News from around the World

News Archive

September 2013

UK RoSPA launches SchoolSafe programme to boost health and safety management

A new programme that checks and validates a school’s performance in areas that are critical to successful and proportionate health and safety risk management has been launched by the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

RoSPA’s SchoolSafe programme evaluates the systems that schools and academies have in place to ensure that risks to the safety and health of pupils, staff and parents are managed in a systematic and balanced way.

Schools taking part in the scheme will be reviewed by a RoSPA consultant on five key challenges:

• teaching safely e.g. what are the requirements for health and safety management?
• teaching safety e.g. helping students learn about risk
• children having experiences out of the classroom e.g. adventurous activities
• physical safety issues e.g. asbestos, transport and play equipment
• practical management e.g. fire and emergency systems.

An overall GCSE style rating of A*, A, B or C grade is then calculated.

David Rushton, Head of Education and Leisure at RoSPA, said: “Many schools and academies have recently assumed responsibility for health and safety for the first time and we’re keen that head teachers, governors and staff receive practical help and advice as well recognition for good practice.

“RoSPA SchoolSafe is unique: it assesses the school’s ability to ‘teach safely’ – providing a safe environment for pupils, parents and staff – and the school’s arrangements to ‘teach safety’ – enabling young people to identify and manage risk themselves.

“As a charity that has been working on safety for 97 years, we hope the knowledge and expertise that we have built up will be really beneficial to schools and academies that want to take a proportionate approach to health and safety management – an approach RoSPA champions.”

Benefits of the programme include that comparisons can be made between individual schools, as well as local and regional school groupings, allowing for resources to be targeted effectively.

The review also aims to help schools build on their health and safety development plan and to track performance improvements. Each review will result in a report and action plan for the school, which can be easily understood by teachers, governors, trustees, parents and others.

A certificate showing the overall rating can also be displayed at the school and the school may use the SchoolSafe logo on its website and literature, enabling it to demonstrate to parents the school’s commitment to their children’s safety.

To find out more about RoSPA SchoolSafe, please call RoSPA’s education department on 0121 248 2235 or email educationhelp@rospa.com.

RoSPA’s mission is to save lives and reduce injuries

A+A in Düsseldorf, Germany – 5-8 November 2013

With around 1,600 exhibitors, the A+A in Düsseldorf is the most important specialist trade fair with a congress for health and safety at work. From 5-8 November 2013, it will be the ideal place to receive hands-on information as well as to experience and become familiar with concepts and solutions with regard to safe and “people-friendly” workplace design.

Personal safety, security and health at work are considered the “classical” core topics at the A+A, which takes place every two years. With it, the “health-promoting workplace design” will be multifariously examined from various perspectives at the trade fair and congress situated in the fairground halls and Düsseldorf Congress Center (CCD). With regard to this, “people-friendly” working conditions play a significant role.

For further information and details www.AplusA.de/pm06e_workplace_design

Registration numbers granted to 9,030 REACH 2013 registrations

Registration numbers have been granted to 9,030 dossiers that were submitted by the second REACH registration deadline on 31 May 2013. This corresponds to 2 998 more substances being registered under REACH. ECHA is publishing the non-confidential information from these dossiers on its website.

According to the REACH Regulation, ECHA has three months to perform completeness checks on all registrations for phase-in substances submitted in the last two months before the registration deadline. The aim of the completeness check is to ensure that all required elements have been included in the registration dossier. The three-month period ended on 31 August and ECHA has managed to perform the completeness check for all dossiers submitted by the second REACH registration deadline.

The dossiers that have not received a registration number are cases where the registrant has to resubmit their dossier following a request for further information from ECHA and cases which will be rejected because of non-payment of the related fees.

Companies submitted in total 770 testing proposals in 376 dossiers. Of those, 563 were proposals to test on animals in order to fulfil the REACH information requirements listed in Annex IX. The Agency will evaluate all dossiers which include testing proposals relevant to Annex IX by 1 June 2016. All tests proposed on vertebrate animals will be subject to public consultation.

In addition, the Agency received 301 confidentiality requests in 254 dossiers. The majority of claims concerned safety data sheet information, which includes the name of the company, the registration number and information on the uses of the substance. ECHA will assess all confidentiality claims before accepting them. The non-confidential information from all of the 2013 registrations will be added to the registered substances online database by the end of the year.

By the end of August, ECHA has received 45 million Euros in registration fees from companies submitting dossiers for the 2013 deadline. ECHA’s estimation for such fees in its 2013 budget was 31 million Euros.

Registrants are reminded to maintain and update their dossiers also after receiving the registration number, for example when new information is available. Companies should also keep checking their REACH-IT account for any communication from ECHA.

Further information

Landmark tobacco education ad campaign more than doubled goals

An estimated 1.6 million smokers attempted to quit smoking because of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Tips From Former Smokers“ national advertising campaign, according to a study released by the CDC. As a result of the 2012 campaign, more than 200,000 Americans had quit smoking immediately following the three-month campaign, of which researchers estimated that more than 100,000 will likely quit smoking permanently. These results exceed the campaign’s original goals of 500,000 quit attempts and 50,000 successful quits.

The study surveyed thousands of adult smokers and non-smokers before and after the campaign. Findings showed that, by quitting, former smokers added more than a third of a million years of life to the U.S. population. The Tips campaign, which aired from March 19 to June 10, 2012, was the first time a federal agency had developed and placed paid advertisements for a national tobacco education campaign. Ads featured emotionally powerful stories of former smokers living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities. The campaign encouraged people to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, a toll-free number to access quit support across the country, or visit a quit-assistance website. The study on the campaign’s impact is published today by a medical journal, The Lancet.

“This is exciting news. Quitting can be hard and I congratulate and celebrate with former smokers – this is the most important step you can take to a longer, healthier life,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “I encourage anyone who tried to quit to keep trying – it may take several attempts to succeed.’’

The study found that millions of non-smokers reported talking to friends and family about the dangers of smoking and referring smokers to quit services. Almost 80 percent of smokers and almost 75 percent of non-smokers recalled seeing at least one of the ads during the three-month campaign.

Read more

ChemView – A web-based tool

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a web-based tool, called ChemView, to significantly improve access to chemical specific regulatory information developed by EPA and data submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). “This online tool will improve access to chemical health and safety information, increase public dialogue and awareness, and help viewers choose safer ingredients used in everyday products,” said James Jones, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “The tool will make chemical information more readily available for chemical decision-makers and consumers.”

