Top 10 Health, Safety, and Environment News Updates of the Week

Occupational health, safety, and environmental management are crucial for ensuring the well-being of workers, enterprises, and communities. Every week, there are new events, initiatives, and regulations that affect these fields. Here are some of the most important news items and updates from this week. For more information, you can visit the links provided at the end of each item.

1.????OSHA Issues Final Rule to Protect Workers from Exposure to Beryllium.

Beryllium is a metal that can cause serious health problems, such as lung cancer and chronic beryllium disease. OSHA's final rule lowers the permissible exposure limit for beryllium and establishes new requirements for exposure assessment, respiratory protection, medical surveillance, and training. The rule will protect about 62,000 workers in general industry, construction, and shipyards. https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/infodate-y/2023/beryllium-final-rule

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2.????World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023: A Safe and Healthy Working Environment Is a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work.

On 28 April 2023, the ILO celebrated the inclusion of a safe and healthy working environment in its framework of fundamental principles and rights at work. The event brought together experts and constituents to discuss how to implement this right in practice and present the findings of research on the status of the fundamental conventions on occupational safety and health. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/events-training/events-meetings/safeday2023/lang–en/index.htm

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3.????ILO Participates in the 2023 Meetings of The Conferences of The Parties to The Basel, Rotterdam, And Stockholm Conventions.

The ILO delivered a statement on behalf of the workers' right to know as an important foundation for a safe and healthy working environment. The statement supported an amendment to the Rotterdam Convention that would encourage more information sharing between exporting and importing parties of hazardous chemicals and pesticides. The ILO also highlighted its role in promoting green jobs and a just transition to a low-carbon economy. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/news/WCMS_880431/lang–en/index.htm

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4.????HSE Inspectors and Scientists in Budget Day Strike Action.

HSE members of Prospect, the civil service union, stopped work on Wednesday 15 March 2023 to demand fair pay. They joined 133,000 civil service workers who went on strike on Budget Day. Prospect said that the incomes of its members in the public sector including HSE had declined by up to 26 per cent in the last decade due to low pay rises and high inflation. The union also warned that low pay was affecting HSE's ability to retain staff and perform its functions effectively. https://britsafe.org/publications/safety-management-magazine/safety-management-magazine/2023/hse-inspectors-and-scientists-in-budget-day-strike-action/

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5.????Data Project Opens Up New Ways to Prevent Accidents.

HSE is exploring how AI and data can help employers understand more about how accidents happen and how to prevent them through the thousands of stories and reports it stores. Discovering Safety is a project from HSE scientists who are working with industry partners to build a massive data warehouse containing information on safety. It will use AI to process and analyze accident reports and investigation reports to identify the causes, risks, and mitigations of accidents. The project aims to share the data with industry users who can use it to develop their own products and systems for accident prevention. https://www.britsafe.org/publications/safety-management-magazine/safety-management-magazine/2023/data-project-opens-up-new-ways-to-prevent-accidents/

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6.????New Conclusions and Recommendations Adopted at an ILO Technical Meeting for The Civil Aviation Sector Call for Human-Centered Approach.

The ILO held a technical meeting for the civil aviation sector from 26 April to 5 May 2023 to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery. The meeting adopted conclusions and recommendations that call for a human-centered approach that respects workers' rights, promotes social dialogue, ensures occupational safety and health, supports skills development, fosters innovation, and enhances social protection. The meeting also recognized the importance of gender equality, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability in the sector. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/sectoral-employment-policies/civil-aviation/WCMS_880433/lang–en/index.htm

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7.????Employment Policies for Social Justice: 5th Employment Policy Research Symposium, 11-12 May 2023

The ILO will host its fifth Employment Policy Research Symposium on 11-12 May 2023 under the theme "Employment policies for social justice". The symposium will bring together researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and social partners to discuss how employment policies can contribute to social justice in a changing world of work. The symposium will cover topics such as labour market institutions, labour market policies, macroeconomic policies, social protection policies, green jobs policies, digitalization policies, migration policies, and regional integration policies. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/employment-policy/events/WCMS_880434/lang–en/index.htm

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8.????International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconiosis: Distance Learning Course, 9 - 13 October 2023

The ILO will offer a distance learning course on the international classification of radiographs of pneumoconioses, a system for recording and coding the abnormalities in the chest caused by the inhalation of dust. The course will provide theoretical and practical training on how to use the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses, which is widely used for screening, diagnosis, and compensation purposes. The course will also cover the latest developments in digital radiography and its implications for the classification system. https://www.itcilo.org/en/areas-of-expertise/labour-administration-and-inspection/international-classification-of-radiographs-of-pneumoconioses

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9.????Academy On Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Workplace Compliance: Blended Course, 16 - 27 October 2023.

The ILO will organize an academy on labour administration, labour inspection and workplace compliance, which will combine online and face-to-face learning. The academy will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the principles, functions, and challenges of labour administration and inspection systems. It will also offer practical tools and methods for enhancing workplace compliance and promoting a culture of prevention. The academy will target labour administration and inspection officials, social partners, technical advisors, and other stakeholders involved in labour governance. https://www.itcilo.org/en/areas-of-expertise/labour-administration-and-inspection/academy-on-labour-administration-labour-inspection-and-workplace-compliance

10.?Distance Learning Course on Occupational Safety and Health: Blended Course, 4 September 2023 - 12 January 2024.

The ILO will conduct a distance learning course on occupational safety and health (OSH), which will consist of online modules and a residential phase. The course will introduce participants to the main concepts, principles, and standards of OSH. It will also cover topics such as OSH management systems, risk assessment and prevention, OSH legislation and inspection, OSH statistics and indicators, OSH training and education, OSH in specific sectors and contexts, and OSH in times of crisis. The course will target OSH professionals, practitioners, policy makers, researchers, educators, and social partners. https://www.itcilo.org/en/areas-of-expertise/labour-administration-and-inspection/distance-learning-course-on-occupational-safety-and-health

These are some of the most relevant news items and updates on occupational health, safety, and environmental management worldwide this week. For more information on these topics, you can visit the links provided at the end of each item.

?Stay tuned for more updates next week!