August 2010
Vol 18 No 2

NEWSLETTER
Contents
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2
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specifically at the prevention of occupational diseases does noteven exist in many places, or is poorly developed andLetter from the Editor inefficiently practiced. In many countries Occupational Hygiene
is not officially recognized as a profession, which jeopardizes its
IOHA Report from the IOHA Board Meeting, 23
development, hence the prevention of many deaths and much
May 2010, Denver, USA
suffering, not to mention considerable economic losses.
8th IOHA International Scientific ConferenceNews from Member Associations This brings us to a matter of great consequence. Twocolleagues, Ton Spee and Darren Joubert, drew my attention to
9News from WHO a significant breakthrough for our profession and that was theinclusion of Occupational Hygiene and associated tasks in the
9News from WHO Collaborating Centres latest International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO10News from ILO -08), as can be seen in the extract presented in this issue.
Although ISCO-08 is important, steps must be taken for its
11News from the European Agency for Safety and implementation so that its impact may be felt. Colleagues from
Health at Work (EU-OSHA) all over the world should be aware of this development as it
12International Actions may help to overcome a frequently encountered obstacle, thatis, the impossibility to legally establish training and competence
14
Contributions from Readers criteria for occupational hygienists because the profession is notofficially recognized. The sad result is that poor quality
occupational hygiene courses are often given with noconstraints, and, poorly qualified professionals call themselves
Letter from the Editor
occupational hygienists and practice thus discrediting theprofession. To have the field of occupational hygiene properly
developed everywhere is a challenge to all of us who believe inDear Colleagues,
the utmost importance of our profession, if practiced at a highLast time I asked for information on national cancer prevention level of competence.
activities and received one very interesting contribution fromJapan, where public opinion had an impact on governmental Therefore, it is encouraging to learn about international
actions. It is hoped that readers will send more news in this developments in this field as you will see in this issue. It should
respect; such efforts should be encouraged and experiences also be mentioned that there will be a session on thedevelopment of occupational hygiene through education andshared.
training in the “8th IOHA International Scientific Conference The power of public opinion is often underestimated. I believe Rome 2010”. In fact, it is opportune to remind readers thatthat the media could and should play a more significant role in there is still time to register and participate in this important
raising awareness and sensitizing public opinion regarding event.
workers’ health. Major causes of death, such as malaria and HIV-AIDS, are given wide publicity, whereas occupational diseases I take this opportunity to present my sincere congratulations toand injuries seldom make the headlines. According to WHO, outstanding colleagues who received important awards: Danilo
every year, malaria kills about one million persons, but Cottica received the 2010 William P. Yant Award from AIHA, in
according to the ILO there are annually more than 2 million Denver, May 2010, and, Brian Davies and Trevor Ogden will
deaths due to occupational injuries. Let’s not forget that receive the 2009 IOHA Lifetime Achievement Award during
occupational diseases are greatly underestimated and that IOHA Rome.
fatality statistics referring to, for example, lung diseases andcancer do include a number of occupationally-related deaths As always, I would like to thank all of you who contributed tothis issue and encourage colleagues from all over to send us
not accounted for as such.
news on their work and professional concerns. Suggestions forMoreover, all occupational health professionals, as individuals, improvement of this Newsletter are also very much welcome.
may also contribute to raising awareness on the magnitude andseriousness of workers’ health problems by volunteering to talk Thank you.
to different groups; why not to children in schools, where minds
are still so open to new information ? Perhaps we have been Best greetings to all
talking mostly among us, which is, in fact, “preaching to theconverted” .
Berenice Goelzer
4

It does not cease to amaze me that the profession that aims

berenice@goelzer.net

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 2010
1

IOHA Report from the IOHA Board Meeting, 23 May 2010, Denver, USA
Sent by Sandi Atkinson, IOHA Executive Secretary E-mail: sandi.atkinson@ioha.net

The meeting was held at the AIHce 2010 in Denver, Colorado,
USA and was chaired by Dr Danilo Cottica (President). IOHA
Board Members from AIHA, the Australian, Brazilian, Canadian,Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Southern African, andTaiwanese organisations were in attendance. The President
gave a warm welcome to representatives from the British,
French, Hong Kong, Norwegian and Swiss organisations who
were attending in place of their Board Member. Sandi Atkinsonfrom the Secretariat was in attendance and apologies forabsence had been received from the Finnish, German, Irish,
Malaysian and Swedish organisations.

OHPCC) achieved IOHA NAR
statusandisnowrepresented by Marianne
Bigot.
The Board recognised thereappointment onto the NAR
Committee of Mr Jansen van
Vuuren as the South African
representative.
Collaboration with WHO
Mr Zalk the IOHA Envoy to
IOHA
President,
DaniloWHO attended the meeting
Cottica, presented the Frenchand gave an update of therepresentative
Mariannecurrent activities he is
Bigot with their Certificate of
involved with on behalf of the
Recognition.
IOHA Board. Specifically his
involvement in the WHO
Network Global Plan of Action 2 – Healthy Workplaces. Mr Zalk
who is also a member of the WHO/ILO International TechnicalGroup will be running the 6th International Control Banding
Workshop during the IOHA conference in Rome.

IOHA 8th International Scientific Conference
IOHA Position Papers
Mr Cavallo of the Italian Industrial Hygiene Association IOHA’s position on Control Banding http://www.ioha.net/
presented an update to the Board on the progress of the controlbanding.html and IOHA’s position on REACH
organisation of this conference to be held in Rome, Italy on 28 implementation http://www.ioha.net/news.html are now
September to 2 October 2010. The full programme can now be published.
viewed on the conference website and bookings can now be
made at www.ioha2010.org.
OHLearning.com
Steve Bailey and Roger Alesbury gave a presentation to the
IOHA 9th International Scientific Conference
Board demonstrating the recently launched international
Unfortunately a representative from the Malaysian Association, training modules website www.OHLearning.com. This project
who will be hosting this event were unable to attend the has been partly funded by IOHA and the Board was very
meeting. The conference will mark the 25th anniversary of IOHA impressed with its successful outcome and congratulated Rogerand will be held at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and Steve and their team of volunteers on an excellent job well
Convention Centre, Malaysia in 2012. The Conference will be done!
preceded by Professional Development Courses.
IOHA Lifetime Achievement Award 2009
The 10th IOHA International Scientific Conference will take place The Board is very pleased to announce the award will go to two
in 2014 and each member organisation of IOHA has been very deserving winners this year. Brian Davies of the Australianinvited to make a bid to host this conference.
Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Trevor Ogden of the
British Occupational Hygiene Society.
Membership
Mr Tresider of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygiene Both winners have accepted their invitations to present at theand also chair of IOHA’s National Accreditation Recognition IOHA scientific conference in Rome, Italy in September 2010.
(NAR) Committee, reported on his progress with finding
contacts within China, Singapore and the Philippines. He will be Farewell to Tom Grumbles (AIHA)
exploring with them their potential in setting up their own This was the last meeting for Tom Grumbles (AIHA) and Past
occupational hygiene association and ultimately becoming President of IOHA, who now retires from IOHA after six years ofmembers of IOHA. He will be supported and assisted by dedicated service. The Board thanked Tom for his service andrepresentatives from the Hong Kong Institute of Occupational welcomed the new AIHA representative Lindsay Booher.
and Environmental Hygiene.
National Accreditation Recognition (NAR) Scheme
Mr. Tresider was very pleased to announce that, in December
2009, following the approval of the IOHA President, the French
Occupational Hygienist Society certification scheme (CCPHT –IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 2010
2

IOHA Third Annual General Meeting
The IOHA Board held its third AGM immediately
after the close of business of the Board Meetingon Sunday 23 May 2010.

Having declared the meeting closed, Dr Danilo
Cottica handed the Association’s gavel over to Luc
Hamelin (Canada), who will be President of IOHA
for 2010-2011.

The business of the meeting, chaired by the The next meeting of the Board will be held on 27
President, Dr Danilo Cottica, included accepting September 2010 in Rome, Italy at the IOHA
the minutes of the second AGM, re-appointing the conference.
auditors and the election of a new President-Elect.
There was only one nomination for the position of
President-Elect, Noel Tresider (Australia) who was
declared President-Elect for 2010-2011.

