April 2009
Vol 17, No. 1

NEWSLETTER______________________________________________________________________________

Contents
1
2
3-8
8
9-10
11-12
12-13
13-15
15-21

Letter from the Editor
News from the IOHA Board
News from Member Associations
News from ICOH
News from WHO
News from WHO Collaborating Centres
News from ILO
News from the European Union
Contributions from Readers

Letter from the Editor
Dear Colleagues,
It is gratifying to receive so many contributions and aprivilege to share them with all of you.
A constant concern, usually demonstrated by participants incourses and lectures on prevention in occupational health,is “how to improve political will and motivation at all levels”,
as this is indispensable to trigger any effective action. All I
have been able to tell them is that we must make increased
efforts to improve communication, as well as education andtraining, at all levels. The more information we gather, themore we share it, not only among colleagues but with all
kinds of audiences, the closer we get to the ideal of having
a true “prevention culture” everywhere. So, please,whenever you can, talk to any audience about theparamount importance and feasibility of preventing theimmense number of occupational diseases. And thisnumber is too large, even in comparison with the “so talked
about in the media” diseases and fatalities, such as malaria,
AIDS and those resulting from wars. Unfortunately,
occupational diseases do not have the visibility andattention they deserve and the work environment is often
overlooked as a primary social determinant of health. The
information that “reaches the ears” of decision makers does
not necessarily reflect the present appalling global situation
concerning occupational diseases, and their importance isdimmed amidst other countless threats to health.

media involvement might help to create more awareness on
the extent of the problem and more motivation to prevent
occupational disease and injuries.
Even in Europe, where exposure to chemicals has been
controlled for a long time, an EU report estimates that“about 74,000 work-related deaths may still be linked tohazardous substances at work each year”. If this happens inthis developed part of the world, how much worse thissituation has to be in other places where prevention andcontrol are “far fetched” actions, for which there are noteven enough competent professionals.
This brings us to the key and so often neglected issue of
adequate training in occupational hygiene, that is, theprofession that actually deals with the prevention ofoccupational diseases. Therefore, it is really encouraging tohear about progresses in international training programmes,
as the one presented in this issue.
A growing concern and constant worry for occupational
hygienists everywhere is nanotechnology and, in this issue,
we have contributions from three different parts of the worldon this crucial problem. There is much more on thisnewsletter and I will let you discover while you go through it.
I cannot close this letter without wishing to our great friendand colleague - Michel Guillemin, a very happy retirement from his institute (“Institut universitaire romand de
Santé au Travail”, Lausanne, Switzerland – a WHO CC),
not from occupational hygiene ☺. His contribution to thework of the institute and to its international standing, as wellas to our profession both at national and international levels,
has been recognized and greatly appreciated by all his
peers.
As always, I would like to thank all of you who sent
contributions, and ask for comments and suggestions forthe improvement of the Newsletter.
Best greetings to all.
Berenice Goelzer
berenice@goelzer.net

I believe there is a need for more occupational risk
communication to different audiences, from young people
and the general public, to all kinds of professionals,
managers and governmental officials. Perhaps a stronger

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 1 of 21

NEWS from the IOHA BOARD
Although there has not been a Board meeting since the lastissue of the Newsletter, the Board has by no means beenidle. One of its major projects has been work on a new-lookwebsite, which is now available – www.ioha.net. The site is
now much clearer and easier to navigate, although it stillneeds more work to fully populate all the pages.

The next Board meeting will be held on 31 May in Toronto,
during the AIHCE, and a report from the Board will be
published in the November issue of the Newsletter.

Pamela Blythe
Executive Secretary
pamela.blythe@ioha.net

If you have any comments or suggestions for further
improvement, please email them to admin@ioha.net.

NEWS from MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
From BOHS, UK
sent by Anthea Page, Communications Manager, BOHS, anthea@bohs.org

Occupational & Environmental Exposure to Skin
Conference' (OEESC) 2009; 14th - 17th June
2009, Edinburgh
The British Occupational Hygiene Society is hosting thenext international conference on Occupational andEnvironmental Exposure of Skin to Chemicals in
Edinburgh. The meeting is unique in bringing together
experts in dermal exposure assessment and skindiseases, dermatology and skin toxicology, with policymakers and occupational health, safety and environment
professionals interested in increasing their knowledge ofdermal exposure issues.
Detailed information available online as follows:
www.OEESC2009.org for programme & venue
informationwww.bohs.org/eventDetails.aspx?event=153 to book online
john.cherrie@iom-world.org to sign up for conference
updates

BOHS funds collection of exposure data to
support the development of the Advanced
REACH Tool
The Advanced REACH Tool (ART) is an advanced
exposure assessment tool that is being developed by aconsortium of European research organisations. It willproduce more precise and accurate estimation of
exposure for use in REACH than is currently available
with existing exposure models, such as the EASE model.
BOHS is helping to facilitate the collection of high quality
exposure data to aid the calibration of the mechanistic
model of ART, and will also provide guidance on thecoding of the various items of contextual information.
Further information at:
http://www.bohs.org/newsArticle.aspx?newsItem=91

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

REACH: Registration and Beyond - Exposure
Scenarios and safe handling advice, 2ndEuropean Conference and Workshop, 30th
September - 1st October 2009, Brussels
REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation ofChemicals), the European chemicals control legislation,
has been in force since 2007. REACH has wide-ranging
impacts on chemical safety in all product life cycle stages,
as it demands that all manufacture and use of chemical
substances is demonstrably safe for humans and theenvironment. REACH requires communication of
Exposure Scenarios in the chemicals supply chain, andimplementation by Downstream User companies of safe
working advice from Manufacturers and Importers.
In December 2005 the British Occupational Hygiene
Society (BOHS) held a first European conference in thebuild-up to REACH. This second European conference
will address a number of practical issues relevant toregistration and beyond, such as:• expectations for quantitative exposure assessments in
REACH chemical safety assessment;• exchange of REACH initiatives available from
European occupational hygiene associations;• review of latest tools to support development andapplication of Exposure Scenarios, including new
initiatives to standardise information exchanges in the
supply chain;• quantifying the efficiency of Risk Management
Measures;• clarifying the relationship between DNELs and OELs;• issues around skin absorption;• capital investments for improved exposure control;• what to do when you receive an extended Safety Data
Sheet with an Exposure Scenario Annex

Page 2 of 21

As REACH applies uniformly across the EU, the national
occupational hygiene associations will use thisopportunity to strengthen their collaboration, thereby
advancing the quality of occupational hygiene advice
available to individuals and companies working withchemical substances across Europe.

Detailed information at:
http://www.bohs.org/eventDetails.aspx?event=164

From ACGIH, USA
Sent by Tony Rizzuto, ACGIH Executive Director, trizzuto@acgih.org

FOHS Announces Creation of the “Sustainable
TLV®/BEI® Fund”
The Foundation for Occupational Health and Safety®,(FOHS), that has an alliance with ACGIH hasannounced in December 2008 the creation of a new fund:the “Sustainable TLV®/BEI® Fund (the Fund).” The core
purpose of this Fund is to develop sustainable financial®
support to ensure the continued development of TLVs®
and BEIs . The Fund will initially be managed andoverseen by a four-member Board of Governors
consisting of two representatives appointed by the FOHS
Board of Trustees and two representatives appointed by®
the ACGIH Board of Directors. The Chair of the Board ofGovernors will rotate annually between the twoorganizations’ representatives.
The Fund was created to address the following factors:
1.

2.

3.

Since its inception, the core purpose and “cause” of®
ACGIH has been to protect workplace employees
through the development of science-based
occupational exposure guidelines widely known as
the TLVs® and BEIs®. These guidelines havebecome recognized throughout the world as a basis
for development of workplace standards. The®
®
potential loss of the TLVs and BEIs would result ina significant loss of basic worker protection.
Current economic conditions and recent legal
challenges put the continuation of ACGIH®’s core
mission and value at risk, namely the continued®
®
development of TLV and BEIs .
FOHS has the ability to solicit and receive donations
and grants from corporate, governmental andprivate entities alike. There are potentially many
entities that would provide support for sustaining the®
®
TLV and BEI processes, and creation of the Fund
provides the mechanism for receiving that support,
in furtherance of FOHS’ mission.

Through the creation of the Fund, FOHS can increase
support for existing ACGIH® programs used in developing®
®
TLVs and BEIs , and provide additional opportunities forraising funds to support and sustain the core mission and®
value of ACGIH – developing and promoting
occupational exposure guidelines.
®

®

More information on the Sustainable TLV /BEI Fund canbe found at:www.fohs.org/SusTLV-BEIPrgm.htm
NOTE: FOHS is a foundation whose mission is to (1)sponsor research, education, and the publication ofscientific information, (2) provide a vehicle for financial
support of the improvement and enhancement of

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

occupational and environmental health and safety and thegeneral public health, and (3) disseminate the results ofvaluable research findings and assure a heightened
quality of continuing education in occupational safety andhealth. More information may be found at: www.fohs.org.
®

®

2009 Editions of TLVs and BEIs Book andGuide to Occupational Exposure Values®

In March 2009 ACGIH released its 2009 editions of the
TLVs® and BEIs® book and the Guide to Occupational
Exposure Values.
®

The information in the user-friendly, pocket-sized TLVs®
and BEIs book, which covers more than 700 chemical
substances and physical agents as well as Biological
Exposure Indices for more than 80 chemical substances,is used worldwide as a guide for evaluation and control ofworkplace exposures to chemical substances andphysical agents. Introductions to each section andappendices provide philosophical bases and practical
recommendations for using these values.
The Guide to Occupational Exposure Values is a®
®
companion document to the TLVs and BEIs book andserves as a readily accessible reference for comparisonof the most recently published values, namely, 2009
Chemical Substance ACGIH TLVs®, AIHA Workplace
Environmental Exposure Limits (WEELs); the OSHA Final
Rule PELs; RELs from NIOSH; MAKs from the German
Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards ofChemical Compounds in the Workplace; and®
carcinogenicity designations from ACGIH , OSHA,NIOSH, MAK, IARC, U.S. NTP, and U.S. EPA. The Guide
also includes a CAS number index.
Further details may be obtained at the ACGIH website:www.acgih.org

2009Awards Recipients
Each year, ACGIH honors individuals and/or groups who
have made significant contributions to the profession
through their leadership and dedication. The 2009 Award
recipients are hereby briefly presented and more detailed
information on their achievements may be found at the
ACGIH website. Congratulations to all of them !
Herbert E. Stokinger Award Recipient:
Vincent Castranova, PhD
The Herbert E. Stokinger Award is presented each year to
an individual who has made a significant contribution in
the broad field of industrial and environmental toxicology.

