Global ExposureManager
The newsletter of the International Occupational Hygiene Association

In this issue-- Momentum building on OH, says new president-- 23rd Occupational Health Week takes placein Colombia-- Women and PPE: Still a major failing-- SAIOH annual conference 2017 takes place-- The ‘Generally’ Harmonised System: Preparing
SDSs and labels for use around the world-- News from: Chemical Risk Manager

www.ioha.net

December 2017 | Issue 7

Momentum building on
OH, says new president
in countries such as Chile and Venezuela. I was really happy to see
how they are trying to get the others involved and it was good togive the region some attention.”

Andrea Hiddinga, president of IOHA, believes
these are interesting times in occupational
hygiene. Judith Chamberlain reports.

Ms Hiddinga, who works as an occupational hygienist herself (seebox), has been a board member since 2008, when she was asked
if she would join as a volunteer. In 2015 she offered to write the
new strategy for IOHA.“I decided if I want things to change, I
have to take this opportunity to have some influence and I haveto do it now. It was a great possibility to think about the vision/
mission and the future of IOHA and translate them into new
ideas. Together with Dr Jimmy Perkins from ACGIH we collated
the information from the associations and wrote the new strategy.

Exciting times are ahead for occupational hygiene (OH), withmany new initiatives on the way and lots of global activity
boosting interest in better workplace health, according to the newpresident of IOHA, Andrea Hiddinga.
Ms Hiddinga, a Dutch national who took over the presidency
from Dr Doo Yong Park on 30 October at the board meeting
held in Medellín, Colombia, says: “I’ve been on the board of
IOHA for ten years and I have never seen so much going on in
the world in relation to OH. It’s a really exciting time.”“Because I had already made the strategy document, I thought itwould be great to be able to be the president for this period, tocarry out my own strategy and see it come to fruition. And wehave already done a few things, for example the new newsletter.”

One example of this, she says, is the fact that it was the first timean IOHA board meeting has been held in Latin America for 30
years. This is partly a reflection of the big changes happening
in that region but also because the difficulties with the language
barrier have now been solved.

I decided if I want to have someinfluence I have to do it now, and it
was a great opportunity to think about
new possibilities and a vision

Ms Hiddinga says: “We tried for several years to hold a meeting
there and it didn’t work out, but now we have two board members
who speak both Spanish and English so that has made it mucheasier to communicate effectively. In addition, all the English
articles from Global Exposure Manager are now being translated
into Spanish by a Colombian organisation, which is a reallygreat improvement.”

Andrea Hiddinga

Being there for the first time, Ms Hiddinga commented on how
fantastic it was to see how much OH work is going on in that
region. ‘‘The Colombian association, Asociación Colombiana
De Higiene Ocupacional (ACHO), showed us during the meeting
the ways in which they are working to connect with the rest of
the region.’’

So what are Ms Hiddinga’s key priorities for the year ahead?
First and foremost, she believes, is the need to focus on therelationships that IOHA has, both internally and externally, tomeet the strategic goal of the promotion of OH.
To improve communication internally, IOHA needs to explain
what has been achieved and how work for this year is progressing
so that member associations can see the benefits of helping thesociety to achieve its goals.

ACHO has been a member of IOHA since 2008. It has organised
and participated in many conferences, including a pan-American
OH conference, which was hosted by Colombia in 2013, and aninternational summit on human vibrations in 2014, which resulted
in the drafting of government guidelines.

“We have to show member associations that actually we are doinga lot of things but sometimes the spin-off isn’t that clear,” shesays. “I would really like to focus on that because we need theassociations to help us achieve our goals by 2020. There is somuch work to be done so we need to attract those societies andget more volunteers who can help us on specific topics.”

Being in Colombia was “really great”, says Ms Hiddinga. “I think
IOHA was in a good place with so much happening in Latin
America and there were lots of observers from other associations

IOHA Newsletter

1

December 2017

For example, as IOHA is an NGO of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), it has begun to receive invitations to attend
meetings – such as one in January on shipbuilding and ship repair– to adopt various codes of practice. IOHA would like to get
involved at an earlier stage by identifying experts to help draft
the codes.

that is where many new organisations first come across IOHA. So
it is currently investigating how the website should look and how
to make it easy for someone new in the field to find informationor use it as a place to exchange ideas.
“There is a lot of information out there so we need to look at
how we get our message across. We’ve also asked our member
organisations for their input so they feel involved.”“This is a great opportunity for us but if we want to have someinfluence we need people who are experts in these areas. These
are not always people from the board but there are a lot ofexperts in the associations so we would love to involve them as
volunteers”, Ms Hiddinga says.

External relationships are also a key focus for Ms Hiddinga.
One example is the ILO. Two years ago, IOHA did not have any
contact with it, but now the two organisations are starting to lookat how they can work together.

IOHA would also like to share its successes so that theassociations can see the added value of being a member. Ms
Hiddinga has therefore done a report to be sent to the presidents
and executive boards to give them an update of what has been
done based on the work plan for 2016-2020, including where theorganisation is now and what it wants to achieve in the next year.
“It’s also a good opportunity to ask if they want to help us on
different topics. I decided I would do that at the beginning of
my presidency so I can monitor progress. It’s the best way to get
the message across clearly, so the presidents feel a little bit more
involved,” she comments.
There are also a lot of initiatives at the moment to try and get
more people involved with IOHA. Countries including Thailand,
Tanzania, Guatemala, India and Turkey are in the process ofsetting up associations and IOHA is keen to support them,
particularly through mentoring.

About the new president

There is a lot of information out there
so we need to look at how we get ourmessage across. We’ve also asked
our member organisations for their
input so they feel involved

Andrea Hiddinga studied environmental hygiene in
Groningen, Netherlands, at the Professor van Hall
Institute. After graduating in 1991, she studied OH at
Wageningen University until 1994 and is now a registeredoccupational hygienist.

Andrea Hiddinga

The first seven years of her career were spent with thestate research institute, TNO, where she worked on large
field studies to investigate inhalation and dermal exposure
to pesticides and biocides. She also worked on the EU
project Risk of Derm, one of whose results was a tool
to estimate dermal exposure that is now used in REACH
risk assessment.

“Many people are trying to set up their own organisations but
sometimes they are starting off really small so if another country
in the region can mentor them, it can be really beneficial.”

In 2001, she moved to Arbo Unie, an occupational healthservices provider and has worked as an external consultant
in different sectors. Since January 2015, she has beencoordinator of the company’s Expert Centre for Chemical
Risk Management. She has been on the IOHA board since2008 as a representative of the Dutch OH association,
NVvA, and as treasurer for IOHA from 2011 to 2015.

For example, South Africa is the only country whose national
association is a member of IOHA at the moment in Africa but, as
it is more aware of the cultural and political complexities of theregion, it can help other countries such as Tanzania to get started.
As part of improving communications and building relationships,
one of the biggest challenges this year is to build a new website as

IOHA Newsletter2

December 2017

Although all this is still at a very early stage, IOHA is looking at
whether it can join a global coalition on occupational safety andhealth (OSH), which the ILO has just set up.