The 8th IOHA International Scientific Conference – Rome 2010
Sent by Alice Gargiullo E-mail: A.Gargiullo@igeam.it
The 8th International Conference "Health, Work and Social Responsibility. The occupational hygienist and the integration ofenvironment, health and safety", which will be held in Rome from 28 September to 2nd October 2010 organized by AIDII (ItalianIndustrial Hygiene Association), on behalf of IOHA, and by INAIL and ISPESL, the two Italian institutions responsible for prevention
and insurance of professional risks, is generating a strong interest.
We have already received 550 registrations among the world leading scientific and professional experts in workers' health, safety,
environmental issues and social responsibility. It is expected that this conference will be a major forum in the development ofoccupational (industrial) hygiene.
ROMA 2010 final programme it is now available online at:
http://www.ioha2010.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=11&lang=it
The Conference shall involve Plenary Sessions, in the morning, and Five Scientific Parallel Sessions, morning and afternoon.
The activities will comprise:
10 Keynotes lectures
35 Oral Scientific Sessions
35 Poster session
25 Workshops
Occupational Hygiene Exhibitions
Meetings and side events
We are really sorry to inform you that due to insufficient registrations to Professional Development Courses (PDCs) we have tocancel all courses that should have been held on September 26th and 27th before the beginning of the 8th IOHA International
Conference. Despite the attempts made to draw the attention on PDCs, the number of registrations received before July 15th was
still considerably less than what was needed to start the courses (15 participants). For more information, please visit on theconference web site www.ioha2010.org, the section Professional Development Courses.
Don’t miss ROMA 2010; there is still time to register online at:
http://www.softailor.com/ioha2010/reg_data.aspx
Important dates:
Tuesday, 28 September: Opening ceremony and Welcome cocktail
Thursday, 30 September: Gala dinner
Saturday, 2nd October: Closing Ceremony
For more information, please, visit the site: www.ioha2010.org or contact Alice Gargiullo.

Organisers:

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20103

From Australia
27th AIOH Annual Conference Review
Sent by Martin Jennings, AIOH 2009 Conference Chair
E-mail: martin.jennings@defence.gov.au
For the first time since 1998, the AIOH Conference returned to Presidents of sister organisations in South Africa (Melinda
Canberra, Australia’s capital – even returning to the same Venter), South Korea (Won Ho Yang representing the President,
venue, the National Convention Centre. The conference Dr. Jongmin Paik), Malaysia (Zainal Mubarik Zainuddin) andattracted record numbers of delegates and exhibitors. Even the Hong Kong (TW Tsin). The President of IOHA, Danilo Cottica,
Sunday golfers turned out in record numbers!
was also in attendance. Regrettably, Cathy Cole (President
AIHA) was unable to attend. Together with all Presidents, AIOH
As usual, the weekend was taken up President Sharann Johnson convened a panel session in whichwith CESs. This year’s conference each briefly described the activities in their respective countries.
featured 19 CESs, which attracted a
total of 405 attendees. The most A special mention should be made of the Poster session, withpopular sessions were Lasers and some very polishedposters on display. After much
EMF (34 attendees), Vibration deliberation, “Occupational Hygiene Education – Respirable
measurement (33), Nanoparticle Dust Samplers – Are You Comparing Apples and Apples?” bymeasurement and Moulds (both Dane Hansen & Terry Elms was adjudged to be the most30). However, when it came to the outstanding poster. This was staged in the Exhibition Hall, andVentilations class
wow factor, I think Mark Piney, of after some initial trepidation that we would have difficulty in
the UK HSE took the cake with his Heath Robinson-ish display of filling such a vast space, it was great to see how slick the Trade
local exhaust ventilation apparatus.
Exhibition looked – it is the first time I can recall a truck in theTrade Exhibition! This year attracted a record number of
The Conference formally kicked off with the Welcome Function exhibitors, 39 in all, and we thank all of them for coming along.
Drinks sponsored once again by Active Environmental Solutions.
The 3M function is now becoming
It was a great start to the the stuff of legends, and this year
conference with several further enhanced its reputation.
delegates decked out in their With the theme ‘3M Race Night’,
Canberra politics T-shirts conference delegates took to the
supplied by AES.
occasion
with
their
usual
imagination and flair. The 3M
The selected theme for the aprons were again in hot demand
conference was ‘New and and the auction raised another
Emerging Issues’ and it wasrecord bid with Phil Hibbs, Aleks
interesting to see how the
Todorovic and Brian Eva paying $3000 and donating thevarious speakers approached theproceeds
tothetheme. The presentations were
AllowahChildren’s
enhanced by some very highHospital, a hospitalquality audio visual presentation.
which
cares
for
The keynote address was given
children and young
by Futurist, Marcus Barber, on
people up to the age‘Strategic
Futuresandof 18 with physical andOccupational
Hygiene’,anintellectual disabilities.
entertaining and thought provoking presentation. Anotherfascinating presentation was given by Michael Tooma, in which The Conference Dinner was held in the impressive venue of thehe described changes in the world of work - people already can Great Hall of New Parliament House. A highlight of the evening
and do work from home, from a beach through their Blackberry was the presentation of the AIOH’s most coveted award – theand laptop computers; globalisation means that online Pam De Silva medal – given for demonstrated commitment towarehouses may be located in the Philippines, or IT helpdesks in the principles of leadership and scientific integrity in the field of
India, outside of Australian jurisdictions. This has obvious occupational hygiene - to Ross Di Corleto.
implications for occupational hygienists who traditionally haveworked in bricks and mortar workplaces.
On the Wednesday morning, Anita Aiezza
presented her 3M Award winning paper,
The SEA Speaker was the incoming ACGIH Chair, Professor Steve ‘Management of Occupational Hygiene
Reynolds, speaking on Endotoxin Exposure in Agricultural Hazards Arising from the February 2009
Workers. The AIOH is extremely grateful to SEA for their Victorian Bushfires’. This was a wellongoing support, which has enabled conference delegates to deserved award and of course, very
hear some of the world’s leading experts.
topical. At the Dinner, Anita reminded usof the terrible human toll of theThis year, in addition to the long-standing arrangements with bushfires, and then in a rather touching
the Presidents of the BOHS and AIHA, Council invited the gesture, she was presented with flowers
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20104

sent from her Over the years, as eachabsentfamily. new committee brings
Professor Stephen fresh
ideas
and
Legg opened the i n n o v a t io n s ,thebattingo n conference has evolved
Wednesday, with throughcontinuous‘ E m e r g i n g improvementtoergonomics
for becomeamajor
f u t u r e international
generations’.
He conference. This year’s
hadpreviously conference is to be held in Hobart, and I am sure that Caroline
expressed some disappointment that as the opening speaker on Langley and her team are working hard to deliver a memorable
the ‘graveyard shift’ of the morning after the Dinner, he would event. I wish them all the best and I look forward to being there.
only have a handful of delegates in the audience. I think he wasvery pleasantly surprised to see an almost full lecture theatre.

From Brazil
Brazilian Association of Occupational Hygienists (ABHO) - participation in the III Pan American
Congress of Occupational Hygiene
Sent by José Manuel Gana Soto, ABHO President E-mail: monitoring@uol.com.br
The III Pan American Congress of Occupational Hygiene was The third speech was presented by Irene Saad, Certified
held in Acapulco, Mexico, from 10 to 12 March 2010. The Occupational Hygienist, representing the ABHO Certification
Brazilian Association of Occupational Hygienists (ABHO) is part Committee. Her presentation focused on the procedure for theof the group of Latin American Associations that holds, every 2 Certification of Occupational Hygienists by ABHO that, since
years, the Pan American Congress of Occupational Hygiene. This 2003, has been encouraging and promoting the professional
year ABHO participated with three presentations, which were improvement of occupational hygienists in Brazil. This issue hada high impact and was widely discussed.