Page 3 of 21

Dr. Castranova, Chief of the Pathology
and Physiology Research Branch in the
Health Effects Laboratory Division of
NIOSH, Morgantown, West Virginia, hasconcentrated his research on pulmonary
toxicology and occupational lungdiseases. He has been coordinator of the Nanotoxicology
Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) since its inception.
John J. Bloomfield Award Recipient:
Jessica Ramsey
The John J. Bloomfield Award is presented to a young
industrial hygienist who pursues the problem ofoccupational health hazards primarily by doing fieldwork,
and who demonstrates significant contribution to theprofession.
Ms. Ramsey’s dedication to
occupational safety and health hersignificant contributions to theprofession have earned her this honour
in 2009. In the past year, Ms. Ramsey
has actively responded to requests forassistance both within NIOSH and from the generalpublic, conducting several health hazard evaluations andparticipating in surveys in order to determine how
effective recommendations have been in reducing
occupational hazards.

Meritorious Achievement Award Recipient:
Gyan S. Rajhans, ROH, CIH, PE
The Meritorious Achievement Award is given to members®
of ACGIH who have made an outstanding, long-term
contribution to the field of occupational health andindustrial hygiene. Gyan’s dedication and service to theoccupational health and industrial hygiene profession over
the years, and his commitment to ACGIH’s mission madehim a worthy recipient of the Meritorious Achievement
Award.
Mr. Rajhans served and contributed to the Province ofOntario in the field of Health and Safety as Chief Industrial
Hygienist and District Manager in the Ministry of Labour
for many years. He has received several honors,
including the Amethyst Award for outstandingachievement by an Ontario public servant, OHAO’s Hugh
Nelson Award of Excellence, OHS Magazine’s Award of
Excellence, and India International Friendship Society’s
Pride of India Award. In 1997, he was ACGIH Chair.
William Steiger Memorial Award Recipient:
Rosemary Sokas, MD, MSc, MOccH
The William Steiger Memorial Award honors individuals
from the social/political sphere whose efforts havecontributed to advancements in occupational health andsafety. Initiated in 1979, this award is not limited tooccupational safety and health professionals.
Dr. Sokas’ contributions to advancements in occupationalsafety and health have earned her this distinguishedaward. Among many other achievements, her research
publications evaluate the impact of occupational
exposures on common health outcomes, training
intervention effectiveness in health care and construction,and novel approaches to addressing the needs ofimmigrant, high-risk, contingent and low-income workers.
Dr. Sokas rejoined the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration in November, 2008, as Director of the
Office of Occupational Medicine in the Directorate ofTechnical Support and Emergency Management.

From AIHA, USA
Sent by: Peter J. O’Neil, AIHA Executive Director, poneil@aiha.org
AIHce 2009
After ten years, the premier conference and exposition foroccupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS)
professionals is returning to Toronto, Canada. The American
Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AIHce) will be held
May 30–June 4 in the heart of what writer Ray Bradbury
called “the most perfect city in the western hemisphere.”
Participants can earn up to 6.5 CM points by choosing fromover 200 weekend professional development courses (PDCs)
and weekday technical sessions.
The early registration deadline for AIHce 2009 has been
extended to April 30. For more information or to register
online, visit www.aiha.org/aihce09.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and theAmerican Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH) cosponsor AIHce.

2009 will be on “Peer Support and Encouragement—
Essential Ingredients for Industrial Hygiene Success”.
The recipient of the Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award is
William C. Hinds, ScD, CIH. His Lecture at the AIHCE 2009
will be on “From Silica to Ultrafine Particles: The Role ofAerosol Particle Size in Industrial Hygiene”.
The recipient of the Alice Hamilton Award is Donna M.
Doganiero, CIH.
The recipient of the Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement
Award is to Robert A. Curtis, CIH.
The recipient of the Kusnetz Award is Carter B. Ficklen, III,
CIH.
Congratulations to all of them !

2009 Awards

Continuing Education

The recipient of the William P. Yant Award is Alan Rogers
CIH, FAIOH, from Australia. His Yant Lecture at the AIHCE

AIHA has been approved as an Authorized Provider by theInternational Association for Continuing Education and

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 4 of 21

Training (IACET) through May 31, 2011. AIHA completed an
extensive application, was reviewed by an IACET site visitor,and successfully demonstrated adherence to all American
National Standards Institute (ANSI)/IACET standards. In
obtaining this approval, AIHA demonstrated that its
educational offerings comply with the ANSI/IACET 1-2007
Standard, which is widely recognized as the “gold” standardof good practice internationally. As an Authorized Provider,
AIHA is certified to approve and issue continuing education
units (CEUs) for all of its educational offerings.

Affiliate Laboratory Programs
AIHA’s legacy Laboratory Quality Assurance Programs(LQAP) have been reorganized into three separate limited
liability companies (LLCs). Effective Feb. 10, 2009, AIHA’s
laboratory activities, once housed under LQAP, will be
operated by:•••

AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC(www.aihaaccreditedlabs.org)
AIHA Registry Programs, LLC (www.aiharegistries.org)
AIHA Proficiency Analytical Testing Programs, LLC(www.aihapat.org)

Ostrowski, CIH, as secretary. Allan K. Fleeger, CIH, CSP, willcontinue his term as treasurer.
The following candidates were elected: Elizabeth L. Pullen,
CIH, as new vice president; Harry J. Beaulieu, PhD, CIH,
CSP, as treasurer-elect; Alan J. Leibowitz, CIH, CSP,Charles F. Redinger, PhD, CIH, and David C. Roskelley,
MSPH, CIH, CSP, as members of the AIHA board of directors

2009 ERPG and WEEL Handbook
AIHA recently published a reference guide for the 137
Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs) and 113
Workplace Environmental Exposure Levels (WEELs). The
ERPG and WEEL Handbook contains recommended values
for each series and other useful information. While this handy
booklet acts as a quick reference, the exposure limits should
always be used in conjunction with the documentation
provided in each full set of ERPGs and WEELs. Information
on how to order a copy of this handbook and other AIHA
publications is available at; www.aiha.org (click “AIHA
Marketplace”), or contact Katie Robert (AIHA’s productdevelopment manager at: krobert@aiha.org).

Ventilation 2009 Conference
The LLCs have been organized as separate legal entities
with their own governance, committees, policies, budgets,
technical volunteers, and strategic advisors. In forming the
LLCs, AIHA created the flexibility for each laboratory program
to be more efficiently managed and operated and has met theimpartiality requirements included in international standards
under which the programs operate.

The 9th International Conference on Industrial Ventilation will
be held Oct. 18–21 in Zurich, Switzerland. Hosted by the
Chair of Building Systems, Institute for Building Technology,
Department of Agriculture and sponsored by AIHA, this year’s
conference theme is “Clean Industrial Air Technology
Systems for Improved Products and Healthy Environments.”
The conference will focus on future trends in the industry.

Information about individual AIHA-accredited labs can now befound at www.aihaaccreditedlabs.org, whereas informationon the Registry and Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT)
programs will be maintained separately on the websites listed
above.

Details on deadlines for registration and fees, as well as any
additional information on Ventilation 2009, may be obtained
at: www.ventilation2009.ethz.ch.

AIHA, OHAO Sign Memorandum of Understanding
TeleWebs
The most recent AIHA TeleWeb Virtual Seminar was “Hazard
Recognition: Essential Techniques for the Field Employee”
on April 28, 2009.
Information regarding AIHA TeleWeb Virtual Seminars or
AIHA’s Distance Learning Program may be obtained from
Cinthia Minan (AIHA’s distance learning coordinator:
cminan@aiha.org), or by visiting: www.aiha.org/TeleWeb.

AIHA and the Occupational Hygiene Association of Ontario(OHAO) have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU), signaling the organizations’ desire to formalize theirrelationship and cooperate to promote industrial hygienists
and other occupational and environmental health and safety
professionals.
The agreement states that AIHA and OHAO will do thefollowing:••

Election Results•

In April, AIHA announced the election results for its 2009–2010 board of directors. The new board members will be
inducted into office at AIHA’s annual business meeting during
AIHce in Toronto. This meeting will also mark the beginningof the terms of Cathy L. Cole, CIH, CSP, as president;
Michael T. Brandt, DrPH, CIH, as president-elect; Lindsay E.
Booher, CIH, CSP, as past president; and Cynthia A.