“It’s a great way to spread the OH message globally. If we
improve working conditions (SDG 8) it means there is lesspoverty (SDG1) and less hunger (SDG 2). With decent
working conditions we can also have influence on people’s
health (SDG 3). If we can create more awareness of the effectof our work on health and income we could show the added valueof OH.”“ILO asked if organisations could join a coalition and we would
like to be a part of that as it absolutely adds value. We’ve got a lotof experts in our association who could help with specific topics
to give that coalition more support.”

Ms Hiddinga was surprised that so many peopledo not seem toknow about SDGs so that is the personal message that she wants
to get across. At IOHA’s board meeting in Dublin, she will do apresentation on SDGs in a special session together with WHO,
CDC/Niosh and INAIL.

IOHA also has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with theInternational Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) whichfinishes in May 2018. Ms Hiddinga is really keen to investigate
how the MoU can be given more content because “it should be
more than the presidents seeing each other once in a while – weshould try and work together more on projects”.

As well as the Dublin meeting, organising and planning for the
next IOHA conference in September in Washington, DC, is
now in full swing. Ms Hiddinga wants to ensure there is plentyof discussion on how to help IOHA achieve its strategy andmaximise networking opportunities.

IOHA’s next board meeting at the end of April is taking placein Dublin, because it coincides with the ICOH conference andprovides a good opportunity to see how to work more together
and improve collaboration.

As she points out, there is more than enough to do. The latest
figures from ICOH and ILO suggest that the number of people
dying from work-related injuries and illnesses has gone up from
2.34 million to 2.78 million. Although this may partly be due tobetter reporting, it points to the fact that OH standards are notnecessarily getting better.

“This is an important goal for us. For example, sometimes
you have to make statements on specific topics for organisations
such as WHO but it’s much more powerful if we can dojoint statements.”
Other external relationships include the UN and Ms Hiddinga
sees lots of potential from connecting with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). For example, SDG 8 on decent
work and economic growth is an area where IOHA candemonstrate the added value of what it is doing – and manyoccupational hygienists are unaware of the SDGs.

IOHA Newsletter“At IOHA, we have a vital role to play in bringing these figures
down and I am really looking forward to doing what I can tomake us a really effective organisation. Our plans are ambitious
but achievable and I have lots of support from the past president
and the president-elect Peter-John Jacobs from South Africa – you
can’t do it alone.”3

December 2017

News
the work environment, at home and elsewhere in thegeneral environment.

New ‘Purple Book’ published
The United Nations has published the seventh revised edition of
the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labellingof Chemicals (GHS), widely known as the ‘Purple Book’. This
provides additional guidance to extend the coverage of section 14
of safety data sheets, which covers transport information, “to allbulk cargoes transported under instruments of the International
Maritime Organisation, regardless of their physical state”.

The call for papers is now open. BOHS is seeking abstracts on
all aspects of exposure science. These can be submitted via thededicated website, which also has all necessary information about
the event itself.
For more information: www.x2018.org

Diesel exhaust exposure linked to lung cancer

Other additions include revised and further rationalised
precautionary statements in Annex 3, which, among other items,
addresses the codification and use of precautionary statements.
Annex 7, which provides examples of arrangements of the GHS
label elements, includes a new example addressing the labelling of
small packages with fold-out labels.
For more information: www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/
ghs/ghs_rev07/07files_e0.html#c61353

A Swedish study by Anna Ilar and others, which was publishedin the European Journal of Epidemiology in June, has confirmedthat occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions(DEEEs) are a major cause of lung cancers. The study found a
65% higher rate in workers exposed to elemental carbon, one of
the components of DEEEs, at levels above 33µg/m³.
Exposure to DEEEs appears to be associated with a particularlyhigh risk of specific types of lung cancer, such as squamouscell carcinomas, which originate in the pulmonary mucosa, andlarge cell undifferentiated carcinomas. Trade unions recently
campaigned for the ongoing revision of the EU’s carcinogens ormutagens Directive to include more measures to protect workers
from DEEEs, but without success.
For more information: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/28585123

OH 2018 bookings open
Early bird bookings are now open until 28 February 2018 for
OH2018, the premier occupational hygiene conference in the UK.
This is organised by the British Occupational Hygiene Society(BOHS) and takes place at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-uponAvon, UK, on 16-18 April.
The three-day conference will bring together researchers,
practitioners, regulators and other experts from around theworld to discuss the very latest in issues that affect health atwork. Professional development courses will take place on
Monday 16 April.

Niosh honours three mining firms
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(Niosh), the federal agency that researches and makes
recommendations to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses anddeaths, has recognised the efforts of three firms in developing
new equipment or tools, or using existing technology in new ways.

The Warner lecture at OH2018 will be delivered by Simon
Harmer, who joined the army as a combat medic in 1997 where
they taught him to soldier and how to save life. He discovered
his true passions in the army: sport and adventurous training. He
enjoyed triathlon and loved competing in cross-country skiing.

All three were given 2017 Niosh Mine Safety and HealthTechnology Innovations Awards in Washington, DC, on 6
November. They were:

In 2009 Simon’s life changed forever after he received injuries
from an explosion. With help, he rebuilt his life and threw himself
into different challenges. Later, he became a volunteer ambassador
for several service charities. He will talk about his experiences andwhat he has learned from them.
For more information: www.oh-2018.com• Peabody Energy, in the coal category, for the redesign of seatbelt restraints in its haul trucks by adding three points andelectronic controls, thus helping to prevent injuries during
sudden jolts or rollover events;• Kinross Gold, in the metal category, for its redesigned strikehammer, which reduces workers’ exposure to airborne
contaminants being kicked up when slag is fractured and frompieces of hot slag ejecting from moulds and causing burns; andBOHS hosts X2018
BOHS is also hosting X2018, the 9th international conference
on the science of exposure assessment in Manchester on 24-26
September 2018. This three day international conference willbring together the leading experts to exchange knowledge in
exposure assessment sciences for human health studies.

• Freeport-McMoRan, also in the metal category, for technologies
including a novel use of drones rather than electrical workers toview power lines, thus reducing the risk of falls, electrocutions
and other injuries.
Separately, Niosh has launched its Centre for Occupational
Robotics Research, which will assess the potential benefits andrisks of robot workers and develop guidance for safe interactions

X2018 will contribute to the development of state-of-the-art
methodologies and practices, and thereby improve our knowledge
to effectively assess and control exposure to hazardous agents in

IOHA Newsletter

4

December 2017

between humans and robots. Niosh researchers have identified
61 robot-related workplace deaths between 1992 and 2015.

• ergonomics;• exposure assessment;• global standard of care;

The centre will continue to monitor trends in injuries associatedwith both traditional and emerging robotics technologies,
while Niosh will work with partners in academia, industry andgovernment to establish risk profiles of robotic workplaces.

• hazard and control banding;• nanotechnology and nanomaterials;• noise;• operational and strategic planning in laboratories;

The centre’s first formal partnership was establishedon 5 October, with the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (Osha) and the Robotics Industry Association.
For more information: www.cdc.gov/niosh/• real-time detection and sensors;• respiratory protection;• risk assessment;• sampling and analysis; and‘White Book’ now out• silica

A revised two-volume third edition of the AIHA publication‘The occupational environment: Its evaluation, control andmanagement’, also known as the ‘White Book’ is now available.