Opening the Third Pan American Congress, with the participation of the
Presidents of the 5 Latin American Associations

part of the official programme.
The first speech was presented by the ABHO president, José
Manuel Gana Soto, Certified Occupational Hygienist, who
presented a history of the evolution of Brazilian standards
Participants of the Third Pan American Congress in Mexico
focusing on the characterization and assessment ofoccupational exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, inparticular to Benzene, and the related preventive measures.
In summary, the participation of ABHO in the III Pan-American
Congress of Occupational Hygiene was a success and should
The second speech, presented by Paulo Sergio de Moraes, contribute to the advancement and improvement of this science
ABHO Certified Occupational Hygienist, was about the in Latin American countries.
Occupational
HygieneManagement
Programmein
TRANSPETRO, a PETROBRAS company.
The five Associations of Occupational
This presentation was held in a special
Hygienists in Latin America, namely ABHO
session focusing on occupational(Brazil), AMHI (Mexico), AVHO (Venezuela).
hygiene activities in petroleum and
ACHO (Colombia) and ACHISO (Chile), also
petrochemical companies, withtook the following decisions:representatives of major companies
from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and
The IV Pan American Congress will be held in
Venezuela (e.g., Petrobras, Pemex,
2012 in Brazil, along with the ABHO Congress
Ecopetrol).
This presentation wasconsidered of great importance for the
The V Pan American Congress, in 2014, will be
exchange of experiences among theheld in Chile, by ACHISO,
companies dealing with this area ofIrene Saad was invited to officially open
production, considered vital for the the Expo of Occupational Hygiene The "TLVs and BEIs" of ACGIH® will becountries represented at this event.
translated into Spanish with the help of theEquipments and Services of the Third
five associations in Latin America. The
Congress
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20105

coordination will be of ABHO, based on its experience of 13 yearsof translating this book into Portuguese. ACGIH® has granted the
copyright for the translation into Spanish for the Brazilian
association, due to the great trust that ACGIH deposits on ABHO.
Collaboration in the implementation of certification schemes by
the Associations that do no have it yet, and a future project tostandardize the certifications, so they have validity throughout
Latin America.

ABHO President on
HO Expo III Congress

The President of ABHO thanks the participants to this event andinvites all occupational hygienists to the next Pan-American event,to be held in Brazil in 2012

The three representatives of ABHO.
From right to left: José Manuel Gana
Soto, ABHO President; Irene Saad,ABHO Certification Committee, andPaulo Sergio Moraes,
Transpetro-Petrobras.

From Japan
Japan Association for Working Environment Measurement (JAWE):
General Meeting of the fiscal year 2010 and the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony of
JAWE
Sent by Masayoshi Karasawa, Special Adviser, JAWEE-mail: m19419k@yahoo.co.jp
and Shigeru Asuka, Secretary-General, JAWE E-mail: sasuka@jawe.or.jp

The Japan Association for Working Environment Measurement
held an Ordinary General Meeting of the fiscal year 2010, on 27
May 2010, in Tokyo, with the objective of approving thebusiness report and the accounting report for the fiscal year
2009, the JAWE programme and the budget for the fiscal year
2010, as well as holding a renewal election of the President andother Members of JAWE Board of Directors, as their term is to
expire. The Meeting was attended by 654 full members of
JAWE, including the ones who entrusted the proxy vote to the
Mr. Shigeru Oshita, Chairperson of JAWE,
President.
presenting the opening address

At the beginning of the Meeting, Mr. Shigeru Oshita,
Chairperson of JAWE, Managing Director, Nippon SteelCorporation, presented the opening address and stated that
JAWE,
in the fiscal year 2009, maintained good equilibrium between
income and expenditure, and conducted successfully all of theplanned projects, which included:programme of JAWE, forthe fiscal year 2010,
otherprojects
areincluded such as theSecondCentralSymposium,thecontinuing
education
course for the brush-up
andthesecondexaminationforcertification,asmentioned above.

Next, Mr. Shigeru Asuka, JAWE Executive Director, explained thebusiness report and the accounting report for the fiscal year
2009 as well as the business programme and the budget for the
fiscal year 2010 of JAWE. These agenda subjects were approved
unanimously. In the renewal election, Mr. Shigeru Oshita was re-elected as the Chairperson of JAWE.

“First Central Symposium on Work Environment
Measurement and Evaluation of Results with respect to The Meeting end with a congratulatory message addressed by
Chemical Substances and Dust”;
Ms. Noriko Kamezawa, Director, Office of Working Environment
Improvement, Department of Occupational Safety and Health,
The continuing education course for the brush-up of theLabour Standards Bureau, who participated as a representativetechnique and knowledge with respect to workingof the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and as aenvironment measurements, and the evaluation of these
distinguished guest.
results and the revision of the relevant laws and regulations
and others.
In addition, the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony of
JAWE was held in the afternoon of the same day and was
In addition, there was the first examination for certification byattended by more than 150 guests.
JAWE of “Professional Occupational Hygienists”. In order to becertified, these professionals should have completed 93 units/
Mr. Shigeru Oshita addressed the Commemorative Speech, inhours of “Specialized Continuing Education and Training Course
the presence of many distinguished guests including Dr. Yukio
on Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Chemical
Suzuki, Director, Occupational Health Division, Department of
Substances, and other Environmental Factors including physical,
Occupational Safety and Health, Labour Standards Bureau,
biological and ergonomic factors”, and been successful in the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan, as wellrequired examination.
as Mr. Yohtaro Sawada, President of Japan Industrial Safety andMoreover, Mr. Shigeru Oshita stated that in the business
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 2010
6

Health Association (JISHA). After the Congratulatory Address by
Dr. Yukio Suzuki, in behalf of Mr. Yoshio Hirano, Director
General, Department of Occupational Safety and Health,
MHLW, and Mr. Yohtaro Sawada, Mr. Shigeru Oshita, as the
Chairman of JAWE, granted the Award for Distinguished Service
to two persons, and Awards of Diligence, to nine persons, who
produced excellent achievements regarding work environment
control, respectively. He also presented his letters of gratitude
to twenty seven persons who contributed greatly to theactivities of JAWE.

occupational
healthstaff, in order to realize
and maintain workers’
welfare as well as
success of enterprises
and also industrial
society.
He
also
stressed that corporate
ethics and norm oflabour are two essential
Dr.Tsutomu Takata, Professor Emeritus ofelements for “humane
Kitasato University, presenting his theAfter the Commemorative Ceremony, Dr. Tsutomu Takata, work” that leads toCommemorative Lecture
Professor Emeritus of Kitasato University and also Vice safety and security,
Chairperson of JAWE, addressed the Commemorative Lecture, fairness and justice, creative work and self-responsibility.
entitled “The Reminiscence and the Prospect of Occupational
Health in Japan and JAWE’s 30 years history”. He emphasized
the important role of occupational hygienists and other

From the UK
BOHS has a New Website
Sent by: Anthea Page E-mail: anthea.page@bohs.org
and Sandi Atkinson E-mail: sandi.atkinson@bohs.org
BOHS launched its new website in June and we would like to They also have:invite you to take a look; the address is the same:www.bohs.org
A ‘dashboard’ linking directly to areas of interest within thesite;
Virtually all of the information that was on the old site has been
The option to bookmark areas of the site regularly visited
retained, but within a clearer, structure and with much simpler,and used;
intuitive navigation which should help you find exactly what
Simpler online continuous professional development (CPD)
you’re looking for straight away.
recording and submitting with a designated ‘MyCPD’ area
for members of the Faculty;
We also hope you like the new design, with a cleaner, more
modern look and feel. We think the content is sharper andActive and simple to use discussion forums.
more focused – we’ve retained the depth and breadth of what
we had before, but we think the values and messages are Please do come and visit us and if you have any comments orclearer. It’s easier to use, and it does more, too. So all round it’s suggestions, please let us know. We see it as a truly useful,much, much better!
effective and meaningful representation of BOHS to the global
occupational hygiene community.
Members of the Society can log in to the Members Area andchoose their ‘favourites’ to view easily each time they log in.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20107

From the USA, AIHA
William P. Yant Award
This year the Yant Award was given to Danilo Cottica, Centro by easy-to-use sampling instruments (diffusive samplers); andRicerche Ambientali—Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (IRCCS, the evaluation of skin absorption as a contributor to exposure.
Pavia, Italy), Past IOHA President.
These challenges require environmental and occupational
health and hygiene professionals to develop, implement and
His Yant Lecture at the AIHce 2010, Denver, USA was entitled review programs and policies to promote environmental and“Occupational Hygiene: State of the Art and Development” and occupational health and safety, and to minimize workplace anda summary is hereby presented, with congratulations to Danilo ! environmental pollution involving chemical, physical andbiological hazards.
In his treatise Il de Morbis Artificum Diatriba (“The Workers’
Diseases”), published in 1700, Bernardino Ramazzini made a
distinction between two classes of risks for workers: thesubstances that they manipulate and what these substances
emit; and the bodily positions that workers were required toassume for too long due to the organization of work. To identify
risks, Ramazzini adopted an investigative method that has beenstandardized in the risk assessments and measurements used
today by occupational hygienists worldwide.
In the years since Ramazzini’s treatises, occupational hygienists
have had to deal with new challenges related to new risks(nanoparticles, for example); the need to develop more specificsampling and analysis instruments with lower limits of detection(crystalline silica); the need to characterize occupational from
non-occupational exposure by statistically significant data andAt the AIHce 2010, Denver, Colorado, USA (May 2010), OSHA and NIOSH Pledged Cooperation on
PELs and other Worker Protection Issues
Sent by Melissa Hurley, AIHA E-mail: mhurley@aiha.org