The ChemView web tool displays key health and safety data in an online format that allows comparison of chemicals by use and by health or environmental effects. The search tool combines available TSCA information and provides streamlined access to EPA assessments, hazard characterizations, and information on safer chemical ingredients. Additionally, the new web tool allows searches by chemical name or Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number, use, hazard effect, or regulatory action. It has the flexibility to create tailored views of the information on individual chemicals or compare multiple chemicals sorted by use, hazard effect or other criteria. The new portal will also link to information on manufacturing, processing, use, and release data reported under the Chemical Data Reporting Rule, and the Toxics Release Inventory.

In the months ahead, EPA will be continuously adding additional chemicals, functionality and links. When fully updated, the web tool will contain data for thousands of chemicals. EPA has incorporated stakeholder input into the design, and welcomes feedback on the current site.

By increasing health and safety information, as well as identifying safer chemical ingredients, manufacturers and retailers will have the information to better differentiate their products by using safer ingredients.

In 2010, EPA began a concerted effort to increase the availability of information on chemicals as part of a commitment to strengthen the existing chemicals program and improve access and usefulness of chemical data and information. This included improving access to the TSCA inventory, issuing new policies for the review of confidential business information claims for health and safety studies, and launching the Chemical Data Access Tool. Today’s launch of the ChemView provides the public with a single access point for information that has been generated on certain chemicals regulated under TSCA.

View and search ChemView: www.epa.gov/chemview

Second FABIG Technical Meeting in Korea covering “Fires and Explosions in Petrochemical Plants”

8th October in Busan, South Korea

This 2nd Technical Meeting in Korea is a half day event covering “Fires and Explosions in Petrochemical Plants” held on Tuesday, 8th October 2013 in Busan, South Korea.

Please go to www.fabig.com/events for registration.

The programme comprises the following:

Welcome Address

Prof. Jeom K. Paik – KOSORI

Safety Integrity Level

Mr. Jinhyung Park – Yokogawa Electric Korea

Process Design Concept of LNG Regasification Terminal

Mr. Youngsoon Sohn – KOGAS

Passive Fire Protection Trend on Onshore Plants

Dr. Youngwoo Chon, P.E. – Lloyd’s Register Consulting

Fire & Explosion Prevention Activities in Petrochemical Plants

Mr. Chanho Tae – GS Caltex

Safety Challenges with LNG Bunkering Terminals

Prof. Daejun Chang – KAIST

The event will start with lunch and registration at 12.00pm and the presentations will take place between 13.30pm and 17.00pm.

We are pleased to inform you that FABIG Members are able to attend all FABIG Technical Meetings FREE OF CHARGE. For this meeting ONLY, non-members will be able to attend FREE OF CHARGE.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

Members of most engineering institutions can count FABIG events as CPD. Attendance certificates are issued to delegates upon request.

World Day for Decent Work: 7 October 2013

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has launched a special website for this year’s October 7 World Day for Decent Work (WDDW). Trade unions and other groups holding events on the day can use the site to download WDDW materials, get updates and upload information about their October 7 plans as well as live updates, photos and videos during the events themselves.

Momentum is building for this year’s WDDW, with the ITUC Regional Organisation for the Americas, TUCA, already calling on all its affiliates to mobilise under this year’s theme “Building Workers’ Power”.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said “The World Day for Decent Work is a day when working people, their unions and their supporters across the world mobilise for decent jobs for all with respect for workers’ rights. We are aiming to exceed last year’s total of 424 events in 74 different countries and press home the demands of working people and their families to governments, employers and the international institutions.”

Website for WDDW: http://2013.wddw.org

Eurofound publishes a new research on more and better home-care services in Europe: Unlocking the job creation potential in the home-care services sector in Europe

Europe can harness large-scale scope for increased job creation in the home-care services sector as its ageing population continues to generate demand for more and better jobs in long-term care. Despite employment growth in the sector, however, difficult working conditions and inadequate skills and low wages threaten to slow further development. In this context, Eurofound has launched a new report looking at how successful recruitment and retention measures in home-care and support services can contribute to employment growth at a recent high-level conference under the Lithuanian EU Presidency held in Brussels.

Home-care services was one of the few sectors that experienced a growth in employment figures during the past five years, with an increase of nearly 6% during the period 2008-2010 and 2.6% between the years 2010 and 2012. There are currently more than 13 million people working in the health care sector and nearly five million workers in Europe providing home-care services.

“The long-term care sector offers ways to tackle the demographic and employment challenges Europe faces. If we do things right, we will be able to provide more and better jobs while at the same time improving accessibility and quality of services,’ says Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Eurofound’s Director. ‘Overall, there is currently an increasing trend towards more community-based care promoting the greater independence of people with functional limitations, user preferences and the potential of assisted-living technology.’

There are barriers to job creation in this sector, the report found, mainly shortage of recruits and budgetary constraints, but also demanding working conditions. In the long-term, the report predicts increasing shortages, especially in the area of better-qualified personnel.

Eurofound’s research looked at initiatives in 10 EU Member States that were successful in either creating more jobs in the provision of social care for adults in the community, or in improving the quality of jobs, with the aim of both attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff, and improve the quality of service.

Attracting young people to the home care sector is particularly important as it can help decrease the high rates of youth unemployment, the report argues. It can also ensure that the current home-care workforce can be replaced in the future. This is particularly important in the health and social care sectors in which nearly one third of the workforce is 50 years old or more. Apprenticeships in home care services can also help young people who are currently not in education, employment or training improve their situation.

Access and download the overall report and national reports: www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/labourmarket/home-care.htm

For further information, contact Måns Mårtensson, Eurofound’s media manager, Eurofound, Loughlinstown House, Wyattville Road, Dublin, Ireland D18 | Email: mma@eurofound.europa.eu | Tel: +353-1-204 3124 | Mobile: +353-876-593 507.

Non-Ionizing Radiation and Fields 3 kHz – 300 GHz webinar

ACGIH is pleased to present the following webinar: Non-Ionizing Radiation and Fields 3 kHz – 300 GHz LIVE on November 20, 2013 at 2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00).