Individual papers and sessions are also available.
For more information: www.aiha.org/education/eLearningThis includes comprehensive information on hazard
recognition and evaluation, physical agents, the humanenvironment, controlling the occupational environment andprogramme management. More than half of the chapters havebeen completely rewritten, while others have been updated
to include the most current tools, methodologies andknowledge available.
For more information: www.online-ams.aiha.org/

BOHS appoints new CEO, begins
asbestos roadshow
BOHS has appointed Simon Festing as its new CEO.
Mr Festing, who took up the role on 27 November, hadpreviously held similar roles at both the Chartered Institutionof Water and Environmental Management and the Society for
General Microbiology.
Shortly before this, the BOHS held its official launch of
the new Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management(FAAM), an association for professionals in the asbestos
industry, in London. Membership is now open via the BOHS
website. BOHS has been a pioneer in protection from asbestos
since the 1960s.

Too few asthma risk workers get vaccine
According to a new study by the Center for Disease Control(CDC), only 54% of adults with work-related asthma in the US
have been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, including
pneumonia, despite being at elevated risk. CDC recommends
that all adults aged from 19 to 64 with asthma should have thepneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.

FAAM registrar Martin Stear said: “FAAM’s vision is toestablish, develop and maintain standards of competence inasbestos assessment and management practice for its members,
and act as the guardian of professional standards and ethics inthe profession of asbestos assessment and management.”
For more information: www.bohs.org

The survey, which was carried out by Niosh, also found thatpneumococcal vaccine coverage was lowest among Hispanics(36%), those without health insurance (39%) and those aged
18 to 44 (42%). An estimated 900,000 Americans contract
pneumococcal pneumonia each year; 5-7% die from it.
Adults with asthma who get the disease are at risk of further
complications, including asthma exacerbation and invasive
pneumococcal disease.
For more information: www.ajpmonline.org/article/S07493797(17)30429-4/fulltext

IOHA 2018 proposals sought
The AIHA has announced that it is seeking proposals for the
IOHA 2018 conference in the following areas:• hazard recognition, evaluation and controls;• industries;

AIHCe recordings available• physical hazards;

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has
announced that recordings of sessions from the AIHce
Congress are now available for purchase. Discounts of 15% areavailable for themed ‘bundles’ of papers:• IH programme management;and• confined spaces;

The deadline for proposals is 29 January 2018. The conference
itself takes place in Washington, DC, on 24-26 September 2018.
For more information: www.aiha.org/events/IOHA2018/
Proposals/Pages/default.aspx• emerging issues• data management and interpretation;• emergency response;

IOHA Newsletter

5

December 2017

23 Occupational
Health Week takes placein Colombiard

The 23rd Occupational Health Week took place in Medellín, Colombia
This year, activities began on Monday 30 October with the IOHA
board meeting. Nine member countries were present and one
more was linked in by teleconference. At the end of the full day
meeting, those taking part were invited to view the Fernando
Botero galleries in the Museum of Antiquities, followed by dinnerand Andean music.

Colombia hosted the IOHA board meetingalongside its main domestic event in November.
The IOHA board meeting kicked off the annual gathering inMedellín this autumn. The 23rd Occupational Health Week,
entitled ‘The human being in the future world of work’, took
place in Medellín, Colombia, from 31 October to 3 November.

The academic proceedings of the week began on 31 October withthe plenary session on ‘Integrated management of carcinogens:
The challenge to business sustainability’. Experts from the fields
of occupational hygiene, health at work and related disciplines,
plus invited guests from government, industry and academia madepresentations on and discussed this theme.

This is an annual, international event bringing together those
involved in health and safety at work in Colombia, including
government bodies, private and public sector companies,
academia, representatives of professional bodies, world-ranking
scientists and workers, among others.

On Wednesday 1 November, academic seminars took place on thefollowing themes related to the key focus areas of the event:

They come together at this event to showcase their advancesand experiences, exchange knowledge and to work for the
improvement of the health and well-being of, and environmental
conditions for, the working population, as well as strengthening
their activities for a culture of promotion and prevention.

IOHA Newsletter• Regulatory upgrade: Legislative advances in health and safety;• Humans as agents of change and transformation throughemotional intelligence;6

December 2017

Fotolia © alexlmx• Errors and rule-breaking in accidents: The human andorganisational factors in safety;• Management of safety processes as a tool for
preventing accidents;• Tools for implementing a preventative culture and a return
to work;• Statistics in the assessment of occupational exposure;• The new generations in the organisations of the 21st century:• Managing the present for the future of health and safety; and• Assessment of occupational exposure to carcinogens.
On the morning of Thursday, 2 November, the first sessions took
place of the XXXVII congress of ergonomics, hygiene, medicine
and occupational security and the 16th Colombian congress onergonomics ‘More human working environments and daily lives’.
It began with a welcome from the government authorities and thelabour unions from the field of health and safety at work.
The opening discussion was led by Dr Italo Cardona, principal
specialist in labour law at the Office of Information Technology’s(OIT) Office of Work Administration for the Andean countries.
This discussion had as its theme ‘Life, reality and work: Challenges
for the future’. Participants also included:

chaired by Professor Juan Carlos Hiba, a former OIT official,with panellists from all the relevant fields.

• the philosopher and theologian Edward Posada;• Alejandro Franco, director of Track N, a body that works tobring about innovation in Medellín through partnerships with
science and technology innovators to improve competitiveness;and,Julio Fernando Castro Alfonso from the social security
department of the Central Union of Workers represented
workers, while Dr Gabriel Alvaro Zapata of Fenalco Solidario,a Medellín-based company that promotes social responsibility
and sustainability in business, represented employers. Dr Emilio
Cadavid Guzmán, president of the Colombian Society of
Ergonomists and Dr Victorio Martínez Castro, adviser to the
Mexican Society of Ergonomists, likewise represented that field.

• Jesus Villena, a specialist in human and organisation factors inindustrial safety.
In the afternoon, the academic conference included presentations
by domestic and international guests, as well as those attendees
who had sent proposals for evaluation by the organisingcommittee on the thematic tracks of the meeting. In addition, thespecial four-nation session took place. This was organised by the
OIT and had participative ergonomics as its focus.

Friday 3 November saw further sessions on the various thematic
tracks of the conference in the morning and afternoon. During
the event, it was also possible to visit the poster exhibition
showcasing experiences and applied projects, the ninth
photographic competition and the commercial showcase,featuring companies offering products and services in the fieldof health and safety at work.

The aim of this session was to understand the advances andchanges taking place in the world of work, as well as to sharereflections and suggestions about the future we want. It was

The Global Exposure Manager has been compiled
for IOHA by the on-line information service,
Chemical Risk Manager.
Disclaimer
While great care has been taken with the compilationof this newsletter, IOHA, its Directors, the editor
and the authors of articles accept no responsibility
for opinions, errors and omissions that may be madein this Newsletter. The responsibility for opinions
expressed in signed articles rests solely with theirauthors and does not constitute an endorsementby the IOHA.