In a joint appearance at the American Industrial Hygiene Michaels’ response to Brosseau’s question about the need to
Conference and Exposition (AIHce), Occupational Safety and update OSHA PELs, many of which are based on 1950s-era
Health Administration (OSHA) Assistant Secretary of Labor David science, drew applause from the occupational health and safety
Michaels, PhD, MPH, and National Institute for Occupational professionals in attendance. “OSHA has not taken leadership on
Safety and Health (NIOSH) Director John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, this issue, and we need to,” Michaels said. OSHA recently
expressed agreement on many issues related to worker health named an independent task force to study options for updating
and safety, including the need to update OSHA’s Permissible PELs. Howard indicated that NIOSH would be willing to help
Exposure Limits (PELs). Responding to questions from ACGIH OSHA decide which PELs are most in need of updating.
Vice President Lisa Brousseau, Michaels and Howard described aworking relationship between their agencies that includes an However, Michaels said that requiring companies to instituteunprecedented level of cooperation.
injury and illness prevention programs is a more pressing issue
than PELs. “We believe it should be required for employers to
Discussing his agency’s efforts to ensure the relevance and assess and abate hazards” in their workplaces, Michaels said.
quality of its research, Howard indicated that NIOSH scienceshould provide a sound basis for OSHA regulations. “It’s Throughout the hour-long session, Michaels referred several
important for us to generate the science that can inform good times to the need for Congress to increase OSHA penalties forpolicy,” Howard said, adding that NIOSH is “very anxious to companies that willfully violate safety rules. The maximum finesupport” OSHA’s regulatory agenda.
that OSHA can impose on a company is $70,000, even in casesthat result in worker deaths. That figure is a fraction of fines
Michaels said that OSHA relies on NIOSH for information about that can be leveled for violations of many environmental laws.
emerging workplace hazards and that he intends to try toeliminate the duplication of risk assessments at the agencies. For more information, please, contact Melissa Hurley, AIHA EBoth Michaels and Howard expressed support for the formation mail: mhurley@aiha.org
or Carol Tobin, AIHA
E-mail:of a federal “clearinghouse” for risk assessments that would ctobin@aiha.org
house all studies of workplace risks conducted by various
agencies in one federal entity.
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20108

NEWS from WHO
WHO Healthy Workplace Initiative
Sent by Evelyn Kortum, WHO E-mail: kortume@who.int

The World Health Organization regards the workplace as a https://extranet.who.int/datacol/survey.asp?survey_id=1355
setting for protecting and promoting the health of workers,
their families and the community. In May 2007, the World Username: healthy workplaces
Password: healthy (English
Health Assembly endorsed the Global Plan of Action on Workers version)
Health (GPA), 2008-2017 (refer to our homepage: http://
www.who.int/occupational_health/en/).
https://extranet.who.int/datacol/survey.asp?survey_id=1540
The Global Plan was adopted unanimously by 193 WHO
Member States, of which many, as well as other international
stakeholders, expressed a need for a globally coherent
framework for planning, delivery and evaluation of essential
interventions for workplace health protection and promotion.

Username: trabajo Password: trabajo (Spanish version)
The input of the network members will be required for meeting
planned activities which involve development of practical global
guidance; guidance for national levels, sectors, companies(organization, team, division, worker); piloting the guidance indifferent settings; developing training modules, as well as
On the occasion of the World Day for Health and Safety atreviewing and developing cost-benefit models easily to be
Work, we launched our publication entitled Healthy workplaces:
undertaken by employers to obtain Return on Investment
a model for action. Currently the document exists in English
indicators.
and Spanish. Other languages are planned for the near future.
The framework and model of healthy workplaces is based on asystematic literature review and a multi-stakeholder approach
involving Trade Unions, Employers, the ILO, OHS specialists, andNGOs. Please, see the following link:
http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/healthy_workplaces_framework.pdf

A global consultation on healthy workplaces is planned
provisionally for the end of January 2011 in the WHO Regional
Office of the Eastern Mediterranean, in close collaboration with
the WHO Regional Adviser for Occupational Health.
We hope that this initiative captures your personal interest as aworker and your professional interest. Please distribute tothose interested.

It will be followed by the enlargement of the network of experts
Link:
http://www.who.int/occupational_health/for interventions for healthy workplace programmes, which you
healthy_workplaces/en/index.html
are invited to join at this link:

NEWS from WHO Collaborating Centres
National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), South Africa
NIOH (SA) hosts academic visitor from Egypt
Sent by: Claudina Nogueira, NIOH Communication and International Liaison
E-mail: claudina.nogueira@nioh.nhls.ac.za
The National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) of the
National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), South Africa, hosted
Dr Adel Mahmoud Zakaria, a visiting academic from Egypt, from
16 March to 1 April 2010. Dr Zakaria is a Professor of Industrial
Hygiene from the High Institute of Public Health in Alexandria.
His expertise includes industrial environment assessment andcontrol, air pollution evaluation and control, and industrial
safety and accident appraisal and prevention. He has an active
involvement and keen interest in teaching and training in theoccupational health field, with extensive lecturing and theses
supervision experience.

L to R: Dr Barry
Kistnasamy (NIOH
Director); Ms Claudina
Nogueira (Head:
Communication andInternational Liaison
Section); Dr Adel
Zakaria; Prof Jill Murray(Head: Pathology
Division); Mr Kevin
Renton (Acting Head:
Occupational Hygiene
Division); Photo by
Shanaz Shapurjee

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 20109

Dr Zakaria’s visit
included hands-on
laboratory training inasbestos and silica
measurement;tothis end he spent
most of his time intheSectionof
Occupational
H y g i e n e ,participated in the
Dr Adel Zakaria presenting at the NIOH on air
section’s activities
pollution in Egypt; Photo by Kevin Renton
and meetings, andwas hosted by the section staff members in the following
laboratories – asbestos; XRD; weighing; respirator fit testing;Polley Dust Duct; and wind tunnel.

Kistnasamy (NIOH Director)
and heads of section to
discuss
proposalsforcollaborative
research
avenues between the two
institutes, as well as proposed
links with the NIOH projects in the current Global Network Planof the WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health (2009-2012), to foster OHS collaboration in Africa, beyond theSouthern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Dr Zakaria spent one day in the Pathology Division; activities
included practical time in the Electron Microscopy Unit and avisit to the museum which houses lung specimens(mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis). Dr Zakaria also toured
other NIOH sections and specialised laboratories – Immunology
and Microbiology (with special focus on sampling methods forbioaerosols); Information Services; Epidemiology and
Surveillance; Occupational Medicine (with a special focus on the
Wits University / NIOH MPH and DOH teaching programmes;
the Ergonomics Unit and the NIOH Referral Clinic); Analytical
Services (biological monitoring and the WHO Occupational
Health Modules course); Toxicology; and the National Cancer
Registry (NCR). During his stay, he met with Dr Barry

Dr Zakaria was invited by the congress organisers to present at
the SAFECONEX Africa 2010 Congress, 17-18 March 2010. The
SAFECONEX Congress has become the most important annual
occupational health and safety event in the SADC region, forprofessionals involved in the associated industries to increase
their knowledge and network with colleagues. Dr Zakaria
delivered one of the keynote addresses, “The state ofoccupational health and safety in Egypt” as well as apresentation in the occupational hygiene breakaway session,“Assessments of occupational hazards in Egyptians foundries”.
While at the NIOH, Dr Zakaria gave presentations on 19 and 30
March – the keynote address which he presented at theCongress, and “Air pollution in Egypt”.

