World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre Connection March 2011
In this issue:
1. Inclusion of Young Workers in WHO Executive Board Resolution 128/19 Child Injury Prevention
Inclusion of Young Workers in WHO Executive Board Resolution 128/19 Child Injury Prevention
The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board passed the EB 128/19 Child Injury Prevention Resolution on January 24, 2011 which includes wording to remind countries of their obligations to prevent child labor and to address risks at work encountered by youth under the age of 18. This wording is due to recommendations of the non-governmental organizations in the WHO Network of Collaborating Centers in Occupational Health and to insertions of the Executive Board delegates from the United States and Brazil that were endorsed by the Board...
2. Spotlight: Global Health Care Worker Update
Since 2003 the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has partnered closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), WHO’s regional offices, and governments and institutions in WHO member states including Venezuela and Peru, as well as WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health in Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, South Africa, and Vietnam, to implement strategies for protecting the healthcare workforce from job-related injury and illness involving needlesticks and other sharps-related incidents. These strategies are vital for protecting health care workers from potentially life-threatening, bloodborne infections that can result from sharps injuries, for enhancing patient care, and for providing feedback for similar strategies to protect the U.S. healthcare workforce. The effort aims to address these issues by applying the hierarchy of controls and using four key tools...
3. Spotlight: OH Learning in Hyderabad, India
In an effort to promote learning and capacity building in occupational hygiene, a five day International Certification Course on “Measurement of Hazardous Substances includes Risk Assessment”, was held in Hyderabad, India, Feb 7-11, 2011. The course included a student assessment and was sponsored by the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad. This very successful course is in part due to the highly motivated and enthusiastic group of 22 participants, many of whom traveled long distances from different parts of the country to attend, and who made the course livelier with their active participation and discussions...
4. Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials (see below)
WHO is developing Guidelines to “Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials” (WHO/NANOH). These Guidelines aim to facilitate improvements in occupational health and safety of workers potentially exposed to nanomaterials in a broad range of manufacturing and social environments...
5. ICOH 2012 Congress March 18-23: Venue moved to Cancun, Mexico
The International Commission on Occupational Health hosts an international Congress every three years on protecting workers, providing an opportunity for international partners to meet in person to advance research of mutual concern, special topics for working sessions, etc. The 30th ICOH Congress was scheduled to be held in Monterrey, Mexico...
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Collaborating Centre Connection - March 2011
4. Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials
By Vladimir Murashov
WHO is developing Guidelines to “Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials” (WHO/NANOH). These Guidelines aim to facilitate improvements in occupational health and safety of workers potentially exposed to nanomaterials in a broad range of manufacturing and social environments.
Workers in all countries face new risks from manufacturing applications of rapidly advancing new technologies based on nanometer-scale atomic structures known as nanomaterials. The growing list of nanomaterial applications includes cosmetics, food packaging, clothing, disinfectants, surface coatings, and paints. Most of these nanomaterials are produced with simple processes and often in low and medium-income nations. Toxicological laboratory studies in animals have shown adverse effects such as inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of animals resulting from exposures to some nanomaterials. Although strong human studies of exposure and response to engineered nanomaterials are not currently available and more research is needed to predict the effects of exposures in humans, sufficient information is available to provide interim recommendations and guidance about prudent approaches to nanomaterial handling in the workplace.
Many low and medium-income countries lag behind in introducing occupational safety and health guidance for nanotechnology. This is why the World Health Assembly identified exposure to nanomaterials as a priority action for the Global Plan of Action on Workers Health it adopted in 2007, and the WHO Global Network of Collaborating Centers in Occupational Health has selected this field as one of their key areas of focus.
The WHO NANOH Guidelines will provide the basis for the development of an Implementation Guide of user-specific guidance and recommendations for four target groups: country ministries of health and labor; Occupational Safety and Health agencies and professional associations; Occupational Health and Hygiene professionals; workers and management.
As part of the WHO NANOH Guidelines development, WHO is in the process of identifying scientific knowledge and expertise on nanomaterials and health to contribute to this initiative. Relevant scientific publications, submissions from experts wishing to participate in the development of these guidelines were submitted through the month of February, 2011. Declarations of interest in supporting this project through other contributions are welcome and can be sent to nanohealth@who.int. Further information about this project is available at http://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/nanotechnologies/en/.
For more information, contact Dr. Vladimir Murashov, Special Assistant to NIOSH Director, vmurashov@cdc.gov
Collaborating Centre Connection - March 2011
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