African Newsletter 3-2015 Training in occupational health and safety

African Newsletter O N O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D S A F E T Y

Volume 25, number 3, December 2015

Training in occupational health and safety

African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety Volume 25, number 3, December 2015 Training in occupational health and safety Published by Finnish Institute of Occupational Health P.O.Box 18, FI-00391 Helsinki, Finland Editor in Chief Suvi Lehtinen E-mail: suvi.lehtinen@ttl.fi Editor Marianne Joronen E-mail: marianne.joronen@ttl.fi Linguistic Editor Alice Lehtinen Layout PPD Studio The Editorial Board is listed (as of August 2015) on the back page.

A list of contact persons in Africa is also on the back page.

This publication enjoys copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts of articles may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, International Affairs, P.O.Box 18, FI-00391 Helsinki, Finland The African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety homepage address is: http://www.ttl.fi/AfricanNewsletter

African Newsletter is financially supported by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the International Labour Office.

Photograph of the cover page: M. Crozet, ILO Photo Gallery © The International Labour Organization

Contents 55 Editorial

Frank Muchiri ILO

Articles 56 Occupational health and safety training and future prospects in Tanzania

Joshua Matiko Tanzania

59 Training options for professionals in agricultural health and safety in developing countries

Samuel T. Olowogbon, Aaron M. Yoder NIGERIA, USA

62 Harnessing the underestimated power of safety signage to reduce accidents in the workplace

Nahashon M. Kiogora KENYA

66 The Occupational Hygiene Training Association and www.ohlearning.com – an international training scheme and qualifications framework

Roz Phillips OHTA

68 Napo - safety with a smile

Peter Rimmer ILO

70 Two ICOH Scientific Commettees

Frank van Dijk, SCETOH, Shyam Pingle, SCOHDev

74 From the Editor in Chief

Suvi Lehtinen FIOH

© Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 2015

Printed publication: ISSN 0788-4877 On-line publication: ISSN 1239-4386 The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office, World Health Organization or the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health of the opinions expressed in it.

Editorial

Training in occupational safety and health

I

n the last two decades, training in occupational health and safety has gained increasing attention in many countries within the Africa region, and demand is on the increase. Driving this is the economic growth of most countries, and diversification in economic sectors such as oil, gas, mining and other extractive industries, commercial farming, and construction. This growth is also accompanied by the emergence of new technologies at the workplace, which, although they improve efficiency and productivity, are also accompanied by new risks that require new knowledge and innovative methods for their safe use and application. Improvements in economies are accompanied by new demands for improved social standards and quality of life, including at the workplace. This phenomenon is further amplified by globalization, meaning that countries now face new unforeseen occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges. This is to the detriment of low-resourced countries, especially as regards OSH knowledge, research and information. Countries are therefore challenged to implement training programmes that not only respond to their immediate national needs but also anticipate emerging risks.

This requires long-term investment in training, based on a multidisciplinary approach.

Noting the fundamentals of having current knowledge and information for the effective application of OSH legislation, most countries within the region have reviewed and strengthened training requirements in their national OSH statutes. The reviews are in line with the ILO OSH conventions; most notably the convention concerning occupational safety and the working environment (1981), number 155. This convention requires that workers are given appropriate information and training in OSH. Emphasis on training and information are further articulated in the Global Strategy on OSH (2003), which highlights the importance of having adequate capacity to generate, process and disseminate knowledge that meets the needs of governments, employers and workers, and to support research and the dissemination of good practice. Consequently, many countries in the region have established post-graduate level training programmes in the OSH modules of medical schools. Training programmes are also being implemented in tertiary institutions such as those that train nurses and public health personnel. This is a key step to linking OSH with primary health care services, through vocational training centres for specific trades (such as construction), covering both formal and informal workplaces, where action-oriented participatory approaches are gaining credence.

In this respect, one of the key aims in developing training programmes and tools is to ensure that they support and enhance compliance with OSH legislation as part of good practice. This is in addition to developing and implementing innovative programmes that would effectively extend OSH to all workplaces and vulnerable workers, especially those in rural agriculture and the informal economy.

This has also been recognized and prioritized for action in poverty alleviation by Heads of State and the Government of the African Union’s meeting Declaration in Ouagadougou, 2004.

By investing in training, countries are portraying their preparedness in ensuring the safety and health of an important resource ‒ their national workforce, and in turn taking a proactive and consistent approach to growth and progressively maintaining economic strength and competitiveness. At the same time, they are systematically mitigating the diverse, also negative OSH-related impacts of an integrated approach. This is critical for the effective practice of OSH, which requires different professionals of comparable standard in their respective areas of specialization beyond OSH, such as statistics and data analysis, internal processes, and client needs. Thus a multidisciplinary approach needs to be matched with corresponding support services if the training is to achieve the desired results. Training needs to be matched with an effective national OSH system and infrastructure in order to ensure valued application of acquired knowledge and to attract more professionals into the field of OSH, the demand of which is on the rise.

As countries build their OSH resources, the need to promote the exchange of knowledge and information and to create and strengthen partnerships at national, regional and international levels will grow. This will not only build networks for sharing new knowledge, but also provide opportunities for benchmarking, standardization and certification of training, thereby enhancing professional exchanges both within regions and internationally. In addition, the quest for new knowledge, experience and growth of OSH can be seen as a noble profession. A strong, regular medium such as the African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety provides an important platform for sharing experiences, challenges, newsworthy education and training programmes, and a forum for the dissemination of research on good practices in OSH in Africa as well as anywhere else that is relevant to the continent.

Importantly, the workplace should be the principal place for OSH training, which should be interwoven with formal educational programmes and apprenticeships. The workplace provides an opportunity for learning and on-the-job training, as well as a teamwork environment that promotes cognitive learning regarding the application of a preventative safety and health culture in real settings and through peer learning. Whatever its level, OSH training must be of the highest quality possible for it to fulfil its role – this is what is demanded of OSH, now and in the future, in the African region and globally.

Frank Muchiri Senior Occupational Safety and Health Specialist ILO-DWT for Eastern and Southern Africa Pretoria South Africa Muchiri@ilo.org

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Joshua Matiko Tanzania

Occupational health and safety training and future prospects in Tanzania Introduction

In the enforcement of occupational health and safety (OH&S) legislation, the OH&S training programme is a cornerstone of the promotion of safety and health at workplaces. It builds a culture of managing hazards and risks at work. OH&S training may be conducted at different levels, depending on the target group. It may include the identification of occupational hazards, and the establishment of risk levels for them. It may also teach workers how to put appropriate control measures in place. Other areas of training could include the culture of safe work practices and the proper selection and use of personal protective equipment. The most important goal is to decrease the number of injuries and deaths, property damage, legal liability, illnesses, workers’ compensation claims, and missed work time. This may lead to the need to justify the costs of OH&S training programmes. However, OH&S training has been proven to be an effective and successful method of hazard intervention (1).

Building a safety culture among the working population can have a substantial effect on the sustainable prevention of accidents and occupational diseases at work.

In order to build this culture among people before they enter work life, OH&S training should be an integral part of the education system in the respective country.