IOHA Newsletter

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December 2017

Upcoming meetings
Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) Annual Meeting
2018: Clearing the Air on Indoor Air Quality

Occupational Hygiene (OH) 2018,2-24 January, Chicago Hilton, Illinois, US

Organised by the British Occupational Health Society (BOHS)
OH 2018 is the UK’s main conference in the field of worker health,protection, focusing on OH and the prevention of occupational
ill-health and disease. It will include three days of keynote speakers,
oral presentations, themed sessions and workshops, bring together
researchers, practitioners, regulators and other experts from aroundthe world to discuss issues that affect health at work. Professional
development courses also take place on 16 April.

16-18 April 2018, Crowne Plaza, Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

The meeting includes a technical programme featuring over 40 sessionsof IAQ technology and education, plus in-depth pre-conference
workshops that provide fundamental study and career development.
Delegates also have access to the parallel International Air Conditioning,
Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), the world’s largest
marketplace in the field, taking place at the McCormick Place
Exhibition Centre.

www.oh-2018.com

www.iaqa.org/annual-meeting/

32nd International Congress on Occupational
Health (ICOH)

14th European Seminar on Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)

29 April-4 May 2018, Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland.

23-25 January 2018, Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselkä, Finland

Organised by the International Commission on Occupational Health(ICOH) and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal
College of Physicians of Ireland, this congress seeks to: cover a wide
range of occupational safety and health topics, demonstrating how
research translates into excellence in practice; advance research andevidence-based approaches in OSH by promoting local, regional andglobal examples; and offer a blend of sessions that will demonstrate
the scope of OSH practice and how that can effectively protect andpromote the health of all workers.

The aim of the seminar is to bring together European PPE experts
dealing with legislation, standardisation, selection and use of PPE,
testing, certification, research, manufacturing, market surveillance
and workplace inspections. The topics dealt with in presentations,workshops, posters and demonstrations are: new PPE regulation andits implementation; PPE innovations and new research results; trends in
PPE standardisation; use of PPE; and the influence of other legislation
on PPE.
www.ttl.fi/en/ppe2018/www.icoh2018.org/wp/

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (KIHA) 2018
Winter Conference
Visit our website for an up to date list of events:
www.ioha.net/ioha-events

31 January – 2 February 2018, The Ocean Resort, Yeosu, Korea.
The main theme of the conference is to ‘Explore a new paradigm ofindustrial hygiene’. It includes keynote speeches and various otherprogrammes, such as continuous career development training,
concurrent sessions, a round table and a lunch talk and panel discussion
for IH policy. There is also an international session with simultaneousinterpretations for international participants.
www.kiha.kr

Health and Wellbeing at Work 2018
6-7 March 2018, NEC, Birmingham
Now in its 12th year, Health and Wellbeing at Work is a conference
and exhibition organised by Sterling Events. It is all about improving
the health and well-being of work-aged people by profiling national
developments, service innovations, examples of best practice andthe latest research in the field. Attendees and exhibitors come fromthe worlds of healthcare and rehabilitation, occupational psychology,
behaviour and well-being, HR and health and safety generally, as
well as OH.
www.healthwellbeingwork.co.uk

IOHA Newsletter

8

December 2017

Women and PPE:
Still a major failing
Pregnancy concerns

Personal protective equipment is still not always
designed around the needs of women workers.
Dan Lee reports.

Exposure of women who are planning pregnancies or are
pregnant is a key area of concern for the chemicals industry.
“There are particular chemicals which present gender-specificrisks,” says Adrian Hirst, a chartered occupational hygienist
and past president of the British Occupational Hygiene
Society (BOHS).

Many of the numerous businesses dealing with dangerous
chemicals and other hazardous substances are failing to give
women personal protective equipment (PPE) as effective as theprotection given to male counterparts. This is increasing risks andcausing workplace resentment, campaigners and researchers say.

“There are also chemicals that affect the endocrine system and inparticular the reproductive organs. Some affect the unborn childin women and some affect male fertility. However, PPE is low
down in the hierarchy of control and employers are required touse controls other than PPE.”

Frequently, women are offered protective clothing designed formen. It is often too big or just ill-suited to women. The issue has
been a concern for women for decades, according to Hannah
Curtis, research coordinator at the University of Washington
School of Public Health (UWSPH) and co-author of a recent
report on the subject covering multiple hazards.

Mr Hirst’s research is backed up by a study from researchers at
the University of Rome and Italy’s National Institute of Health,published in 2008. It found that greenhouse workers — who aremostly temporary and female — are often excluded from training
programmes and face risks from various compounds, such as
pesticide sprays and cultures.

“Lack of women-specific PPE was a prominent theme in our
focus groups,” she says. Women are significantly more likely thanmen (31% to 9%, respectively) to report PPE not fitting themproperly, particularly older women and those new to the trade.
Many have reported buying their own equipment as a result.”

The study found that even less attention has been paid to thesafety of pregnant greenhouse workers, “who might have ahigher risk than the rest of the population for adverse pregnancy
outcomes and reduction in fertility”.

PPE items that conform to the body (such as coveralls, gloves
and fall harnesses) were the least likely to fit women properly,
the report shows. Some companies even think they simply needto provide PPE in a different colour to make it appropriate forwomen, according to other campaigners.

Increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes — in particularspontaneous abortion — was observed among greenhousefloriculture workers in Colombia, Finland and Ontario.

“Most PPE is designed for men’s bodies and is too large forwomen. Ill-fitting PPE can pose real threats to women’s wellbeing: too large gloves can be caught in machinery; large boots
can cause tripping; and fall harnesses that are not secure can failto protect workers during falls,” Ms Curtis adds.

Meanwhile, female greenhouse workers in the Danish gardeners
trade union who were handling cultures and spraying pesticides
without protection experienced a significant reduction in fertility.
Mr Hirst says: “Generally, employers don’t put the time and effort.into selection and consulting with employees. For PPE to work
correctly, it’s important that the wearer understands what it does
and how it protects them and has faith in its performance.

Women’s minority status — only 3%of skilled trades workers in the USA
are women, a percentage that hasbarely changed in 40 years — createsa disincentive for employers andmanufacturers to purchase clothing andtools in a variety of sizes.

IOHA Newsletter“If a worker doesn’t believe that the PPE will protect them, thenthey will generally not wear it correctly. PPE not being genderspecific may be just one of the reasons why workers don’t havefaith in it. It is important for employers to address these issues.”

Size of the problem
The UK’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) has recently publisheda report entitled ‘One size does not fit all’ and a guide focusing on
the issue. The problem, says Hugh Robertson, the TUC’s senior

9

December 2017

policy officer for health and safety, stretches across all sectors
from manufacturing and construction to the police, rail andcoastguard services.

needed in our product portfolio to make sure all workers’ needs
for protection are met.”
There is legislation and regulation covering PPE in mostcountries. In the UK, for example, the Management of Healthand Safety at Work Regulations 1999 set out specific requirements
for new and expectant mothers.