•

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Establish links between the AIHA and OHAO websites
Promote and jointly sponsor educational programs on
occupational and environmental health
Consider pursuing joint activities and projects of mutualinterest to members of both organizations, such as thedevelopment of books, pamphlets, and educational
programming
Consider promoting each organization’s products to theirrespective members

Page 5 of 21

From Hong Kong, China
Sent by: TW Tsin, HKIOEH, Hong Kong, China, twtsin@labour.gov.hk
Preparation for implementing theHarmonised System (GHS) in Asia

Globally

The globally harmonized hazard classification andcompatible labelling system, including material safety data
sheets and easily understandable symbols have been
publicised for over 10 years among the Asian countries.
Moreover, the stage of development varies in different
countries and regions due to unlike reasons (e.g. in Japan,
Korea, China and the ASEAN). In Hong Kong, the current
economy maintains only a small percentage of industry

that would use significant quantity of chemicals. Yet,chemicals are widely used in many consumer products
and in non-industrial activities. Also, the logistics industry,
which is one of the four major sectors of the economy,
handles a lot of chemicals in everyday activity. It is almost
certain GHS is an important tool that will be thefundamental for prevention and control of chemical hazard
in our daily life. It provides the basic hazard information
for different chemicals and can be applied by thegovernment officials, the professionals and the public atlarge.
At present, we do not have the details of an
implementation plan for GHS yet. The current Regulations
on the hazard information/communication are operated
separately and mainly under the following regulations by
the authorities, including:(1) Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance andits (Dangerous Substances) Regulation – for use ofchemicals in workplaces;(2) Dangerous Goods Ordinance and related regulations– for control during storage, transport by air or sea,etc.
(3) Radiation Ordinance – for control of radioactive
substances in all aspects;(4) Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance;(5) Food and drugs, pesticides Regulations;(6) Control of Chemical Ordinance, etc.
The requirements of specific labelling and communication
specifications are given in each regulation and operated by
the own authority. It means that there is no census yet in
the existing hazard communication system. Discussion isstill going on in the co-ordination committee within theauthorities.
On 29 November 2008, the Hong Kong Institute ofOccupational and Environmental Hygiene (HKIOEH)
organised the first awareness talk with UNITAR on the
topic of developing GHS. Thanks to Mr. Craig Boljkovac
and Mr. Jonathan Krueger who agreed to give us someideas on the importance of the System. Mr. Krueger gave
a talk on the development of the
GHS in the surrounding countries
and the possible way (suggested
models) leading to success. The
attendance to the seminar included
people from various disciplines andindustries. The response of the audience was exceedingly
good as the meeting room was full occupied. People werelistening and were keen on finding out the implementationplans of the other countries as well as how the local
legislation can cope with the international system.

The meeting in November 2008 was a successful step toarouse interest among the professionals and the
management of some local organisations and companies.
Yet, there may still be a long way to success. It is
important that the content of GHS be understood by thefrontline personnel and communicated among the users or
consumers. Translation of the language may be required.
Collaboration and coordination with the international
bodies (e.g. UNITAR) and other countries are essential.
There should be a comprehensive timetable for
implementation, including the amendment of laws andregulations, publishing of the guidance or code of practice.
It is expected that there will be more training andexperience sharing opportunities in the Asian region in thisyear of 2009 and the next. HKIOEH can also assist andbe a contact point for organising some events (e.g.,training workshops on how to develop and implement
GHS).

From Japan
Sent by Sent by Masayoshi Karasawa, Special Adviser, JAWE, director@jawe.or.jp, Shigeru Asuka,
Executive Director, JAWE, sasuka@jawe.or.jp and Isamu Tanaka, Professor, University of Occupational
and Environmental Health, Japan, JOHA itanaka@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp

Japan Association for Working Environment
Measurement (JAWE) and Japan Occupational
Hygiene Association (JOHA) - Joint Conference
and Exhibition on Occupational Hygiene andWorking Environment Measurement 2008, Kyoto,
Japan, November 2008

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

The Japan Association for Working Environment
Measurement (JAWE), whose Chairman is Mr. Kizoh,
Hirayama, Managing Director, General Manager, Personnel& Labour Relations Division, Nippon Steel Corporation, andthe Japan Occupational Hygiene Association (JOHA),
whose chairman is Professor Isamu Tanaka, held their“Joint Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Hygiene

Page 6 of 21

and Working Environment Measurement 2008” in Kyoto”,
thth
from 12 to 14 November 2008. Kyoto City is located in the
Kinki Region of Japan and had been the Capital of Japan for
more than thousand years until the Capital was transferredto Tokyo in 1868 by the Meiji Restoration.
The Joint Conference andExhibition 2008 in Kyoto wasorganized by Kyoto-Shiga
Branch of JAWE (whose Director
is Dr. Chikahisa Yamada, theVice Chairman of JAWE) as well
as JOHA, and consisted of threeparts, namely presentations,
symposium and exhibits (see photos).
There were 65 scientific presentations, as well as 10
manufacturers’ presentations. The scientific presentations
reported on research in occupational hygiene and working
environment measurement, and included new topics suchas:•
Nanomaterials in the workplace and related
Occupational Safety and Health activities; results of aquestionnaire survey to relevant enterprises•
Confirmation of asbestos dispersal during removal
work using automatic fibre particle meter•
Method of quantifying asbestos contents in asbestoscontaining sprayed vermiculite•
Examination of the Method to measure dust
concentrations, instructed in “the Guideline for Prevention of
Dust Hazards in Tunnel Construction Work” by the Ministryof Health, Labour and Welfare•
Dioxin concentration in incineration worker's blood andbiological exposure index for exposure assessment•
Actual use of formaldehyde in medical institutions, aswell as conditions of work management and working
environment management
The full list of the themes of the scientific presentations,as well as of the manufacturers’ presentations, isavailable from the authors.
The manufacturers’ exhibits presented new analytical
instruments and apparatus such as: new types of highsensitive detector tubes to analyze formaldehyde,organic acid andammonia; a new typeof Immersion Liquid
Kit for Dispersion
Staining to analyze
asbestos, and, phasecontrast andpolarizing optical microscopes for asbestos analysis
equipped with the new 40-power dispersion object lens;
new types of sampling mini-pumps, and, new types ofdust proof mask for nanomaterials.
The joint symposium theme was “Measurement andAnalysis Data, and How to Ensure their Reliability”. It
was planned in order to deepen the understanding of
the importance to ensure reliability concerning the datafrom measurements and analyses by Working
Environment Measurement Agencies in response torequests from enterprises, as well as by otherenterprises, which perform working environment
measurement using their own occupational hygienists.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

The aim was also to cope properly with the recent
problems with respect to Occupational Safety and
Health, in Japan especially regarding risk assessment
and risk management in work places.
In the Joint Symposium, there were four presentations,
namely:••••The Importance of Obtaining and Analyzing
Manufacturing Process Data in the Steel Industry,
and the requirements to Improve their Reliability,
by HONDA, Tomoki, Nippon Steel Corporation
The Reliable Management of Asbestos Analyses
Data, by OKADA, Takayuki, Occupational HealthResearch Development Centre, Japan Industrial
Safety and Health Association
Ensuring the Reliability of Working Environment
Measurement Data, by MORI, Hiroshi, Akita
Environment Measurement Centre Co., Ltd.
Techniques of Engineering Measures forEnvironmental Improvement and the Reliability ofrelated Measuring Data, by IWASAKI, Takeshi,
Occupational Hygiene Consultant Office, Koken
Ltd

This was followed by a discussion on these topics,
conducted by Professor KOHYAMA, Norihiko, Toyo
University and Mr. TAMURA, Mikio, Joetsu
Environment Science Centre Foundation.
In the Conference, Professor Emeritus Tsutomu
Takata (Kitasato University), as the Vice Chairman of
JAWE, granted the Superior Award to Mr. Yoshihito
Konishi et al. (Quality Control Centre, Japan
Association for Working Environment Measurement),
as a winner of the Best Scientific
Presentation Award in 28th
Conference and Exhibition of
JAWE on Occupational Hygieneand Working Environment
Measurement 2007, in Nagoya,regarding “Examination of the Quantitative Analysis ofAsbestos in Construction Material Products by the Xray Diffraction Method”(presented by Mr. Kazunobu
Terada).
In addition, both a best manufacture’s presentation
award and a best manufacturer’s exhibition award
were granted to Shibata Scientific Technology Ltd.,
Japan.
In the evening of the second day, the Reception for
Exchange was held; it was opened with welcoming
speeches by Professor Isamu Tanaka, University ofOccupational and Environmental Health, Japan (as the
Chair Person of JOHA), and by Mr. Kizoh Hirayama(Managing Director, General Manager, Personnel &Labour Relations Division, Nippon Steel Corporation,(as the Chairperson of JAWE). Moreover, both Mr.
Arimichi Handa, Director, Office of Working
Environment Improvement, Ministry of Health, Labourand Welfare, Japan, and Mr. Nobuo Sobaharaya,
Director General, Kyoto Prefectural Labour Bureau,
addressed congratulatory messages.

Page 7 of 21

Then, Professor Emeritus Tsutomu Takata, Kitasato
University, as the Vice Chairman of JAWE, addresseda greeting and proposed a toast.

Kyoto Prefectural Labour Bureau. Many Japaneseexperts in occupational health participated in this eventand the full list is available from the authors.

The Joint Conference was attended by more than 350
participants, as well as guests including
representatives from the Headquarters of the Ministryof Health, Labour and Welfare, as well as from the

The next Joint Conference on Occupational Hygieneand Working Environment Measurement will be held in
Kanazawa City, located in Hokuriku Region of Japan,
from 11 to 13 November, 2009.

