April 2010
Vol 18 No 1

NEWSLETTER
Contents
1
Letter from the Editor
2
8th IOHA International Scientific Conference
3News from Member Associations
6
News from WHO Collaborating Centres
8News from the European Agency for Safety
and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
9
Contributions from Readers

Letter from the Editor
After a very cold winter in the North hemisphere and very hotsummer in the South , here we are to share some news andthoughts about our field.
This issue is shorter than usual but we have many interesting
news, from IOHA, member associations, EU-OSHA andcolleagues from many countries.
I take this opportunity to share with you a concern and ask forideas on how we could act jointly to improve the present
situation, as occupational health professionals from all over theworld – each one in his/her sphere of action.
As already mentioned on previous Newsletters, over the years,
we have all had the occasion to observe important actions
definitely requiring a component of primary prevention at theworkplace, which was however non-existent or very weak. The
insufficient importance given to primary prevention is an “oldstory”.
We have also seen many actions advocating
environmental protection but overlooking the tremendous
contribution that could and should come from primaryprevention in the workplace, particularly through measures forsource control.
However, what I am about to mention now is not only lack ofprimary prevention but lack of recognition of the paramountimportance of the workplace concerning one dreadful but
preventable disease: occupational cancer.
What drew my attention to this was a notice about cancer
prevention programmes in Latin America, particularly in Brazil,
involving considerable funds and supported by an importantforeign NGO dedicated to this field, that I am sure carries out
very relevant and useful work. I thought that this was very good
but was disappointed when, looking at the content of these
programmes, I did not to find adequate mention of the dangers,
and the possibilities for prevention, of occupational cancer. The
same occurred when looking at similar programmes, sponsoredby other organizations and even governmental agencies. The
main focus is usually early diagnosis (which is essential) andtreatment (which is indispensable) and psychological follow up
of people under treatment (undeniably needed), but would it
not be better to avoid all this suffering and expense by justpreventing the disease, if and when this is possible ? And this ispossible when dealing with occupational cancer ! In some
programmes, occupational cancer is not mentioned at all; inothers, there are brief mentions, mostly to asbestos (and there
as so many other carcinogens in workplaces !). I would bedelighted to be wrong (and perhaps I am), therefore I am asking
for your help in examining cancer prevention programmes inyour countries and finding out exactly the degree of importancegiven to the recognition, diagnosis and prevention of,
specifically, occupational cancer.
This is a serious matter. For example, according to NIOSH, “it isestimated that approximately 20,000 cancer deaths and 40,000
new cases of cancer each year in the U.S. are attributable tooccupation” (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/cancer/). As weknow, cases of occupational diseases, recognized as such,
represent a small fraction of what really occurs, in view of muchunder diagnosis and under reporting. This is particularly(although not exclusively) true in developing countries. For
example, for Latin America, PAHO/WHO estimates that no morethan 5% of occupational diseases are duly notified. This refers
to all of them and, for cancer, the situation may be even worse
because latency can be so long and not all health professionals
are able to establish its causal link to workplace hazards.
This situation troubles me because occupational cancer is so
preventable! I believe that we, as occupational healthprofessionals, should contribute more and more efficiently tocreating greater awareness and political will in this respect. It is
important that occupational hygienists and other occupational
health professionals (particularly physicians and nurses) work
together to emphasize the link between work environment
exposure and disease, hence the great possibility forprevention. Particularly in the case of cancer, it seems to me
that this has been overlooked by many decision makers, and it
would be in their hands not only to save lives but to avoid
unnecessary human suffering and also (why not say it ?)unnecessary waste of usually scarce funds for health. Your
views on this matter would be most welcome and appreciated,
and will be shared with all our readers in the next issue.
As always, I would like to thank those who contributed to thisissue and encourage colleagues from all over to send news on
their work and on their professional concerns, as well assuggestions for improvement of this Newsletter. Thank you.
Best greetings to all
Berenice Goelzer
berenice@goelzer.net

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 20101

8th IOHA International Scientific Conference – Rome 2010

HEALTH, WORK AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The occupational hygienist and the integration of environment, health and safety
Sent by: Alice Gargiullo, E-mail: A.Gargiullo@igeam.it
The 8th IOHA International Conference, to be held in Romefrom 28 September to 2 October 2010, has generated a
growing interest, due to the particular relevance of thelatest developments in the scientific programme and thesignificant contributions arriving from all over the world.
It is expected that this conference will be a major forum inthe development of occupational (industrial) hygiene in viewof the following:
Papers: More than 600 papers have been received from
more than 50 Countries all over the world. The scientificreviewers are evaluating the submissions and they mightsuggest methodological and/or editorial modifications inorder to ensure a high quality in all presentations. There will
be over 700 scientific contributions including more than 600
oral and poster presentations as well as award and special
lectures. In addition, there will be workshops, technicaldiscussions and professional meetings.
Speakers: The Conference will bring together the mostprominent international experts to discuss social
responsibility strategies for the decade of 2010-2020, todefine occupational hygiene methods and tools needed incountries with different levels of industrial development andto discuss current occupational hazards related to new
emerging technologies and social scenarios. The speakers
represent experienced professionals from the mostprestigious
universities,
institutions,professionalorganisations and associations worldwide who are dedicatedto health and safety in the workplace.
Topics: These will address both traditional issues ofoccupational (industrial) hygiene and new “frontier topics”
always accounting for and emphasizing innovation andintegration of competences.
Examples of topics to beaddressed by the Congress include: risk assessment, indoor
air quality, asbestos and silica, chemicals and physicalagents, REACH, biological monitoring, ergonomics, samplingtechniques, health and safety in agriculture, stress and work,
control banding and nanotechnologies, occupational
hygiene certification systems, sustainable development andenvironmental hygiene.