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a physical agent, but is not homogeneous. The physics, health effects and assessment methods differ over different regions of the EMR spectrum in the occupational environment. Examples of the sources of occupational exposure include radar systems, radio, and TV broadcast systems, radiofrequency diathermy, dielectric heaters and sealers and communication equipment. It is up to the occupational health professional to determine how to control exposure in the day-to-day setting. This webinar will provide the attendee with a practical understanding of non-ionizing radiation, health effects, current guidelines for exposure, and ways to control and/or prevent exposure in the occupational setting with emphasis on the sub-radiofrequency, radiofrequency and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This webinar also provides basic information to assist in the development of workplace prevention programs. The content will be suited for attendees with some knowledge of potential health concerns due to occupational exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

Presented by Kenneth R. Foster, PhD and David H. Sliney, PhD of the ACGIH Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV-PA) Committee, Andrew Thatcher, MS and Ronald C. Petersen, MS.

To attend this webinar, you must first register for it. Once you have registered, you will receive an email message confirming your enrolment status and information that you need to join the event.

Registration and Course Information: www.acgih.org/events

This webinar contains 2.5 hours of instruction and may be eligible for ABIH CM credit. See ABIH website www.abih.org for CM criteria. This webinar qualifies for .15 BCSP (SP) Continuance of Certification (COC) Point for Certified Safety Professionals. Participants seeking confirmation of attendance for the webinar from ACGIH must attend the live webinar or view the archive and submit a final exam and evaluation. Certificates of Completion will be issued in a timely manner after receipt and completion of these items.

ACGIH, 1330 Kemper Meadow Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45240 | Tel: 513-742-2020 (Customer Service) | Email: meetings@acgih.org

LIFELINES ONLINE September 2013

The September issue of LIFELINES ONLINE (Vol. X, No. 4) is available at the LHSFNA website. These are the headlines:

• What Does Worker Involvement Mean in Construction?
• Prostate Cancer Made News This Year
• Is Your Heartbeat Healthy?
• Safety & Health and Small Contractors
• Dietary Habits That Make a Difference (Part III)
• Vaccination Winning War on HPV-Caused Cancer
• Infographic: Health is Where We Live, Learn, Work, Play
• Health Care Reform Updates

View the stories and access their website: www.lhsfna.org.

Also, please note that back issues of LIFELINES ONLINE – as well as the print magazine, LIFELINES – are posted for online viewing. The LIFELINES ONLINE archive and LIFELINES archive are fully searchable, so you can find the articles that relate to your topic of interest.

As always, they look forward to your feedback and comments on their website and LIFELINES ONLINE.

Contact: Steve Clark, Communications Manager, Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, 905 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA

Industrial Ventilation

The classic ventilation resource, Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design, is now available in a new 28th Edition.

For the first time, this new edition includes both imperial and metric (SI) values in tables and project solutions!

Since its first edition in 1951, Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice has been used by engineers and industrial hygienists to design and evaluate industrial ventilation systems. The 28th edition of this Manual continues this tradition. Renamed Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design (the Design Manual) in 2007, this new edition now includes metric tables and problem solutions and addresses design aspects of industrial ventilation systems.

NEW for the 28th Edition:

• Values in SI units are shown alongside the familiar IP values and enclosed in brackets [ ]
• Many sample problems solved in IP and SI units
• SI values have been included in Chapter 9 tables, some problem solutions and calculation sheets
• Many figures are duplicated in SI units
• All VS plates in Chapter 13 have IP and SI values

Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design, 28th Edition

Publication #2097; ISBN: 978-1-607260-57-8; © 2013; ACGIH Member Price: $111.96; Non-member Price: $139.95 + S/H

www.acgih.org/publications

OSH UPDATE and FIREINF

Keep up-to-date easily by using validated and authoritative information contained in OSH UPDATE and FIREINF electronic online services will ensure that you have the correct guidance and advice… find out more…

Want to know the latest fire, health, safety and environmental information without too much effort? Limited budget? Short of time? Not many experts around you? 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 being retrieved.

Health, Safety, Environment and Fire information collections OSH UPDATE www.oshupdate.com and FIREINF www.fireinf.com 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.

These long established sources of information are offered by Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd from the UK and are used daily by organisations, universities and individuals worldwide.

Why are you waiting? Join these users of OSH UPDATE and FIREINF that renew their subscriptions year on year.

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!

Request a free of charge 15 day trial at www.sheilapantry.com/interest and check out for yourselves

IPAF database reports 28 fatalities involving aerial platforms worldwide for the first half of 2013

There were 28 fatalities worldwide involving mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), also known as aerial work platforms (AWPs), in the first half of 2013, according to findings from IPAF’s accident database.

The main causes of these fatalities were: overturn (10), fall from height (9), entrapment (5), electrocution (3), and impact with MEWP (1).

Thirteen of the fatalities involved booms (3b), 10 involved scissor lifts (3a), and three involved vehicle mounts (1b). In two cases, the machine type was unknown.

Of these fatalities, 13 occurred in the USA, two each in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, and one each in Armenia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Spain and the UAE.

While releasing these findings, IPAF also updated the 2012 preliminary results following the reporting of a previously unrecorded fatal accident in Canada in October 2012. This brings the total fatalities in 2012 to 32, instead of the 31 initially reported.

Compared with the first half of 2012 which saw 17 fatalities reported, the number of fatalities reported for the first half of 2013 has increased by about 65%. IPAF believes that the accident reporting project is capturing more data, not necessarily that there are more accidents.

While the main causes of fatalities were fairly evenly spread in the first half of 2012, the first half of 2013 saw a rise in the number of fatalities resulting from overturn and fall from height. The fatalities in the first half of 2012 involved more booms (3b) and vehicle mounts (1b). Those in the first half of 2013 involved more booms (3b) and scissor lifts (3a).

“Findings from IPAF’s rental market reports lead us to estimate that there are more than one million MEWPs in the world,” said IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman. “Every fatality is one too many, but these figures show that powered access equipment remains a safe way to carry out temporary work at height.”

“The accuracy of the data relies upon those using MEWPs and other interested parties to report any known fatal accidents to IPAF at www.ipaf.org/accident or to an IPAF member of staff,” said IPAF technical officer Chris Wraith. “The comprehensiveness of the data cannot be guaranteed, but where appropriate, action is taken to verify the facts. The data is updated should relevant information become available.”

IPAF’s accident data is based on information collected in a number of ways: directly reported to the IPAF accident database at www.ipaf.org/accident, information obtained by IPAF staff worldwide, and information collated from press releases and news reports.

All manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known fatal and serious accidents involving mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs) worldwide at the IPAF accident database. The project is open to IPAF members and non-members, and includes an option for anonymous reporting.

All data collected is confidential and none of the detail of any accident is shared with third parties or disclosed to safety authorities unless required to by legal writ. The only exception to this is that manufacturers will be given basic data if a machine manufactured by their company is involved in a fatal accident.

