News from around the World
July 2008
- FIREINF goes from strength to strength
- The 4th International Forum on Disability Management will be held in Berlin from 22 to 24 September 2008
- Healthy Workplaces campaign material and active partnerships
- New publications from the USA
- No OSH-ROM - why not have a look at OSH UPDATE
- Australia reviews the national OSH legislation
- The "Must go to conference" in 2008 - 4th Annual Health and Safety Conference 2008
- CIS welcomes new Centres
- Strategies and OSH in Europe and elsewhere
FIREINF goes from strength to strength
Two databases from the US National Institute for Safety and Health - NIOSHTIC and NIOSHTIC-2 are being added to FIREINF that is arguably the world's premier collection of related validated, authoritative information on the subject aims to help all those seeking such information. Both NIOSHTIC and NIOSHTIC-2 databases contain a wealth of fire and fire related as well as a broad range of occupational safety and health information.
Emphasis in FIREINF is on all aspects of fire, emergency and preparedness management principles, fire risk assessment, practices and research. FIREINF leads the searcher to quality guidance and advice from around the world. And it is used by organisations, those teaching fire science as well as fire brigades, rescue services, forensic and fire experts.
Fireinf is the world's premier collection of validated, authoritative fire and fire related information and contains two major collections.
For those individuals and organisations that do not subscribe to a range of journals/magazines this is one way of ensuring that the latest news, developments and trends are available.
The Full Text Collection has 3 databases containing thousands of pages of full text information and The Bibliographic Collection has 11 databases which together contain over 522,000 records to journal articles, guidance and advice, circulars, reports, conference proceedings, research reports, statistics and codes of practice from worldwide sources, all of which may be easily accessed. One of the databases - from the British Standards Institution - contains references to over 4000 fire and fire related standards.
This long established collection started in 1997 as Fire Worldwide and then expanded into Fire, Emergency and Preparedness Worldwide. From 2007 the collection continues to expand with the new software and host platform as Fireinf and aims to help all those seeking information on all aspects of fire, emergency and preparedness management principles, fire risk assessment, good practices and research.
Fireinf is continuously enlarged as new information is published.
In this fast moving world it is essential to have quick access to validated, authoritative and constantly updated information collections. Much time is spent these days searching the Internet for validated and authoritative information often resulting in out-of date sources. Collections brought together and maintained by information specialists are one sure way of getting good quality data.
As new research and new ways of working, with the attendant alterations in products, services and technology developments means that no-one, especially those responsible for fire, emergencies and preparedness in workplaces of all kinds, should be without the latest information. Nor should people be without access to information that has been published in the past!
Searchers should also be aware that the myth abounding in the world that everything is published on the Internet and is free is just not true! Nor is the latest theory that if you have a credit card and access to search engines then you do NOT need a library!
One way to quickly gain access to legislation, guidance and advice that is up-to-date and relevant is to take a 15-day Free Trial of FIREINF - the service that is focused, affordable, easy to use and continuously updated as new data is published.
Published by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. since 1997 (previous titles Fire Worldwide and also Fire, Emergency and Preparedness Worldwide), FIREINF uses the powerful Headfast software.
Fireinf is accessible via the Internet Service www.fireinf.com.
Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for 15 day FREE trials for all services that are cost effective. Why pay more for information? Go to www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
The 4th International Forum on Disability Management will be held in Berlin from 22 to 24 September 2008
How can businesses retain employees' capacity for work following sickness and disablement? Experts from throughout the world will address this question at the 4th International Forum on Disability Management (IFDM), which is to be held at the Berlin Congress Centre from 22 to 24 September 2008. The IFDM will be hosted by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), together with the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Over 120 speakers from almost every corner of the globe will be presenting the latest findings on how employees can be returned to vocational life following sickness. Besides generic topics, the programme covers numerous talks on subjects such as issues specific to older employees, psychosocial disorders, and cancer. Other topics are particular requirements in production, the service sector, and the public sector.
The 2008 IFDM is aimed particularly at delegates from employers' and employees' groups, experts from companies and state institutions, researchers, providers of prevention and rehabilitation services, insurance institutions, disability managers, legal experts, business managers, medical doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers.