“It is certainly not a new problem, but has become more of
an issue as a growing number of women are now working inareas such as engineering and construction. The traditional job
segregation is breaking down, which has highlighted the issue,” hesays.

Within this, Regulation 16 states: “Risk assessment in respectof new and expectant mothers’ requires that where women of achildbearing age are working, the general risk assessment … shall
include an assessment of the risks which are caused by reason ofher condition (i.e. pregnancy or recent birth) to the health andsafety of a new or expectant mother or to that of her baby fromany processes or working conditions, or physical, biological orchemical agents.”

One woman, who did not want to be identified, told the authorsof the report: “They gave me a welding leather jacket that was afoot longer than my hand. They gave me gloves so humongous, I
couldn’t even pick anything up.”
Another woman similarly said: “You can be hurt. If you happen
to have a pair of gloves on, and they’re too big, and, say, you’re
doing some work, that glove could get wrapped up in a fan belt oranything with moving parts - you can get hurt if your clothing is
not fitted right.”

Having to ask
Campaigners blame a later passage in the regulation for potentiallyadding to the problem. It says: “Where the other precautions ...
would not avoid these risks, the employer shall, if it is reasonable
to do so, alter her working conditions or hours of work, or if it is
not reasonable to do so, suspend the employee from work for solong as is necessary to avoid such risk.”

A US study by researchers at the Donald and Barbara Zucker
School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell University in New
York in 2016 found that a majority of women reported fit
problems for many types of PPE, including gloves, harnesses,
safety vests, work boots, outerwear. Key complaints included:• a perceived indifferent safety culture.

As a result, they say, women can feel pressured to conceal the factthat they are pregnant or struggling for fear of losing work andincome. This point is supported by the University of Washington
research, which reveals a major focus group theme to be a fear ofreporting safety concerns.

Businesses’ reluctance to spend extra money for more equipment
or clothing seems to be one of the most significant roots of the
problem. “The challenge,” Mr Curtis says, “is having employers
who are willing to buy and stock different sizes of equipment.
And sometimes equipment designed for women focuses more on
fashion than safety.”“Women say that they do not report ill-fitting PPE to theirsupervisors because they are worried about being laid off. Somesay that supervisors do not take their concerns seriously andothers do not complain because they are afraid of falling into
sexist stereotypes about women not being capable of hard
work,” it says.

• the equipment provided by contractors was too large;• female workers purchasing their own PPE;
• exposure to various safety hazards from poorly fitted PPE; andNearly 25% of the women surveyed did not feel comfortableasking for better PPE, according to the university’s research.
One third of these women listed “fear of being labelled as acomplainer by co-workers” as the primary reason and 20% listed“fear of layoff ”.

Purchasing power
Mr Robertson at the TUC offers a possible solution. “In terms ofcost, manufacturers say that their stock ranges and pricing policies
are determined by demand. Often employers are simply not
making the correct demands. This could be rectified by the tradebodies negotiating with suppliers,” he suggests.

Beating these types of fear is a big part of the battle and the
UWSPH is piloting a mentoring programme based on its research.
It is designed to reduce health and safety risks for women
apprentices. Experienced workers support apprentices as theylearn to find their way round male-dominated culture and ask forwhat they need on the job.

Andrzej Palka, European marketing manager at a chemicals giantthat recently merged with Dow and DuPont, which is also a PPE
manufacturer, agrees. “It is important for employees to work with
their purchasing department to ensure the right size garments
are available for their use. While we offer a wide range of sizes,
employers might stock a more limited range, which can lead to fit
issues,” he says.

A key part of the programme concentrates on problem solving
and speaking up about inadequate PPE. The researchers hopethat “by providing new women workers with leadership skills, andtraining mentors to understand how the masculine trades culture
can negatively impact tradeswomen’s well-being, we can improve
women’s safety.”“Workers should be fit tested and provided with the proper-sized
PPE to ensure that they are able to perform their role safely. We
will continue to get market feedback and evaluate modifications

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December 2017

SAIOH annual
conference 2017
takes place
Claudina Nogueira, a council member of theSouthern African Institute for Occupational
Hygiene, looks back at this year’s key event
Without a doubt, the highlight of the year for the Southern
African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH) was its
annual conference. This was held from 25 to 27 October at
Misty Hills Country Hotel and Conference Venue, nestledin the foothills of the Swartkop mountains in the Cradle of
Humankind, on the threshold of the beautiful Kromdraai Valleyin Muldersdrift, Gauteng province.
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, one of eight inthe country, boasts a rich fossil history - 40% of all hominid fossils
worldwide - thanks to the rare preservation conditions of the area’s
dolomitic limestone ridges. There are 15 fossil sites in the core area
which is also home to a diversity of birds, animals and plants, someof which are rare or endangered.

Delegates came from far and wide to the SAIOH conference• Ryno Botha - CEO and co-founder of CareTac, and an R&D
scientist and lecturer – 'A critical review of radon-associatedrisks in South Africa: Global OH perspectives'; andScientific programme
The conference was hosted by the SAIOH Gauteng branch andwas attended by approximately 150 delegates, including presenters,
exhibitors and SAIOH support staff. As well as South Africa,
they included visitors from the US, Canada, Zambia, Malawi
and Mozambique.

• Norman Khoza, representing Chimwemwe Chamdimba,
principal policy specialist at the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) agency – 'The Southern Africa
tuberculosis and health systems project and identifying
opportunities for contributions from OH'.

In keeping with the conference theme ‘Occupational hygiene(OH): Building bridges beyond borders', the scientific programme,
which ran from 26 to 27 October, comprised rich and varied
offerings, including three international and two regional or
national keynote addresses from:Six presentations from SAIOH stakeholder and sisterorganisations took place in a special session dedicated totheir respective opinions and views on challenges in OH andoccupational health. The organisations taking part were:• Marianne Levitsky, immediate past president of Workplace
Health Without Borders, occupational hygienist and seniorassociate at ECOH Management of Canada – 'Workplace healthand the global hygiene community';• Department of Mineral Resources, Gauteng Health
Department;• Department of Labour, Gauteng Health Department;• South African Society of Occupational Medicine (SASOM);• Eric Esswein – senior occupational hygienist, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) in the US– 'Decision-making in the midst of uncertainty: An occupational
hygienist responding to bioterrorism, SARS and ebola';• South African Society of OH Nursing Practitioners (SASOHN);
and• Professor Jérôme Lavoué, associate professor, Department ofEnvironmental and Occupational Health at the University ofMontreal in Canada – 'Exposure Statistics';

In addition, there was a special interactive session dedicated to
the SAIOH certification process presented by three members of
the SAIOH professional certification committee. Finally in the

IOHA Newsletter

11• OH Approved Inspection Authority (OH-AIA) association;

December 2017

scientific programme, there were 20 oral and poster presentations
spanning various sub-themes:• partnerships and collaborations in OH;• research and innovation;• management and quality systems;• OH stressors; and• an opinion piece on unethical behaviour and practices in thefield of OH.