To register and to report an accident involving a MEWP or an MCWP, go to www.ipaf.org/accident

IPAF is a not-for-profit members’ organisation that promotes the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide. Details at www.ipaf.org

Public consultation launched on a proposal for revision of the harmonised classification and labelling on bisphenol A

ECHA invites the parties concerned to comment on a new proposal for harmonised classification and labelling (CLH) on bisphenol A. The public consultation will be open for 45 days and will end on 11 October 2013.

France has submitted a proposal to amend the current harmonised classification and labelling of bisphenol A from reproductive toxicity category 2 (hazard statement code H361f) to reproductive toxicity Category 1B (hazard statement code H360F). The CLH proposal is focused on the adverse effects on sexual function and fertility. Therefore, ECHA would like to stress that the public consultation is targeted at the adverse effects on sexual function and fertility only, not on developmental toxicity or other hazard classes than reproductive toxicity.

The CLH report and the dedicated web form to post the comments are available on the ECHA website. The comments received during the public consultation will be regularly published on the ECHA website during the 45-day consultation phase.

Further information: https://echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/public-consultation-launched-on-a-proposal-for-revision-of-the-harmonised-classification-and-labelling-on-bisphenol-a

CSB Safety Message

In a Safety Message, CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso Calls for Regulatory Coverage of Reactive Chemicals Following the West Fertilizer Explosion and Fire in the USA that killed at least 14 people and devastated the town of West, Texas, on April 17, 2013.

Washington, DC, August 20, 2013 – In a new video safety message released today, CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso calls for regulatory coverage of reactive chemicals following the massive ammonium nitrate explosion that killed at least 14 people and devastated the town of West, Texas, on April 17, 2013. Reactive chemicals, like ammonium nitrate, can undergo potentially hazardous chemical reactions, such as violently detonating, if not managed properly.

The safety message includes testimony from Chairperson Moure-Eraso during a hearing about the West accident before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. At that hearing, held on June 27, 2013, Chairperson Moure-Eraso said, “The destruction I personally saw at West – the obliteration of homes, schools and businesses by an ammonium nitrate explosion – was almost beyond imagination.”

As noted in the video, the CSB has determined that ammonium nitrate storage falls under a patchwork of U.S. standards and guidance, which does not prohibit many of the conditions found at the West facility. These include the use of combustible wooden storage bins and buildings and a lack of sprinkler systems in case of fire.

Chairperson Moure-Eraso stated, “The fertilizer industry tells us that U.S. sites commonly store ammonium nitrate in wooden buildings and bins – even near homes, schools or other vulnerable facilities. This situation must be addressed.”

The video safety message concludes, “The CSB believes it’s past time for OSHA and EPA to regulate reactive hazards – including ammonium nitrate – under their process safety rules.”

In a 2002 study www.csb.gov/improving-reactive-hazard-management the CSB called on OSHA and the EPA to expand their standards to include reactive chemicals and hazards, but to date neither agency has acted on the recommendations. During the Senate hearing, Chairman Moure-Eraso said, “Ammonium nitrate would likely have been included, if the EPA had adopted our 2002 recommendation to cover reactive chemicals under its Risk Management Program. And OSHA has not focused extensively on ammonium nitrate storage and hadn’t inspected West since 1985.”

The safety message goes on to describe other serious reactive chemical accidents investigated by the CSB since its 2002 study. These include a December 19, 2007, explosion and fire at T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida; a January 31, 2006, explosion at the Synthron chemical manufacturing facility in Morganton, North Carolina; and an April 12, 2004, toxic release at MFG Chemical in Dalton, Georgia.

The safety message can be viewed on CSB.gov, the CSB’s safety message channel on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/safetymessages and the CSB’s Facebook page for the West explosion, www.facebook.com/westexplosion

SHO 2014 – International Symposium on Occupational Safety and Hygiene in Guimarães, Portugal

13-14 February 2014

This international symposium is organized by the Portuguese Society for Occupational Safety and Hygiene (SPOSHO) and co-organised by the School of Engineering of the University of Minho, the Engineering Faculty of University of Porto, Faculty of Human Kinetics of the Technical University of Lisbon, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain (UPC), and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).

Invited Keynotes Lectures:

• Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, International Social Security Association, Switzerland
• Waldemar Karwowski, University of Central Florida, USA
• Ema Leite, Portuguese Society for Occupational Medicine, Portugal
• Tomás Camacho, Laboratorios Lema&Bandin, Spain
• Xavier Viegas, University of Coimbra, Portugal
• Juan Carlos Romero, University of Málaga, Spain

Publications:

• The accepted full-papers will be included in a book to be published by Taylor & Francis Group (submitted to be indexed by Thomson Reuters Conference Proceedings Citation Index, and Elsevier/Scopus).
• All accepted short-papers (2-3 pages) will be included in the “SHO journal series – 2014” from SPOSHO, edited with ISSN;
• Some of the authors may also be invited to submit their papers to special issues in international peer-reviewed journals in the domain of ergonomics (to be announced soon).

For more information about the event and how to submit a paper for presentation, go to: www.sposho.pt

Seafarers win historic global industrial agreement

In a great example to other industries and sectors in our globalised economy, this week the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) came into force.

The MLC represents a binding international legal framework that will immediately cover 30 countries, with more countries adhering in future years.

The MLC guarantees workers the right to a safe and secure workplace; fair terms of employment; decent living and working conditions; access to medical care, health protection and welfare; and to freedom of association. It is up to maritime unions all around the world to make sure this convention is adhered to.

www.ilo.org/global/standards/maritime-labour-convention/lang--en/index.htm

Designing and operating material recovery facilities (MRFs) safely: Waste 13 (rev1)

This guidance was produced by the Health and Safety Executive in consultation with Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH). The guidance highlights the main health and safety issues to consider when designing, installing, making alterations to, or operating an MRF. It is primarily aimed at designers, managers, supervisors and users of MRFs, but may also interest safety professionals who may advise waste management companies and those working at such sites.

Designing and operating material recovery facilities (MRFs) safely: Waste 13 (rev1)
Health and Safety Executive; Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH); June 2013, 7 pages

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/waste13.pdf

Tip of the Week from the USA: Hurricane Preparedness: Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Always use portable generators, camp stoves, barbecue and charcoal grills outside and at least 20 ft. away from windows, doors, and vents to prevent deadly CO poisoning. http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/psa/co.asp

For additional tips, fact sheets, and podcasts, see CDC’s Hurricanes website.