The conference fee is €550 for registration by 31 July, €690 thereafter. One-day visitors' cards can be purchased for €230.
The DGUV (German Social Accident Insurance) is the association of accident insurance institutions. Its members insure over 70 million people against the consequences of occupational, school and commuting accidents and occupational diseases. As accident insurance bodies, they possess comprehensive expertise in occupational safety and health, and in medical and vocational rehabilitation.
Stefan Boltz, DGUV Press department | Tel: +49 30 288763-768 | Fax: +49 30 288763-771 | Email: presse@dguv.de | www.dguv.de
Healthy Workplaces campaign material and active partnerships
A wide variety of campaign materials in 22 European Union languages is available free for download: https://osha.europa.eu/en/healthy-workplaces-campaigns/previous-healthy-workplaces-campaigns
You can be recognised as an official partner of the Healthy Workplaces campaign and as an organisation dedicated to occupational safety and health at work. The partner status gives you visibility towards European institutions, social partners and other key players in occupational safety and health (OSH) as well as towards the media.
More detailed information in our document "Creating Partnerships for Healthy Workplaces".
New publications from the USA
The following new publications will be of interest to those interested in occupational safety and health:
Heat-Related Deaths Among Crop Workers - United States, 1992-2006
Published in the June 20, 2008 issue, provides a case study of a crop worker's heat-related death and summarizes heat-related fatalities among crop production workers during the 15-year period. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5724a1.htm
Two new NIOSH Topic Pages are now available:
- "Tick-Borne Diseases" www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/tick-borne
- "Welding and Manganese: Potential Neurologic Effects" www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/welding
Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE): Evaluation of Potential Musculoskeletal Hazard
The HHE Program responded to a union request at a poultry processing plant concerning potential musculoskeletal hazards resulting from job tasks in the deli division. The NIOSH HHE investigators observed frank hanging and frank removing tasks and interviewed workers about their work and medical histories. It was found that workers used awkward postures and performed heavy lifting, which increased their risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Investigators found that workers reported musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in their back and shoulders when hanging and removing franks.
HHE Program investigators recommended that managers provide workers with taller platforms in both the raw and cooked production areas to reduce awkward postures; that managers rotate workers from lifting to non-lifting jobs to limit lifting tasks to less than two hours per rotation; that employees take specific measures to minimize horizontal research distance while working; and that employees take the time to work safely and lift properly.
www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0098-3061.pdf
No OSH-ROM - why not have a look at OSH UPDATE
OSH UPDATE - produced by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd now has 18 databases containing validated and authoritative worldwide information on all aspects of health and safety at work.
OSH UPDATE - arguably one of the best collections of full text and bibliographic health and safety information is continuously updated as new data is published. It has user friendly powerful software and the lowest priced collection of occupational safety and health (OSH) information.
During 2007, 24,152 new bibliographic records containing 3,387 links to full text and 1,811 full text documents containing 42,724 pages were added. It is hoped to progress in the same way in 2008.
Why not take a FREE 15-DAY TRIAL OF OSH UPDATE now? Send your request at www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html
Contact: 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
Australia reviews the national OSH legislation
Australia is undergoing an extensive review of its National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Legislation in order to achieve harmonisation across different State jurisdictions.
As part of the process the review panel has compiled a great collection of reports from Australia and around the world.
This will be of use to many countries that are still creating and enlarging their OSH legislation.
http://employment.gov.au/occupational-health-and-safety-harmonisation
The "Must go to conference" in 2008 - 4th Annual Health and Safety Conference 2008
Croner Training's 4th Annual Health and Safety Conference will be held on 3 December 2008, London. Now in its fourth year, this practical one-day conference will help you move ahead with health and safety challenges in your organisation and enable you to understand what needs to be addressed to achieve success. Programme is organised and conference chaired by Sheila Pantry OBE.