Dr Adel Zakaria with Mr Rob
Ferrie(former
Head:
Occupational Hygiene Division)in the Polley Dust Ductlaboratory; Photo by Kevin
RentonNEWS from ILO
New Developments on the ILO’s Occupational Safety and Health Instruments
Sent by: Seiji Machida, Director, SafeWork, ILO E-mail: machida@ilo.org

At the 307th Session in March 2010, the ILO Governing Body limited and significant implementation gaps exist in respect of(GB) adopted two important instruments on Occupational ratified Conventions. In response to the need for further efforts
Safety and Health (OSH).
on improving OSH through widespread ratification and effective
implementation of the key OSH instruments, a plan of action
1. Plan of Action to achieve widespread ratification and (2010-16) was adopted.
effective implementation of the OSH instruments (Convention
No. 155, its 2002 Protocol and Convention No. 187).
Aiming at increasing awareness on OSH at global, national andConvention No. 155, its 2002 Protocol and Convention No. 187 workplace levels, the strategies of the plan of action focus on
are available online at:the development of a preventative safety and health culture,
the ratification and implementation of key OSH instruments, theimplementation gap of ratified Conventions, and OSH conditions
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/--in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and informal
normes/documents/genericdocument/wcms_125616.pdf
economy. The planed activities for initial phase include:
Safety and health at work has been a core area of ILO action andmany OSH Conventions were adopted as a key means forachieving decent working conditions. Although progress has
been made in many countries, there is still a great concern
about OSH with the estimated annual work related fatalities of
2.3 million. As evidenced by the ILO General Survey in 2009,
while Conventions are appreciated as effective tools to develop
the powerful national framework for OSH improvement, thenumber of countries, which ratified OSH Conventions, is still

Collection of country-specific OSH information andselection of target countries;
Development of promotional materials to raise awarenessand to facilitate ratification of the key OSH Conventions;
Gaps analysis in implementing OSH Conventions;
Development of a training programmemanagement systems approach to OSH;

on

the

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201010

Research on the effects of OSH on productivity and d i s e a s e s ,musculoskeletalcompetitiveness; anddisordersandSetting up of relevant indicators for monitoring andoccupational cancer.
evaluating national OSH programme.
Mentalandbehavioural
The plan of action will be implemented at Office-wide, indisorders have forcollaboration with other relevant international and regional
the first time, been
institutions.
specifically includedin the ILO list. This
2. New list of occupational diseases
list also has open
Director General of the ILO (left) anditems in all the
Chairpersonof the GB (right) were signing
A new list of occupational diseases was established by the ILO
sections which allow
to authenticate the new list, at the 307th
and took effect on 25 March 2010; it is available online at:
Session, with the witness of the Legalthe recognition ofAdvisor (middle).
theoccupationalh t t p : / / w w w . i l o . o r g / s a f e w o r k / w h a t s n e w / l a n g - - e n / origin of diseases
WCMS_124671/index.htm.
not specified in the list, if a link is established between exposure
to risk factors arising from work activities and the disorders
This new list now replaces the one in the Annex to the contracted by the worker.
Recommendation concerning the List of Occupational Diseases
and the Recording and Notification of Occupational Accidents The ILO, being the only international organization thatand Diseases (No. 194), which was adopted in 2002.
establishes an international list of occupational diseases, isworking with its tripartite constituents, other international
The new list reflects the state-of-the-art development at the organizations and professional bodies to prepare guidanceinternational level in the identification and recognition of material to help its 183 Member States to apply this new list.
occupational diseases. It includes a range of internationally This ILO list is designed to assist countries in the prevention,
recognized occupational diseases, from illnesses caused by recording, notification and, if applicable, compensation ofchemical, physical and biological agents to respiratory and skin diseases caused by work.

News from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
(EU-OSHA)
2009 Annual Report: spending on health and safety is an investment not a cost
Sent by: Birgit Müller, EU-OSHA E-mail: muller@osha.europa.eu
EU-OSHA's 2009 Annual Report emphasizes the long-term value how health and safety risks are managed at their workplace,of workplace health and safety in difficult economic times, and with a particular focus on the newer “psychosocial risks”, suchencourages employers to find alternatives to redundancy. as work-related stress, violence and harassment. This report
Highlights of its work in 2009 include the ESENER survey, the presents an overview of the results from a first analysis of the
Risk Assessment campaign and the European photo data, which is drawn from 36,000 interviews carried out in 31
competition.
countries. First findings from the ‘European Survey ofEnterprises on New and Emerging Risks’ (ESENER) provide an
The Press Release is available at:insight into how European companies are managing health andhttp://osha.europa.eu/en/press/presssafety issues in practice – with a particular focus onreleases/2009_annual_report_01.15062010
psychosocial risks.
The full Annual Report 2009 (English) is available at:This study revealed that “79% of European managers identify
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/annual_report/2009full work-related stress as a major risk, but less than a third ofcompanies are dealing with it”.
The Summary is available in all EU languages; link: http://
osha.europa.eu/en/publications/annual_report/
The full ESENER Report (in English), June 2010, is available at:ar_summary_2009/view
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/
esener1_osh_management
European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks(ESENER) - Managing safety and health at work
The ESENER Summary (available in 22 languages), at:
The “European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/en_esener1Risks (ESENER) - Managing safety and health at work” asked summary.pdf/view
managers and workers' health and safety representatives about
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201011

It is possible to view the results online with the interactive Report”(22
languages)isavailable
onlineat:mapping tool (available in 22 languages); see: http:// http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/en_91.pdf/
osha.europa.eu/sub/esener/en/view
OSH in figures: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the
Maintenance and OSH: a statistical pictureThis new report shows the main hazards, risks, health problems EU -Facts and figures
and accidents that maintenance workers in Europe are exposed Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common
to and suggests appropriate prevention measures. One occupational disease in the European Union and workers in allimportant finding was that 10-15% of all fatal workplace sectors and occupations can be affected. Recent figures, foraccidents are related to maintenance operations. EU-OSHA’s example from Austria, Germany or France, also demonstrate an
new campaign on Safe Maintenance raises awareness of the increasing impact of musculoskeletal disorders on costs. Thislatest report, following on from the Agency’s previous research,
importance of proper maintenance work.
aims to give an updated overview of the current European
The Factsheet on this subject is (22 languages) is available situation as regards musculoskeletal disorders, the trends over
online at: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/factsheets/ the years since the first campaign in 2000, and a detailed insight
into the causes and circumstances behind MSDs. The reporten_90.pdf/view
highlights the main issues and aims to provide a well-foundedevidence base, helping policy makers, actors at enterprise and
The full report (English) is available at: http://osha.europa.eu/
sector level, as well as researchers and those who record,
en/publications/literature_reviews/
prevent and compensate occupational diseases in the European
maintenance_OSH_statistics/
Union to set the agenda for the next years.
In order to highlight an often disregarded source ofoccupational risk factors, EU-OSHA engages for 2010-2011 in “OSH in figures: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in thethe
Safe
MaintenanceCampaign;
details
at: EU - Facts and Figures” is available (in English only) at: http://
osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/TERO09009ENC/view
http://osha.europa.eu/en/campaigns/hw2010/maintenanceIntegrating OSH into university-level education: new report Contribute to future health and safety in green jobs
EU-OSHA’s European Risk Observatory (ERO) has commissioned
highlights challenges and opportunities
How do we ensure that young people are aware of OSH before a foresight study to explore the potential for emerging risks tothey enter the world of employment? Future engineers, health and safety arising out of new technologies in green jobs
architects, medical professionals and business administrators by 2020. The study will use the scenario building technique toand managers will all need to take account of OSH in aspects in produce descriptions of a range of possible futures, which will
their working lives. This report presents a variety of cases allow decision makers to anticipate and prepare for theseconcerning how OSH has been included in university- emerging risks. The project began in January this year and willlevel education. Of most interest were examples where OSH continue until January 2012.
was embedded in the programme of other undergraduate
studies, such as a general engineering undergraduate course or The first part of the project involves the identification of key
a business studies course. However, few examples were found contextual drivers of change that have the potential to influence
where OSH/risk education had been truly embedded within the health and safety in green jobs up to 2020, for example, socioeconomic trends, which affect the labour market; trends incurriculum of individual courses.
A new report - “Mainstreaming occupational safety and health public attitude towards risks; and national, European
into university education”- looks at the challenges of and international political agendas and developments, such as
mainstreaming or integrating OSH into university courses, and globalisation or economic crises.
at imaginative ways of meeting those challenges; it is available
onlineat:
http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/ Further details may be obtained from the site:
mainstream_osh_university_education
http://osha.europa.eu/en/teaser/contribute-to-future-healthand-safety-in-green-jobs
The Factsheet on “Challenges and opportunities formainstreaming OSH into university education — Summary of aInternational Actions
International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO - 08)
Sent by Darren Joubert E-mail: djoubert@haad.ae andTon Spee E-mail: Spee@arbouw.nl
The International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) an official occupation, which is a great breakthrough for theis one of the main international classifications for which the ILO recognition of this important field. Relevant extracts from ISCO
is responsible. Its latest edition, ISCO – 08, has already been – 08 are hereby presented.
released and Occupational Hygienists have been recognized as
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201012