NEWS from ICOH
Newly elected Officers and Board Members
who will serve for the Triennium 2009-2012
The Officers are: Dr. Kazutaka Kogi, President; Prof.
Sergio Iavicoli, Secretary General, Dr. Suvi
Lehtinen, Vice President; Prof. Bonnie Rogers, Vice
President. The Past President is Prof. Jorma Rantanen.
The newly elected Board Members are: Dr. Jorge A.
Morales-Camino (Mexico), Prof. Frank Van Dijk (TheNetherlands), Dr. Marilyn Ann Fingerhut (USA), Dr.
John Harrison (United Kingdom), Dr. Seong-Kyu Kang
(Republic of Korea), Dr. Mary H. Ross (South Africa),
Prof. Sheng Wang (P.R. of China), Dr. Claudio H.
Taboadela (Argentina), Prof. Harri U. Vainio (Finland),Prof. Peter Westerholm (Sweden), Prof. Antonio Mutti(Italy), Prof. Norito N. Kawakami (Japan), Prof.
Giovanni Costa (Italy), Dr. Timo J. Leino (Finland),Michel Guillemin (Switzerland), Prof.Thomas
Kieselbach (Germany).

education and training in Mozambique, and regional
collaborations in occupational health. The session
proved to be the ideal networking forum for
introductions as well as proposed collaborations
between and within the various Portuguese-speaking
countries represented.
ICOH gave its first Student Presentation Award, which
went to Ntombizodwa Ndlovu of South Africa for her
presentation, “Damaged Goods Return to Sender: A
Review of the Records of Migrant Gold Miners in South
Africa: 1904-1913”.
Next ICOH conferences will be 2012 in Monterrey,
Mexico, and 2015 in Seoul, Korea.
Detailed information on ICOH, its activities andpublications (including the Code of Ethics) may befound at: http://www.icohweb.org/

29th ICOHth

The 29 International Congress on Occupational Health“ICOH2009” was successfully hosted in Cape Town,
South Africa, 22-27 March 2009, with about 1400
participants from 81 countries. Congratulations to theSouth African colleagues and others who worked very
hard for this important event !
About 100 participants from 40 developing countries
received grants enabling them to attend. Tom
Grumbles, President, IOHA, provided an overview of
IOHA in a Session “Strategies and Programmes ofInternational Organizations”; he also organized andchaired a session on “Globally Harmonized Systems”.
David Zalk, IOHA, and Susan Wilburn, WHO, organizedthand chaired the 5 International Control Banding
Workshop (5ICBW) during the ICOH Congress on 25
March 2009.
There were two Special Sessions within the ICOH 2009
Scientific Programme - in Portuguese and French focusing on occupational heath issues in Portugueseand French-speaking countries, respectively. The
Portuguese Special Session was attended by 28
Portuguese-speaking congress delegates, and thepresenters were from Brazil, Mozambique and South
Africa. The topics presented included child andadolescent labour and the development of workers’
health care systems in Brazil, occupational health

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 8 of 21

Announcement: WHO Meeting of
the Global Network of Collaborating
Centres in Occupational Health
Geneva, WHO headquarters, 19-21
October 2009This meeting will take stock of advancements in and realization of the following priority working areas identified
by the Network partners as they relate to the Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health:(http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA60/A60_R26-en.pdf)

GPA Objective 1 : Devise and implement policy instruments on
workers’ healthPriority 1:
Develop/update national
profiles on workers’ healthand provide evidencebase for development,
implementation andevaluation of national
action plans on workers’
health
Output: National profiles
and national plansdeveloped with WHO andCC support

Priority 2: Develop anddisseminate evidencebased prevention tools andraise awareness for theelimination of silica-relateddiseases.
Output: interventions forprimary prevention, control
of exposures, diagnosis of
diseases

Priority 3: Develop anddisseminate evidencebased tools and raiseawareness for theelimination of asbestosrelated diseases, incl.
estimates of the burdenof asbestos-relateddiseases, review of goodpractices for substitutionof asbestos, prevention of
exposure to asbestos
already in place, healthsurveillance of exposed
workers
Output: National
programmes forelimination of asbestosrelated diseases
developed with WHO andCC support

Priority 4: Conduct
studies and develop
evidence-based tools
and informationmaterials for thecomprehensive
protection andpromotion of health for
health care workers,emphasizing HBV
immunization
Output: guidance
documents, assistanceto countries for
implementing programs,
training on national
programs

GPA Objective 2 : Protect and promote health at the workplace
Priority 1: Develop
practical tools for theassessment andmanagement of OH risks(focus: chemical, physical,
biological, psychosocial
risks)
Output: inventory,
framework document,
mapping of use and typesof tools, evaluation,
definition of common
criteria of toolkits

Priority 2: Develop a global
framework and guidance on
healthy workplaces
Output: review
effectiveness of existing
programmes for healthy
workplaces, tools forcreating healthy workplaces
including a healthpromoting culture andOH&S principles

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Priority 3: Develop
toolkits for theassessment andmanagement of global
health threats including
HIV, tuberculosis,
malaria, influenza,emphasizing vulnerable
groups, in particularmigrant workers
Output: Projects include
inventory, framework,
mapping of use and typesof tools, evaluation, anddefinition of toolkits

Page 9 of 21

GPA Objective 3 : Improve the performance of and access to
occupational health services
Priority 1: Develop
working methods, provide
technical assistance tocountries for organization,deliver and evaluate basic
OH services in the context
of primary health care,with particular focus onunderserved populations
and low-resource settings
Output: National
programmes for thedevelopment of basic OH
services initiated countries
with WHO and CC support-

Priority 2: Adapt anddisseminate curricula,training materials andtraining for international
capacity building in OH
Output: model courses for
BOHS, internationalcourses and on-line
training, national training
programmes in low- andmedium-income countries,
introduction of OH into prof.
education, technicalassistance to countries

GPA Objective 4 : Provide and communicate evidence for action
and practicePriority 1: Encouragepractical research on
emerging issues, incl.
nano-materials andclimate change
Output: communication
strategies with low- andmedium income countries
on interventions to ensure
workers' health-Priority 2: Further develop
the global research agenda
for workers’ healthOutput: development of a
research matrix approachto review existing research
initiatives to help identify
relevant gaps in research

GPA Objective 5 : Incorporate workers’ health into non-healthpolicies and Projects
Priority 1: Collate andconduct studies to clarify
the economic benefits ofworkers’ healthOutput: published articles
and website information

Priority 2: Develop specificand relevant
recommendations tomanage risks associatedwith the effects ofglobalization on workers’
healthPriority 3: Implement
sectoral toolkits for theassessment &management of OH risks
in the most hazardous
sectors ( agriculture,
construction, transport)

Output: guidance fordevelopment banks, nonhealth sector entities toimprove workers' healthand safety

Output: inventory andevaluation of existing
sectoral toolkits for
implementation

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 10 of 21

NEWS from WHO Collaborating Centres
From NIOSH, USA
Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology:
Managing the Health and Safety Concerns
Associated with Engineered Nanomaterials,
March 2009 (NIOSH Publication No. 2009-125)
This document reviews what is currently known about
nanoparticle toxicity, process emissions and exposure
assessment, engineering controls, and personal
protective equipment. This updated version of the
document incorporates some of the latest results of
NIOSH research, but it is only a starting point. The
document serves a dual purpose: it is a summary of
NIOSH's current thinking and interim recommendations;and it is a request from NIOSH to occupational safety
and health practitioners, researchers, productinnovators and manufacturers, employers, workers,
interest group members, and the general public toexchange information that will ensure that no worker
suffers material impairment of safety or health as
nanotechnology develops
The complete document can be downloaded free ofcharge from: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009125/pdfs/2009-125.pdf

Persistent Pulmonary Fibrosis, Migration to
the Pleura, and Other Preliminary New
Findings after Subchronic Exposure to MultiWalled Carbon Nanotubes
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes, known as MWCNTs for
short, are a type of engineered nanomaterial that shows
promise for various applications. These include thepotential for creating stronger, more durable building
materials; improving cancer therapies; creating more
efficient means of energy generation, storage, andtransmission; and speeding computer processes.
However, as with other types of engineered
nanomaterials, the potential occupational health
implications of MWNCTs are not well understood at thisemergent stage of the technology. A broad group of
health and safety practitioners and business observers
have agreed that research is vital for determining if
MWCNTs pose a health risk for workers engaged intheir production and industrial use, and for informing the
responsible development of this technology. There is
general agreement that this issue must be approached
in a proactive manner with good research in order forsociety to benefit from the many promises this newclass of materials has to offer.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) has worked closely with its partners tostimulate, design, conduct, and report pioneeringresearch in this area.
At the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Society of
Toxicology, a team of NIOSH researchers reported
new, preliminary scientific findings that add significantly
to the data that scientists and policymakers need inongoing risk assessment. They reported on ascientifically ambitious study of laboratory mice
exposed to multi-walled carbon nanotubes bypharyngeal aspiration causing the lab animal to inhale asmall drop of liquid with suspended material that closely
resembles inhalation of the same material suspended in
the air. The research showed inflammation in the lungsof the mice, and fibrosis in their lungs, which persisted
following exposure. Such effects are similar to theinterstitial pulmonary fibrosis reported previously by
NIOSH researchers using single-walled carbon
nanotubes.
Most significantly in terms of generating new
knowledge, the study demonstrated the ability of
MWCNTs to migrate from the lungs to the pleura (thetissue that surrounds the lungs). The preliminary
findings are the first to demonstrate that carbon
nanotubes aspirated by laboratory mice can actually
migrate from the alveoli in the lungs (the tiny structuresin the lung that are critical for gas exchange), throughthe lungs, to the pleura. The preliminary findings offer
significant new evidence of MWCNTs appearing tobehave like durable fibers in that they translocate to thepleura.
Further details may be found at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/nsb031909_mwcnt.html

From “Institut universitaire romand de Santé au Travail” (Institute for Work and Health), Lausanne,
Switzerland
Michel Guillemin, an IOHA
and ICOH Board member
and past IOHA President,
was for a long time
Director of this very active
WHO Collaborating
Centre for Occupational
Health. He recently retired from the Institute, although

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

he will continue busy with a number of international
activities, always promoting occupational hygiene.
A ceremony in his honour, in Lausanne, gathered alarge number of colleagues and friends. Trevor Ogden
spoke about the international scope and impact ofMichel’s contribution to occupational hygiene, including
his work at the institute and in technical cooperation, as
well as his occupational hygiene scientific publications.

