; Lara, Jaime; Marchand, Geneviève - Guide on respiratory protection against bioaerosols - Recommendations on its selection and use, Studies and Research Projects / Technical Guide RG-501, Montreal, IRSST, 2007, 40 pages

The document is available for free download: www.irsst.qc.ca/en/_publicationirsst_100294.html

Keep up to date with European Agency for Safety and Health at Work OSH news!

The Agency's free electronic news service, OSHmail, provides a monthly snapshot of the latest OSH developments, delivered straight to your desk. With almost 30,000 OSH experts and practitioners , from Europe and beyond who have already subscribed, OSHMail offers a unique access to international OSH community.

And now its key content is also available in, all EU official languages, and comes in a refreshed, user-friendly design!

Please note that OSHmail is now in 20 languages, Dansk | Deutsch | Eesti | English | Español | Français | Italiano | Latviešu | Lietuviskai | Magyar | Malti | Nederlands | Polski | Português | Slovenčina | Slovenščina | Suomi | Svenska | Čeština | Ελληνικά

For Free subscription: https://osha.europa.eu/en/oshmail-newsletter

Safety and Migrant Workers: A practical guide for safety representatives

The UK TUC has published a guide for safety representatives which gives advice on how they can work with migrant workers to help ensure their health and safety is protected.

www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/migrant-workers

Bioterrorism

The European Commission has adopted a Green Paper on bio-preparedness (COM (2007) 399), aimed at stimulating a debate on how to reduce biological risks - including those from terrorism - and to "enhance preparedness and response capabilities". 1 October 2007 is the deadline for responses.

Source: Commission press release IP/07/1065 - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-07-1065_en.htm

Q&A (MEMO/07/289) - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-07-289_en.htm

Green Paper text - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0399:FIN:en:PDF

Responses should be sent to the Commission by October 2007. Stakeholders may use the following e-mail address: Biopreparedness@ec.europa.eu or the following mailing address: European Commission, Bio-preparedness consultation, LX-46 3/093, 1049 Brussels, Belgium