This means that an appropriate attitude towards OH&S and knowledge of its related issues should be included in learning processes from primary schools to higher education institutions (2).

OH&S training is a legal requirement under the OH&S Act

The Ministry of Labour of Tanzania has enacted OH&S Act No. 5 of 2003, some of the provisions of which impose a legal responsibility on employers to conduct training for employees on a number issues, such as the hazards that they may face while on the job. Some of the provisions in the Act require employers and employees to be given OH&S training to enable them to comply 56 • Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:56–58

with the Act. One aspect of OH&S training required by the OH&S Act is that safety and health representatives and committees are equipped with skills and techniques to carry out their functions properly. Another requirement is that machine attendants acquire the competence to operate machines, including the ability to identify the associated hazards. Training for workers who are involved in dangerous operations is also obligatory according to the Act, and a sufficient number of employed people must to be trained how to use the reviving breathing apparatus when they work inside a chamber, pit, vat, tank or other confined space. Persons in charge of first aid boxes at the workplace need to be trained by a recognized institution (3).

Existing OH&S training programmes

In addition to the training required by the law, it is important to establish other training that provides workers and employers with knowledge and competence concerning the different aspects of their duties, and teaches them how to comply with the various provisions of the Act (4,5). The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OSHA), which is responsible for promotion of OH&S in the country, has recognized this, and has established a number of training programmes for this purpose.

One of the courses is entitled National Occupational Safety and Health Course (NOSHC). It was established in 2006, and since then, over 600 participants from different workplaces have attended this programme. The training is divided into two modules of three weeks and takes six weeks to complete. It has been designed to enhance the skills, techniques and capacity of the participants to recognize, evaluate and put in place measures to control occupational hazards and promote OH&S at their workplaces. This training is targeted at safety and health representatives, safety and health managers or supervisors, company occupational health physicians, OH&S trainers, and any other interested persons.

One of the requirements of the Act is an annual safety and health risk assessment at the workplace. Risk as-

Photos by Occupational Safety and Health Authority/P. Gyuna

Facilitators and participants of one of the sessions during the National Occupational Safety and Health course in a group photo.

sessment has been recognized as an essential tool for effective occupational safety and health management systems at both national and enterprise levels (4). It entails critical identification and control of all hazards, hence ensuring a safer and healthier workplace. Therefore OSHA has established a five-day risk assessment training course for employers and workers as a strategy to help them comply with the requirement of the law and reduce risk levels. The training comprises theory on risk assessment principles in the class, and site visits which provide participants with the opportunity to apply theory in practice as part of the training. The training provides participants with the knowledge and competence to effectively implement the basic risk management technique for improving working conditions in their enterprises.

Workers’ participation is a significant aspect of effective promotion of safety and

health at work. The Act’s requirement to appoint safety and health representatives and to establish committees are special arrangements in order to promote workers’ participation. Through this arrangement employers and workers may communicate and/or consult one another on OH&S issues. However, for the representatives and committee members to fulfil their obligation, they need to be trained, and so OSHA conducts special training for this group, which aims to equip participants with knowledge to function as safety and health representatives and assist employers in promoting OH&S and providing a safe and healthy work environment.

Another important training course which is required under the law is that of First Aid. First aid training has been designed to enable workers to help their colleagues or any other persons at the workplace in an emergency situation. This training covers both theory and practice,

which gives a first aider the confidence and knowledge they need to provide the emergency aid should it be required. The training is run for three days and participants are required to undergo a first aid refresher course every year.

Work at a height can expose workers to risks of falling from high work platform. Falling from a height is one of the leading causes of fatalities and serious injuries at work (6). Employers are obligated by the law to protect workers from falling from a height. One of the strategies for this is to train workers in the safe way to work at height. OSHA has established training on safe working at a height. This training is targeted towards construction workers, telecommunication tower contractors, drill assistants, bill board contractors, designers, etc. It is conducted for four full days, which includes theory presentations and a site visit.

OSHA also conducts tailor-made

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Photo by P. Gyuna

training on specific OH&S issues on the request of employers or employees. Normally this kind of training focuses on the hazards associated with specific operations at work.

OH&S future prospects

For the purpose of compliance with the OH&S minimum standards as stipulated in the OH&S Act, every employer should establish some mechanism to provide basic OH&S services for their workers. The provision of OH&S services should have the functions stipulated in Article 5 of ILO Conversion No. 161 (7). These functions include the identification and assessment of risks, surveillance of work environment factors, surveillance of workers’ health in relation to work, etc. To perform these functions, trained and competent personnel are critical (8). This may include various OH&S specialists, such as OH physicians, OH nurses, occupational hygienists, OH physiotherapists, safety engineers, occupational ergonomists, and many others (2). As in many other developing countries, one of the problems facing the delivery of OH&S services in Tanzania is the shortage of these OH&S professionals. To increase the number of OH&S personnel and professionals, the country should enhance the training of these professionals. It could be organized as part of professional education or as postgraduate training after basic educa-

tion with some professional experience in OH&S (2).

OSHA, in collaboration with stakeholders such as higher education institutions and other OH&S trainers, should provide information, advice and guidelines on how to establish competencebased training courses on the provision of OH&S services. OSHA, through accredited trainers, should conduct continuous programmes to increase the supply and competence of personnel qualified to carry out the functions of OH&S services. OSHA should prescribe and set standards for establishing OH&S training programmes, which should be followed by all trainers in occupational safety and health.

The standards should articulate the expectations of safe, effective, high-quality oc-

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SME operators attending an OH&S training session that was organized by OSHA as part of an awareness raising campaign during the world day of safety and health at work.

cupational health services.

In collaboration with stakeholders, OSHA should put in place an accreditation system for OH&S professionals to make sure that they perform their functions in accordance with the set standards while observing integrity and professional norms. The accreditation system should ensure that OH&S professionals are regularly audited, to check whether they deliver their services in accordance with the set standards.

Joshua Matiko

Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) P.O. Box 159 Dar es Salaam Tanzania

References 1. NIOSH. Assessing Occupational Safety and Health Training: a Literature Review. NIOSH Publ. 1998;98– 145.

2. Elgstrand K. Education and training. In: Elgstrand K, Petersson NF, editors. OSH for Development. 1st ed.

Stockholm: Royal Institute of Technology; 2009;649–71.

3. Government of Tanzania. Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 5. 2003.

4. ILO. Guideline on occupational safety and health management system, ILO-OSH. Geneva; 2001. 8 p.

5. NOSA. NOSA Safety, Health and Environmental Management Standard – Specification Document.

2003. 11 p.

6. Matiko JM, Naidoo R. Work-related fatalities and severe injuries in the Dar-es-Salaam region , Tanzania : A comparison of risk factors between the construction and non-construction sectors, 1980–2009. Occ Heal South Africa. 2015;21(3 June):4–11.

7. ILO. C161 - Occupational Health Services Convention. Geneva; 1985.

8. Sakari WDO. Occupational health training in Africa. Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety.

1997;7(3):56–7.