Italian Association of Industrial Hygienists (AIDII), theNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention(ISPESL) and the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority(INAIL) and also has the sponsorship from the ILO, WHO and
Italian national and local institutions, such as the Italian
Ministry of Labour, Italian Ministry of Environment and
Italian Ministry of Economic Development.
Other outstanding institutions worldwide have joined the
IOHA conference as partners, such as the European Networkof Safety and Health Professional Organisations (ENSHPO),
International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH),
International Ergonomics Association (IEA), European
Environment Agency, European Agency for Safety and
Health at Work (EU-OSHA), International Standardization
Organization (ISO), and National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH, USA).
Publications: A special issue of the Annals of Occupational
Hygiene will be dedicated to selected papers from theConference. A special issue of the Italian Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (IJOEH) will be
dedicated to the keynote lectures. Other papers will beselected for publication in IJOEH and in other scientificjournals with which agreements will be signed in the next
weeks. Moreover, all scientific papers will be published anddistributed during the Conference. Participants will havealso the access to the database containing all scientificdocuments on the Conference website (www.ioha2010.org).
Certification Maintenance (CM) Points: Attendance andparticipation in assigned activities is required to earn
certification points. IOHA 2010 has already been approvedfor certification maintenance points by the AustralianInstitute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH), the British
Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the Canadian
Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists (CRBOH), theSouthern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH)
and the Italian ECM. Detailed information concerning
certification points and point values for specific professional
development courses can be found in the conference
website. So far, the following professional associations haveconfirmed point values, as follows:

Scientific Partnerships and Sponsorship: The most relevant
Institutions worldwide will attend the IOHA 2010
Conference. The congress is being organized by IOHA, the
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 2010
2

AIOH: 0.5 per half day;
BOHS: 1 point per full day attendance;
CRBOH: 1 maintenance point per conference day; 1.0
maintenance point for each full day attendance at
Professional Development Courses and 0.5 maintenancepoint per ½ day;
SAIOH: double points (meaning: “attendance of theConference: 0.25 x 2/double pts per day; presentation ofa paper or lecture: 0.5 X 2/double pts per talk/presentation, and, attendance of CPD sessions: 0.5 x 2
per day or 0.25 x 2/half day”).
Target Audience: An attendance of about 1.000 people isexpected, among the world leading scientific andprofessional experts in workers’ health, safety,
environmental issues and social responsibility, fromgovernmental and non-governmental institutions, as well asfrom the private sector. Participation in this Conference will
provide the opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting withthousands of OHSE professionals, such as occupational(industrial) hygienists, EHS specialists, safety professionals,
risk management professionals and others responsible forsafety, health and environment in their organisations. Thoseinterested in improving their career or developing theirbusinesses internationally will have the chance to makeimportant contacts and build up a network of colleagues
from different countries. During the Conference there willbe the possibility to arrange private or public meetings.

Date and Location: The months of September and October
are the best time of the year to visit Italy. The conference
venue is in the heart of the historic centre of Rome, close to
St Peters and the Vatican Museums, and within walking
distance from the Forum and Coliseum. By direct train from
Rome, one can visit the treasures of Florence (95 minutes),
Venice (4 hours), and Naples (70 min). On Rome’s metro
ticket one can visit the forgotten ancient city of Ostia Antica(30 min).
More information is available online at the conference
website: www.ioha2010.org, which is regularly updated.
Remember
Important deadlines: In the next days the definitive
scientific programme and time table will be posted on theconference web site www.ioha2010.org.
The deadline for Early Bird Registration is 28 May 2010.
Forthcoming events: The IOHA Conference Chair and somemembers of the Organizing Committee will attend the AIHCE
Conference in Denver, Colorado, USA. On this occasion there
will be an IOHA exhibit at the Colorado Convention Center,
Halls A & F1, Booth number 635.

Organisers:

News from Member Associations
From AIHA, USA

AIHA Participates in GHS Public Hearing
Sent by Aaron Trippler, E-mail: atrippler@aiha.org
and Melissa Hurley, E-mail: mhurley@aiha.org

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
participated in a public hearing hosted by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on 5 March 2010,
to discuss modifications to the Hazard Communication
Standard in order to conform to the United Nations’ Globally
Harmonized System of classification and Labeling ofChemicals (GHS). In anticipation, AIHA prepared comments
to the proposed revisions and submitted its “Proposal to
Modify the Hazard Communication Standard to Conform to

the United Nations Globally Harmonized System ofClassification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)” at thehearing.
“AIHA shares the concerns that inaccurate, incomplete andoutdated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) can increaserisks of illnesses and injuries and environmental
consequences arising from the handling, storage,transportation, and use of hazardous chemicals. Industrial

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 20103

hygiene, safety, emergency response, and environmental
health professionals rely on MSDSs as a source of
information to assist employers and employees properly
manage hazardous chemicals,” said AIHA President Cathy
Cole, CIH, CSP.
Cathy
Cole,
AIHA
President, addressing the
GHS Public HearingIntheproposalcomments,
AIHA
discussed parts of the
OSHA proposal that itsupports
andgave
recommendations regarding areas of concern. Colefurther stated that “AIHA agrees the proposed
modifications to the Hazard Communication Standard(HCS) will improve the quality and consistency of hazard
communication information provided to employers andemployees.”
One of AIHA recommendations referred to the proposed
requirement that OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs),
as well as other exposure limits used or recommended by
the chemical manufacturer or importer, be included on
the Safety Data Sheet. AIHA believes that if OSHA allows

From JAWE, Japanthe inclusion of other occupational exposure limits used orrecommended by chemical manufacturers, importers, or
employers, then the agency must take this a step further
and add a non-mandatory appendix to the HCS toincorporate reference to the TLVs and other occupational
exposure limits like the Workplace Environmental Exposure
Levels (WEELs).
AIHA cited several explanations as to why the requirement
should be extended to include these additional occupational
exposure limits. The association also requested that OSHA
work with stakeholders in order to address the issue of
updating PELs. In its conclusion, AIHA highlighted parts of
the OSHA proposal that it supports, including the proposed
implementation schedule.
“The GHS, when fully implemented, will facilitate
international trade in chemicals and provide a recognizedframework that adds to the protection of employers andemployees. AIHA pledges our full assistance to OSHA, otherregulatory bodies, industry, and the international community
to see that the GHS accomplishes its intended objectives.
AIHA’s concern continues to be the prevention of health risks
to workers and others”, said Cole.
AIHA’s full comments, as well as additional comments
eventually received, are available for review at theirwebsite: www.aiha.org.