Page 11 of 21

and therefore to better protect the environment”.
Michel’s speech was about “Work and its impact on
Health, Environment and Economy”; he emphasized“the role of Occupational Hygiene as a science and aprofession absolutely necessary for improving theworking conditions

After the ceremony, there was a party with music, asMichel is a great jazz bass player, as can be seen on
the photo.

NEWS from ILO
Sent by Ilise Feitshans, feitshans@ilo.org
The ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Healthand Safety
The Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety
is the ILO’s online flagship publication on all aspects ofthe multidisciplinary field of occupational safety andhealth. With over 1,000 articles, the fourth edition was
produced with the collaboration of thousands ofrecognized experts from over 50 countries.
According to Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director, Safety
and Health at Work and the Environment(Safework), ILO, Geneva: “The fifth edition of theEncyclopaedia will provide users with information on
occupational safety and health in a highly accessible
format. We hope that it will help to reduce theunacceptable global toll of 2.2 million deaths and 430
million accidents and diseases each year”.
th

The 5 edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Health and Safety is unprecedented inmany ways: changes in technology have shaped
information retrieval, created job descriptions with
graduate degrees in fields that never existed before andhave inescapably, perhaps permanently, reshaped theorganization of work. One of the fundamental failings ofoccupational safety and health, as a field throughout
the 20th century, was the inability to get the message
across that our work saves lives. Not some remotelives in the coal mines of West Virginia or the gold
mines of South Africa - our work is for Everyone.
“Sound occupational heath programs that implement
best strategies are the grease for the machinery of
powerful economic engines. Without the information we
provide through occupational heath programs noemployer can survive because accidents and disease
are not simply expensive but wasteful. We cannot
afford waste in this economy. The fat to be trimmed,
however is not the same as the grease for the wheels
and machinery that makes smooth commerce.”,according to Ilise L Feitshans JD and ScM, Coordinatorthof the 5 Edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Health and Safety, as she remarked inher speech “Health at Work: A Basic Human Right
Brought to Daily Life by the 5 th Edition ILO
Encyclopaedia”, Kuwait, March 2009.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

“The first edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Health and Safety was a remarkable
moment for intellectual history in contrast to thisheritage. The First Edition invented what we call today
in occupational health the “right to know” by bringing
technical information together in two volumes that wereavailable to every occupational health and safety expert
in the world” noted Feitshans.
The legacy of this remarkable document sets a highmantra for the 5th Edition. Our goal is to bring together
Ten Thousand Experts. As a United Nations agency,
we relish our Constitutional obligation to involve people
from every nation. The joy of the web is that we are notbound by the artificial line drawing of the hard copy text.
User-friendly database searches will allow for natural
language search in the 5th edition, and a new thematic
approach to chapters will provide readers with instantaccess to expert information simply by following theEncyclopaedia’s format.
The International Labour Office (ILO) is one of theoldest specialized agencies of the United Nations,founded in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles. The ILO
Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety is aninternationally respected standard reference, used in
the preparation of policy and programme planning, as
well as for occupational hygiene, occupational medicine
and workplace safety training and education. Accuracy,
objectivity and commitment to its international mission
have been the hallmark of the ILO, since its founding in
1919, and since the first Encyclopaedia in 1930. The
ILO Encyclopaedia reflects the best thinking andcollective knowledge of experts who have written down
information for the benefit of all people; it is available
free of charge, in order to improve occupational healthand safety and reduce costs.
Please join us on this journey, as an article author,
chapter editor, steering committee member peer
reviewer—we will need thousands of peer reviewers—
or financial supporter as ILO embarks on a fifth edition
that will use state of the art methods to operationalize
OSH principles in the 21st century.
The 5th Edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Health and Safety will provide acompletely electronic, up-to-date, accurate and userfriendly information resource, understandable byPage 12 of 21

millions of people, anywhere in the world. It will belocated on the ILO Internet site starting December
2009. Worldwide participation will be emphasized,
following the principle of tripartism, with the goal of
having at least Ten Thousand Experts join the
Encyclopaedia network as article authors, chapter

editors or peer reviewers. One of those Experts can beyou!
For further information, or to participate, please,contact: encyclopaedia@ilo.orgor ilise@prodigy.net, orview the video link at:
http://www.trainingprofessionals.com/ilo.html

NEWS from the European Union
EU Nano Archive
The Nano Archive is part of the ICPCNanoNet project,stfunded by the EU for four years starting 1 June 2008.
It brings together partners from the EU, China, India
and Russia and aims to provide wider access topublished nanoscience research and opportunities forcollaboration between scientists in the EU andInternational Cooperation Partner Countries.
This electronic archive of nanoscience publications hasa simple interface for the deposit of full-text papers andincorporates facilities for retrieval by browsing or
searching. It is freely accessible to researchers aroundthe globe, making research papers and other scholarly
publications widely available.

••

ensuring that records are readily searchable andretrievable by providing an “Open Archives
Initiative Protocol for Metadata
Harvesting” compliant service, and,bringing together material currently distributed
across different institutions.

Detailed information on the ICPCNanoNet project isavailable at: http://www.icpc-nanonet.org/
Detailed information on the Nano Archive is available
at: http://www.nanoarchive.org/
Direct link to bibliographic references:
http://www.nanoarchive.org/view/subjects/HA.html

The Nano Archive aims at:•
reducing barriers to the access of research
outputs from nano scientists and researchers
across the globe;

News from the European Agency for Safety and Healthat Work (EU-OSHA)
Sent by Birgit Müller , muller@osha.europa.eu
EU adopts the Global Harmonized System(GHS) of Chemical Labelling
The Globally Harmonised System of Classification andLabelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a United Nations
system to identify hazardous chemicals and to inform
users about these hazards through standard symbols
and phrases on the packaging labels and throughsafety data sheets (SDS). On 16 December 2008 theEuropean Parliament and the Council adopted a newRegulation on classification, labelling and packaging of
substances and mixtures (CLP), which aligns existing
EU legislation to the GHS, as published in the Official
Journal of 31 December 2008.
The new Regulation enters into force on 20 January
2009. The deadline for substance classificationaccording to the new rules will be 1 December 2010
and for mixtures 1 June 2015. The CLP Regulation will
ultimately replace the current rules on classification,

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009labelling and packaging of substances (Directive
67/548/EEC) and preparations (Directive 1999/45/EC)
after a transitional period.
Further details may be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/reach/index_en.htm

European survey of enterprises on new andemerging risks (ESENER)
EU-OSHA is carrying out a European-wide
establishment survey on health and safety at theworkplace and fieldwork is due to start in March. In thissurvey, the responsible actors (managers and workers’
health and safety representatives) will be asked about
how health and safety risks are managed at theirworkplace.

Page 13 of 21

A particular focus will be on psychosocial risks, i.e. on
phenomena such as work-related stress, violence andharassment. The survey aims to assist workplacesacross Europe to deal more effectively with health andsafety and promote the health and well-being of
employees. It will provide policy makers with crossnationally comparable information relevant for thedesign and implementation of new policies in this field.
The survey, which involves approximately 40,000
interviews and covers 31 countries, has the support ofgovernments and social partners at European level.
Further details may be found at:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/riskobservatory/enterprisesurvey/enterprise-survey-esener

Safety with a smile – NAPO faces workplacerisks and shows good practice
On his own website, the famous animated character
NAPO tackles workplace risks and shows – in auniversal language - how to deal with musculoskeletal
diseases and noise, gives advice to young workers,
builders and cleaning workers and explains safety
signs. All stories have an educational value and can beused to encourage discussions on health and safety
topics.
Find out more about the NAPO films:
www.napofilm.net

Occupational skin diseases and dermal
exposure
Skin diseases are among the most important emerging
risks - related not only to the extensive use ofchemicals, but also to exposure to biological andphysical risk factors. The report gives an overview ofdermal exposures and skin diseases, contains theprincipal policies and practices in the EU-25 andconcludes with challenges, prospects andrecommendations.
The report on skin diseases is available at:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/TE700704
9ENC_skin_diseases

Workplace exposure to vibration
One in three European workers is exposed to vibration
at work and this risk is becoming more and more
important. This report gives an overview of thechallenges facing the occupational safety and healthcommunity as regards the management of occupational
vibration risks.
The
reportonvibrationisavailableat:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/8108322_
vibration_exposure/view

European workers face new and increasing
health risks from hazardous substances
An ever-increasing number of hazardous substancesused in industry and in a wide range of workplaces are
threatening the health of workers across Europe. A new
Risk Observatory report identifies the main groups ofsubstances which could pose new and increasing risks

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009and highlights the exposure of 32 million people in the
EU to known carcinogens at unsafe levels.
The report also estimates that about 74,000 workrelated deaths may be linked to hazardous substances
at work each year in the EU – about 10 times more thanworkplace accidents. About 15% of European workers
report handling chemical products for a quarter of theirworking time and 19% report breathing in dust, fumes
and smoke in their workplaces.
The 49 experts from 21 European countries who
participated in this forecast highlighted particles anddusts as major emerging concerns and put
nanoparticles at the top of the list of emerging risks.
Other main groups of emerging risks identified werecarcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances,and the increasing use of allergenic and sensitising
substances. Specific occupations of emerging concerns
were also highlighted and include the increasing waste
management industry, construction, and service
activities such as cleaning or home nursing. In addition,
there are a growing number of workers in SMEs andsub-contracted jobs, where the management ofchemical risks is generally poorer. Last but not least,
concern about multiple exposures is increasing as it
was also shown in the three other forecasts on
emerging biological, physical and psychosocial
emerging risks.
This report “Expert forecast on emerging chemical risks
related to occupational safety and health” is available
as an over view and in full at:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/TE300839
0ENC_chemical_risks/view