Samuel Toyin Olowogbon, Aaron M. Yoder Nigeria, USA

Training options for agricultural professionals in agricultural health and safety for developing countries Background statements

About 1.3 billion workers are engaged in agricultural production globally. This represents half of the world’s total labour force. Only 9% of agricultural workers live in industrialized countries; about 60% are in developing countries. Furthermore, three-quarters of the world’s poor live in rural areas, particularly in Asia and Africa (1), and depend on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. This underscores the importance of agriculture to developing nations. Millions of the world’s poor are rural people trapped in a combination of low-productivity agriculture, poor health, and under-nutrition (2). Despite the assertions that improved nutrition and health can reduce the poverty level of 1.4 billion people living on less than $1.25 a day, substantial efforts are yet to be made in health interventions targeting the agricultural sector (3).

Agriculture has been described as fundamental to economic growth, poverty alleviation, improvement in rural livelihood, and the environmental sustainability of developing nations (4).

Despite its poverty reduction potential, however, agriculture has been described as a risky occupation, which exposes farm workers to fatal and non-fatal injuries, work-related lung diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, skin diseases, stress, adverse reproductive outcomes, musculoskeletal disorders, certain cancers associated with chemical use and prolonged sun exposure, injuries from machinery, and poisoning from chemicals (5,6,7).

Agriculture, which is not only a career, occupation, profession and way of life, but also the source of livelihood in most developing nations, is threatened by agriculturally related accidents and fatality. This highlights the importance of agricultural health capacity-building to make farms safe and healthy environments in which to work and live (8). Agriculture, the mainstay of most developing economies, has a deep culture of unwise risktaking and lack of appreciation of the role that good health and safety management can play (5).

1For example, while pesticides can increase agricultural productivity, there is growing concern about the health impacts of their use. When handled incorrectly,

agricultural chemicals are toxic to humans and other species. Deaths due to unintentional poisoning from exposure to pesticides are estimated at 355 000 people yearly, two-thirds of which occur in developing countries (4). Further estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that worldwide 30 million people suffer severe pesticide poisoning annually, 25 million of whom are agricultural workers in developing countries (9, 10).

In spite of such striking numbers, occupational health in general, and in agriculture in particular, remains neglected in most developing countries because of competing social, economic, and political challenges (11).

In addition, the effects of unsafe agrochemical use have been linked to some non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancers and respiratory diseases. WHO (2013) indicated that NCDs cause over 36 million deaths each year, with 80% of these in low- and medium-income countries. The prevalence of NCDs and related deaths is expected to grow, with the largest projected increase by 2020 being in the African region (13). Thus, without any interventions, there is no doubt that agriculture – the largest employer of labour in most developing countries – will suffer.

In Nigeria, which has a population of 175 million people, the agricultural sector provides employment to about 70% of the country’s population, making agriculture a major sector (14, 15). About 80% of Nigerian farmers use no safety measures during agricultural activities, which leads to farm accidents. A study conducted in Nigeria on knowledge and awareness of farm safety among agricultural professionals shows that the main causal factors attributed to farm accidents include poor awareness and inadequate skills for prevention and protection against farm hazards, which in turn include physical, chemical, ergonomic, biological, and psychosocial hazards (16, 17).

This study revealed that about 40% of agricultural pro1 Agricultural Professionals are any technically/professionally trained personnel in the area of agriculture, saddled with the responsibility of providing services along the agricultural production and food systems. This includes, but is not limited to, extension workers, agricultural educators, researchers, OSH inspectors in agriculture, agricultural consultants, agricultural policy makers, and analysts etc.

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fessionals were at an average level on the scale of awareness of occupational health and safety issues in agriculture, while 32% were at a low level, and 28% at a very low level. This shows the state of safety in the agricultural sector of the country (8).

Consequently, safety in the agricultural sector of Nigeria is neglected (18). Despite the enormity of the challenge, agricultural safety and health in Nigeria is yet to receive the attention it needs in terms of research, policies and training.

The health problems caused by occupational and environmental hazards are particularly acute in developing countries, where well-established methods of hazard control are less likely to be applied because of limited awareness, low political priority of health and environment matters, a lack of education and training, inadequate information on hazards, difficulty in conducting research, a lack of expertise, communication problems, limited resources, or a lack of appropriate occupational and environmental health management systems (19). A major impediment to environmental health hazard control in many parts of the world is the lack of people with appropriate training. It has been documented that developing countries suffer from a severe shortage of expert staff in occupational health (19, 10, 20).

In 1985, a WHO expert committee also concluded that there is an urgent need for staff trained in environmental health matters; indeed Agenda 21, the internationally agreed strategy of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, identified training (national “capacity building”) as a key element for pro-

moting human health through sustainable development (21).

Poor agricultural health literacy (AHL) is still a major challenge, predisposing farmers and farm workers to farm accidents and fatalities in most developing nations. AHL among agricultural professionals is poor or at its lowest ebb, along with poor agricultural health knowledge and skills among agricultural professionals in developing nations. Farmers in these nations will be vulnerable to farm accidents emanating from poor knowledge on agricultural safety. Commitment to reducing agro-related musculoskeletal disorders, agrochemical poisoning and other health problems among agricultural workers is essential in order to improve productivity, health and economic wellbeing through effective capacity-building via training in the area of agricultural health. According to the WHO Health for all principles and ILO Conventions No. 155 and No. 161, every worker has the right of access to occupational health and safety services, irrespective of sector of the economy, size of company, or type of assignment and occupation (22, 23, 24).

This includes agriculture, the largest employer of labour.

As far back as 2000, ILO recommended a National Policy on Safety and Health for the agricultural sector for member countries. This policy is anchored on an integrated approach to include: i. Occupational safety and health

(prevention and protection); ii. Environmental health

(prevention and protection); iii. Public health/primary health care © The International Labour Organization /M. Crozet

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(protection and referral); iv. Compensation and social security

schemes (protection and rehabilita tion); v. Needs of different rural worker cat egories and the extension of coverage

to those lacking social protection and

basic services; vi. Agricultural production; and vii. Rural development policies (25).

Fifteen years later, these recommendations are yet to be fully implemented to reflect safe agricultural practices and procedures to protect the workers in the sector. There is therefore a need for capacitybuilding in this area, due to massive agricultural intensification in these developing nations.

What are the available training options for agricultural professionals in developing nations?

Adequate information gathering and promotion is needed at all levels of agricultural health and safety in developing nations. This would help reflect the current extent of agriculturally related issues in these countries. The government must also be committed to occupational health and safety of the agricultural sector through a successfully implemented legislation and policy framework. This framework should be in line with the best global practices. To enhance capacity-building via training in the area of agricultural health, the following options are viable.

1. Curriculum development to reflect ag ricultural health and safety: Deliberate agricultural health education through the formal curriculum, to educate pro fessionals in agriculture. The curricu lum for agricultural related disciplines, from primary to tertiary levels, should be developed to bring agricultural health and safety in line with mod ern best global practices in agriculture.

This would help equip agricultural pro fessionals with correct information re garding farm hazards and appropriate actions to be taken for control and pro tection against such hazards.

