News from around the World

News Archive

August 2007

Managing Competence for Safety-related Systems

The Health and Safety Executive in partnership with the Institution of Engineering Technology (IET) and the British Computer Society (BCS), has published guidance to help companies manage the competence of their staff who are involved with electronic safety-related systems (e.g. fly-by-wire in aircraft, shutdown systems in the petrochemical industry and offshore and safeguarding arrangements for machinery and industrial automation).

The new publication Managing Competence for Safety-related Systems provides the essential requirements for a successful competence management system (CMS) suitable for all staff at all levels of responsibility within organisations working on safety-related systems.

The guidance is available free on the internet www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/topics/mancomppt1.pdf

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Annual Report 2006

The 2006 annual report covers:

• Building the links: promoting global network partnership;
• Communicating knowledge - your link to health and safety at work;
• Developing knowledge - supporting policy making and implementation
• Administrative activities

The Annexes cover membership of the governing board; overview of how the Agency and its partners operate; Organisational plan of the Agency; Agency staff; Focal points; Overview of Focal Point Network Activities; Topic Centres; Website usage; Agency publication in 206; Finance 2005/6; Board assessment; Annual work programme 2007.

The 55 page report is for sale from The Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg or downloaded from there is also a 4 page summary available http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/annual_report/2006full/view

Expert forecast on emerging biological risks related to occupational safety and health by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work European Risk Observatory

About 320,000 workers worldwide die every year of communicable diseases, some 5,000 in the European Union. In the last decade, media coverage has raised public awareness of biological hazards, such as anthrax at work due to bioterrorist activities, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the threat of avian flu.

But biological agents are ubiquitous and, in many workplaces, workers face considerably harmful biological risks. The Community strategy 2002-06 called on the Agency to 'set up a risk observatory' to 'anticipate new and emerging risks'.

This report sets out to present the results of the forecast on emerging OSH biological risks, which is the second forecast of emerging risks carried out in this context.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work Expert forecast on emerging biological risks related to Occupational safety and health. July 2007. OPOCE Catalog number: TE7606488ENC. 145 pages. ISBN: 92-9191-130-5.

http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/7606488/view

EUROGIP Discussions: Work-related MSDs in Europe. Preventing risk and retaining victims on the job: what actions for what results? Paris, France

The Eurogip Discussions which will take place on Monday 22 October 2007 in Paris will be organised around four issues:

1. The issues: definition, causes, implications...
2. Which Community framework for preventing MSD?
3. Occupational health and safety initiatives that have had a real impact
4. Effective initiatives for reintegration of victims.

The objective of the Eurogip Discussions, held annually, is to encourage the exchange of information and experience between the relevant players at the European level: government, occupational risk insurance and prevention organisations, social partners, safety managers, occupational health services, employee representatives, etc.

Official languages: French and English.

Programme and registration on www.eurogip.fr/debats-eurogip.php

Activity Report 2006 from the Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute (IRSST), Canada

Located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the Institut de Recherche Rober-Sauve en Sante et en Securite du Travail (IRSST) 2006 Activity Report entitled The IRSST for Research that Generates Change show a wide range of activities.

In 2006, the IRSST began to negotiate a major change in direction. Inspired by the results of both internal and external reflection and consultation, IRSST mapped out the itinerary that they will follow from now to 2010. Whilst the goal of this strategic positioning process has always been to increase the IRSST's research and expertise capacity, it must be said that They have put scientific research at the heart of their activities like never before. The results can be seen in this report that summarises the main activities of the Institute, its personnel, locally, nationally and internationally. There is also a list of this year's scientific publications. To find out more, English PDF version

For more information about IRSST as well as the research you can subscribe at l'Info IRSST www.irsst.qc.ca/HTMFR/formul.htm

You will receive a monthly newsletter with IRSST's newest information.

Should you require any additional information please contact: Maura Tomi, Information agent, Direction des communication, IRSST, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Tel: +1 514-288-1551 ext 302 | Email: mautom@irsst.qc.ca | www.irsst.qc.ca

Resilience Engineering: Concepts and Precepts by Erik Hollnagel, David D. Woods and Nancy Leveson

For Resilience Engineering, 'failure' is the result of the adaptations necessary to cope with the complexity of the real world, rather than a breakdown or malfunction. The performance of individuals and organizations must continually adjust to current conditions and, because resources and time are finite, such adjustments are always approximate.

This definitive new book explores this groundbreaking new development in safety and risk management, where 'success' is based on the ability of organizations, groups and individuals to anticipate the changing shape of risk before failures and harm occur.

Featuring contributions from many of the worlds leading figures in the fields of human factors and safety, Resilience Engineering provides thought-provoking insights into system safety as an aggregate of its various components, subsystems, software, organizations, human behaviours, and the way in which they interact.

The book provides an introduction to Resilience Engineering of systems, covering both the theoretical and practical aspects. It is written for those responsible for system safety on managerial or operational levels alike, including safety managers and engineers (line and maintenance), security experts, risk and safety consultants, human factors professionals and accident investigators.

Affiliation: Erik Hollnagel, Ècole des Mines de Paris, France, and Linköping University, Sweden, David D. Woods, Ohio State University, USA and Nancy Leveson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Resilience Engineering: Concepts and Precepts by Erik Hollnagel, David D. Woods and Nancy Leveson, Ashgate Publishing | www.ashgate.com. 2006. 410 pages. ISBN 0 7546 4904 0

New Book - Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries by Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP

Stress and conflict in the workplace undermine performance and can make people mentally and physically ill, and research indicates that ever-increasing numbers of people are experiencing excessive pressure of this kind - including aggression and abuse - in our rapidly changing world of work.