Japan Association for Working Environment Measurement (JAWE) - Joint Conference andExhibition on Occupational Hygiene and Working Environment Measurement 2009, Kanazawa,and Signing ceremony between JAWE and KSOEH
Sent by: Masayoshi Karasawa, Special Adviser, JAWE, E-mail: m19419k@yahoo.co.jp
Shigeru Asuka, Executive Director JAWE, E-mail: sasuka@jawe.or.jp
and Isamu Tanaka, E-mail: itanaka@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp

The Japan Association for Working Environment
Measurement (JAWE), whose Chairperson is Mr. Shigeru
Oshita, Managing Director, Nippon Steel Corporation, andthe Japan Occupational Hygiene Association (JOHA), whose
chairperson is Professor Isamu Tanaka, University ofOccupational and Environmental Health, held their 12th
“Joint Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Hygieneand Working Environment Measurement 2009” inKanazawa”, from 11 to 13 November 2009, in Kanazawa

manufacturers’ presentations
available models.

City、located about 400 Km northwest from Tokyo, one of
the major cities along the Japan Sea.

The Symposium, which used to be an important part of thisevent, was replaced by four special lectures on the following
topics:This event provided researchers, technical experts inworking environment control, manufacturers/dealers ofmeasuring equipment and other interested people of 300
participants altogether with a good opportunity to discussand exchange views on their daily technical issues.

“Discussion in ISO on the analytical methodology ofasbestos in construction materials” by Dr. Norihiko
Kohyama, professor of Toyo University and head of theJapanese working group of SC-3, TC146 of ISO;The Joint Conference and Exhibition consisted of three parts,
namely scientific presentations, special lecture sessions andexhibits. There were 46 scientific presentations and 13 casestudies by researchers and experts, together with 12

on

their

commercially

Among the 46 scientific presentations, 32 were on sampling
and analytical technology for environmental agents ranging
from mineral dusts and asbestos to metals and organic
compounds.
Sixteen presentations were on working
environment evaluation.

“Nanoparticles and sampling/analysis of workplaceenvironment” by Dr. Mitsutoshi Takaya, Chief
researcher of JNIOSH;

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 2010
4

“Risk assessment and management of Chemicals inworkplaces” by Mr. Kenichi Yamada, deputy director of
Occupational Health Research and Analysis Centre,
Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, and,Special lecture sessions“International Trend of Nanoparticles Research andDevelopment” by Dr. Toshihiko Myojo, assistantprofessor of University of Occupational andEnvironmental Health.

Exhibition at the JAWE/JOHA 2009 Conference

Memorandum of agreement between JAWE and KSOEH
At the annual academic convention of the Korean Society ofOccupational and Environmental Hygiene (KSOEH) held in
Pusan, Korea, on 28 and 29 January 2010, KSOEH and JAWE
had the MoU signing ceremony with signers of Palk, JongMin, President of KSOEH and professor of Department ofIndustrial Health, Catholic University of Pusan, and Shigeru
Asuka, Executive Director of JAWE.

Signing ceremony
between JAWE
and KSOEH

From SSOH, Switzerland

The purpose of this MoU is to improve the professional
capacity of the respective institutions in the field ofoccupational hygiene/working environment control, thereby
ensuring better working conditions and contributing toworkers’ health and safety in the respective countries.
It was indeed a commemorative occasion for both
associations to have launched, for the first time, anagreement for bilateral cooperation. JAWE would like toexchange information and experiences with other Asian
countries in the field of working environment control in near
future.
Besides, at the opening ceremony of the academic
convention, Dr. Palk, Jong-Min, President of KSOEH, kindly
gave JAWE Executive Director a chance to introduce thepresent status of working environment measurement andcontrol in Japan.

The Swiss Society’s Certification Scheme has been recognized by the
National Accreditation Recognition Committee of IOHA
Sent by: Michel Guillemin, E-mail: michel.guillemin@gmail.com

On 8 October 2009, the Swiss Society of Occupational
Hygiene (SSOH) was certified as an “IOHA Recognized
Certification Board” by the IOHA President, Danilo Cottica
who got the positive report of the National Accreditation
Recognition (NAR) Committee of IOHA.
The SSOH has been founded in the eighties, first as a “local
section of AIHA”, and a few years later as a National Society.

In cooperation with the University of Lausanne and its
Institute for Occupational Health Sciences, and the Federal
Institute of Technology in Zürich and its Institute for Hygieneand Work Physiology, a two years postgraduate course has
been created in 1993, which is still running and has beentransformed in a “Master of Advanced Studies”. The
originality of this training and education framework reliedon the fact that it was for occupational physicians and

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 20105

occupational hygienists together. Three out of four “blocks”
of training modules were for both disciplines and one wasdedicated only for the occupational hygienists (corebusiness) and one only for the physicians. The participantslearned from the beginning to work together and to practice“transdisciplinarity”. Now the course is also dedicated to theergonomists and has three “specialized” blocks. The idea tohave a closer cooperation with occupational psychologists isunder consideration.

occupational medicine, ergonomics, occupational nursing,among others).
Switzerland is a multilingual and multicultural country,
which favors an opening to the world as well as ademocratic and a collaborative approach to the OH&S
problems.

Thanks to the National Accreditation Scheme of IOHA, theSwiss course has been fitted to the requirements of thescheme; as a result, the examination procedure and theoverall validation of the professional competence of the
future occupational hygienists have been significantly
improved.
The SSOH has now around 120 members and runs two
meetings every year: one for the exchange of experienceamong peers and another to promote the multidisciplinary
approach with one the other national societies in the otheroccupational health and safety fields (e.g., safety,

The founding members of the SSOH and the President of
AIHA on 6 April 1984; from left to right: Pierre Cuendet,
David Bernstein, Pierre-Olivier Droz, Alfred Steinegger, Gene
Kortsha (AIHA President), Michel Guillemin and Daniel
Bauer. Berenice Goelzer, not on the picture, was also part ofthis group.