2. Exchange programmes and mentoring in agricultural health: Responsible and qualified citizens in developing coun tries should be sponsored by indus trialized nations to be trained and mentored under seasoned scholars in the area of agricultural health. On re turn to their country, this trained per-

References 1. Ravallion M, Chen S, Sangraula P. New evidence on the urbanization of global poverty. Policy Research Working Paper No. 4199. 2007 Washington, DC: World Bank. <http://econ. worldbank.org/docsearch>.

2. Ahmed AU, Vargas Hill R, Smith LC, Wiesmann DM, Frankenberger T. The World’s Most Deprived: Characteristics and Causes of Extreme Poverty and Hunger.

Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2007.

3. World Bank. People, Pathogens, and Our Planet: Volume One: Toward a One Health Approach for Controlling Zoonotic Diseases. Report Number 50833. Washington, DC 2010.

4. World Bank. World Development Report 2007: Agriculture for Development. Washington, DC: World Bank 2007.

5. Chris I. Pastoral care, Safety Health Practitioner Magazine, United Media 2008.

6. World Health Organization (WHO). Building healthy and equitable workplaces for women and men: a resource for employers and worker representatives. Protecting workers’ health series, 11. 2011. Available from www.who.int. Accessed 11 August 2014.

7. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). 2014. Agricultural operations available at https://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/agriculturaloperations/ accessed 10/11/14 8. Olowogbon TS, Akinwande AS. Safety education ? a preventive measure in OHS: the case of agriculture. Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2013;23(2):37– 40.

9. Duffy P. Environmental impact assessment training for sustainable agriculture and rural development: A case in Kenya. 2014. Available at: http://www.fao.org/sd/ EPdirect/ EPan0012.htm. Accessed October 9, 2014.

10. Kuye RK, Donham Marquez S, Sanderson W, Fuortes L, Rautiainen R, Jones M, Culp, K. Pesticide Handling and Exposures Among Cotton Farmers in The Gambia, Journal of Agromedicine, 2008;12(3):57–69, DOI: 10.1080/10599240801887876 11. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Agriculture for improved nutrition and health. A revised proposal submitted to the CGIAR Consortium Board.

GIAR research program 4. 2011.

12. World Health Organization. Media centre. Factsheet: Non-communicable diseases. Updated March 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs355/en/ workers available on line. 2013;18:03–11.

13. Lim AA, Vos T, Flaxmman AD, et al. A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injuries attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990 to 2010. A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet, 2012;380(0859):2224–60.

14. National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Annual Report. 2014.

15. Omotesho OA. Let the small-scale farmer be in good standing. The 158th Inaugural lecture series, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria 2015.

16. Olowogbon TS. Health and Safety in Agriculture and Food Security Nexus. Int. J. Emerg. Sci., 2011;1(2):73–82, ISSN:2222-4254).

17. Olowogbon TS, Fakayode SB, Jolaiya AJ, Oke AO. (2013) ‘Nigeria’s Small Scale Farmers’ Agrochemical Use; The Health And Safety Implications’. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 2013;15(1):92–103.

18. Olowogbon TS. ‘Stress management: an abandoned work-ethic in agriculture’. Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2014;24(1):9–11.

19. Noweir MH. Occupational health in developing countries, with special reference to Egypt. Am J Ind Med 1986;9:125–141.

20. Kjellström T, Yassi A. Linkages between Environmental and Occupational Health in 53. Environmental Health Hazards, SAFEWORK - ILO’s Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment, International Labour Organization, Geneva 2011.

21. United Nations (UN). Agenda 21. New York: UN 1993.

22. WHO. Health for All Policy. WHO Regional Office for Europe 1998.

23. ILO. ILO Convention No. 155 on Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environment. Geneva 1981.

24. ILO. ILO Convention No. 161 on Occupational Health Services. Geneva 1985.

25. ILO. Safety and Health in Agriculture. Safe Work Programme on safety, health and the environment Labour Protection Department International Labour Office Geneva 22 – Switzerland. 2000.

sonnel could help advance the cause of agricultural health. This training could be at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

3. Empowering organizations with requi site functions to train their profession als: Organizations or agencies, either private or public, in the area of agricul tural health should be empowered to train their staff. This would enhance their service delivery in the area of ag ricultural health. These organizations could include Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Labour and Productivity etc.

4. Encouraging Non-governmental Or ganizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in this area. These organizations are usual ly closer to the rural populace, who are mostly farmers. Training profes sionals in the area of agricultural health to set up NGOs and CBOs would not

be a misplaced investment priority in these countries.

5. Attendance of agricultural health con ferences and symposia: Attendance of conferences and symposia by agri cultural professionals in developing countries, where issues relating to the health and safety of agricultural work ers are discussed, is essential. This would help in raising the agricultural knowledge of agro-professionals to be come in line with recent trends and practices.

6. Extended research horizon in agricul tural health: An extended research ho rizon in the area of agricultural health in developing countries would enhance capacity-building in the area of agricul tural health.

Conclusion

Agriculture is an important sector, not only globally, but also in most develop-

ing nations. It has been tipped to have the potential to alleviate poverty in most of these countries. Capacity-building in the area of agricultural health, via training, would not only help the economic development of such nations, but also help protect the health of their populace and enhance their productivity.

Samuel Toyin Olowogbon

Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ilorin P.M.B.1515 Ilorin Nigeria e-mail: olowogbonsamuel@gmail.com Aaron M. Yoder

Assistant Professor Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, USA e-mail: aaron.yoder@unmc.edu

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Nahashon Manyara Kiogora Kenya

Safety signage to reduce accidents in the workplace â&#x20AC;&#x201C; harnessing its underestimated power Employers are required to carry out risk assessments to identify hazards, and to arrange training to inform or communicate these risks to their employees. Most of them, after completing the risk assessment, identify serious hazard areas and employ safety signs to warn employees, visitors and third parties of any imminent danger in the area.

The role of safety signs in preventing injury and ensuring that staff are aware of the dangers and hazards they face at given points at the workplace cannot be overemphasized. Without signs, many employees would lack essential direction in times of crisis, and employers might find themselves in significant legal difficulties if accidents were to arise as a result. Thus safety signage is an essential part of every business safety strategy, and advice should be sought when determining what is needed in terms of their language, content, size, positioning and material.

The use of safety signage to communicate hazards is common at many workplaces. They are used to communicate the presence of hazards or dangers in particular areas within the workplace. In fact, the use of safety signs at the workplace helps raise the bar as regards hazard communication. Both hazards to safety and hazards to health exist at the workplace and can be controlled by the use of hazard warnings through safety signs. This is one of the legal responsibilities vested upon the employer in most safety-performance advanced countries.

Safety signs provide information on safety or health and can be in the form of a signboard, colour, acoustic signal, verbal communication, or hand signal. They provide recognizable warnings to employees about potentially dangerous or hazardous conditions in the area. Before installing safety signs, an employer should examine whether the hazard can be avoided or reduced by collective precautions that protect everybody, or by safer ways of carrying out work. While it is both good practice and 62 â&#x20AC;˘ Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:62â&#x20AC;&#x201C;65

a compliance requirement to install safety signs at the workplace, it is an equally good idea to identify and implement requirements to sustain or improve the benefits expected from using signage at the workplace. The effective use of signs at the workplace has success-enhancing factors.