The 2007 conference was attended by well over 100 delegates and received very good delegate feedback:
'A very good forum for the exchange of information from both presentations and networking'
'The content and speakers were all of a high standard'
Attending this conference will give you:
- Individual awareness and perspectives on new major health and safety topics
- The ability to quickly develop credible, coherent and effective plans for turning strategies into action
- The opportunity to talk to and ask questions of the expert speakers
- The opportunity to network with other senior professionals
This conference will help you to:
- Identify the key health and safety issues for 2008/2009
- Turn your own strategy into successful action programme
Who should attend?
- Owner-managers
- All Occupational Health and Safety Managers aiming to be up-to-date in 2008 with the latest hot topics
- Senior Level Managers and Directors who need to be aware about their health and safety responsibilities and the consequences of non-compliance
- Finance directors
- Representatives from organisations wishing to benchmark their own practices against other leading organisations
- Health, Safety and Facilities Managers looking to update and improve their own knowledge and skills base on what is changing in health, safety, professional capabilities, latest legislation and trends
- Senior Employee Representatives
Programme
09.00 |
Coffee and Registration |
09.30 |
Chairperson's introduction |
09.35 |
The Health and Safety Agenda 2009: overview |
10.15 |
Helping OSH Managers and Directors in organisations reduce ill-health and and injury in the workplace. |
11.00 - 11.15 |
BREAK |
11.15 |
Know your statutory duties: updating your know |
12.00 |
Employee health management |
12.50 |
Lunch |
14.00 |
Engaging Advanced Behavioural Safety (ABS) |
14.45 |
Work-Related road safety: role of the health and safety practitioner |
15.30 |
Health and Safety Executive's major initiatives and priorities in 2009 |
16.15 |
Discussion |
Chairwoman's closing remarks |
Croner's 4th Annual Health and Safety Conference 2008
3 December 2008, London (location TBC)
Price: £399 + VAT (Early booking discount of £100 if place booked before 29th August 2008)
Contact: Customer Services on 0845 082 1170 to book your place or email: services@cronertraining.co.uk
CIS welcomes new Centres
The International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) www.ilo.org/cis is pleased to announce that the organizations mentioned hereafter are now part of the international network of institutions dedicated to the collection and dissemination of information in the field of safety and health at work.
The establishment of new CIS Centres is part of the ILO's Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health (IV: Knowledge development, management and dissemination), adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC) in 2003. The work of CIS Centres is also included, under the heading "Information and advisory services on occupational safety and health", in the national system for occupational safety and health whose establishment and maintenance are required according to ILO Convention No. 187 concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health and associated Recommendation No. 197.
Collaborating Centres which joined CIS in 2008:
- Bahrain* (Isa Town): The National Occupational Safety and Health Centre
- Macedonia (Skopje): Macedonian Occupational Safety and Health Association (MOSHA)
- Republic of Srpska - Bosnia and Herzegovina (Banja Luka): Republic Administration for Inspection Activities of Republika Srpska
- Russian Federation* (Saint Petersburg): OSH Training Centre Uchebny Kombinat
- Saudi Arabia (Jeddah): SALAMATEC
National Centres which joined CIS in 2008:
- Iraq (Baghdad): Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, National Centre for Occupational Safety and health, International Relations Department (no Web site currently available).
- Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Tripoli): High Center of Occupational Safety and Health
- Mauritania (Nouakchott): Office national de la médecine du travail (no Web site currently available).
CIS hopes to welcome Egypt*, Morocco* and Senegal in the near future.
We invite you to visit the corresponding Web sites by clicking on the above links for additional information on activities and services of these new Centres.
Access to the alphabetic list of CIS Centres
* Please note that a National Centre and/or a Collaborating Centre already exists in these countries.
Strategies and OSH in Europe and elsewhere
Safety and health at work is now one of the most important and most highly developed aspects of EU's policy on employment and social affairs.
Work in this field is a complex interaction between various actors at European Union (EU) and Member State level, including in particular governments and other public authorities, as well as workers' and employers' organisations.
While in the past a vast body of Community legislation on safety and health at work was elaborated, nowadays, the development and implementation of holistic approaches and strategies towards occupational safety and health (OSH) becomes more and more important to further improve the working conditions in the EU Member States.
Also, there is a lot of information on OSH available from countries and organisations outside the EU, which can provide useful background and inspiration for efforts to create healthy and safe workplaces here.