AIHce 2013: Is There Too Much Emphasis Placed on Reducing Workplace Injuries?

Six times the number of workers die from occupational-related diseases than die from workplace injuries. While many EHS programs focus on the prevention of workplace injuries and on workplace conditions that could contribute to fatal injuries, the real concern should be on work-related illnesses and exposure to hazardous substances, says one expert – Dr. Jukka Takala.

Globally, 2.3 million people die each year due to workplace hazards. While 318,000 of these deaths are due to occupational injuries, most – 2.02 million – are due to work-related illness. Although the greatest emphasis in most industries and workplaces is focused on reducing workplace injuries, the biggest killers of workers are cancers and work-related circulatory diseases, which between them account for 55 percent of all worker deaths. Injuries account for 18 percent.

“There are 37,000-61,000 deaths per year in the United States from occupational cancer,” noted Dr. Jukka Takala, PhD, BSc, MSc, who gave the William P. Yant Award lecture at the American Industrial Hygiene conference and expo in Montreal. The award is presented annually to an individual residing outside of the United States for outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields.

Takala, who is executive director of the Workplace Safety and Health Institute, Ministry of Manpower Services Centre in Singapore, noted that nearly that many deaths occur each year as a result of occupational-related circulatory and respiratory illnesses, although many of these cases are not linked back to occupational exposures even though there is a connection. “Occupational diseases are common,” said Takala. “Common diseases are occupational.”

The Global Competitiveness Report assesses the competitiveness landscape of 144 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. The 2012-2013 report findings show that Switzerland tops the overall rankings with Singapore remaining in second place, followed by Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan. It’s not a surprise to Takala that these same countries place importance on workplace safety.

“Competitiveness and safety have a clear relation,” said Takala. “The less we have injuries, the higher is the competitiveness and productivity.”

While workplace injury rates are dropping in industrialized countries thanks to prevention efforts, rates of work-related illnesses are on the rise and can have long latency periods and their onset often is linked to aging.

“I’m often asked about the future of work,” said Takala. “The future of work is having a safe job.”

He said he often hears people saying that employees should leave work at the end of their shifts in the same healthy condition in which they came into work, but he offers a different perspective: “People should go to work for 20 or 30 years, retire at 60 or 65, and return home as safe and sound as when they started working and we’re far, far from that.”

Eurofound launches its flagship annual working time update report: Differences in working time remain large across Europe

The average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union, including Croatia, stood at 38.1 hours in 2012, the same as for the EU27 in 2011, according to Eurofound’s latest annual working time update. The working week was on average 30 minutes shorter in the pre-2004 EU15 countries and over 1 hour and 30 minutes longer in the new Member States. The new report provides a snapshot of working time developments in the European Union and Norway in 2012 as agreed between the social partners by collective agreements. The combined total of agreed annual leave and public holidays in the EU varied from 40 days in Germany to 28 days in Estonia – a difference of over 2 working weeks.

Collective bargaining plays an important role in determining the duration of working time in most of the 28 Member States of the European Union, though to a lesser or sometimes negligible extent in some of the Member States that joined the EU since 2004, the NMS13. This annual report provides a general overview of collectively agreed working time and any major developments taking place in 2012, and it includes data from Croatia, a Member State of the European Union from 1 July 2013, and Norway.

Belgium, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the UK were the only countries registering changes between 2011 and 2012. Slovakia continued in a decreasing trend whereas Spain halted an upward trend: both countries registered a fall of 0.1 hours in collectively agreed weekly hours. Sweden and the UK registered an increase of 0.1 hours per week, while Belgium recorded the highest increase, of 0.2 hours per week.

The report also looks at the average normal weekly working hours for full-time workers as set by collective bargaining in three sectors representing the manufacturing industry, services and the public sector – metalworking, banking and local government. The banking sector recorded the shortest average agreed normal weekly working hours from the three in the EU the three in the EU, with 37.6 hours, followed by the local government sector, with 37.8 hours, and metalworking, with 37.9 hours.

Actual weekly hours worked by full-time employees were longer than the average normal collectively agreed working week in 21 of the 29 countries analysed in the report. In the EU, full-time employees in Romania reported the longest actual weekly hours in their main jobs in 2012 – 41.2 hours, or 0.1 hours less than in 2011. They were followed by employees in Luxembourg (41.1 hours), the UK (40.8 hours), Germany (40.5 hours), Croatia and Cyprus (both 40.3 hours), and Bulgaria (40.2 hours). Employees in Finland worked the shortest hours (37.6). This was 3.6 hours less than their counterparts in Romania, or over 4.5 weeks of work in Romania in a full year.

Across the EU28, men worked on average 2 hours more than women. In the EU15, men worked 2.3 hours more per week than women; by contrast, in the NMS13, men worked around 1 hour and 30 minutes more than women. Again, these averages conceal more stark national situations: men’s actual weekly hours exceeded women’s by 3 hours or more in Ireland, the UK and Italy (3.6, 3.4 and 3 hours, respectively), by less than 1 hour in Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania, and by less than 20 minutes in Bulgaria.

An important factor in the overall length of working time is the paid annual leave to which workers are generally entitled, the report points out. All 28 countries studied have a statutory minimum period of paid annual leave, and the average figure for the EU28, including paid leave and public holidays, stood at 35.1 days – 36.6 days in the EU15 and 30.3 days in the NMS13. The report reveals big differences between countries, with employees in Germany enjoying up to 40 days of leave in total in 2012, followed by employees in France and Italy (39 days), while other notably low-leave countries included Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Romania, with 29 days, and Estonia with 28 days.

Taking into account the agreed weekly hours, the days of leave and the public holidays, in 2012, the average collectively agreed annual normal working time was approximately 1,712 hours in the EU28, 1,678 hours in the hours in the NMS13.

The Developments in collectively agreed working time 2012 report is available online. For further information, contact Måns Mårtensson, Eurofound’s media manager | Email mma@eurofound.europa.eu | Tel: +353-1-204 3124 | Mobile: +353-876-593 507.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions (Eurofound) is a tripartite European Union Agency, whose role is to provide knowledge in the area of social and work-related policies. Eurofound was established in 1975 by Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1365/75 of 26 May 1975. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:01975R1365-20050804:EN:NOT

For more information about Eurofound and its work, and free access to all our data and findings, visit our website www.eurofound.europa.eu

Eurofound, Loughlinstown House, Wyattville Road, Dublin, Ireland D18

US OSHA Releases New Fall Prevention Training Guide with “Tool Box Talks” in Multiple Formats

A new OSHA Fall Prevention Training Guide with “tool box talks” is now available to educate workers on how to stay safe while working on roofs, scaffolding and ladders. Falls cause more deaths in construction than any other hazard. In 2011, falls accounted for over a third of the 721 total construction deaths. Workers performing tasks 6 feet or more above lower levels are at risk of fatal falls or serious injuries. This training guide will help you plan how to prevent injuries and fatalities from falls among your crew, and provide training to your workers.