Some employers say that signs have played a pivotal role in improving their safety performance. Others, despite investing a great deal in signs at the workplace, say that they still report a marked increase in the rate of incidents. It is not enough to invest in safety signs: the factors that enhance and sustain the benefits expected and accrued from the effective use of safety signage at workplaces should also be investigated. (1).

In some countries, a company can be sued by visitors, subcontractors, temporary workers or even maintenance employees who have been injured in their facility. Safety signs give organizations a risk reduction tool that they can use to provide adequate warnings in order to prevent accidents. If an accident occurs, safety signs and labels will provide the organization with a litigation defence tool that should help lessen liability. Safety signs make it easier to instil the importance of safety at the workplace in the minds of workers. They should be readable and sufficiently visible so that everyone can easily read them. Safety signs can also be placed around highrisk working areas to warn people of the possible hazards they could encounter in the area. Thus signs are extremely important for conveying warnings at the workplace so that accidents can be avoided.

According to Davoudian et al. (2), safety signs and signals are one of the main means of communicating health and safety information. This includes the use of illuminated signs, hand and acoustic signals (e.g. fire alarms), spoken communication, and the marking of pipe work containing dangerous substances.

Traditional signboards, such as prohibition and

warning signs, signs for fire exits, fire action plan notices, and fire-fighting equipment are also considered safety signs. In view of their importance, it is critical that all safety signs and signals can be easily understood. Prohibition signs tell people what they should not do in the office. Examples of this are “No Smoking”, or “No Unauthorized Personnel”. Mandatory signs tell people to strictly follow the procedures necessary for performing a certain task. Examples are “Put on Protective Gear before Entering” or “Please Wash Your Hands”. Caution signs inform people to be careful because the area may be prone to accidents. They are used for awareness. Examples are “Caution: Wet Floor” or “Caution: Hazardous Waste”.

They are usually yellow and black. Bilingual signs are signs that contain warnings or reminders in two languages to convey their message. These are perfect in places where not all workers are fluent in English.

However despite all these efforts to warn workers of hazards through signage at the workplace, accidents continue to happen and in some organizations they reduce. There is a need to know what efforts or support is required to ensure that the signs deliver the anticipated improved performance. What factors contribute to the successful use of safety signage at a workplace? What really makes the use of safety signs at a workplace effective in decreasing the number of accidents, especially in busy multi-site operations with high human-process interactions? This is the question that drives this study.

Suitable, sufficient risk assessment

Managing health and safety risks is no different to managing other business risks. They both require identification of what might cause harm or loss to people or facilities, an evaluation of what is being done to prevent such incidents, and the implementation of additional controls (e.g. safety signs) to ensure that the risks remain under control. This risk assessment process is central to any safety management system. The best approach is dynamic assessment at the time the risk presents itself as opposed to generic risk assessment.

Suitable and sufficient means that the level of detail in the risk assessment is equivalent to the risk at hand. Task Hazard Analysis (THA) or Job Safety Analy-

risk to the lowest minimum possible levels through applying all means as per the hierarchy.

Signage design standardization ‒ attention-grabbing workplace safety signs that meet global standards

Prohibition Signs

Mandatory Signs

Warning Signs

sis (JSA) are some of the risk assessment tools used to identify and control workplace hazards and form a strong background for determining the position and type of signage to install. The purpose here is to identify workplace hazards and the likelihood of their occurrence. Controls are then selected and applied to reduce the risk associated with the identified hazards to acceptable levels in accordance with the principles of ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) (3) and the “Hierarchy of Control”. The principle of ALARP is applied by ensuring that all measures necessary and practicable have been applied to minimize the residual risk to the lowest possible levels through means such as: Avoiding the risk where possible, if not, then use of engineering controls such as modification of the process, guarding or automation. If the risk is still there, then use of administrative controls and work practices such as job rotation or good housekeeping. Finally the Personal Protective Equipment should be used as the last resort. “Hierarchy of Control” will help the leader to appreciate the relationship between ALARP and guidance of hierarchy ie the ultimate aim of an OSH practitioner is to reduce the residual

Most health and safety signs follow a universal symbol or colour in order to convey their messages. This makes them uniform. Everyone can readily understand signs with only pictograms and no letters, but even if you are in a foreign country and the text is written in a language you do not understand, just by seeing the colour and the symbol, you will already understand what the sign is trying to tell you. The text height, sign size, typography (font style), colour, symbols, shape, phrasing, and the message conveyed all have an impact on how a sign will be perceived (4). Text may be included on a supplementary signboard provided that it does not adversely affect the effectiveness of the safety signboard. A signboard and supplementary signboard can both be located on the same “carrier”, which could be a single sheet of metal, plywood, laminated plastic or other material: whatever is most appropriate for a specific location.

Red is for prohibition, yellow for caution, green for positive action, blue for mandatory actions. Circular discs mean prohibitions and instructions, triangles mean warnings, and squares and rectangles are for emergency and information signs.

Signage inspection and regular maintenance ‒ frequent audits to find missing, faulty, faded signs and to fix them

Conspicuous signs denoting non-obvious safety hazards help eliminate accidents.

(5) These include not only the prohibitive and warning signs commonly recognized as having a direct safety message, but also other sign genres, such as directional signs, informational signs, interpretive signs, and signs that specifically denote areas in which activities are allowed.

Safety signage should address not only activities or actions that are prohibited, but should also guide and encourage viewers to make safe activity choices. The first rule of safety signage is the identification of potential safety hazards, and determining the information and regulations that govern safety. Over time, it is common for

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© International Labour Organization/M. Crozet

work areas and wall surfaces to become faded or cluttered with various signs.

Once this happens, the impact of particular messages becomes lost. Important messages, such as those regarding safety, should always take precedence over others. Other, less pertinent signs or graphics that may overshadow or drown out the safety-related signs should be moved to a different location or removed altogether.

Sign maintenance is one of the most problematic areas of a safety signage programme. (6) Vandalism is perhaps the most common reason for sign maintenance. Signs in vandalism-prone areas should be made of durable materials to make vandalism difficult and repairs easy. In addition, signs that are vandalized should be replaced or repaired as quickly as possible. Enforcement action may be essential to stop vandalism, particularly when the community knows of direct enforcement measures such as arrest and fines.

Training

This takes place in the form of safety

talks and engagement with staff through consultation and education that includes induction processes, handbooks or visitor books.

A workplace can be prone to many different types of accidents. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure staff is adequately trained to recognize each safety sign and what it means. They should also be trained in what to do in the case of an emergency. Employers must provide employees with information on the meaning and requirements of any signs used in the workplace, especially where text is used on supplementary signboards. When safety is not communicated properly, accidents happen, lives can be lost, and a company’s reputation can be destroyed (7). Training is a key intervention for ensuring the creation of awareness and information sharing. A robust training programme should be offered to employees to ensure the success and effective implementation of safety signage at the workplace. Refresher training should also be regularly enforced. Holding short sessions to refresh safety training can in-

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crease what employees retain. Sessions as short as one to five minutes can have a significant impact on workplace safety.

