Coming
events at OHSEI
Trainer
training in occupational health, safety and environment
course.
22
September – 5 October 2002:
Participants
(experienced trainers) will learn about occupational
health, safety and environment issues and how to apply
their knowledge in active trade union training
activities. Participants
will become both a resource for their organisations and
for OHSEI.
Who
should attend? Experienced
trainers from Global Unions Federation members.
Contact your Global Union.
Funding:
$800 per person for OHSEI member organisations,
$1,000 for potential members (note OHSEI is seeking
further funding to reduce the cost per person).
Nominations
close 1 September 2002.
4-6
November: Third Annual Theme Conference:
Occupational
diseases:
regional, national and
workplace strategies to control them.
Who should attend?
Experienced representatives from ICFTU-APRO and
Global Unions Federation.
Invitations are being sent to these organisations.
Other interested persons from trade
unions, government and employers are also invited.
Funding: Participants must
arrange their own funding (note
OHSEI hopes to receive some funding for some
participants. If
the search for funds is successful places will be offered
to representatives from ICFTU-APRO and Global Unions
Federation members first).
Why
occupational diseases?
The
ILO has recently estimated that between 1.9 - 2.3 million
workers die from work related causes EVERY YEAR.
Of these deaths 354,000 are from accidents (288,300
in Asia).
The
remaining deaths are from occupational diseases:
Communicable diseases;
Cancers; Circulatory
disorders; Chronic
lung disorders; Nervous
system conditions; Digestive
disorders; Genito-urinary
diseases. Occupational
diseases are associated with chemical, physical, and
microbiological agents, with ergonomic and mechanical
factors, and with mental health issues.
The
ILO has identified the cost of work related accidents and
disease/ill-health at between 3 and 4% of GDP.
At the recent 90th Session the ILO
passed a new Recommendation
and a Protocol on occupational disease.
Thai
projects: trainers
commence training
Thai
workers should soon begin to see the fruits of the OHSEI
Trainer training projects.
The four National centres project trainers are
beginning to conduct 3-day joint occupational health,
safety and environment committee courses.
The courses are designed to assist unions to
improve the effectiveness of the legally required joint
occupational health, safety and environment committees.
Trainers are reporting that the first steps have
begun. These
involve ensuring that the worker representatives on the
committees are elected by the union and that they receive
training. The
table below shows statistics about courses conducted from
mid May to end July 2002.
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