NEWS from WHO Collaborating Centres
From Fundacentro, Brazil

International Symposium “Impacts of Nanotechnology on Worker’s Health and
Safety and the Environment”
Sent by: Arline Abel Arcuri, E-mail: arline@fundacentro.gov.brand Valéria Pinto, E-mail: simposionano2010@fundacentro.gov.br

This symposium is being organized by FUNDACENTRO (WHOCollaborating Centre in São Paulo, Brazil), CEREST (Workers’
Health Reference Center), CRQ – IV (Chemistry Regional
Council – IV), DIEESE (Inter Union Department of Statistics
and Socio-Economical Studies), DIESAT (Inter Union
Department of Studies and Research on Health andWorkplace), ENSP/FIOCRUZ (Public Health National School/
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation), IIEP (Information Exchanges on
Studies and Research), IOS (Institute Social Observatory) and
RENANOSOMA (Nanotechnology, Sociological Issues andEnvironmental Matters, Brazilian Research Network), to beheld in São Paulo, on 25 - 27 May 2010.
Nanotechnology is a generic name that represents alltechnologies involving the design, characterization,
production and application of structures, devices andsystems for control of their shapes and sizes in thenanometer scale.
There are many definitions for nanotechnology, for example:
It is a system of innovative methods to manipulatematter at near atomic scale, in order to produce newmaterials, structures and devices.
It is the result of manipulation of basic building blocks ofthe constitution of matter: atoms and molecules.
The field of nanotechnology advances rapidly and is
expected that its impact will reach every facet of industry
and society. On this minuscule scale, materials begin to
exhibit unique properties that affect their physical, chemicaland biological behavior, which is determined by quantum
mechanics. This change of behavior is very worrying when
the focus is the health of workers, especially when there is
the possibility of exposure to these nanoparticles. The same
properties that change the physical and chemical propertiesof nanoparticles can lead to harmful (and often unknown)
health impacts if and when they come into contact with thehuman body. Workers are the first to have contact withthese substances in their production or use as components
of other particulate materials. There is a significant concern
about the limited knowledge available on the possible toxic
effects of nanoparticles on human health and on the various
life forms in the environment.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 2010
6

The objectives of this event are:to discuss the possible impacts of nanotechnology onhealth, work and life of workers, and the environment;
to present the result of research conducted in Brazil on
the impacts on health and the environment, and,to promote exchanges among researchers.
There will be oral presentations and posters, and the main
topics will be public policies, workers’ health and safety,
environment, toxicology, education and capacity-building,dissemination of scientific issues, regulation and risk
communication. On 25 May there will be a “Roundtable on
International Actions in Nanotechnology and the Health ofWorkers”.

The target audience will include: occupational health andsafety professionals; employers, workers, union leaders,members of CIPAs (Internal Committees of Prevention) andof quality programs of companies; leaders of NGOs andentities related to the environment, consumer protection
and related areas; teachers, academia and researchers;
members of health councils; human resources and legal
professionals, as well as the general public interested in thesubject.
The working languages will be Portuguese and English(simultaneous translation).

From NIOSH, USA
NIOSH and NHCA present 2010 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards
Sent by Christina Spring, E-mail: CSpring@cdc.gov
and R. Johnson, E-mail: RAJohnson1@cdc.gov

Work-related hearing loss is a permanent but preventableproblem. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the National Hearing
Conservation Association (NHCA), is pleased to announce
the recipients of the 2010 Safe-in-Sound Excellence inHearing Loss Prevention Award, honoring those who haveshown their dedication to the prevention of noise-induced
hearing loss through innovative or excellent hearing loss
prevention practices in the work environment.
The awards were presented at the 35th Annual Hearing
Conservation Conference on February 26, 2010 in Orlando,
Florida.
The award honors hearing loss prevention programs in theconstruction, manufacturing, and service sectors. In
addition, it recognizes individuals or organizations forinnovation in hearing loss prevention and their dedication tofostering and implementing new and unique advances in theprevention of hearing loss.
“This year’s awardees highlight how work-related hearing
loss affects people across all industry sectors,” said NIOSH
Director Dr. John Howard. “The impact of partnerships andinnovation in developing solutions and policies to address
the preventable problem of work-related hearing loss isclear in these initiatives.”
The Safe-in-Sound Awards Expert Committee (comprised ofexperts in the fields of public health, hearing loss
prevention, audiology, and industrial hygiene) evaluatesapplicants against key performance indicators. Examples
include: development and adoption of new strategies forhearing loss prevention; demonstration of increased
awareness of the value of healthy hearing and theprevention of hearing loss and tinnitus; documented
reduction in noise levels and hearing loss registeredlongitudinally, and, the use of a participatory approach
between workers and employers.
The recipient for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention in
the Manufacturing Sector is:
Etymotic Research, Inc., a research and productdevelopment group founded in 1983 that creates products
designed to measure, improve, and protect hearing. It is
recognized for its pioneering technical expertise, remarkableinfluence, ardent support, and essential sponsorship ofhearing loss prevention research, services, products, andpublic outreach. Etymotic Research’s innovations have had adirect impact on the quality, delivery, and effectiveness ofhearing loss and tinnitus prevention programs.
The recipients for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention in
the Construction Sector are:
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection(NYC DEP) and Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. (PB), recognized fortheir combined efforts in developing, implementing andoverseeing the New York City Construction Noise Mitigation
Rule. The rule, which is a result of a mayoral charge to
update the New York City’s Noise Code and creates a newlaw establishing rules for construction noise, establishednoise emission limits and mitigation measures for all
construction within New York City and also proactively
addressed work-related exposures.
The recipients for Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention in
the Services Sector are:

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 20107

Associate Professor Dr. Kris Chesky and the College of Music,
University of North Texas, recognized for their contribution
towards raising the awareness of the importance of hearing
loss prevention among student and professional musicians.
Dr. Chesky and colleagues are pursuing innovative research
and methodology, education and advocacy to contribute to
the success of hearing loss prevention among individuals
involved in music performances and practice. Their work isbringing additional attention to the risk of music-induced
hearing loss to other professionals in entertainment venues
and to the general public.
Nominations for the next awards will be accepted until
September 1st, 2010. For further information please visit
www.safeinsound.us.
Through research and the NORA cross-sector program,
NIOSH has developed a number of resources to assist
workers and employers in reducing noise exposure as well as
in finding and fitting the proper kind of hearing protection
and determining hazardous levels of noise. NIOSH
recommends removing hazardous noise from the workplace
whenever possible and using hearing protectors in thosesituations where dangerous noise exposures have not yet
been controlled or eliminated. For more information aboutnoise and hearing loss prevention research at NIOSH pleaseAwards presentation, left to right: Erich Thalheimer (PB),
Mead Killion (Etymotic), Kris Chesky (UNT) and Award
Presenter CAPT Margaret Kitt (NIOSH)

visit
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/abouthlp abouthlp.html.
NIOSH is the federal agency that conducts research andmakes recommendations for preventing work-related
injuries and illnesses. Mention of any company or productdoes not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. Moreinformation about NIOSH can be found atwww.cdc.gov/niosh.