The training is designed to be:

• Short – Each Toolbox Talk should last approximately 5-10 minutes. Although some talks contain more material than others, Toolbox Talks can be given at meetings before the work shift or during breaks.
• Participatory – Workers attending the talk should be able to ask questions and discuss the topic. This increases the likelihood they will remember the information.
• Easy to follow.

For more information and downloads.

US NIOSH Develops Advanced Headforms for Evaluating Respirator Fit

Over three million Americans are required to wear respirators in their workplaces. In order to strive for the highest level of protection, ongoing research is essential for learning more about the factors that affect how respirators fit to the face. As part of this pursuit, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed a new robotic manikin headform (called an “advanced headform”) for respirator fit evaluation research. Use of advanced headforms will greatly expand the opportunities for research into respirator inward leakage, which includes the penetration of particles through the filter itself combined with the leakage around the faceseal. This technology has the potential to aid in respirator design and contribute to the advancement of respirator certification and consensus standards.

NIOSH is focusing on certified N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) for the initial fit evaluation research using the advanced headform. NIOSH-approved N95 respirators are commonly used in the healthcare industry to reduce exposure to respiratory pathogens such as influenza and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This research is being performed in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (Panama City Beach, FL) and is funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-07-25-13.html.

ISO to Develop New Global Occupational Health and Safety Standard

Following the tragic deaths of thousands of garment factory workers around the world in the past year, including over 1,100 people in a factory collapse in Bangladesh, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has announced that it will develop a new standard for global occupational health and safety (OH&S) with the goal of providing governmental agencies, industry, and other affected stakeholders with effective, usable guidance for improving worker safety in countries around the world. The work will be overseen by ISO Project Committee (PC) 283, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements.

To support this effort, ANSI and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) are seeking participants for a U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for ISO PC 283. All U.S. experts and interested stakeholders in OH&S management are strongly encouraged to get involved and help influence the development of this important standard. The U.S. TAG to ISO PC 283 will advise ANSI on voting positions relevant to the proposed OH&S management standard, and will carry out detailed discussions on issues related to its development. As the U.S. member body to ISO, ANSI accredits U.S. TAGs to develop and transmit U.S. positions on ISO technical activities. Following the TAG’s accreditation by ANSI, ASSE will head up the U.S. work effort by serving as the U.S. TAG administrator to ISO PC 283.

Source: American Society of Safety Engineers

Collaboration Takes Centre Stage at The Emergency Services Show 2013

25-26 September 2013 – Halls 17 and 18, NEC, Birmingham, UK

The Emergency Services Show provides an invaluable opportunity for fire and rescue services to collaborate with industry colleagues, other blue light services, voluntary organisations, government departments and third party suppliers. It is free-to-attend for all ranks throughout the fire and rescue service and industrial brigades such as refineries, airports and MOD, as well as fire prevention officers throughout industry.

www.emergencyuk.com

Napo’s latest film stimulates awareness of slips and trips at work

Slips and trips are “No laughing matter”. They are one of the most common workplace hazards and cause tens of thousands of accidents in the workplace every year. Yet Napo, the animated employee, illustrates this key message in a light and unforgettable way.

This film seeks to promote good practice to prevent slips and trips and is applicable to all industrial sectors and all workers.

Watch “Napo in… No laughing matter”

The European social model – a key driver for competitiveness

Four EU agencies, Cedefop, EU-OSHA, ETF and Eurofound, are joining forces on 25 September 2013 to examine and highlight how each one is contributing to a strengthened European Social Model – in its own unique way. The event will be held under the auspices of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee and will present the latest resolutions adopted by the Parliament in this field, as well as insights and work from the four agencies.

www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/events/21628.aspx

Working with dangerous substances – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

A new e-fact by EU-OSHA provides hints and tips to help workers and employers understand and communicate the risks of dangerous substances.

It explains how two recent European regulations aim to improve communication on dangerous substances in the workplace. These are on registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals (REACH) and classification, labelling and packaging (CLP).

• Read the e-fact
• Website sections on REACH and CLP

Good Health and Safety is good for business: European Occupational Safety and Health Agency (EU-OSHA)

EU-OSHA’s Healthy Workplaces Campaigns are its principal tools for raising awareness on occupational safety and health. The Campaigns, each of which runs for two years, involve hundreds of organisations from all of the EU Member States, the countries of the European Economic Area, candidate and potential candidate countries.

EU-OSHA makes information, practical guides and tools, and publicity material freely available, translated into more than 20 European languages. We also provide support for businesses and other bodies who want to organise awareness-raising events.

Visit the Healthy Workplaces Campaigns section to learn more about our past campaigns.

ECETOC’s Work Recognised by Regulators

According to the findings of a recent survey conducted by ECETOC – the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and toxicology of Chemicals, representatives from the EU and national regulatory bodies, as well as other key stakeholders see ECETOC’s contribution to the chemical regulation assessment field as very positive.

The survey shows that the European regulatory science community recognises and appreciates the support ECETOC gives to science based regulation.

According to the survey, ECETOC should continue to play a key role in assisting with the regulation of chemicals, biomaterials and pharmaceuticals. ECETOC should retain its focus on evaluating the latest developments in testing methods and risk assessment in (eco)toxicology and on developing pragmatic approaches to regulatory requirements.

One respondent stated, “ECETOC’s focus on best science leads to better decision-making… Taking the scientific high ground in constructing defences against (or perhaps in support of) various advocacy positions elevates the recognition and status of ECETOC”.

Dr Alan Poole, ECETOC Secretary General said, “ECETOC is focused on enhancing science-based risk assessment by providing high quality scientific information to assist the regulatory authorities when formulating policy decisions around matters of science”. Dr Poole continued, “The results of this survey will guide us and ensure that we continue to meet the needs of stakeholders in the years to come”.

The results of the stakeholder survey: www.ecetoc.org/uploads/Surveys/2013%20image%20survey/Overview%20of%202013%20stakeholder%20image%20survey.pdf

ECETOC is Europe’s leading industry association for developing and promoting top quality science in human and environmental risk assessment of chemicals.