An effective training programme can reduce the number of injuries and deaths, property damage, legal liability, illnesses, workers’ compensation claims, etc.

Sign placement and Location

Safety signs should be placed at the minimum distance required to avoid the potential hazard. They should also catch the eye of the intended viewer. It is important to locate signs so that people entering the area from any direction can see one or more of the signs. Safety signs are commonly located at public access points.

Placement should aim to increase sign exposure. Repeated exposure to the same warning may increase effectiveness, but care must be taken to avoid overexposure.

Dual exposure methods, such as placing construction site safety warning signs at an entrance and then again at the storage areas or near barriers increase the viewers’ exposure and compliance rates. However, overexposure of redundant signs in the

same viewing area, or overstating the level of risk of an activity may desensitize viewers and reduce compliance. Occasionally, moving signs to different locations, or changing the sign in some noticeable way may keep frequent users from ignoring a sign that becomes “part of the landscape” after repeated viewing (4).

Some other things to consider when determining proper sign placement are sun and glare, shadows, orientation and visitor safety. Be aware of “sign clutter”; a situation in which new, different signs are added to a location over time, and the overall effect is to force the viewer to wade through a mass of unco-ordinated information to obtain the information they need. Regardless of a sign’s location, it should stand out from its surroundings.

Signs that blend in with their surroundings are less likely to be noticed, and consequently less likely to be complied with.

The materials used to construct a sign have an impact on their durability and legibility. The location of a sign determines the type of material used in its construction, and the cost of the sign should be weighed against its durability (1). The more durable the sign, the less it will be susceptible to vandalism and damage. Fading is also a problem with many signs (e.g., red pigments tend to fade

References 1. Smith T. The evolution of safety signs, 2013.

2. Amirhossein Davoudian Talab, Mohsen Meshkani, Amirabbas Mofidi, Mahdi Mollakazemiha. Evaluation of the perception of workplace safety signs and effective factors. International Journal of Occupational Hygiene 2008;5(3):117–122.

3. ALARP – As Low As Reasonably Practicable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALARP 4. Arcand Michael. National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labour statistics about workplace safety signs. 2005.

5. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission safety signage, at hydropower projects, USACE sign standards manual, 1995. http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Signage/Safety_Signs/# accessed on 25 Oct. 2014 6. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), Hazard communication: a review of the science underpinning the art of communication for health and safety, 1997 7. Peckham G. Modification of the hazard communication standard to conform with the United Nations’ globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals. 2013.

more quickly than others). Certain signs are designed specifically so as to be seen at night. The reflectivity of these signs should be periodically tested.

Needless to say, safety signs are one of the oldest types of safety equipment; they have played a significant role in preventing workplace injuries. Today, they remain an essential part of every industrial facility and save thousands of lives each year. By ensuring the workplace is suitably and sufficiently well signed, employers can help protect the staff and visitors to the site, particularly members of the public, against imminent dangers that could otherwise go unnoticed; promote the reduction of industrial accidents; and help

diminish the risk to employees and visitors.

Nahashon Manyara Kiogora

EHS Executive BAT (K) LTD Masters in Occupational Safety and Health finalist student Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Mombasa – Kenya. nmkiogora@yahoo.com Po box 30000 – 00100 GPO Nairobi – Kenya

New director of ILO International Training Centre ITCILO Following the retirement of Director Patricia O’Donovan on 27 November 2015, the ILO Director General has appointed the Centre’s Deputy Director, Mr Giuseppe Casale, to serve as Director ad interim.

See for ILO training courses, distance learning and training catalogues: http://www.itcilo.org/en ILO International Training Centre ITCILO Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10 10127 Turin - Italy E-mail: communications@itcilo.org Phone: + 39 011 693 6111 Fax + 39 011 6638 842 Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:62–65 •

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Roz Phillips OHTA

The Occupational Hygiene Training Association and www.ohlearning.com – an international training scheme and qualifications framework In 2005 a group of dedicated occupational hygiene professionals began to develop occupational hygiene training materials with a view to promoting better standards of occupational hygiene practice around the world. The need for this has been well documented; the International Labour Organisation (1) (ILO, 2004, 2005, a, b, 2013) estimates that each year a total of 160 million new cases of work-related diseases occur globally (35 million due to exposure to chemicals) and 1.7 million lives are lost to occupational disease. Many of these deaths and illnesses are preventable by equipping individuals with the skills necessary to control or prevent the exposures.

The Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) has come a long way since those early days. Informal collaboration has matured into an international qualifications framework supported by diverse stakeholders and the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA). 2015 has been a landmark year for OHTA, with a new board of directors and new constitution designed to enable greater involvement from IOHA and its member associations. 21 IOHA member associations, including the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene, are now member associations of OHTA. The OHTA international training scheme and qualifications framework is designed to promote good, consistent quality of training, encourage international transferability of skills and qualifi-

cations and create a sustainable business model. Educational and training materials are freely available on OHTA’s website, www.ohlearning.com, for both students and training providers. OHTA also works with training providers and employers to build capabilities close to the local point of need, thereby providing access to occupational hygiene training for nations without a framework for training already in place.

An overview of the OHTA qualifications framework can be seen in Figure 1 (previously published in the commentary

by Roger Alesbury and Stephen Bailey in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, (2) (Alesbury and Bailey, Ann Occup Hyg, 2014)). The training scheme has no formal entry requirements although the courses do require some scientific, mathematical and engineering knowledge (recommendations for prior learning are provided). It offers a modular way of building skills, giving students the flexibility to build on existing qualifications and combine their learning more easily with job demands. Students can start at the foundation level and progress through intermediate level to advanced level. Some of the people trained will go on to obtain higher professional qualifications in oc-

66 • Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:66–67

cupational hygiene. Some – usually those for whom occupational hygiene is not the core focus of their job – may take only the foundation course. Others will study intermediate courses to achieve the technical knowledge and practical skills required to undertake occupational hygiene in the workplace.

Examining boards from across the world have agreed a common framework of qualifications. This allows qualified hygienists recognition for their qualifications in the countries where they practise.

The main qualification at Intermediate level is the International Certificate of Occupational Hygiene (ICertOH). The certificate demonstrates technical knowledge and practical skills in identifying health hazards, assessing occupational exposure and testing control measures. It is suitable for technicians and technologists who carry out measurements and testing in workplaces. The qualification has been designed so that it can be recognized by national associations as contributing to their own requirements for accreditation.

Students can work towards the International Certificate by studying OHTA intermediate modules. These are 5-day taught courses providing practical, handson, interactive training. Students are taught in small groups by approved training providers using workshops and exercises. On completion of each module, students receive an Award of Successful Course Completion for that module. To obtain the International Certificate, stu-

dents must complete six modules, including four core subjects and two others chosen from three options as detailed below.

Core subjects

• W501 Measurement of Hazardous Substances • W503 Noise - Measurement and its Effects • W505 Control of Hazardous Substances • W507 Health Effects of Hazardous Substances

Optional subjects

• W502 Thermal Environment • W504 Asbestos and Other Fibres • W506 Ergonomics Essentials Once the six modules have been achieved, students can progress to the award by completing a Personal Learning Portfolio which demonstrates that the knowledge has been applied in practical situations. An intermediate level interview completes the process.