Healthy Workplaces campaign: 30
multinational organisations and companies
take action
Just after the first campaign year, the number of official
partners has risen to 30 as more pan-European
organisations and multinational companies signed up to
support the Healthy Workplaces campaign organised
by EU-OSHA. The campaign aims at reducing workrelated accidents and illnesses by promoting risk
assessment as the first step to a sustainable prevention
culture. Improvements in this area are urgently needed
as it is estimated that every year in the EU 167.000
people die from work-related causes.
As Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA said: “All ofthese workers’ and employers’ federations, NGOs andenterprises from different industry sectors arerenowned organisations and they invest a lot of timeand money”. … “We are very proud that they help us toreach the workplaces and get our main messages
across: First, risk assessment is the key to preventing
accidents and ill health at work – for any type oforganisation, whether large or small. And secondly:
Risk assessment is not necessarily complicated or
bureaucratic. Even micro-firms and SMEs are able tocarry out their own risk assessment. To help them, weare promoting a simple five-step approach.”
By signing up as official partners, the 30 organisationscommit themselves to organise seminars, workshops

Page 14 of 21

and press conferences on risk assessment and todisseminate the campaign messages and material.
Other activities include the production of workplacesafety and health videos, photo competitions or training
sessions with clients, partners and contractors.
Further details on partners and their activities may befound at:http://osha.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/eu-riskassessment-campaign-30-multinational-organisationsand-companies-take-action

European Good Practice Award winners 2008
to be announced at Safety and Healthcongress in Prague
On 27 April 2009 the European Good Practice Awardwinners will be announced during the congress “Safety
and Health at Work in Europe in the 21st Century”,
organised by the Czech Presidency of the European
Union in Prague. The main focus of the meeting is on
the impact of occupational safety and health on

economy and businesses, the role of workers and theeffectiveness of economic incentives to improve OSH.
Further information on this matter available at:
http://osha.europa.eu/fop/hungary/en/news/news_board/a-2008.-evi-helyes-gyakorlat-dij-nyertesei

EU-OSHA launches pan-European photocompetition: What’s your image of safety andhealth at work?
EU-OSHA’s competition challenges everyone to share
their own perspective on safe and healthy workplaces.
Four winners stand a chance to win prizes totalling
7,000 Euros. An international jury of professional
photographers and OSH experts decides on the three
best photos and there is an online voting for the public’s
favourite. Deadline for submission is 15th August 2009.
Details on this competition will be availabe by the endof April 2009 – check the EU-OSHA website:
http://osha.europa.eu/

CONTRIBUTIONS from READERS
INTERNATIONAL
th

10 International Symposium on Inhaled
Particles
The papers from the 10th International Symposium on
Inhaled Particles, held in Sheffield, UK, 23–25
September 2008, are now available (free of charge) at:

http://www.iop.org/EJ/toc/1742-6596/151/1
The Journal of Physics: Conference Series is an openaccess journal. All articles are permanently available
online without charge immediately after publication.

Sent by: Roger Alesbury, roger.alesbury@uk.bp.com, Steve Bailey, steve.r.bailey@gsk.com andBrian Davies, bdavies@uow.edu.au
International Training Modules for
Occupational Hygiene – status report andforward plan - December 2008
Recent decades have seen a decline in manufacturingin much of the developed world and increasing
production and mineral extraction in other countries.
With the change in the industrial base comes a change
in geographical patterns of demand for occupational
hygiene and occupational hygienists. In addition to
emerging indigenous organisations, many major
multinational corporations are expanding in parts of theworld where there is limited inherent capability in theprotection of health and safety at work. In 2006,
following difficulties in recruiting, a number ofoccupational hygienists from multinational corporations
produced a paper (Alesbury, Bailey, et al, 2006) withideas for addressing this challenge. This set out options
to grow skills using a modular development
programme. The proposals have since been developed,
presented and debated at occupational hygiene
conferences and workshops around the world.
Over the last three years the ideas have been refinedand updated to reflect comments received andfeedback from national occupational hygiene societies

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

and the International Occupational Hygiene Association(IOHA).
A paper is available with further details and proposals
for an interim governance board to manage the nextstage of the programme until negotiations on the legal
framework for a governance structure are finalised. This
interim arrangement is based on a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) between interested parties andagreement on areas of cooperation. So far, threehygiene associations have signed the MoU, namely theAmerican Industrial Hygiene Association, the AustralianInstitute of Occupational Hygienists, and the British
Occupational Hygiene Society.
The approach focuses initially on the development ofbasic and practical occupational hygiene skills at thetechnician level to identify, assess and control risk. The
concept is based on modular training to a consistentformat that can be deployed around the world, reducing
costs, increasing the potential for local development,
and providing the facility to train large numbers ofindividuals in a cost effective way.
At this point in time there is a proven and workable
scheme of training modules at the technician level that

Page 15 of 21

has been tried and tested over the last three years. The
modules have been run in a variety of locations andhave included dual language versions. Course
materials have been peer reviewed, piloted andchecked for copyright approval and there is agreement
to offer their use to the occupational hygiene
community.

The intent is for student manuals to be madedownloadable free of charge from the internet,
providing easy access in the developing world. IOHA
member organisations and course providers will also beable to print and sell paper copies if they wish. Other
course materials will be provided to authorised course
providers.

The modular courses that have been developed so far
are listed below. They cover a range of occupational
hygiene topics, the idea being that using a package ofcourses, skills can be developed to suit the risk profileand priorities of the organisation funding the training.

In addition to the modules a student assessment
process has been developed and is being trialled in a
number of countries. This offers the potential for asystem of globally transferable qualifications that would
allow hygiene technicians to be recognised
internationally.

Those marked “completed” are available and in use,
and those marked ‘piloting’ are going through the final
stages of review and editing and will be complete in2009.
ModuleW501 – Measurement ofHazardous Substances
W502 – Thermal Environment
W503 – Noise
W504 – Asbestos
W505 – Control
W506 – Ergonomics
W507 – Health Effects ofHazardous Substances

StatusComplete
Complete
Complete
Piloting
Piloting
Complete
Under
Development

It is hoped that future development and technicaloversight will be provided by a technical advisory board
consisting of those IOHA member organisations thatare actively using the system, and also representatives
from IOHA. The organisation has been given a working
title of The Occupational Hygiene Training Association(OHTA), and it is envisaged that this will be constituted
as a not-for-profit charitable company. In the interim,
the process is being administered by an interim ad hoc
committee
Final arrangements for the governance process will
depend on negotiations between the interested parties
and the establishment of a legal entity. Bringing thescheme under the umbrella of IOHA member
organisations, through the MoU, is a first step.

From BRAZIL
Sent by Arline Abel Sydneia Arcuri, FUNDACENTRO, São Paulo, Brazil
E-mail: arline@fundacentro.gov.br
Actions concerning Nanotechnology in Brazil
The Brazilian government has been investing
appreciably in nanotechnology, particularly considering
the national standards for R&D. The number of
research networks in nanotechnology increased fromfour in 2001 to ten in 2005. Many laboratories are being
set up and many research projects are being carriedout; however, research aiming at the evaluation of theeconomic, social, environmental, ethical and healthimpacts has been excluded from this process. Studies
specifically related to workers’ health are practically
non-existent in our country.
Since 2005, FUNDACENTRO, the national institute foroccupational health and safety and a WHO
Collaborating Centre for occupational health, as theofficial agency for research and studies in this field,
started studies and actions on nanotechnology and, in
2007, the project “Preliminary study of the impacts ofnanotechnology on workers’ health” (“Estudo preliminardos impactos da nanotecnologia para a saúde dos
trabalhadores”) was launched. During 2007,
bibliographic searches were carried out, lectures were
given in different places and for different audiences,and special events were held. One member of the
FUNDACENTRO team dealing with this subject wassent for post-doctoral work in Germany.

FUNDACENTRO held seminars on this subject in
Recife, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and has also
supported a DVD entitled “Nanotechnology – the future
is now”, elaborated by RENANOSOMA (Brazilian
network on research in nanotechnology, society andenvironment) and the enterprise “Último ato” (bothdistribute the DVD as a non-profit activity).
In 2008 the project was continued through activities
such as: a number of events in many FUNDACENTRO
Regional Units; lectures in events organized by entities
such as ANAMT (National Association of Occupational
Medicine), ANENT (National Association of
Occupational Nursing), DIESAT (Inter-union
Department of Studies and Research on Health andWork Environment), DIEESE (Inter-union Departmentof Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies), Chemical
Workers Union of São Paulo, Association of Safety
Engineers of Rio Grande do Sul; press interviews:
preparation and publication of the first cartoon
magazine on the subject, and, the II International
Seminar on Nanotechnology and Workers. Somechapters on the subject were written for books
published by DIESAT and NATO (book on
Nanomaterials: Risks and Benefits, 2009, published by
Springer).
The largest event on the subject, the Seminar“Nanotechnology, Health of Workers, and Impacts on

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 16 of 21

Society and the Environment”, took place on 3 - 4
October 2008, at FUNDACENTRO/São Paulo, withmore than 100 participants, including many union
representatives and workers. Partly as a consequenceof this seminar, many partnerships were created inorder to ensure continuity of the work on this subject.

enterprises (where there is production or use of nanomaterials), as well as in research laboratories.
Awareness-raising campaigns will be continued, as thissubject is still widely unknown to the public, particularly
to workers. Two new cartoon books are being
elaborated. The FUNDACENTRO website will have a
special section dedicated to nanotechnology.