ECHA and stakeholders set out actions to improve chemical safety reports and safety data sheets

ECHA has publishes a roadmap towards enhancing the quality of information communicated in the exposure scenarios included in the REACH chemical safety reports and in the extended safety data sheets. These documents hold essential information on the safe use of chemical substances and mixtures for downstream users, authorities and REACH registrants alike. The roadmap is a collaborative effort of ECHA and its stakeholders and the Agency now calls for more stakeholders to join in.

The roadmap actions serve to improve the generation and communication of exposure scenarios for the different uses of chemical substances and mixtures by 2018, the next and last REACH registration deadline. They aim to improve the clarity and accuracy of the information provided, and help industry to update existing information already submitted to ECHA or supplied to downstream users.

The actions cover:

• Improving understanding among stakeholders on the purpose and use of the information in the exposure scenarios included in the chemical safety report or the extended safety data sheets;
• Improving information on how substances are used as an essential input to the chemical safety assessment and developing the associated IT tools;
• Providing more support for downstream users, particularly formulators of mixtures and users at the end of the supply chain, on how to interpret and make the best use of the information they receive in the extended safety data sheet.

Geert Dancet, Executive Director of ECHA, said “This roadmap presents the key areas of attention in improving the quality of REACH exposure scenarios to ensure the safe use of chemicals in Europe. It provides a set of concrete actions that enable stakeholders to take a shared responsibility in its success. I encourage all ECHA’s stakeholders to make a commitment to this joint effort.”

Sylvie Lemoine from the Downstream Users of Chemicals Coordination Group said “DUCC welcomes the roadmap and intends to actively contribute to its implementation. We have now five years ahead of us to come up with practical tools and recommendations for improvement. All actors, from industry and authorities alike, will need to work together to achieve the roadmap objectives and, ultimately, safer use of chemicals through their entire life cycle.”

Together with the roadmap, a Charter will be published which is open to stakeholders such as sector organisations and authorities. By signing the Charter, stakeholder organisations can make their commitment to the roadmap actions visible to the public. Various industry associations and Member States have already signed up.

Further information about the actions foreseen and how to contribute to them is available on ECHA’s website.

The CSR/ES Roadmap has been prepared by a cross-stakeholder group composed of Cefic, DUCC, Concawe, eight Member States and ECHA.

More information: https://echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/echa-and-stakeholders-set-out-actions-to-improve-chemical-safety-reports-and-safety-data-sheets

US CSB Chairman Commends DuPont for its Updated Global Hot Work Standard; Recommendation to Company Closed as Acceptable Action

U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso today commended the E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company for fully embracing four CSB recommendations aimed at improving its hot work safety procedures. The recommendations were issued as a result of the CSB’s investigation of a fatal hot work accident that occurred at DuPont’s Yerkes chemical facility in Buffalo, New York, on November 9, 2010, killing a contract worker and injuring another. The Board recently voted unanimously to change the status of all four recommendations to “Closed – Acceptable Action.”

“The CSB is extremely pleased with the actions that DuPont has taken to develop stronger corporate requirements for hot work activities such as welding, cutting and grinding in potentially hazardous areas,” said Dr. Moure-Eraso. He noted that DuPont’s new global corporate standard – in its words – “provides requirements and guidance to prevent injuries, loss of life, and property from fire or explosion as a result of hot work.”

Dr. Moure-Eraso also pointed out that DuPont’s new procedure was accompanied by a comprehensive rollout package that was distributed to all U.S. locations. DuPont conducted series of technical training sessions for its employees, and will provide periodic refresher training on a permanent basis. The new procedures require that hot work be avoided when possible – an inherently safer approach – and order that hot work be immediately discontinued if flammable gases reach a level of 10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL), as determined by gas monitoring equipment.

“We see far too many preventable accidents involving hot work in flammable atmospheres around tanks,” Dr. Moure-Eraso said. “DuPont’s new procedures are a sound model for other companies, large and small, to emulate and should inform future regulatory developments in this area.” Most recently, in 2012 the CSB sent an investigative team to the Long Brothers oil well site in Arkansas, where three workers were fatally burned in a hot work accident while dismantling an oil tank. No combustible gas monitoring was conducted, CSB investigators found.

In its report on the Buffalo accident, the CSB found a number of deficiencies in the facility’s hot work permitting process and procedures that contributed to the accident. Contracted workers were welding atop a 10,000 gallon polymer slurry tank in a process area when hot sparks ignited flammable vinyl fluoride vapor that had accumulated inside the tank, triggering an explosion. The DuPont employee who signed the contractor’s hot work permit had no knowledge of the process to which the tank was connected or its associated hazards. Though the tank to be welded on was “locked out” from the process, an overflow line between adjacent tanks remained connected, allowing flammable vapour to accumulate inside the vessel where the welding was taking place.

In addition, the CSB found that despite National Fire Protection Association standards and industry good practices that call for testing the atmosphere inside tanks prior to conducting hot work, no internal tank monitoring was conducted.

The Board”s recommendations urged DuPont to establish corporate policies and procedures requiring all facilities to audit their hot work permitting systems; isolate of process piping and similar connections prior to authorizing hot work; test for flammable gases inside containers prior to hot work; and require flammable gas monitoring during hot work in accordance with industry standards published by the National Fire Protection Association.

DuPont’s new standard, which it designated as S31F, requires that hot work permits be initiated and approved by individuals familiar with the scope of the work and associated hazards, and that both a job safety analysis and field audit be conducted prior to commencing work. The standard also requires isolating and removing energy sources from equipment where work is to be performed and sets up criteria for requiring either continuous or periodic flammable gas monitoring in the vapour spaces of process equipment and nearby containers during hot work operations.

“DuPont addressed all of our recommended changes in issuing its new corporate standard S31F,” said Chairperson Moure-Eraso. “The company moved decisively after this tragic accident to institute detailed requirements for hot work which will decrease the likelihood of similar hot work accidents at DuPont facilities, and which other companies may wish to emulate.”

After examining a series of hot work accidents, the CSB released a report entitled “Seven Key Lessons to Prevent Worker Deaths During Hot Work in and around Tanks.” The CSB safety video “Hot Work: Hidden Hazards”; examines the DuPont accident in Buffalo utilizing 3D animation.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

Visit website, www.csb.gov. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen, cell 202-446-8094 or Sandy Gilmour, Public Affairs, cell 202-251-5496.