OHTA’s foundation level course is the W201 Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene. This popular stand-alone course is suitable for health professionals who wish to familiarize themselves with the principles of occupational hygiene.

The awarding and examining body for all OHTA approved courses is the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).

Full details of the OHTA approved modules – including course structure and training materials – are available free of charge at www.ohlearning.com. All the modules are available in English and some have been translated into other languages such as Spanish, French and Arabic.

As well as providing training materials, the OHlearning website enables students to search for courses and training providers. OHTA has approved more than 60 training providers that can provide the level of practical training required to sit the examinations offered. Students can even request courses via the website; training providers check the requests regularly and will respond to the enquiry if they can help.

In the past few years OHTA has achieved real success. More than 500 OHTA approved courses have been delivered in 42 countries including Botswana, Egypt, South Africa and Tanzania. The OHlearning website has a truly global.

Figure 1. OHTA qualifications framework

References 1. ILO. (2004) 28 April, World Day for Safety and Health at Work—Two million work deaths a year: a preventable tragedy. Available at http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/ WCMS_075605/lang--en/index.htm. Accessed 27 November 2015.

ILO. (2005a) Joint Press Release ILO/WHO number of work related accidents and illnesses continues to increase ILO and WHO join in call for prevention strategies. Available at http://www.ilo.org/global/ about-the-ilo/media-centre/press-releases/WCMS_005161/lang--en/index.htm. Accessed 27 November 2015.

ILO. (2005b) World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2005: A Background Paper. Geneva, Switzerland: International labour Office. Available at http://s3.amazonaws.com/zanran_storage/www.ilocarib.org.tt/ ContentPages/43527849.pdf. Accessed 27 November 2015.

2. Alesbury R and Bailey S, Addressing the Needs for International Training, Qualifications, and Career Development in Occupational Hygiene, Ann Occup Hyg 2014;58(2):140–151 first published online December 27, 2013 doi:10.1093/annhyg/met068.

OHTA has recently established a scholarship fund, awarding the first OHTA scholarship to an occupational hygiene student from Tanzania. The challenge now is to build on this success by working with training providers and member associations to increase the number of courses available globally, and by looking at ways to develop new, innovative methods of training delivery, like the course by videoconference link that was recently delivered to students in Angola.

If you would like to know more about OHTA, including how to attend a course or become an approved training provider, please visit www.ohlearning.com or con-

tact the OHTA Development Manager, Roz Phillips, at roz.phillips@ohlearning. com.

Roz Phillips

OHTA Development Manager www.ohlearning.com BOHS The Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection 5/6 Melbourne Business Court, Millennium Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8LZ roz.phillips@bohs.org www.bohs.org

Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:66–67 •

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Peter Rimmer

Napo – safety with a smile The Napo series of animated films features characters in the world of work. The main character, Napo, and his partners express themselves in a wordless language. But how can Napo help make workplaces safer and healthier?

Napo is an original idea conceived by a small group of OSH communications professionals seeking to break down national boundaries and address the diverse cultures, languages and practical needs of people at work in Europe and elsewhere. The Napo films are used throughout the world for training, education and awareness raising by companies and institutions large and small. Napo is not a safety expert. His point of view is not that of the safety professional. ‘Safety with a smile’ is Napo’s contribution to safer, healthier and better workplaces.

Napo’s films

The Napo series features characters in the world of work faced with safety issues. The main character, Napo, and his partners express themselves in a wordless language.

Their stories have an educational value. They provoke questions and stimulate discussion. It is this blend of education, cultural neutrality and humour set in a cartoon style that gives the Napo series its identity, and its universal appeal. The ‘non-verbal’ language of Napo makes the films suitable for a very broad audience.

Napo is the hero of the cartoon series. He is a typical worker in any sector or industry. He is not limited to one specific job or one specific sector but his character, personality and appearance remain the same in all films.

Napo is a likeable character with strong reactions and emotions. Everyone can identify with Napo, from young employees to someone who has been in the company for many years.

There are three other principal characters in the Napo films. The Boss is the main supporting character.

He might be the manager or factory director; he represents authority and gives the orders. He is not only concerned with safety but also productivity; he is often under pressure from his superiors, his clients and his customers. Miss Strudel is an intense woman who might be the owner of the company or a customer. She puts pressure on the Boss and his staff. Napette is a colleague of Napo. She is attracted by Napo’s charm but her attempts to help him sometimes irritate or annoy him. The rela68 • Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:68–70

People around Napo. The Napo Consortium funds and produces the films on behalf of a small group of European health and safety organisations: AUVA (Austria); DGUV (Germany); HSE (UK); INAIL (Italy); INRS (France); SUVA (Switzerland); and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

tionship and inter-actions between the four main characters are essential ingredients in the success of the Napo stories.

Depending on the stories, Napo may have other colleagues working alongside him. A frog, a dog and other animals are part of Napo’s world. They help to develop the stories and give a cartoon touch to the adventures of our hero. In true cartoon style, objects come to life and react to or criticise the behaviour of Napo; for example, the safety signs that speak and wave their arms in the

film ‘Best Signs Story’.

The best way to use Napo is to ‘Think Napo’ The role of Napo and his friends is to provide an introduction to OSH through their engaging characters, amusing storylines, and light-hearted approach. Because Napo is a cartoon character he can explore areas that would not be possible in drama or documentary films. He is indestructible and everlasting, unlike the workers we are trying to protect.

Napo films can be used in full as a stand-alone film or sequence-by-sequence because each scene is independent of the others. Scenes from the Napo films can be used in PowerPoint presentations and on Intranet sites with a credit to the producers in the form of an end-frame which is available on the Napo website (www. napofilm.net). However, the producers do not allow Napo films or scenes from films to be used for advertising or promotion purposes, in other film or multimedia productions including e-learning products, or uploaded to external websites including YouTube because of copyright restrictions.

Napo works well in ‘Toolbox talks’, in formal and informal training sessions, and in raising awareness. Ideally, showing Napo films or scenes from films should be followed by a discussion. However, we have seen Napo work successfully on the public transport system in Athens, on the Metro in Santiago de Chile, and on exhibition stands. Some companies show Napo films on screens in their reception areas, and in their restaurants and canteens.

Napo has entertained children attending the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain with their parents, and is popular with delegates at conferences and exhibitions worldwide. Napo is a flexible tool!

The ‘birth’ of Napo

So, how did Napo originate? In the early 1990s, the European Commission supported Film Festivals in the belief that it was possible to identify and adapt the best OSH films for use throughout the European Union. This proved difficult. Many films were made by commercial production companies unwilling to give up their copyright. Cultural differences meant that the images, storylines and the ‘look and feel’ of many of the films made it difficult

Annex 1 Napo films:

Best Signs Story (1998) The Adventures of Napo (2001) Scratch and Sniff – Chemical Risks at Work (2003) Napo in Safe on Site (2004) Napo in Clean Sweep (2004) Napo in Stop that Noise (2005) Napo in Safe Start (2006) Napo in Lighten the Load (2007) Napo in Risky Business (2008) Napo in: “Safety in... and outside of Work” (2008) Napo in... Danger Chemicals! (2009) Napo in... Protect your Skin! (2009) Napo in... Safe Maintenance (2010) Napo in... Safe Moves (2011) Napo in... Lungs at Work (2011) Napo in... Working together (2012) Napo in... No Laughing matter (2013) Napo in... When stress strikes (2014) Napo in... Shocking situations (2015)

to adapt and transfer them across national boundaries.