Further steps are foreseen in 2009, including theinvestigation of working conditions in Brazilian

From CANADA
Sent by Maura Tomi, Communications Division, IRSST, Canada, mautom@irsst.qc.ca
Improving Nanoparticle Risk Management
On 3 February 2009, the Quebec Occupational Healthand Safety Research Institute (IRSST) released the firstguide in Québec for managing potential occupationalrisks associated with engineered nanoparticles. This
guide, entitled “Best Practices Guide to Synthetic
Nanoparticle Risk Management”, was published jointly
by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé eten sécurité du travail (IRSST), theQuebec's Commission de la santé et de la sécurité dutravail (CSST) and NanoQuébec.
A practical approach: The authors of the guide note thatthe level of knowledge on health and safety risks
related specifically to nanoparticles is still very limited.
For one thing, the toxic effects linked to the ability ofthese particles to pass through various biologicalbarriers, disperse in the organism and accumulate incertain organs and within cells have only been partially
documented. While we know that nanoparticles can be
more toxic than their equivalent larger-scale chemical
counterparts, current knowledge nevertheless allows us
to manage the risks, even when the levels of toxicity
and exposure are uncertain.
Designed for companies, researchers and otherstakeholders concerned about the effects ofnanotechnologies, the guide describes the current stateof knowledge in the field and makes recommendations
to encourage taking responsibility for and controlling its
risk factors so as to prevent employment injuries. The
guide ascertains the health, safety and environmental
risks of nanotechnologies, suggests an approach forevaluating and controlling these risks, documents
current practices at the international level and specifies
which factors should form part of an institutional
prevention program.
Research opportunities: It should be recalled that the
IRSST and NanoQuébec had called on Québec
researchers to submit proposals to advance knowledge
in the field of prevention and effective management of
the risks associated with nanoparticles. The projects
submitted employed an approach based on eliminating
risks at source. Those selected will we published.
For more details or to download the document:
http://www.irsst.qc.ca/files/documents/PubIRSST/R599.pdf

When we are deterred by what others thinkA study published by the Institut de recherche RobertSauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST)IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

reveals, among other things, the disastrous
consequences for injured workers when they do not feelbelieved or supported during their absence from work.
Researchers actually observed the importance ofworkers' social reality for better understanding theirrehabilitation process by listening to representations ofhealth, illness and pain by workers unable to return towork due to musculoskeletal-related pain.
The results of this innovative study related to therehabilitation of workers suffering from MSD are aimed
mainly at occupational health and safety practitioners
and rehabilitation counselors. The latter will be able touse this research to establish action plans that are
better adapted to the reality of people living with MSD.
Studying and appreciating the testimonies promotes anin-depth understanding of the emotions, attitudes andbehaviours that influence adaptation strategies forpatients on the road to recovery or in rehabilitation.
The report can be downloaded free of charge at:
http://www.irsst.qc.ca/files/documents/PubIRSST/R592.pdf

Ototoxic potential of industrial chemicals
This project of IRSST (Quebec Occupational Healthand Safety Research Institute) was undertaken todevelop a toxicological database allowing theidentification of possible ototoxic substances present in
the work environment. There is accumulating
epidemiological evidence that exposure to somesolvents, metals, asphyxiants and other substances inhumans is associated with an increased risk of hearingloss.
To access the tool: http://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/utOto.htm

Performing arts: Occupational risks emerge
from behind the scenes
An exploratory study on occupational risks in theperforming arts sheds light on the impact oforganizational modes of productions, cultural
enterprises and sectors of activity on the health andsafety of artists and artisans. The study, which was
conducted by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé
en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), forms part of
the work of the “Table de concertation paritaire en
santé et sécurité du travail pour le domaine des arts dela scène” (“Joint Table on Occupational Health and
Safety in the Performing Arts”), a body created in 2005
by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité duPage 17 of 21

travail (CSST) to follow up on measures put forward in“Pour mieux vivre de l’art” (“To better live from art”), theaction plan implemented by the Ministry of Culture andCommunications (“Ministère de la Culture et desCommunications”).

New insights on occupations
Among the results obtained by the researchers is a
description of enterprises and occupations in theperforming arts sector. They identify risks to the healthand safety of the artists and artisans, and the various
causes of accidents. The study highlights inclusion, inthe practices of cultural enterprises, of formal andinformal experiences that can have a very positiveeffect on the health and safety of artists and artisans,
despite the fact that prevention is sometimes perceived
as a constraint on creative activity. The study alsosuggests that “participatory approaches” (approaches
based on workers’ participation), which emphasize theneed for prevention in occupational health and safety(OHS), depend on workers having positive experienceswith these approaches. What also emerges is that
artists, since they are passionate about their art and forreasons relating to the work environment, often choose
to remain silent about their pain and hide their injuries.
Furthermore, there is a marked trend among numerous
stakeholders toward more open consideration of therealities of occupational injuries.
To download the document, please visit:
http://www.irsst.qc.ca/files/documents/PubIRSST/R607.pdf

From JAPANSent by Masayoshi Karasawa, Special Adviser, director@jawe.or.jp and Shigeru Asuka, Executive
Director, JAWE s_asuka@jawe.or.jp
Japan Association for Working Environment
Measurement (JAWE) released the result of theGeneral Accuracy Cross-Check Project conductedby JAWE in the fiscal year 2008, concerning the
Evaluation of Design, Sampling, and Analyses ofsuch four kinds of blind samples as crystalline
silica, hydrogen fluoride, lead and mixed organic
solvents.
According to the business programme of the fiscal year
2008, JAWE, whose chairperson is Mr. Kizoh Hirayama(Managing Director, General Manager, Personnel &Labour Relations Division, Nippon Steel Corporation)
conducted independently and nationwide, “the General
Accuracy Cross-Check Project” concerning the four
following kinds of Blind Samples of airborne
contaminants, which are controlled by the regulations
under the Occupational Safety and Health Law, Japan:••••

crystalline silica in dust;hydrogen fluoride as a typical example of thespecified chemical substances;
lead as a typical example of heavy metals, and,mixed organic solvents as a typical example oforganic solvents.

The targets for this Cross-check project are basicallythe working environment measurement agencies andthe employers who have their own licensed
occupational hygienists to perform working environment
measurements. However, the target for the second
Cross-Check Project (in 2008), were those who did notparticipate the first Cross-Check Project (in 2007), or
were evaluated as unsuccessful in the previous Project,with regard to one or more Cross-Check items. Those
evaluated as successes in the first Cross-Check Project
have been certified by JAWE, from the fiscal year 2007
to the fiscal year 2008, therefore JAWE decided that it
was unnecessary for them to join the 2008Cross-Check
Project.
This project included following steps:•

This Accuracy Cross-Check Project succeeded anddeveloped the Unified Accuracy Cross-Check Project,which had been conducted by JAWE, under the trustby the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan,
since the fiscal year 1997, and was ceased in the fiscal
year 2007 as a trust by the Ministry, and was thesecond Accuracy Cross-Check Project, following theone conducted by JAWE, in the fiscal year 2007.
The total plan of this Cross-Check Project consists ofthe following three kinds of Cross-Check items:•••

evaluation of suitability of the design of working
environment measurements
the Cross-Check of flow rate of sampling pumps

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

measurement of content in weight of the blindsample of crystalline silica in dust, and/or
measurement of contents in weight as well as
calculated airborne concentrations of the otherthree kinds of blind samples (as above mentioned).

•

In order to evaluate their suitability, preparation
by JAWE of design sheets of working
environment measurement for this Cross-Check,containing intentionally some mistakes among
35 items concerning compliance of the National
Working Environment Measurement Standards,
such as the reason for the selection of the unit
working place, calculation of working
environment measurement, evaluation of its
result according to the National Working
Environment Measurement Evaluation
Standards and others. This method was adopted
for the first time, in Japan.
For the Cross-check of flow rate of samplingpumps, preparation by JAWE of two kinds offlow meters of square type, namely with capacityof 200ml/min and of 1500 ml/min type, equippedwith a resistance tube, which adds to the air

Page 18 of 21

resistance, correspondent to the actual air
resistance in working environment
measurement, and intentionally without thenecessary division. JAWE distributed one ofthese two types of pumps to each participant,according to the application of each participant.
•

For the Cross-Check of the measurement of thefour kinds of blind samples, preparation by
JAWE, independently and secretly, of thefollowing samples: As the sealed blind samples of dust, a mixtureof dusts not containing crystalline silica andcrystalline silica itself, with the intended
content in weight of crystalline silica.
 As the sealed blind samples of hydrogen
fluoride or lead, an aqueous solution of
sodium fluoride or lead nitrate, correspondent
to the actual airborne concentration in theconcerned working environment As the blind samples of mixed organic
solvents, a mixture of three kinds of different
organic solvents, as carbon disulfide solution,
which was then, impregnated into sealed
charcoal tubes, correspondent to the actual
airborne concentration in the concerned
working environment.

Afterwards, JAWE distributed the design sheets, theflow meters, as well as each kind of sealed blindsample, to the participants according to their own
applications.
The participants who applied to join this Project,
checked the design sheet of working environment
measurement, calibrated the sampling pumps,
conducted analyses of one or more of these sealed
blind samples, and sent the results to JAWE, under the
General Plan for this Cross-Check Project.
These results were evaluated by the Experts
Committee of the General Accuracy Cross-Check
Project (Chairperson; Professor emeritus, Tsutomu

Takata, Kitasato University, and Vice Chairperson of
JAWE), organized by JAWE.
JAWE has decided that those participants who were
evaluated as unsuccessful by the Experts Committee inthe primary evaluation, can join the additional advanced
training courses on the Cross-Check items on which
they were unsuccessful; if they finish these courses,
they can join again the same Cross-Check Project andcan be evaluated a second time by the Experts
Committee. These additional advanced training courses
will be conducted by JAWE in the fiscal year 2009.
The num bers of the participants with regar d toeach Cross-Check it em, t he Evaluation Standards
as successes by the Cross-Check items, decided by
the Experts Committee, as well as the total percentageof those who were evaluated as successes in the
primary evaluation by the Experts Committee (listed by
the Cross-Check items), are shown on tables, which
may be obtained from the authors of this contribution.
However, in view of the fact that this method was
adopted for the first time, the results concerning theevaluation of the suitability of the design sheets, will bepresented by the Experts Committee only after the
additional advanced training course on these CrossCheck items are conducted and their results areevaluated for a second time by the Experts Committee.
JAWE notified all the participants of the results,
successful or not, of their evaluation by the Experts
Committee. With the exception of the evaluation ofsuitability of the design sheet, JAWE will release – andpost on the JAWE Website, all results from this CrossCheck Project, including the names of the participants(both from working environment measurement agencies
or private enterprises that have their own licensed
industrial hygienists to perform measurements), whowere evaluated, certificated by JAWE as successes,
and agreed to be posted.
JAWE will continue to conduct “the General Accuracy
Cross-Check Project”, in the fiscal year 2009.