News from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
(EU-OSHA)
Sent by: Birgit MÜLLER, E-mail: muller@osha.europa.eu
World’s biggest workplace health and safety campaign
goes from strength to strength
The Agency’s new Healthy Workplaces campaign (20102011) will be launched officially on 28 April, the World Day
for Safety and Health at Work. The campaign raises
awareness of the importance of maintenance for safe andhealthy workplaces and the need to protect workers thatcarry it out. EU-OSHA’s focal points already call for
nominations for the national Good Practice Awards
2010/2011.
See link: http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns
Risk Assessment Tools Database
The Agency has developed a risk assessment tools databasewith tools from all over Europe. The database is regularly
updated.
The most common risk assessment tools are checklists,
which are a useful tool to help identify hazards. Other kindsof risk assessment tools include: guides, guidance
documents, handbooks, brochures, questionnaires, and'interactive tools' (free interactive software, including

downloadable applications which are usually sectorspecific). These tools can be either generic or branch/riskspecific.
See link: http://osha.europa.eu/en/practical-solutions/riskassessment-tools
Outlook: New and emerging risks in occupational safety
and health
The safety and health of EU workers is affected by changing
demographic structures, new technologies and the shift toservice sectors. This Outlook offers an overview of thepresent and future trends of relevance to occupational
health, the main workplace risks and their prevention.
Outlook is available in 22 languages.
Read the current issue of Outlook at: http://osha.europa.eu/
en/publications/outlook
Visit the European Risk Observatory at: http://
osha.europa.eu/en/riskobservatory

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 20108

Health and Safety of Health Care Staff

http://osha.europa.eu/en/sector/healthcare.

Workers employed in the health care sector have to deal witha wide range of activities and environments that pose a threat
to their health and put them at risk of occupational disease orwork-related accidents.

Combined exposure to Noise and Ototoxic Substances

Many of the settings in which health care workers carry out
their jobs and the multiplicity of tasks they perform canpresent a great variety of hazards. The health care sector islarge, employing around 10% of all workers throughout theEuropean Union. More than three quarters of them
are women.
The nature of their work, whether delivering frontline care forthe physically or mentally impaired, or handling patients orproviding cleaning services, makes it absolutely vitalthat health and safety be a priority in this sector. Yet
European data show that the proportion of healthcare
workers considering that their health and safety is at risk
because of work they do is higher than the average across all
sectors in the EU. In particular, exposure to threats ofphysical violence and actual acts of violence from colleagues
and non-colleagues is highly prevalent compared to othersectors.
The range of risks faced by health workers includes:
Biological risks such as infections caused byneedle stick injuries
Chemical risks including drugs used in thetreatment of cancer and disinfectants
Physical risks such as ionising radiation
Ergonomic risks, for example, patient handling
Psychosocial risks including violence and shift
work
Further details, including case studies, examples of goodpractice and checklists to help those who are dealing with this
sector, are available online at the EU-OSHA site – direct link:

Noise-induced hearing loss remains one of the mostprominent occupational diseases in Europe. Increasing
attention is being paid to the risks of combined exposure tohigh-level noise and ototoxic substances. This review aims toprovide an up-to-date picture of the knowledge in this field,
including current diagnostic tools and an overview of thechemicals that may contribute to hearing loss, and tohighlight gaps in our current knowledge for proposed future
action and research.
Further information at:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/literature_reviews/
combined-exposure-to-noise-and-ototoxic-substances/view
Expert forecast on emerging chemical risks related to OSHThis publication presents the results of the expert forecast on
emerging physical OSH risks based on a Delphi survey. The
risks which were identified in the expert survey are related to
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), noise, vibration, thermalrisks, risks related to ionising and non-ionising radiation, tomachinery, work processes and technologies, as well as
various ergonomic risks. A literature review explores in more
depth the context and the health outcomes of five of themain emerging risks singled out in the forecast: lack ofphysical activity in the workplace; combined exposure to
musculoskeletal risk factors and psychosocial risk factors;
multi-factorial risks; complexity of new technologies leading
to increased mental and emotional strain; and increase of
exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) at the workplace.
Available online at: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/
reports/6805478
EU-OSHA’s blog
Reminder: The EU-OSHA’s blog is at http://osha.europa.eu/
en/blog

Contributions from ReadersInternational
International Training Modules for Occupational Hygiene - status report November 2009
Sent by: Roger Alesbury, E-mail: roger@alesbury.net
Steve Bailey, E-mail: steve.r.bailey@gsk.com
and Brian Davies, E-mail: bdavies@uow.edu.auPlans are progressing well and on schedule. The completed
website OHLearning.com will be previewed at the BOHS
Conference in Harrogate and formally launched on 1st May,in time for the American Industrial Hygiene Conference andExposition in Denver. Funding for the development of thewebsite has been provided jointly by IOHA, AIOH and BOHS.

Ongoing running costs for the website will be modest andthe aim is to secure this from sponsorship and donations.
One option being discussed with suppliers to theoccupational hygiene market is an offer to provide a link toorganisations that are willing to loan or provide
demonstration equipment to course providers.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 2010
9

The website will allow open and free access to all of the
training materials - currently the seven international
modules listed below and a principles course - other courses
will be added later. Each course includes a student manual,PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, overnight student
questions, syndicate studies and details of practical sessions.
There is a student assessment process under which
successful candidates on approved courses are given an
Award of Successful Course Completion that can be used
toward an internationally recognised intermediate level
qualification. There will be links to IOHA and the IOHA
member organisations that have signed the Memorandumof Understanding, as well as to the examining boards thatparticipate in the student assessment work.