US OSHA Provides Resources to Educate Employers and Workers about the Health Risks of Various Forms of Chromium

Occupations that may involve exposure to chromium include painters, abrasive blasting welders, battery, dye and candle makers and cement workers. Chromium exposure can cause asthma, eye irritation and damage, perforated eardrums, respiratory irritation, pulmonary congestion and edema, upper abdominal pain, nose irritation and damage, skin irritation, and erosion and discoloration of the teeth. Chromium exposure can also cause kidney damage, liver damage and respiratory cancer. OSHA’s chromium web page contains a link to the updated OSHA page on hexavalent chromium, as well as fact sheets on controlling exposures to chromium and OSHA requirements for protecting workers from chromium exposures in general industry, shipyards and construction.

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/chromium

SHP IOSH Awards 2013 – The shortlist is revealed

The wait is finally over, as we reveal the organisations and individuals shortlisted for the SHP IOSH Awards 2013. As in previous years, our esteemed panel of judges exerted much blood, sweat and tears in trimming down the number of entries to make the final shortlist. The awards, which are split into five ‘industry sector’ categories and six ‘activity/individual’ categories, aim to celebrate the cream of the health and safety profession and champion its achievement in protecting workers and the public from harm.

The shortlist of organisations and individuals in the running for this year’s SHP IOSH Awards can now be found on our official Awards site.

Here, you can also find details of how to book your place for the Awards ceremony on 24 October, 2013 at the London Hilton, Park Lane where the winners be revealed.

See more at: www.shponline.co.uk/shp-iosh-awards-2013-%EF%BE%96-the-shortlist-is-revealed

ECHA updates the Candidate List for authorisation – six new substances of very high concern (SVHCs) added

ECHA’s Member State Committee (MSC) reached unanimous agreement on the identification of six substances as SVHCs. These six substances were added to the Candidate List for authorisation on 20 June 2013. They are:

• Cadmium
• Cadmium oxide
• Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (APFO)
• Pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
• Dipentyl phthalate (DPP)
• 4-Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated

Further information on the substances included in the Candidate List and their SVHC properties is available on the ECHA website.

Italy: Enforced regulations make work safer

Efforts to ensure effective implementation of new health and safety regulations in Italy’s construction sector resulted in a drop in injury rates, a study has found. Researchers examined the impact of two new construction laws, implementing a European Union-wide directive on the management of temporary and mobile construction sites.

To do this, they evaluated the injury rates trend in eight regions that planned formalised programmes to enforce the laws around the year 2000. Using the Work History Italian Panel-Salute integrated database, which covers the period from 1994 to 2005, they calculated the total and serious injury rates for the construction sector. During the 12 years under observation, at the national level the total and serious injury rates decreased while the number of employees increased.

The authors conclude: ‘The results of this study show that indeed there was an improvement in injury rates that cannot be explained by external factors.’ They add: ‘The improvement seen in early intervention regions, although slight, highlights the importance of concrete initiatives in enforcing these types of laws. The need to implement a formalised supervision plan has also been the subject of the national prevention plan for the construction industry 2009-2010, which focused on the issue of surveillance on construction sites as a tool to control the implementation of regulations.’

• Elena Farina, Antonella Bena, Osvaldo Pasqualini and Giuseppe Costa. Are regulations effective in reducing construction injuries? An analysis of the Italian context, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, volume 70, pages 611-616, 2013 [abstract].
• European Directive 92/57/EEC.

Free reference card compares NFPA 704 “diamond” and OSHA GHS Labels

US Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) worked together to develop a “Quick Card” showing the differences between the NFPA 704 diamond and OSHA’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

The Quick card can be found on the NFPA Document information page for NFPA 704 at the bottom of the page under “Additional Information”. The card can be downloaded and laminated as a two sided document that can be used for easy field reference.

http://nfpatoday.blog.nfpa.org/2013/07/new-free-reference-card-compares-nfpa-704-diamond-and-osha-ghs-labels-.html

Workplace health practices for employees with chronic illness

22-23 October 2013 – Square meeting centre, Brussels, Belgium

Chronic diseases and conditions have a substantial impact on the labour market and working life. This urges the need for effective job retention and return-to-work strategies and interventions.

The European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) conducted a two-year campaign designed to contribute to the implementation of effective workplace health practices, by stimulating activities and policies in European companies to retain and encourage return-to-work of chronically ill employees, and to prevent employees of moving into disability or early retirement. The conference concludes the campaign on promoting healthy work for employees with chronic illness (PH Work), which was simultaneously organised in 17 EU countries.

The conference will present the results of the campaign and good practices, as well as guidelines to set up comprehensive workplace health strategies and interventions for the retention / return-to-work of chronically ill employees. Furthermore, it will discuss the role of the policymakers, and all other stakeholders on a public health and workplace health level.

www.workadaptedforall.eu

European Commission consultation on professional driver training

Through our collaboration with the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), we are writing to encourage you to promote and contribute to the current consultation of the European Commission on the training of professional drivers. The consultation is part of a process of assessing the implementation of Directive 2003/59/EC on the compulsory initial qualification and periodic training for professional drivers.

The EC’s online questionnaire asks whether the Directive has met its objectives and what specific action and measures may need to be adopted to improve its effectiveness. In particular, the consultation addresses the issue of mutual recognition of professional drivers’ training, notably the certificate of professional competence (CPC). The aim is also to identify new common requirements by analysing the different existing structures. The questionnaire’s structure is made up of questions (multiple choice) with a possibility of adding text underneath each question.

To give you an idea, the following includes an overview of the main questions and topics covered.

• 2.1 Importance of education and training of drivers: mutual recognition for the profession of drivers, common framework for the training and testing.
• 2.2 Impact of the Directive: contribution to professional competence of drivers, level playing field, mobility, alignment with social rules (561/2006).
• 2.3 Scope: broadening the scope – taxis/vans etc.
• 2.4 Access to professional driving – gradual access for professional young drivers, structure of training: modules or free system.
• 2.5 Mutual recognition and certification: mutual recognition, harmonised format for CPC.
• 3.1 Structure and content of the Training: separate or as part of other forms of professional training, separate of part of driving licence test.
• 3.1.1 Initial qualification and training – subjects, form, use of simulators, and use of e-learning.
• 3.1.2 Compulsory Periodic Training – Uniform European Syllabus, test after the periodic training, organisation of the training over 5 year period, regulation in more detail of requirements of test centres/instructors.

More information: www.virtualriskmanager.net/main/news/news.php?newsid=3100