2263: Environmental and occupational health and hygiene
professionals
Environmental and occupational health and hygiene
professionals assess, plan and implement programs torecognize, monitor and control environmental factors that canpotentially affect human health, to ensure safe and healthy
working conditions, and to prevent disease or injury caused bychemical, physical, radiological and biological agents orergonomic factors.

minimize workplace and environmental pollution involving
chemical, physical and biological hazards;(f) advising methods to prevent, eliminate, control, or reduce
the exposure of workers, students, the public and theenvironment to radiological and other hazards;(g) promoting ergonomic principles within the workplace suchas matching furniture, equipment and work activities to theneeds of employees;

Tasks include:(h) providing education, information, training, and advice to(a) developing, implementing and reviewing programs and persons at all levels on aspects of occupational hygiene andpolicies to minimize potential environmental and occupational environmental health;risks to health and safety;(i) recording and investigating injuries and equipment damage,(b) preparing and implementing plans and strategies for the and reporting safety performance;
safe, economic and suitable disposal of commercial, industrial,
medical and household wastes;(j) coordinating arrangements for the compensation,
rehabilitation and return to work of injured workers.
(c) implementing prevention programs and strategies forcommunicable diseases, food safety, waste water treatment Examples of the occupations classified here:
and disposal systems, recreation and domestic water quality,
contaminated and hazardous substances;Environmental Health Officer
Occupational Health and Safety Adviser(d) identifying, reporting and documenting hazards, andOccupational Hygienist
assessing and controlling risks in the environment andRadiation Protection Expert
workplace and advising on compliance with relevant law andregulations;
Further detailed information on ISCO – 08 is available online at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/index.htm(e) developing, implementing and monitoring programs toInternational Training Modules for Occupational Hygiene - status report July 2010
Sent by: Roger Alesbury E-mail: roger@alesbury.net
Steve Bailey E-mail:steve.r.bailey@gsk.com andBrian Davies E-mail: bdavies@uow.edu.au
OHLearning.com went liveon 1st May 2010,providing free access toall of the International
Training Modules.
The site was previewed at
the BOHS Conference inHarrogate and generated
a great deal of interest. At
the American Industrial
Hygiene Conference and Exposition in Denver, a presentation
was given at a roundtable session on training/certification
models for global occupational hygiene, as well as presentations
to the IOHA board, the AIHA International Affairs Committee
and a workshop for stakeholders. This generated a great deal of
positive feedback and enthusiasm.

qualified and the careers available. It also explains the
background to the project and gives information about thepeople involved.
The Training section has links to course providers andcourse materials - here you can find the first eight courses
on various topics of occupational hygiene. Each course is
one week duration and includes a student manual,presenters’ briefing packs, PowerPoint slides, practicalsessions, case studies and workshops – everything needed
to run a course. Each approved course has been peer
reviewed for technical accuracy and students on any
approved course run by Approved Training Providers can sit
a student assessment to build up credits toward
intermediate international qualifications in occupational
hygiene.

You can find out more about the site by viewing an animated The starting point is a “Basic Principles in Occupational Hygiene”
demonstration online.
OHLearning.com has three main course, which is a basic foundation level course that serves as agood introduction to the subject for individuals who havesections:
limited prior knowledge of occupational hygiene. This will be ofgeneral interest to anyone in the field of health and safety as
The About section is for students and employers looking for well as students who wish to study the core occupational
information about occupational hygiene. It gives an hygiene modules. For example, specialists in areas like healthoverview of the subject, why it is important, how to get and safety, occupational medicine and nursing should
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201013

understand the basic principles of occupational hygiene so that In the first three months since launch there were 8789 visits tothey can deal with simple problems and know when to call in a OHLearning.com from 4944 individuals in 1147 cities from 98
specialist. This can lead to an international qualification at the countries. A total of 56,898 page views - an average of 6.5 pageFoundation level.
views per person which we are informed is very good.
Already there are 21 Approved Training Providers (ATP) who
Technicians and technologists working in occupational hygiene have met the criteria to offer the courses with the International
require the technical knowledge and hands-on, practical awards. Twenty six training events are already advertised in 12
training at Intermediate level that will enable them to take countries and many more are in planning. Although anyone canmeasurements, assess exposure and check the effectiveness of download and use the course materials, only ATPs and thecontrol measures. There are presently 7 courses available at this courses they offer are listed on OHLearning.com and only ATPslevel:
can offer the core modules with the OHTA student assessmentthat leads to the International awards.
W501 Measurement of Hazardous Substances
W502

Thermal Environment

W503

Noise – Measurement and its effects

W504

Asbestos and Other Fibres

W505

Control of Hazardous Substances

W506

Ergonomics Essentials

W507

Health Effects of Hazardous Substances

The process and benefits of becoming an ATP are provided on
the site . Providers may submit a simple questionnaire, together
with details of their organisation. Providing they meet therequirements (principally that the organisation can demonstrate
they have the ability to run the courses and has a course
director who holds and an IOHA NAR qualification), the provider
can be listed on OHLearning.com and have their own page on
the site listing their courses.

Funding for the development of the materials on
Specialists with responsibility for designing and delivering the OHLearning.com has been provided by industry and theoccupational hygiene programmes in a workplace will need to development of the website was funded jointly by IOHA, AIOH
study at the advanced level. This will give them a deep and BOHS. Access to OHLearning.com and download ofunderstanding of the scientific basis of occupational hygiene as materials is entirely free of charge, subject to the Terms of Use
well as a high level of technical skills, and can lead to and copyright conditions.
The scheme is run entirely byprofessional qualifications.
volunteers and users are encouraged to offer support andparticipate in future developments via the community section.
The third section of the website is the Community - aninteractive section for feedback and contributions. The Ongoing support for the site requires a source of funding andCommunity is essential to the long-term success of the this will come entirely from our sponsors. OHLearning.com isscheme, bringing together a global network of proud to welcome SKC and 3M as founder sponsors and is
occupational hygiene expertise and resources. It allows grateful to them for their support and assistance. As sponsors,
hygienists to share training programmes they have they have provided funding and offered where practicable todeveloped, and to benefit from the work of others. They assist Approved Training Providers with loan of equipment.
can collaborate in developing new programmes and Sponsors have links to their sites from OHLearning.com
contribute to improving the existing ones. It will growinto a major resource for training providers and If you know of any organisation that may be interested insupporting OHLearning.com please encourage them to visit thestudents.
site and get in contact. Details on sponsorship can be found on
the site.

Contributions from Readers
From Brazil
A brief account of the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification andLabelling of Chemicals (GHS) in Brazil
Sent by Roque Puiatti, Brazil E-mail: rpuiatti@via-rs.net

Actions for the implementation of the GHS in Brazil started in2001 with the creation of the Priority Action 6 – GHS, within thescope of the National Commission for Chemical Safety(CONASQ), with the participation of more than 50
governmental and private institutions as well as universities andNGOs.

Initial activities focused on information about GHS and its
objectives, as well as the importance of its implementation not
only to improve human health and the environment but also tofacilitate the international trade of chemical products.
Furthermore, GHS is an essential instrument for a national
policy on chemical safety.

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201014

In June 2007 the President of Brazil signed a Presidential Decree
creating the GT-GHS (Working Group-GHS) Brazil, comprising 12
governmental institutions, plus the participation of key
organizations, with responsibilities related to the elaborationand proposal of strategies, directives, programmes and plans
and actions for the implementation of GHS.