Participating IOHA member associations will be consulted
and may be involved in ‘approved’ courses planned in theircountry, adding their logo and local information if they wish.
The site will operate on a 'wiki' style, enabling feedback andcomments on course materials. Editors have been appointed
for each course to review feedback and to comment on
suggested improvements.
If you represent an IOHA member society that is yet to sign
up to the MoU, if you are interested in becoming an'approved' course provider, or if you are supplier interested
in contributing, please get in contact.
To help determine the level of demand and enable us tomatch up those who are interested in attending courses
with course providers, please get in touch with theanticipated number of students, the courses you areinterested in and the region or country of interest. There areseveral course providers who are assessing the market incertain countries and hearing from you will certainly help.

The site will also list approved course providers - those thatmeet the criteria specified and offer the courses with theapproved examination scheme. These approved providers
will be able to use the IOHA logo and 'supported by IOHA'
phrase on approved courses and awards related to theinternational modules. They will have links to their own sites
and course dates and details shown by geographic location.

Which of the following modules would you be interested in?

Please tick all that apply

W101 Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene
W501 Measurement of Hazardous Substances
W502 Thermal Environment
W503 Noise – Measurement and its effects
W504 Asbestos and Other Fibres
W505 Control of Hazardous Substances
W506 Ergonomics Essentials
W507 Health Effects of Hazardous Substances

Approximately how many people would you expect to undertake training in thenext two years?
For the people who will be undertaking the training which of the following locations are most convenient to you?
Please tick all that apply
Australia
BrazilAfricaAsia

China

EuropeFranceMiddle East

Hong Kong

South America

India

Other (specify)

Ireland
Italy
Malaysia
NorwaySouth Africa
UK
USA
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201010

From Countries
From CanadaNews from the IRSST
Verifying the content of lockout programs – IRSST technical data sheet
Sent by: Maura Tomi, E-mail: Maura.Tomi@irsst.qc.ca
The IRSST just published a technical data sheet that provides
companies with a mean of verifying the content of a lockout
program. Lockout is defined in CSA Z460-05 as theplacement of a lock or tag on an energy-isolating device inaccordance with an established procedure, indicating thatthe energy-isolating device is not to be operated until
removal of the lock or tag in accordance with an establishedprocedure.
A lockout program should provide guidance to supervisorsand employees on what is expected of them. A written
program establishes the company’s general policies andprocedures for implementing lockout as well as sets specificperformance requirements for employees. It also provides
the mechanism for regulatory compliance. The written
program addresses the program’s purpose, scope andapplication, defines key terms, prescribes the responsibilities
of managers, supervisors and employees for implementing
the program elements and outlines general lockout rules
and procedures.
This technical data sheet presents the major themes of alockout program; however, when it is used it is important toconsider all the major themes presented in and to carry out
a procedure based on the company’s reality to determine
whether the presented points are adapted to the context.
To download the document, please visit:www.irsst.qc.ca/en/_publicationirsst_100514.html

From Egypt
Egypt – Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health and Microfinance Institutions
Sent by: Richard Rinehart, E-mail: rinehart@globalsense.org
and Richard Carothers, E-mail: richardcarothers@rogers.com
Occupational safety and health (OSH) hazards are prevalent
in micro and small enterprises and the informal economy
globally. The literature, both scientific and otherwise, isfilled with examples of problems in almost every small-scale
sector or occupation. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) thatprovide loans to the owners of micro and small enterprises
in developing countries represent an untapped opportunity
to reach millions of workers with OSH information andservices. MFIs have access to the some of the poorest
populations in the world. If these organizations were to
begin to systematically address OSH problems during theirroutine business activities, their positive impact on publichealth and well-being would be enormous.
There is an emerging dialogue and set of experiences that
demonstrates how MFIs can improve working conditions bybuilding on their positive relationships with entrepreneurs.
Occupational hygienists and others trained in OSH generally
do not have direct contact with informal micro-level
entrepreneurs on a wide scale because there is little
demand or awareness of their services. There are few
opportunities for interaction. However, women and men
who operate micro and small enterprises actively seek out
opportunities for loans and related financial services. MFIs

have combined assets and loans worth billions of U.S. dollars
and millions of clients – most of whom represent businesses
too small to be visited by labor inspectors. There arethousands of MFIs throughout the world and their potential
to alleviate poverty is touted by the Millennium
Development Goals.
With this in mind, the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) funded the first interactive workshop in Cairoon the theme of improving workplace safety and healththrough the provision of financial services. The workshop
benefited from the experiences of OSH specialists as well as
non-OSH experts from national and internationalorganizations involved in microfinance. Most of theattendees at the workshop were not trained in OSH yet
recognized its importance and explored ways to promote
good OSH practices among their clients.
Following formal presentations and panel exchanges,
workshop participants joined small-group discussions andresponded to questions related to opportunities andconstraints on mainstreaming OSH into the day-to-day
functioning of organizations that provide financial services
to the poor. The issue on the table focused on the potential

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201011

for MFIs to increase their social impact by finding ways toshare and address occupational and safety problems andsolutions among micro-enterprises.
Many ideas and opportunities came out of the CIDA Cairo
Workshop discussions and are currently being synthesized
into a summary report. The report will be available at:www.ppic-work.org.
The workshop agenda andpresentations are already online. Go to the website andclick “Resources,” then “Workshop Materials,” and see“Workshop 3.”
More dialogue and ideas are needed.
Are there
opportunities for the international occupational hygiene

community to support MFIs as they explore this new area of
engagement with their clients? Please email us yourcomments or suggestions and we will summarize them in a
future edition of this IOHA Newsletter.
NOTE: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eightinternational development goals that 192 United Nations
member states and at least 23 international organizations
have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They include
reducing extreme poverty, including “Decent Work for all,”
reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics
such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership fordevelopment. Further information at the site: http://
www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

From India
International Conference on Silica Hazards held in New Delhi December 2009
Sent by: Perry Gottesfeld and Shannon Selerowski
Contact authors at E-mail: info@okinternational.org
Occupational Knowledge International (OK International USA), in partnership with the Public Health Foundation ofIndia (PHFI), organized a meeting on “Silica Hazards inConstruction and Mining: Reducing Exposures andPreventing Disease” in New Delhi, India on December 11-12,
2009. The meeting was planned to raise awareness among
key stakeholders and encourage specific policy initiatives topromote silica dust control technologies and reduce silicarelated diseases in India.