This applies to libraries and information organizations as much as anywhere; indeed they can be particular targets for verbal and non-verbal violent behaviour through their accessibility to the public, and there are also employees of such organizations who are suffering, often in silence, from aggression, bullying and harassment from a work colleague.

Tackling - and preventing - conflict and stress effectively is a legal responsibility for management, and can result in significant benefits for the organization in terms of recruitment and retention, employee commitment, performance and productivity, customer satisfaction, organizational image and reputation, and avoidance of potential litigation.

Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries defines clearly what should and should not be tolerated in a healthy and safe working environment, and introduces the reporting procedures and communication skills leading to conflict resolution, enabling both employees and managers to consider situations consistently based on risk assessment previously carried out. The chapters cover:

• Current health and safety concerns
• Are you at risk?
• The business case
• Risk assessment procedure
• Advice, guidance and legislation
• Taking action to solve interpersonal conflict
• Dealing with aggression and violence
• Support to be expected inside and outside the organization.

Also included are case studies, a glossary of health and safety terms, and sources of further information, including relevant legislation.

This book is essential reading for employees at all levels, and also for managers, team leaders, supervisors, personnel and human resources staff, complaints officers, union officers and anyone else in the information organization who may be called upon to deal with people.

Sheila Pantry OBE BA FCLIP manages an independent information services consultancy and electronic publishing business, including websites. She has had a long and varied career in information management in a range of industry sectors, and also in government as Head of Information Services for the Health and Safety Executive. She specializes in worldwide occupational health and safety information and is an experienced trainer, writer, editor and lecturer.

Managing Stress and Conflict in Libraries by Sheila Pantry OBE, BA, FCLIP
Facet Publishing, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE, UK
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
ISBN 978-1-85604-613-8
All titles available a 20% discount to Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals members.
Remember to quote your Membership Number if claiming the discount.

Available from Bookpoint Ltd, Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD | Tel: +44 (0)1235 400400 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 832068/861038 | Email: orders@bookpoint.co.uk | Further information - email: sp@sheilapantry.com

Also www.amazon.co.uk or go direct to www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Stress-Conflict-Libraries-Sheila/dp/1856046133

Why waste time clicking around for the latest Health, Safety and Fire information? Help is ready at your fingertips!

Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. publish a number of health, safety, environment and fire electronic services that contain authoritative and validated information from well-known organisations around the world such as the Health and Safety Executive, European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, ILO Health and Safety Centre, Geneva, US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Fire Service College and UK Forensic Science Service.

These services are constantly updated, contain both full text and bibliographic information have been transferred onto new, easy-to-use software and host platform. All services are available for a 15-day free trial. And the collections contain guidance and advice NOT available on web sites!

The following services are long-established and are used worldwide by a wide variety of individuals, OSH practitioners, consultancies, organisations, universities, researchers and lecturers:

• Fireinf (previously Fire, Emergency and Preparedness)
• OSH UPDATE
• IRISH OSH UPDATE (includes content of OSH Ireland)

Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for free trials for all services that are cost effective. Why pay more for information? For a 15 DAY FREE - NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 1909 771024 | Fax: +44 (0) 1909 772829 | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Ensuring that your health and safety policy is up-to-date... and learn all about Behavioural Safety: Two New EurOHSE 2007 Workshops 10 October 2007

Angel Business Communications Ltd and Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd announce two practical workshops to be held at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London on Wednesday, 10 October 2007, 09.45 - 16.30.

Morning Workshop

Ensuring that your health and safety policy is up-to-date... Policy Statements revisited to be presented by Jeremy Stranks

This workshop will deal with:

• The legal basis for Statements of Health and Safety Policy
• The Statement of Health and Safety Policy as a "living document"
• Principal features of a Statement of Health and Safety Policy
• The need to reflect the current health and safety culture of the organisation
• Keeping the Statement up-to-date as a result of new legislation
• The relationship of the Statement to other health and safety documentation, including Health and Safety Manuals, safe working instructions, risk assessments, etc
• The use of annexes to the Statement with respect to, for example, new and expectant mothers, young persons and stress at work

For the practical exercise, there will be a specimen Statement of Health and Safety Policy for consideration by delegates followed by a report back session

Afternoon Workshop

An Introduction to Behavioural Safety and Safety Culture - Theory and Practice and also Advanced Behavioural Techniques presented by Dr Tim Marsh

This workshop will deal with:

• The differing types of Behavioural Programme and Initiative
• Overlaps with Safety Culture, Human Error, Human Factors (AI) and Health Integration of systems
• Strengths and Weaknesses of 'Top-Down' Approaches
• Strengths and Weaknesses of 'Bottom-Up' Approaches
• Writing, Validating and Using Lead Measures
• Maximising Analysis
• High impact awareness raising with a behavioural theme-how and when to use it.

Break Out Session: Tailoring an Approach to Suit Your Specific Situation.

Advanced Behavioural Techniques

• Models of Behavioural Prediction, Coaching and Motivational Interviewing.
• Maximising Ownership
• Leadership Behaviours
• Driving and Home Safety & Next Steps

If you wish to find out more information about the conference call Sheila Pantry Tel: +44(0)1909 771024 directly.

To book your delegate place please call Stephen Whitehurst | Tel: +44 (0)24 76 718970 | Email: stephen@angelbc.co.uk