GHS Workshop, November 2002, in Sao PauloMany activities for the dissemination of information on GHS in
South America and MERCOSUL were carried out, including aseminar with international and national support, involving
participants representing 10 countries. The final report of thisSeminar included recommendations for the implementation of
GHS in the region.
Participants of the one-week training, December 2009, in Montevideo Uruguay

At the same time, Brazilian representatives have participated ininternationals forums and events on the implementation of
GHS. Brazil has been a member of the Subcommittee of Expertson the Globally Harmonized System of Classification andLabelling of Chemicals (SCEGHS) of the United Nations, since its
creation in 2001.
Cooperation and exchange of experiences is an important
aspect for GHS implementation. As a result of cooperation
Brazil-Uruguay, a one-week GHS training course was held in
A GHS webpage was created containing information, Montevideo, in December 2009.
proceedings from meetings, national documents andinternational links. This is available online at:
At present, a number of activities are being carried out in
connexion with GHS implementation, for example: the GT-GHS
www.mdic.gov.br/sitio/interna/interna.php?
Brazil debate on proposals for a legal framework for GHS; aarea=5&menu=818
revision of the Standard for GHS (NBR 14.725 parts 1 to 4) by
the Brazilian Association for Standardization (“Associação
Education and training are of fundamental importance for the Brasileira de Normas Técnicas” - ABNT); translation of theimplementation of GHS; this was one of the main focuses of GHS Document (“A Guide to the Globally Harmonized System
Priority Action 6 - GHS. In addition to meetings, consolidation of of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals”), referred to as
existing national legislation, comprehensibility testing, an event “The Purple Book”, into Portuguese, and, the dissemination ofwithin the World Forum Social Mundial (January 2005) and information on GHS in courses and events.
sectorial conferences, the first one-week training on GHS took
place in Rio de Janeiro, in November 2005. Four such one-weektraining activities followed in other regions of the country.
South America GHS Seminar, November 2004, in São Paulo

Meeting of the GT-GHS Brazil, July 2010, in Brasilia

Participants of the one-week training, November 2005, in Rio de Janeiro

IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201015

From Brazil
The National Congress of the ANAMT (Brazilian National Association of Occupational Medicine)
Sent by Luiz Carlos Morrone E-mail: morronelc@uol.com.br
and Zuher Handar E-mail: zuherhandar@yahoo.com.br

The National Congress of ANAMT was held in the city of 9 is the Brazilian standard dealing with the recognition,
Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 14 to 21 May 2010. evaluation and control of occupational hazards)
There were two thousand participants, from all over Brazil, as
well as from Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Assessment and prevention of exposure to airborne
nanomaterials: the occupational hygiene vision
Although ANAMT is the occupational medicine association,
there was a special session on Occupational Hygiene – an During the congress, there was an associated international
important related science - covering topics such as:
event: the first Italian-Brazilian meeting on Occupational
Medicine, which demonstrated a very positive relationship in
Methods for the assessment and control of hazards in the work this area of knowledge.
environment - pragmatic approaches such as Control Banding
and SOBANE
A new type of meeting was included in this Congress, in order to“open doors” for young practitioners: the First ScientificMethods and efficient alternatives in the control of dust in the Meeting of Undergraduate and Graduate Students, andwork environment
Residents in Occupational Medicine, where more than 80
papers were presented.
Exposure to silica and the risk of silicosis in the ceramics
industry: a study in the Santa Gertrudes industrial complex
The Scientific Commission of the Congress accepted 53
proposals for oral presentations and 104, for poster
The efficiency in the application of NR-9 and hazard control (NR- presentations.

From CanadaNews from the IRSST
Making work meaningful - Promoting psychological well-being
Sent by: Maura Tomi, IRSST E-mail: Maura.Tomi@irsst.qc.ca

The IRSST just published a guide intended for managers and(protective effects); there are also ways of promoting
others involved in workplace health in its broad sense, including
psychological well-being, and these may have beneficial
psychological well-being. This document is also a tool for heads
effects.
of human resource departments, health & safety committees,
and union and employer representatives. It is based on the To download the document, please visit:
study, The Meaning of Work, Mental Health and Organizational http://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/_publicationirsst_100536.html
Commitment1, which discusses six characteristics giving
meaning to work, and analyzes the links between work Choosing the right type of protective gloves
characteristics, mental health and an employee’s commitment
to the employer.
The IRSST created a new website that provide necessary
information for helping individuals and OH&S managers identify
The document provides a positive and proactive approach to protective gloves that correspond to their needs. (http://
workplace health, and has four premises:
www.irsst.qc.ca/gants/en/index.html)
The meaning that people ascribe to their work can have Even if it has been designed for an occupational use, this guide
either positive or negative effects on their mental health can also be useful in the case of personal- and leisure-type
activities. When hands are exposed to hazards, they must be
and their commitment to their organization.
protected. Injuries can be avoided when gloves are suited forSome indicators of psychological distress may be observed
the risks, are worn correctly and are maintained appropriately.
in organizations as well as workers. Psychological balance
The interactive selection tool allows a search of information on
has a direct impact on workers’ commitment to theira specific glove model as well as a criteria-based search fororganization.
glove models, in particular according to the resistance toAccording to the study, six characteristics make work mechanical risks, food handling compliance and cost. A help
meaningful: social purpose/utility, autonomy, learning/ relative to the use of this selection tool is available in the top
development opportunities, moral correctness, the quality right corner of the banner.
of relationships and recognition.
There are ways of preventing psychological distress A PDF information document (this document is currently being
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201016

translated). provides information on relevant laws andregulations, risk management process, types of gloves,
manufacturing processes, materials, risks and characterization
methods among others. It includes also some examples ofsituation scenarios.
Further information at: http://www.irsst.qc.ca/gants/en/
index.html
Contact details: Communications Division, IRSST, http://
www.irsst.qc.ca/en/home.html

the remit was to review the last 15 years of the literature, aperiod that covers the time since the expert evaluation of TCE'scancer potential by a Working Group of the International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 1995).
The present review focused on informative epidemiology
studies published since the IARC review. In addition, searches
were carried out to determine whether any post-IARC TCE
cancer studies have been carried out in laboratory animals. A
brief overview of the knowledge database of TCE's cancer
potential (both in humans and laboratory animals) at the timeof the IARC review was also included.

Review of selected literature on the carcinogenicity oftrichloroethylene (TCE)
To download the document:
http://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/_publicationirsst_100538.html
The Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité
du Travail (IRSST) just published a review of selected literature For the French version:on the carcinogenicity of trichloroethylene (TCE). Specifically, http://www.irsst.qc.ca/fr/_publicationirsst_100539.html

From Japan
Historical background of occupational cancers and the measures for their prevention in Japan
Urinary system diseases including bladder cancers, caused by benzidine, beta-naphthylamine, orother chemical substances
Sent by: Masayoshi Karasawa, Special Adviser, JAWE, E-mail: m19419k@yahoo.co.jp

The production of benzidine, beta-naphthylamine and/or other materials, in Japan, during the World War II. After 1963, thebladder cancer causing substances as dye intermediates was amount of asbestos imported by Japan rapidly increased, andstarted in Germany around 1879, and about 20 years after that, up to 250 thousand to 350 thousand tons of asbestos were
bladder cancer patients began to be found among workers imported per year at a peak period. Asbestosis, a
handling these chemical substances. In Japan, it seems that the pneumoconiosis, has been well known as a health hazard
production of these dye intermediates was started during the caused by asbestos for a very long time. With progresses inWorld War I, and cases of bladder cancer among workers medical diagnosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and other healthinvolved in their production were also reported in 1940. In hazards caused by asbestos have been increasingly observed.
Japan, it was reported that the production of benzidine wasstarted around 1951.
In January 1994, the Ministry of Labour banned the production,
use and other handling of crocidolite (blue asbestos) andThe Ministry of Labour (at present, the Ministry of Health, amosite, the most hazardous types of asbestos. In October
Labour and Welfare; MHLW), Japan, hammered out measures 2003, asbestos cement cylinders, extruded cement boards,
to control urinary system diseases caused by these dye decorative slates for roofs, fibre-reinforced cement boards,
intermediates in 1961. In April 1970, a notice entitled ceramic siding, clutch facings, clutch linings, brake pads, brake“Measures to Prevent Urinary System Diseases in the linings and adhesives containing asbestos were listed as
Production or Handling of Bladder Cancer Causing Substances” hazardous materials that must not be produced. Moreover, in
was issued in the name of the Director General of the Labour October 2006, MHLW banned the production, use and otherStandards Bureau. In November 1971, four leading dye handling of all kinds of asbestos, as well as preparations
manufacturers (private corporations) voluntarily discontinued containing more than 0.1 % of asbestos in weight. Afterwards
the production of benzidine, which had caused many workers to the number of cases of workers’ exposure to asbestos dust hasdevelop bladder cancer. The production of benzidine and beta- been gradually reduced. However, there is fear that workers
naphthylamine was banned by the enactment of the may be exposed to asbestos dispersed when buildings or fireOccupational Safety and Health Law in 1972. However, these resistant coverings containing asbestos are dismantled, and thatabove-mentioned measures were not necessarily systematic or workers previously exposed to asbestos may develop diseases
legislative.
such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. In fact, in Japan,
according to the related yearly statistics released by MHLWLung cancer, mesothelioma, or other health hazards due to from the fiscal year 2006 to 2009, more than 1000 workers
asbestos
were compensated by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Law, due to this group of asbestos-related diseases.
Because of its excellent properties, asbestos had been widelyused for heat-resistant materials, gaskets, packing, asbestos- Other occupational cancers
cement, ducts, and many other purposes both at home andabroad. Asbestos came to be heavily used for industrial In addition to the health hazards described above, otherpurposes, such as insulating materials for boilers and steam occupational cancers have been reported. In 1975, it was foundpipes, vehicle brakes, and fire-proof or heat-insulating covering that slug containing a high level of chromium had been illegally
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201017