Srinath Reddy, President
Foundation of India

Indian and international experts presented case studies ofsuccessful silica dust reduction programs, describedmeasurement and control methods, highlighted the link
between silica exposure and tuberculosis, and gavesuggestions for establishing improved systems for
identifying silicosis victims. A comprehensive analysis ofexisting policies, laws, and regulatory agencies that coveroccupational silica exposures and related diseases was
conducted prior to the conference and used as a frameworkfor discussion.

TK Joshi, Maulana Azad Medical College

The conference was well attended by more than 130
participants from diverse groups of private companies, nongovernmental and community-based organizations,professional associations, universities, internationalorganizations, and government ministries. Several silicosis
victims from the stone crushing sector also attended.
Mr. Harish Rawat, the National Union Minister of Labour inIndia, provided opening remarks and gave his support forthe objectives of the meeting. The Keynote speaker, Dr.
David Rees from the National Institute of Occupational
Health in South Africa, showed practical examples ofresearch and intervention studies and emphasized therelationship between tuberculosis and silica exposure.
Other speakers included:

of

the

PublicHealthSalma Burton, World Health Organization
Justice G.P. Mathur, National Human Rights Commissionof India
Neha Vyas, World Bank
Sarabjit Chadhe, Revised
Programme of India

National

TB

ControlJagdish Patel, Peoples Training and Research Centre
Rajnarayan R Tiwari, National Institute of Occupational
HealthHabibullah Saiyed, World Health Organization
Norbert Wagner, University of South Florida
K. Srinath Reddy, Public Health Foundation of India
Manoranjan Mishra, Jeevan Rekha ParishadRichard Rinehart, Consultant, formally with U.S. NIOSH
The conference generated positive and intelligent debate on
important issues and challenges, and was unique in that it
brought together diverse groups of stakeholders who usually
do not interact with each other on a common goal – toreduce silica exposure and related disease in India.
Discussion between participants and speakers resulted in acall for a National Plan to identify and compensate silicosis
victims and address silica hazards throughout India.
The conference increased awareness of the topic among
Indian NGOs and community based organizations, healthprofessionals, government ministries, professional tradeassociations, and others and provided an important forum
to initiate positive long-term change that will benefit

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201012

employers, workers and their families, and communities.
It emphasized the need to establish a multi-sector approachto address the problem. An Executive Committee wasformed on the closing day of the conference to encourage
the implementation of the conference policy and action
recommendations and to track future progress.
The conference
organizations:was

supportedbythefollowing

U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)The Deshpande Foundation

International Development and Research Centre, Ottawa,
CanadaEnviron Foundation
International Work-To-Live Project
ERM Foundation
For more information please see the OK International
website: www.okinternational.org. OK International is aninternational non-governmental organization working indeveloping countries to mitigate the environmental andhuman health hazards of industrial pollutants.

From The Netherlands
Advanced REACH Tool (ART version 1.0) has been launched
Sent by: Erik Tielemans (on behalf of the ART consortium) E-mail: erik.tielemans@tno.nl

The development of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) version
1.0 has been completed. The tool is available, free ofcharge, at: www.advancedreachtool.com. Users may assess
it for guidance on occupational assessment of exposure todust, vapours and mists. The use of ART as a higher tierexposure assessment tool is described in ECHA’s updated
REACH guidance, but ART can of course also be used inanother context (e.g., the Chemical Agent Directive).
The ART is based on a robust and calibrated mechanistic
model that produces an exposure prediction with aconfidence interval. The model includes parameters related
to the activity, substance, work environment and local
controls. In addition, ART contains a facility to update andrefine the predictions with relevant exposure data using a
Bayesian procedure, even if only few data are available. The
influence of the data increases with increasing sample size.
This feature of ART will be expanded in the near future witha built-in database of exposure measurements.

ART has been developed in close collaboration withstakeholders from industry and member states. Following
feedback from users on the beta version of the ART tool wehave amended the user interface, and included additional
functions such as the quick revision function, the reportfunction and the save as function. We are confident thatthese modifications have improved the software's user
friendliness. Why not try it? Any feedback on the use of thetool is very much appreciated and can be provided via the
ART website.
An ART training module is currently under development.
Questions with respect to ART training sessions can bedirectedtothefollowinge-mailaddress:
Marloes.vanderwal@tno.nl.
The ART tool has been developed as a collaborative venture
between TNO, HSL, IOM, BAuA, NRCWE, and University
Utrecht. The scientific work has been extensively reviewed
by more than 10 independent experts across Europe.

From Sweden
Hazard Prevention and Control in Ship Breaking
Sent by: Gunnar Rosén, Dalarna University, E-mail: grs@du.se
Ing-Marie Andersson, Dalarna University, E-mail: ima@du.se
Georg Kinigalakis, MediMetal AB, E-mail: georg.kinigalakis@habohalsan.se
Around fifty years ago, after a cyclone in 1960 had killedthousands of people in Bangladesh, an international
industry for marine salvage began. At that time ship
breaking of old cargo ships was developing in several
places, within the industrially developed countries and in
the developing countries, and often taking place withinship repair yards equipped with the shipbuilding
technology of that time.

When the local people awoke on the morning after the
cyclone, they discovered that the Greek ship MD Alpine
had been washed up on the muddy beach coast of
Fauzdarhat at Sitakunda Upazila by an enormous tidal
wave. The stranded ship lay untouched for several years,
until a local company by the name of Chittagong SteelHouse bought and dismantled it. This process took place

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201013

over several years and created employment opportunities
amongst the local people during a time of political unrest
and extreme poverty. This experience in combination witha considerable local market for cheap labour awakened thebusiness idea: to use tidal power for ship recycling. Thus awork method that was more cost effective than all otherexistent alternatives came about. Furthermore, thePakistani ship Al Abbas, which was destroyed in the
Chittagong harbour during the war of 1971, is now
considered as the first case of commercial ship recycling
and was carried out by Karmafully Metal Works Ltd in
Bangladesh, in 1974.
During the following decades a boom occurred in the socalled “tide beaching ship scrapping industry” (TBSS),
mainly in the countries of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
In principle these countries took over all the relatedindustries from Europe and the other Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries. The TBSS industry grew to contain more than
80% of all the commercial cargo ship recycling in the world(Other countries that carry out ship recycling, though
without the use of tidal power are China and Turkey. The
fast expansion in Asia has developed concurrently with the
sharpening of international environment law. Moreover
rapid development has also been possible due to the factthat “ship breaking” activities are not considered undernational laws whereby certificates and authorization forindustrial organization is required. Besides “ship breaking”,
the terms “ship dismantling” or “ship scrapping” are also
used.