Other events
The SAIOH annual general meeting (AGM) was held on
the evening of Thursday 26 October. It was attended by 82
participants, both members and non-members. On Wednesday 25
October, four half-day pre-conference professional development
courses (PDCs) were offered and a record number of around 65
delegates signed up. The presenters and subjects were:• PDC 1: Eric Esswein – ‘Determining worker exposure risks inmodern oil and gas extraction: Implications for the Karoo?’;Peter-John 'Jakes' Jacobs (centre), SAIOH council member and president electof IOHA at the AGM, with (left) Julie Hills, SAIOH vice-president anda treasurer for 2017, and Martin Schoonhoven (right), chair of the Gauteng
branch, which hosted the conference• PDC2: Ryno Botha – ‘Occupational radon exposure
management systems and mitigation challenges – for theconstruction sector and beyond’;• PDC 3: Marianne Levitsky – ‘Global health, community andculture’; and• Top achiever award – ‘Occupational hygienist’ assessment:
Muriel Mogane (Engen Oil and chair of the SAIOH KwaZuluNatal branch)• PDC 4: Johan Snyman, lead mechanical engineer at BBE
Consulting, South Africa – ‘Evaluating the effectiveness ofan industrial ventilation system to ensure airborne pollutant
exposure compliance’.

SAIOH extends hearty congratulations to all the deserving
winners and wishes them well in future endeavours as they
continue developing their careers in OH.

At the conference’s gala dinner and SAIOH awards function forthe year 2016, which was also held on the evening of Thursday
26, SAIOH members were acknowledged and congratulated fortheir contributions to the OH profession. The following awards
were bestowed:

Another feather in SAIOH’s cap
The SAIOH president and council members take pleasure inannouncing that Peter-John 'Jakes' Jacobs, registered occupational
hygienist, SAIOH council member (co-opted) and past president(2014), as well as the official SAIOH representative to IOHA
has been named as the president-elect of the association. The
announcement was made at the IOHA board meeting in Medellín,
Colombia, at the end of October 2017.

• Top author – OH article of the year: Dr Leon Harmse(Tshwane University of Technology), who completed his PhD
degree recently, for his publication, with JC Engelbrecht andJL Bekker, ‘The impact of physical and ergonomic hazards on
poultry abattoir processing workers: A review’ in the International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2016 13(2):197(doi:10.3390/ijerph13020197);

Mr Jacobs’ term of office will be for one year, from September
2018 to September 2019. SAIOH congratulates him on thisprestigious appointment, which also raises the profile of SAIOH
internationally, and wishes him well for the action-filled year thatawaits him.

• Personality of the year: Celia Keet (OH Monitoring Services
and chair of the SAIOH Cape West branch);• Occupational hygienist of the year: Keneilwe Matjola (Orapa
mine, Debswana, Botswana);

Hard on the heels of being formally awarded accreditation to act
as an examiner for the ‘W201 Basic Principles of OH’ foundation
module of the OH Training Association (OHTA), SAIOH
looks forward to going from strength to strength, particularly interms of forging new regional and international collaborations
in OH specifically and occupational health more broadly, andstrengthening the existing linkages already in place. SAIOH aims
to continue to build bridges beyond borders.

• Vocational education and training student of the year: Christa
van Dyk (Namdeb Diamond Corporation, Namibia);• Tertiary student of the year (two awards bestowed): Marelé
Keyter and Yolandi Jordaan (both of North-West University
and Gijima Holdings);• Top achiever award – ‘OH assistant’ assessment: Liezille
Schoonbee (Tenneco Ride Control);• Top achiever award – ‘OH technologist’ assessment: Anton
Coetzer (South African Nuclear Energy Corporation);

IOHA Newsletter

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December 2017

The ‘Generally’ Harmonised
System: Preparing SDSs andlabels for use around the world
Kay Bechtold, assistant editor of The Synergist,
looks at the continuing pitfalls of implementing
the GHSsome idea that GHS made the entire world speak English andaccept the Osha HazCom Standard, and it just isn’t that way,”
she says.

Approximately five years have passed since the US Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (Osha) released its revised
Hazard Communication Standard, aligning it with the United
Nations’ Globally Harmonised System of Classification andLabelling of Chemicals (GHS).

For example, the EU alone is home to more than 20 official
languages. The EU’s Regulation on classification, labelling andpackaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures requires that labels
be written in the official languages of the member states where
they are placed on the market. The best-fit solution for creatingcompliant SDSs and labels depends on a company’s resources chiefly time and money - and how many documents are needed.

The phase-in period for the standard ended on 1 June 2016, thedate by which employers were required to revise their written
hazard communication programme, internal labelling and signage,and to train workers on any new hazards resulting from thechange in the classification of chemicals.

Some companies use software to create and translate SDSs, whileothers turn to human translators or translation firms. Others finda balance by outsourcing some or all of their SDS management
to a third party. “It behooves you as the purchaser to vet yourvendors and make sure you’re confident in what your output is, nomatter where it’s coming from,” Mr Das says.

Osha’s standard only requires safety data sheets (SDSs) andlabels to be available in English, making language requirements
straightforward for companies operating exclusively in the US.
Companies seeking to sell routinely in other markets need toprovide customers with SDSs that are not only compliant withother countries’ regulations, but are translated into the official
languages of products’ destinations.

The software side
In general, SDS authoring and translation software works byallowing users to construct the documents either by manually
selecting phrases or allowing a computer to add phrases basedon certain hazard information and chemical properties. Software
can help users organise this information into the appropriate
SDS format.

‘Global in name only’
GHS, an international approach to hazard communication, isintended to provide a standardised approach to label elements and
SDSs. Countries across the globe continue to implement GHS,
many by adopting its recommendations into existing regulations.
This method of implementation means that, although GHS
proposes harmonised hazard communication, requirements forlabels and SDSs still vary by country.
Many people think that GHS means they can create one SDS thatwill work anywhere in the world, explains Atanu Das, president
and project manager at MSDSWriter. “I always tell them, ‘It’s
global in name only,’” Mr Das says. “Or I say it’s the ‘Generally
Harmonised System’—that’s what the ‘G’ stands for.”Denese Deeds, director of chemical regulatory services atIndustrial Health & Safety Consultants, has often had to explainthat companies must label their products in the languages of eachcountry where they intend to place them on the market. “There’s

IOHA Newsletter

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December 2017

Multi-language SDS authoring software tools often come with acertain number of languages or allow users to purchase languages
as needed. For companies with specialised needs, some softwareis flexible in allowing users to add necessary phrases in different
languages to supplement a standard package. In many cases,
companies can send the phrases they need to a translator andimport the translations once they come back.

can take a while. They may also have to lean more heavily on
their professional judgment to ‘make the call’ about hazard
information.
“Let’s say you have a raw material that 40% of research papers say
is an eye irritant but 50% say is not,” Dr Rompre explains. “Whatdo you do? Most issues like this are taken care of thanks to oursoftware, so there’s good payback, although it’s expensive.”

Some software includes access to chemical databases, which cancut down on the time users spend manually searching for hazard
information on their products. Users may be able to translate andmake changes to an SDS based on country-specific requirements
more quickly using this type of software.