dumped from the site in Tokyo where a chemical factory
producing chromium acid compounds and bichromic acidcompounds once stood, and that those working in the factory
had developed perforation of the nasal septum, lung cancer, orother respiratory cancers; many of them had died. Moreover,liver angiosarcoma was reported among workers engaged in
production of polyvinyl chloride, as it has happened in the
United States.

provision of information and other necessary assistance.
Moreover, the State (through the MHLW) will also carry out
toxicity investigations.”
The establishment of the new Research Centre for long term
(two years) carcinogenicity studies with regard to potential
carcinogens and other bioassay studies such as mutagenecity
tests in 1977.

The amendment of the Occupational Safety and Health Law for
the strengthening of measures for the prevention ofoccupational cancers and the ratification of the Occupational
Cancer Convention, 1974 of ILO
The Government of Japan, especially the Ministry of Labour (atthat time) was criticized for a lack of adequate measures
including legislation to prevent occupational cancers. In
response to this criticism, MOL (Ministry of Labour, at that time)
proposed the amendment of the Occupational Safety and
Health Law, including the establishment of the provision of
Investigation of Toxicity of Chemical Substances and theimplementation of Epidemiological Survey by the Minister ofLabour (at present, MHLW) as well as the ratification of the
Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 of ILO to the Japanese
Parliament, and moreover, requested the Ministry of Financenecessary budget for the establishment of the New ResearchCentre which carries out long term inhalation Carcinogenicity
Studies, with regard to potential carcinogens which are used orgoing to be used in the work place, using SPF (Specific pathogenfree) mammalian experimental animals (for example, mice and/or rats) and other bioassay studies such as mutagenecity tests.
All of these proposals were approved finally by the Parliament,
and the provisions of the amendment mentioned above were
enforced in June, 1979. Some examples of these provisions are
hereby presented; further details may be obtained from theauthor.

The Japan Bioassay Research Centre (in Hadano City, Kanagawa
Prefecture, close to Tokyo) was established by the MHLW as the
New Research Centre in April, 1982, and is operated by theJapan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA). Since
then the Japan Bioassay Research Centre finished long term
carcinogenicity studies with regard to 35 kinds of potentiallycarcinogenic chemicals, under the trust of MHLW and publishedthese results internally and externally. This Research Centre is adistinguished Institute in the field of long term Carcinogenicity
Study and other related studies on the safety of chemical
substances in the international community, therefore theresults of the said researches and studies were evaluated by theInternational Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), SIDS
(OECD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, USA), DFG(Germany), AFSSET (France) and other international
Example from Article 57-3. (Investigation of Toxicity of organization and/or countries. And, 26 chemical substances
Chemical Substances)among them were controlled as the carcinogens or the potential
carcinogens under the related guidelines published by the“To prevent impairment of workers’ health, an employer who Minister or notifications notified by the Director General of theintends to manufacture or import chemicals (hereinafter in this Labour Standards Bureau, the Ministry of Health, Labour andArticle referred to as “new chemical substance”) other than the Welfare, Japan.
ones defined by Cabinet Order as the existing chemical
substances, shall, in advance, undertake an investigation of The amendment of the Occupational Safety and Health Law intoxicity provided for by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, 2005 (enforced in April, 2006), introducing autonomous risk
Labour and Welfare (MHLW), including mutagenicity tests, and assessment and risk management with respect to occupational
shall notify the said Ministry the name of the new chemical and safety and health, to be carried out by Employer
the results of the toxicity investigation. The number of notified
new chemicals according to this provision reached 19,238 (of In Japan, based on the international and domestic backgroundwhich 16,266 chemicals were produced in Japan and 2,972, with respect to the introduction of the occupational safety andimported from 1979 to 2008). Between the new chemicals health management system, the Ministry of Health, Labour andnotified to the Minister, according to this provision, plus the Welfare (MHLW) published “Guidelines on Occupational Safety
results of the mutagenecity tests conducted by the Ministry, and Health Management Systems” as the Ministry of Labour
there were 738 highly mutagenic chemical substances, which Notification No. 53, April 30, 1999 (amended in March, 2006).
require adequate control according to the “Guideline for the Moreover, the International Labour Organization (ILO) issued
prevention of workers’ health hazard due to such chemical Guidelines on occupational safety and health management
substances as evaluated highly mutagenic” (published in May systems (ILO OSH 2001). These trends promote employer’s
1993, by the Director General, Labour Standards Bureau).
autonomous risk assessment and risk management with respect
to occupational safety and health. Taking into consideration
Article 57-5. (State Assistance): In order to contribute to the these trends, in 2005, the MHLW proposed the amendment ofadequate implementation of the investigation of toxicity of the Occupational Safety and Health Law, including thechemicals, under the preceding two Articles, the State shall introduction of such provision as the one presented here as an
endeavour to ensure the required facilities as well as the example.
IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201018

From Article 28-2. (Investigations to be carried out by MHLW expert committee) was enacted and enforced in April
employer): “The employer shall, as requested by the Ordinance 2007. Since then MHLW has conducted risk assessment withof the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, investigate the regard to more than 120 such substances. According to thedanger or harm, due to buildings, facilities, raw materials, gases, results of risk assessment, if and when necessary, depending on
vapours, dust, etc., and those arising from work actions and the extent of the evaluated risk, the Ministry regulates theother duties; thereafter, based on the results of these substances in question and publishes the necessary guidelines
investigations, the employer shall take the necessary measures for the prevention of hazards to workers’ health.
to prevent impairment to workers’ health as required by thisLaw and amendments (approved by the Japanese Parliament Future tasks with respect to the prevention of occupationaland enforced in April, 2006).
cancers in Japan
In order to enforce these provisions, the MHLW published two As mentioned above, in Japan, the necessary systematic
guidelines, namely, Guidelines for Risk Assessment (10 March legislative measures have been somehow established. However,2006) and Guidelines for Risk Assessment on Chemicals (30 there are still several tasks ahead, as follows:
March 2006). These guidelines for risk assessment of dangerous
and/or toxic chemical substances should be conducted in 1. Prevention of lung cancer, mesothelioma and other related
accordance with international standards, and with the four
health hazards due to exposure to asbestos, by completely
steps: Hazard identification, Dose-response assessment,
avoiding workers’ exposure to any kind of asbestos.
Exposure assessment and/or Risk characterization.”
2. Strengthening the cooperation with International
Organizations as well as other countries in the field ofWhenever needed, MHLW itself should conduct risk assessment
identification of carcinogenic substances and exchange ofwith regard to selected toxic or potentially toxic chemical
related information;
substances including carcinogenic substances or potential 3. Improvement of accuracy and precision of the activities
carcinogenic substances, and for this purpose, the provision ofconcerning identification and risk assessment of
the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, on reporting by
carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic substances.
employers on exposure to harmful chemicals (selected by anDisclaimer:
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.

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IOHA Newsletter, Vol 18 No 2, August 201019