From The NETHERLANDS
Sent by Adrianus de Rooij A.deRooij@workershealth.eu, Rudolf van der Haar, rvan@mcmutual.com and Tom Mutsaerts, t.mutsaerts@workershealth.eu
Workers’ health for low income countries
Occupational health is still a great concern for theworking poor in low income countries. The larger part of
the working population earns its livelihood as an
informal worker or as a farmer.
Informal workers are exposed to poor working
conditions and income insecurity. Their workplaces are
not safe, they have insufficient basic health andsanitation facilities and they suffer absence of social
security. Their families are often put at risk when thework is performed in their homes. Farmers and theirfamilies handle unregistered, repacked, unlabelled
pesticides. Most of them have very little knowledge

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009about the health risks of these pesticides. They alsolack of social security.
Due to the globalization, workers in low income
countries may be exposed to the so-called new
occupational risks. An emerging concern is the
production of nanomaterials that results in exposure toparticles smaller than 100 nanometers. Other concern
is the increase of biological risks through global trading.
Moreover, workers’ health is aggravated by the socialeconomic constraints characterized by the presence ofa growing and widespread informal employment.
Therefore it is not surprising that the “ILO/WHO
estimates” show high numbers of occupational
diseases in spite of their recognized and appreciable
under reporting, injuries and deaths in low-income

Page 19 of 21

On the other hand education is at the base of improving
occupational health. So the specific objectives of WHI
for the coming years are:countries and the ILO put “decent work” high in its
agenda.
Improvements in work conditions not only lead to theprevention of occupational accidents and illnesses but
also to increases in productivity and incomes. There isscientific and technical knowledge available today that,
if applied, could prevent and control most occupationalrisk factors. Against this background the foundation“Workers Health Impulse (WHI)” was founded. WHI
started in 2009 and is committed to the improvement ofworkers’ health in low-income countries. WHI is afoundation with a growing network of NGO’s andindividuals committed to workers’ health. WHI helps tocollect and spread practical information (Examples in
the photos below).

Rotating carousels to harvest flowers simplify task
(Source Stigas)

•
•
•
•
•
•

developing local projects
fund-raisingestablishing networks
collecting practical solutions
facilitating information and technicalassistance, and,participating in projects about micro-insurance
for the working poor.

Special attention will be given to the development ofpractical and costeffective solutions,
small scale enterprises
and the informal sector.

Ingenious device towork on the groundwith less musculoskeletal stress (Source Stigas)
Your reaction is very welcome and more information
about the foundation WHI can be found on:
www.workershealth.eu

From SPAIN
Sent by Rudolf Van Der Haar, rvan@mc-mutual.com, Ruth Jimenez, ruth.jimenez@istas.ccoo.es andMiguel Angel Alba, maah02@gmail.com
Foundation/Establishment of the Spanish
Industrial Hygiene Association
After more than a year of discussions and writing thenecessary documents, in December 2008, the Spanish
Industrial Hygiene Association, abbreviated as AEHI
(Asociación Española de Higiene Industrial) was
formally established. It was decided to use the termindustrial hygiene in the name of the association forbeing more identifiable since it is well embedded in the
Spanish society and legislation
With its foundation, as a non-profit organization, theAEHI pretends to be the answer to the growing need ofhaving an independent network for occupational
hygienists in Spain to exchange experiences andknowledge and, above all, to promote awareness ofindustrial (occupational) hygiene as a necessary
professional discipline to protect people from chemical,
physical and biological risks at work.
To achieve these aims the AEHI has programmed a listof activities, such as: setting up a website and having
an electronic newsletter; promoting courses,
congresses and technical seminars; working withcommittees of the national standards-setting body, and,interacting actively with other health and safety groups

and associations. Special attention will be given to thepromotion of high quality education in occupational
hygiene, since the existent education scheme, which
has serious shortfalls, will be modified in the near future
due to the Bologne Process.
The AEHI wants to ensure that its members have astrong and effective voice, which influences
occupational hygiene related issues with governmentalorganisations, employers, universities and trades
unions.
Also the AEHI, by contacting other counterpart
organisations world-wide, wants to give the Spanish
occupational hygiene new impulses since, at present, it
finds itself in a more or less isolated situation.
Therefore, it seeks the cooperation with other(European) occupational hygiene associations in orderto advance research and proactively assist in thedissemination of knowledge throughout Spain and othercountries (EU, Latin America, etc.).
More information about the AEHI can soon be found on
the website (www.aehi.es), currently underconstruction.

From The UK
Sent by Trevor Ogden, Editor in Chief, Annals of Occupational Hygiene, ogden@ogs.org.uk
Nancy TaitthNancy Tait, a British activist on asbestos, died on 13
February, the day after her 89th birthday. For almost 40

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

years, she had held a unique position in the fightagainst occupational disease.

Page 20 of 21

Nancy had been a junior employee in the British Post
Office and Patent Office, and her husband Bill was apost office engineer, until he died of mesothelioma in
1968. This was only a few years after the firstunequivocal recognition of the link of this disease withcrocidolite mining, and for many it was incredible thatthe occasional contact with asbestos in Bill’s job could
have caused his disease. Certainly the Post Office saidso, and denied liability. Bill’s death might easily havebeen forgotten amongst those of so many other victims,
but Nancy looked into the literature, was shocked atwhat she found, and became one of the forces whichchanged attitudes and legislation, writing, speaking,agitating, soft-spoken but forthright, uncompromisingand persistent, supporter of thousands of otherindividual victims, and goad to the lumbering elephantof government bureaucracy. She founded a charity tosupport victims of industrial disease, and appeared atinternational meeting on asbestos to challenge theindustry and asbestos users.
She often simplified the science in her desire to see
wrongs righted, but in the end she turned out to be righton the most important thing, and in Britain most people
now developing mesothelioma were not those obviously
employed in the asbestos industry, but people in theconstruction and user industries, like her husband.
For professionals, Nancy is a permanent warning that
wisdom does not always lie with the obvious expert.
For fuller obituaries, see The Guardian newspaper,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/23/nancytait, and the IBAS website
http://ibasecretariat.org/mem_nancy_tait.php .

From The USA
Sent by: Thais C. Morata (CDC/NIOSH/DART) E-mail: tcm2@cdc.gov
National Hearing Conservation Association
Announces Call for Papers for 2010
“Explore the World of Hearing Loss
Prevention” Conference
The mission of the National Hearing Conservation
Association (NHCA) is “to prevent hearing loss due tonoise and other environmental factors in all sectors ofsociety”. NHCA provides networking, resources andprofessional development opportunities to improveskills, practices and services for over 600 members.
NHCA’s membership includes audiologists,
researchers, industrial hygienists, educators,
professional service organizations, safety
professionals, medical professionals, engineers, audio
professionals, students, and others who havededicated their work to the advancement of hearing
loss prevention.
The NHCA is announcing a call for papers forthpresentations and posters at its 35 Annual
Conference, 25-27 February 2010, at the Rosen Plaza
Hotel, Orlando, Florida, USA. All topics related to
NHCA’s mission will be considered. Presentations may
address basic scientific research, applied research,
practical applications of research results, or otherfindings or concepts which may enhance hearing loss
prevention efforts.
NHCA’s conference features three days of engaging
workshops, presentations, panel discussions andposter presentations on most current issues relevant to
the practice of hearing loss prevention, including: thelatest research on occupational hearing loss; public
and personal health issues related to hearing loss;
music and noise exposure; hearing loss prevention
training and education; health communication

strategies; hearing protection device innovations andmeasurement. Over 300 professionals attend theannual conference, and rely on it for professional
development and networking.
In 2010, the conference theme “Explore the World of
Hearing Loss Prevention” expresses the intent toenhance professional development and practices byreaching out to the international community to optimize
the exchange of experiences and skills and expedite
research progress.
Outstanding professionals in the field are recognized at
the NHCA Conference. Previous award recipients
include: Alice Suter, PhD; Mead KIllion, PhD.; Robert
A. Dobie, MD; Julia Royster, PhD.; John Franks, PhD.,
and, Donald Henderson, Ph.D. Safe-in-Sound Awards
for Excellence and Innovation in Hearing Loss
Prevention™ are also presented at the conference.
Queries concerning details of the presentations anddeadlines should be sent, with subject line “NHCA
2010 Presentation Proposal”, to:nhcaoffice@hearingconservation.org.
The deadlines are:
For Platform and Workshop Presentations: 31 July2009
For Poster Presentations: 30 September 2009
Further information about the National Hearing
Conservation Association can be found at:
www.hearingconservation.org.

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
5/6 Melbourne Business Court, Millennium Way, Derby DE24 8LZ, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1332 298101, Fax: +44 (0) 1332 298099, email: admin@ioha.net, www.ioha.net
A Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No. 06327692

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 17, No. 1, April 2009

Page 21 of 21