While it is a helpful resource, users cannot rely completely on
software for a chemical classification, he cautions. A qualified
individual must make the final determination. They should also
realise the importance of updating SDS software regularly to
account for rapidly changing hazard communication requirements
and avoid using software or databases that might be out of date.

For companies that need many SDSs in a handful of languages
or that need a few SDSs in many different languages, software
can be a cost-effective solution, according to Ms Deeds. But thesoftware can be expensive.

A human touch
Translation is more than turning words into another language;
in many cases, a literal translation may completely change thetechnical concepts a company is trying to communicate on an
SDS or label. Both Mr Das and Ms Deeds agree that companies
opting for a human touch should use translators with goodtechnical skills.

“Companies have to weigh the costs of the software and all of thenecessary maintenance that comes with it,” she says. “How manytranslated documents do you actually need? You have to have aneed that exceeds the cost of producing them in this way.”
Employees must also be trained on how to use the software.
If individuals trained in using the software leave the company,
additional resources will be required to train new staff, Mr
Das says.

Anyone can claim to translate, Mr Das adds, but companies
should find a reputable company or individual translator.
“Because you’re conveying hazards on a document, you’re on theline for how you use the colloquial or idioms in the language ofcommunicating them,” he explains. “Like anything else you put on
an SDS, you as the manufacturer are going to be ultimately liable
for it.”Dr Ghislain Rompre, who is responsible for generating SDSs
at Scotts Miracle-Gro, uses software provided by a third party
to help do his job. As senior scientist for product safety, heagrees that good software is pricey, even prohibitive for smaller
companies, but notes its many benefits.

Over the years, Ms Deeds has received a lot of feedback fromthe translators she works with. Sometimes the terminology orconcepts she is trying to communicate are so technical that she
has to go back and forth with translators to make sure they
understand the critical hazard information. For this reason,companies should plan on approximately ten to 15 working days
to turn around a translation. Faster service is usually available for
additional fees.

Dr Rompre often has to create SDSs and labels for productsamples produced in the UK then shipped to France for testing.
These must comply with the requirements for both countries,
including being in English and French. He tells the system whichcountry and language he needs, then the software does the rest.

Ms Deeds cautions companies against sending SDSs or labels tojust any translator, particularly with section 2 of an SDS, which
identifies the hazards of the chemical and the appropriate warning
information. A non-technical translator would probably not beaware that many countries have official translations of requiredelements like signal words and hazard statements.

I always tell them, ‘It’s global inname only’. Or I say it’s the‘Generally Harmonised System’
Atanu Das,
MSDS Writer“Your classification under the GHS drives specific labelling related
to the hazard classification,” Ms Deeds explains. “For the mostpart, as countries adopt the GHS into their own regulations, theydecide on official translations of hazard phrases and precautionary
statements that would appear on the label.” These officialtranslations are readily available online in many places, she notes,
but the best way to find them is to look on countries’ hazard
communication websites.

An added benefit is access to a large chemicals database, which
the system can use to generate classifications for new raw
materials. Individuals who do not have access to this typeof database have to manually search databases, such as theEuropean Chemicals Agency’s (Echa) REACH database, which

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December 2017

The HazCom Resources Committee of the Society for
Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC), has published a listof translation resources to help individuals select firms to meettheir translation needs. These have all been vetted by chemicalcompanies that have used them for technical translations. Mr
Das notes that another way to help the vetting process is todetermine whether translators are accredited by professional
bodies like the American Translators Association or the ProZ.
com Certified PRO Network.

Quality check
Companies have several options for validating the quality oftranslated SDSs and labels. Some larger companies have experts
on staff like Dr Rompre. He speaks French, English, and Spanish,
reviews the company’s SDSs and labels for all of North America
and is familiar with the different translation issues to look forso as to ensure that words and expressions are used properly ineach language.
they educate themselves about the ever-changing requirements
and regulations for hazard communication worldwide.

For example, even SDSs for France and Canada, which both use
French, might differ because certain words mean different thingsin each country. If an SDS or label is headed for a European
country other than France, a team of regulators working on
registering the product in that country will take over to help Dr
Rompre with any translation issues.

The SCHC can help professionals understand the way the ruleschange around the world and offer guidance on navigatingtranslation and related work for their customers, she adds. In
addition to its list of translation resources, the society has otherhazard communication resource materials and information for thedevelopment of SDSs, labels, and related documents.

If the product is fairly innocuous, like a water-based cleaner,some companies may just have their sales representatives review
the translation, Mr Deeds says. Dr Rompre confirms thatoccasionally salespeople at Scotts Miracle Gro jump in to look attranslations. Other companies receive a translation and send it totheir technical staff in that particular country, who check that it iscommunicating the information correctly.

“I had most of my GHS training through SCHC, and I even took
the CLP training for Europe,” says Dr Rompre, who regularly
attends SCHC meetings to keep abreast of changes in hazard
communications regulations. “They provide a lot of toxicology
training as well.”Firms that employ human translators often run SDSs and labels
through a process for quality assurance and control. Some use
editors to check translators’ work. Other technical translators
partner with scientists who are native speakers in othercountries and can proofread and answer questions that may
arise during translation.

Many other organisations around the world also holdconferences and provide education to help hazard communication
professionals understand international compliance challenges.
To help track the implementation of GHS in countries aroundthe world, the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) maintains a web page where it collects publicly
available information from various sources. To date, it compiled
and summarised information about GHS implementation for
72 countries.

Most agree that translations and review are best left to technicallanguage translators and hazard communication professionals.
“It’s easy to say, ‘I’ve got somebody in the office who is fluent
in whatever language’, but they may not really understand thecontent of the SDS to do a good job,” Ms Deeds says. “We wantto make sure that the words impart the correct meaning within
the context of the language and the culture.”

Perhaps the best hazard communication resource for SDSs andlabels is the official text of the GHS itself, widely known as the‘Purple Book’. The United Nations published the seventh revised
edition of the Purple Book earlier this year.

Keeping up with the GHS* - This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of The
Synergist, the magazine of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Industrial hygienists (IHs) and EHS professionals have varying
degrees of involvement with SDS and label translation andconversion within their companies. Ms Deeds recommends that

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December 2017

IOHA Newsletter

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December 2017

News from:

Chemical Risk Manager
exposure limits (OELs) as an amendment to the carcinogens
and mutagens Directive (CMD). This will consider the costs andbenefits of all options. Consultation with industry representatives
and experts is running to 25 December.

OECD recommonds three-tiered assessment fornanomaterials in air
4 December 2017The OECD’s working party on manufactured nanomaterials(WPMN) has issued a report stating that risk assessors shouldtake a three-tiered approach when determining quantities ofnanomaterials in the air, citing similar conclusions from work by
the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(Niosh) and the German NanoGem project. These should be,in order:The substances affected are: formaldehyde; 4,4’-methylene-bis(2chloroaniline) (Moca); cadmium and its inorganic compounds;
beryllium and its inorganic compounds; and arsenic acid and its
salts. These find various applications in polyurethane production,
solar panels, alloying and wood preservatives, among others.
For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/62061

1. A ‘standard’ occupational hygiene (OH) survey of theprocess area, mainly capturing qualitative information to
identify likely points of particle emission;

UK has 13,000 deaths from past exposure

2. Determination of particle number and mass concentration,
identification of emission sources, characterisation ofbreathing zone exposure of process operators, identification ofincidental and background particles, and determination of theeffectiveness of any particle emission controls; and20 November 2017
Some 13,000 deaths each year in the UK are linked to past exposure
to chemicals or dust at work, the Health and Safety Executive(HSE) has estimated. Its latest report found that mesothelioma
deaths totalled 2,542 in 2015 and a similar number of lung cancer
deaths were linked to past exposures to asbestos. About 200-300
new cases of occupational asthma are seen each year.