Bangladesh. In these regions it is possible to findeverything from bronze screws and toilet seats to electric
generators. Hundreds of specialized service companies
have also subsequently sprouted up, for example: onboard
cleaning, reconditioning of second-hand machines,
transport companies, waste disposal, recycling of copperfrom electrical cables, regenerating used oils, numerous
retailers and many more. In addition, around 40 shipdismantling companies on the Chittakong coast provide
approximately 80% of Bangladesh’s steel industry withmetal properties, with the comparative figures in India
being between 12 to 15%. There are around 160-180 Indian
ship-dismantling companies and are all situated along theAlang coast.
Recycling itself, energy-saving and climate protection are
just some examples of the positive aspects of ship
recycling. However, upon closer inspection, the ship
recycling industry of today presents some concerns in theterms of safety, the work environment and environmental
issues. High numbers of fatalities and serious work related
injuries have been revealed through several international
reports
providedbyvariousnon-governmentalorganizations and international work injury statistics.
Moreover, despite poor official statistics, the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) has judged as unacceptable thenumber of work related diseases caused by (preventable)
exposure to asbestos, PCBs, heavy metals, organic andinorganic chemicals, etc. For further information on theseissues, see: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/
sector/papers/shpbreak/index.htm#2.1%20Where.
Initially, whenever the various international organizations
acted in response to the growth of the ship recycling
industry, there was a clear lack of cooperation. For
example, each organization produced individual guidelines
for environmentally friendly ship recycling. Finally, theInternational Maritime Organisation (IMO) took the
initiative in uniting these views. After several years ofmeetings between the IMO and the Marine Environment
Protection Committee (MEPC) - where the numerous
guidelines for ship recycling were a constant issue – acomprehensive text for a new International Convention
was ultimately elaborated and finalized at the Hong Kong
conference in 2008, thus becoming known as the “HongKong Convention”.

Shipyard Work (Copyright NGO Platform on Shipbreaking)See:http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/HK_Conv.pdf).
Consequently there have been many years of financial
opportunity for satellite businesses to the ship recycling
industry in Bangladesh and India to turn a quick profit.
Therefore, it was not long before one of the world largest
second-hand markets - specializing in machine components
and materials originating from every imaginable part of theship - had become established in the neighbouring areas ofthe so called ship-dismantling regions at the Alang coast,near Mumbai in India and at the Chittakong coast inThat an International Convention has come into being issignificant in itself, and yet it is the application of practicalissues pertaining to safety at work and environmental risks
that requires the most considerable efforts. in order tomake the transfer from theory to practice, the EU has
striven to initiate various information campaigns, has madepolitical efforts and has invested in diverse research

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201014

programs such as ‘Shipdismantl’ (2004-2008)‘DIVEST’ (See: http://www.divest-project.eu/).

and

The DIVEST project has, among other things, made it clearthat there is a real need to develop work methods for ship
breaking that are safe for those involved, and that are
applicable to the circumstances indigenous to the countries
where the main share of the work is undertaken. A firststep can be in the creation and provision of educational
material that is suitable for use in spreading basic
knowledge about risks and safe working practices, and asource that is not dependant on language. Video exposure
monitoring (VEM) satisfies these conditions (Rosén G, et.
al., 2005). VEM means that the potential for harm to theindividual in the work environment is measured at thesame time as the situation is filmed. The result is a video
film which includes a graphic presentation of the results ofthe measurement synchronized with the video file. The
recorded material creates a visualization of the different
ways of performing a job, and can also show how technicalaids and personal protection equipment can contribute tominimize risks. Work environment risks currently
associated with ship breaking include: smoke from gas
welding, dust that contains toxic substances, vapours fromdifferent chemicals, noise and vibration. PIMEX is one VEM
method that has been used to produce different kinds ofeducational material. One example is a material about dust
exposure prevention used by WHO and the ILO.

in cooperation with those groups that will make use of thematerial in the applicable countries. Work has alreadybegun to create some necessary prerequisites in the formof economic resources and organization of cooperation
between all interested parties.
In summary, it is expected that ‘tide beaching’ is likely to
be a leading technique well into the foreseeable future.
This is why there is considerable urgency to make special
efforts to minimize the work environment risks associatedwith ‘tide beaching’. The creation of educational material
based on visualization and that focuses on simple solutions
to minimize risks is therefore a facet of this urgency. Sucheducational material must therefore develop in direct
cooperation with national authorities as well as the privatecompanies and their staff involved in the industry. Whilst
at the same time, the technical aspects of ongoingdevelopment in ship breaking must also naturally be
addressed in order that a comprehensive ground level forsafe methods for ship breaking can be achieved.
Reference
Rosén G, et.al. (2005) “A review of video exposure
monitoring as an occupational hygiene tool” Ann. Occup.
Hyg., Vol. 49, No 3, pp 201-217

Moreover, a pilot study has been carried out in Sweden, inorder to gain experiences about how PIMEX can be used in
the development of educational material concerning
reducing work environment risks within the ship breaking
industries. The study was carried out in a ship-yard that
performs ship reparations, in order to simulate theconditions of ship breaking. Exposure to smoke from gas
welding and noise were the factors under study. The
results illustrated that PIMEX recording can constitute animportant foundation to educational material, targeting
broad groups of people who are currently exposed tounacceptable work environment risk levels (in this case gas
welding and noise). The conclusions from the study
indicated that such educational material should be madewidely available, though with an important condition that
production of such a training material should be carried out

Disclaimer: While great care is taken with the compilation of this Newsletter, IOHA, its Directors, the Editor and the authors of articles accept no
responsibility for opinions, errors and omissions that may be made in this Newsletter. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles rests
solely with their authors and does not constitute an endorsement by the IOHA.
International Occupational Hygiene Association
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IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 1, April 201015