3. Repeating the tier two measurements but with simultaneous
capture of particles for analysis of mass or fibre concentration,
particle morphology and chemical composition.

For all occupational ill health, the report shows 609,000 workplace
injuries/year, with 1.3 million workers suffering from work-related
ill health in 2016-17. Workplace injury and new cases of ill healthcost the UK £14.9bn. with 31.2 million working days lost. Fatal
injuries in workplaces fell from 144 in 2015-16 to 137, injuries
from 72,702 to 70,116. There were 554 cases prosecuted, withfines from convictions totalling £69.9m.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/62152

Consultation on further CMD amendments
28 November 2017
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for
Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DGESI) has launched
an inception impact assessment of a new batch of occupational

IOHA Newsletter

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61148
17

December 2017

Workplace exposure linked to cancer

New Zealand prepares for reforms

17 November 2017
Workplace exposure to crystalline silica is one of four major causesof work-related cancer in Canada’s Ontario province, alongsidediesel-engine exhaust, asbestos and solar radiation, according toa 60-page report from the Occupational Cancer Research Centre
in Toronto.

14 November 2017
New Zealand’s health and safety regulator, WorkSafe, unveiled
a website on occupational safety issues relating to hazardous
substances shortly before the new Health and Safety at Work
(Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 came into effect on
1 December.

About 142,000 Ontarians are exposed to crystalline silica eachyear, leading to nearly 200 cases/year of occupational lung cancer;
there are still about four times as many cases linked to asbestos,
despite far lower levels of exposure. The authors recommended
strengthening OELs, establishing exposure registries andsurveillance and reducing the use of toxic substances.

WorkSafe is taking over responsibility for workplace safety andthe disposal of hazardous chemicals from the New ZealandEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA), which will continue
to regulate classifications and applications for the manufacturing
and import of substances, and hazardous chemicals outside theworkplace. It will also produce ‘safe work instruments’ on chemicalsafety in the workplace, including codes of practice and substancespecific requirements.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61143

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61045

New US silicon enforcement guidance
14 November 2017
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha)
has issued an interim memorandum for compliance, safety andhealth officers on the enforcement of the silica in construction
standard. The standard establishes a new eight-hour time-weighted
average permissible exposure limit of 50µg/m3 and an action levelof 25µg/m3.
The rule, which has been in effect since 23 June 2016, includes
two standards: one for construction (29 CFR 1926.1153), which
has applied since 23 September, and one for general industry andthe maritime sector (29 CFR 1910.1053), which will apply from 23
June 2018.

EU overhauls carcinogen and mutagen rules
14 November 2017
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to amend the
CMD. Once this has been endorsed by the European Council, the
new rules will be published in the Official Journal and enter into
force 20 days later. EU member states will then have two years tomake the necessary legal and regulatory changes.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61029

OELs will be revised for numerous chemicals, including refractory
ceramic fibres, respirable crystalline silica dust, acrylamide andbenzene. There are also transitional measures for chromium (VI)and hardwood dusts. It is claimed that 100,000 lives could be saved
over the next 50 years as a result.
Earlier, the European Chemicals Agency (Echa) proposed new
binding OELs for nickel, benzene and acrylonitrile, which are
all carcinogens, as part of the ongoing revision of European
occupational safety and health legislation These will be reviewed
by the agency’s Risk Assessment Committee by 26 March 2018.

EU carcinogen safety guide out
14 November 2017
The EU Osha has made available a first batch of good practiceguides on how to work safely with carcinogens. This is the resultof work done since May 2016 with five other European bodies,including the European Commission, the European Trade Union

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61019
www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/59545

IOHA Newsletter

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December 2017

estimated that not enacting the changes could cost manufacturers
and importers C$18m.

Confederation and BusinessEurope, to develop a voluntary action
scheme to raise awareness about the risks arising from exposure tocarcinogens in the workplace called the Roadmap to Carcinogens.
According to EU Osha, over 100,000 people die each year in the
EU due to work-related cancer. It is asking people to contribute
their experience and knowledge to help build the guides.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/60565

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/61030

Taiwan proposes stricter standards
19 October 2017
Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour has proposed tighter air exposure
limits in the workplace for certain hazardous substances. The
document, on which consultation concluded on 27 November,particularly emphasised the introduction of a limit for
1-bromopropane, which was the subject of a major incident in2013, plus tighter limits for acetone, hydrogen chloride and vinyl
chloride monomer.

RCA workers compensated
6 November 2017
Taiwan’s High Court has granted nearly $24m in compensation
to 484 ex-Radio Corporation of America (RCA) workers andsurviving relatives who had been exposed to 31 toxic chemicals
between 1970 and 1992 at RCA factories in Taoyuan and Chupei.
The award came after 19 years of effort to gain compensation for
more than 200 deaths and hundreds of cases of illness.

These four main changes are expected to be enforced by 1 July
2018. Changes to exposure limits are also proposed for nearly 500
additional substances, which will come into force once the ministry
has promulgated the final version of its proposals.

The decision reinforced a ruling by a lower court that a findingof liability for injury can be based on “reasonable medical
certainty” rather than direct evidence linking cause and effect. Kao
Yung-cheng, an attorney in the case, said that one of the main
implications is that a high probability of occupational harm fromtoxic chemical exposure is sufficient for findings of injury.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/60177

Niosh finds phthalate VOCs
28 September 2017
Niosh has found the plasticiser diethyl phthalate in volatile organic
compound (VOC) screening air samples taken on a heat sealer at
an unnamed plastic film assembly facility. Several other aldehyde
VOCs were also found at the same time.

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/60747

Canada proposes CBI exemptions

Although the concentrations were well below OELs, Niosh
said, in combination they could cause irritant symptoms, suchas the headaches and asthma-like symptoms reported by some
employees. It has recommended equipment changes to reduce
exposures, such as removing hazard from the process andimproving personal protection equipment and machinery, andsetting up an employee-management health and safety group to
improve monitoring and alter working practices.

26 October 2017
The Canadian government has proposed industry-supportedchanges to the disclosure of ingredient concentrations under the
updated Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.
Consultation took place during November.
The proposed amendments would allow manufacturers toreport a broad range, instead of a specific concentration, of
an ingredient on commercial product labelling if this can be
defended as confidential business information (CBI) under
the new Hazardous Products Regulations. Health Canada has

IOHA Newsletter

For more information:www.chemicalwatch.com/crmhub/59598

19

December 2017

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December 2017