Following the festival in Strasbourg in 1995, four active communications professionals met to discuss ways in which it might be possible to identify a film for use throughout Europe. They turned the problem on its head; instead of looking for films and adapting them, why not make a film specifically to communicate OSH across Europe? The group put together a proposal, a specification and an ‘Invitation to Tender’ to produce a film about safety signs, and identified two production companies from each of their own four countries who were invited to put forward a proposal and a treatment.

Via Storia, a French production company from Strasbourg, won the contract. Napo was born! The first film Best Signs Story, a film about safety signs in the workplace, featured at the EU Film Festival in Edinburgh in 1998, and won awards at the World Congress in Sao Paulo in 1999, and at national film festivals in France and Germany.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) in Bilbao expressed interest in a third film to support the European Week 2003 and its theme of Dangerous Substances. This collaboration has continued. Each film is co-produced

and co-financed by seven European Institutions concerned with occupational safety and health at work – AUVA (Austria), DGUV (Germany), HSE (UK), INAIL (Italy), INRS (France), SUVA (Switzerland), and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) in Bilbao, Spain.

Napo website – www.napofilm.net

A dedicated Napo website was launched in January 2009, and is now available in 28 languages. The website is currently under review with a new design and new features, and the new site will be ready to launch before the end of 2015. The website has extended the reach of Napo and his friends not only throughout Europe but worldwide. Napo has a universal appeal reaching 177 countries according to the web statistics. In 2009, there were over 65,500 unique visitors to the website with 2.6 million ‘hits’. In 2014 there were 414,000 visitors, and over seventeen million ‘hits’ with the highest number coming from Germany, Italy, France, USA, Spain, Brazil and Portugal. Napo’s appeal and popularity go well beyond the website. Napo now has his own YouTube channel, and his own Facebook Page and Facebook Account with over 4300 friends.

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Perum Tataka Puri, Banten, Indonesia: “I think this is very good to improve and encourage our employees especially for their safety awareness.”

ThyssenKrupp Xervon Egypt S.A.E. in Cairo: “Napo films are a good HSE training tool”

There are requests for Napo films from all five continents and from all corners of the world; Napo is very popular in South America, especially in Brazil, but interest comes from all corners of the globe, from companies large and small, and from institutions, trades unions and public bodies. A full list of Napo films is at Annex 1.

The Consortium has produced a Teachers’ Toolkit using existing Napo scenes in lessons about risk, safety and prevention. Three modules were tested in four European countries in the first part of 2011, and the project is expanding with more languages and more countries taking advantage of a free, high quality teaching resource. The Teachers’ Toolkit is available on the Napo website.

What do they say about Napo?

Many companies use Napo films for training, education and awareness raising including large multinationals such as BASF, ExxonMobil, HJ Heinz; Volkswagen-Audi, YKK, Nokia, Proctor & Gamble, Siemens, Philip Morris, BP Chemicals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, HSBC and IKEA. A tutor from the UK Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board said: “Napo is the best behavioural video on the market, yet it is simple and uncomplicated.”

A Vocational Rehabilitation Centre in Portugal for people with disabilities said: “The Napo videos have proved a source of very important information because you can quickly reach the audience and they are easy to understand.”

Federal Mogul Bearings India Limited said: “Your videos are extremely good and really very helpful for imparting training to workers.”

Uniteam Marine, offshore oil and gas, Singapore and Myanmar: “...thank you for the excellent videos your organisation has produced. We are a small offshore oil and gas training centre in Yangon (Myanmar) using Napo videos (obtained through HSE UK) with astonishing success in the training of Myanmar trainee oil workers. The simplicity of the short, silent and humorous message, free of bias, clutter and unnecessary detail, we find extremely effective in teaching safety and safety related topics.”

Liz Morgan, UK: “We’ve used Napo to teach my autistic grandson how to be safe around equipment. Because he had problems with language, communication and understanding Tom needed visual aids for him to learn and Napo proved to be a breakthrough in helping him to understand cause and effect, and consequences of certain actions.”

José Luis Santamaría Hernández, Mexico: “Congratulations, since we met Napo safety is different, much better” Cofely Services, Brussels and Luxembourg: Napo “You are the BEST !!!”

What’s next?

A new film on Electricity was completed in 2015. A new film on ‘Healthy ageing’ to support the European campaign in 2016– 17 is in production, and films about ‘Fire safety’ and ‘Road transport safety’ are under consideration for next year.

Napo is now a well-established feature on the OSH landscape, and will continue to help make workplaces safer, healthier and better for everyone into the future.

Peter Rimmer

T. 01257 422 929 M. 07971 215 165 E. prpr@btinternet.com www.napofilm.net info@napofilm.net

70 • Afr Newslett on Occup Health and Safety 2015;25:68–70

ICOH Scientific Committees The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) was founded in Milan, Italy as early as in 1906. ICOH is the world’s leading international scientific society in the field of occupational health. With a total of 1950 members from 96 countries, it offers a good forum for the exchange of information and ideas among occupational health and safety professionals the world over. The exchange of information and experience is intensified through the work of 35 Scientific Committees.

The main forms of ICOH activities are the triennial world congresses. The last congress took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 31 May to 5 June 2015 (www.icoh2015.org).

Another activity is carried out through the Scientific Committees. Between the world congresses, the Scientific Committees hold their own meetings and symposia, thus ensuring the rapid exchange of the most recent research results and discussion of topical issues.

All of the Scientific Committees are good examples of worldwide networks of experts in their specific substance areas.

The next pages deal with issues of two specific Scientific Committees of ICOH. For more information: http://www.icohweb.org/

Education and Training in occupational health (SCETOH) The ICOH Scientific Committee on Education and Training (SCETOH) aims at the promotion of research and practice that may improve education and training in occupational health and safety. In addition, we see that easy access to up-to-date reliable information and knowledge is of vital importance today for professionals and workers. The committee encourages international collaboration in education in different health and safety areas for many target groups both in the professional domain as on the work floor. Nowadays there are great new opportunities to collect and present the best educational materials, tools and good practices. The internet offers plenty chances for a regional and worldwide dissemination of reliable information that can be found in articles, reviews, guidelines, quality reports and well selected ‘good practices’. We can spread new tools, organize educational workshops or seminars, and arrange train the trainer programs often using a blended approach: using online materials and techniques but also having face-to-face educational meetings and classes.

One of the news topics will be the stimulation of adequate evaluation of experiments and standard practice in education, as we have noticed an alarming lack of evaluation studies in the international literature. The quality of the studies that we found was often not very good, so that needs improvement as well. Another challenge is the exchange of experiences and the identification of high quality educational tools and materials worldwide.

A business meeting held in Bologna at the “Beware, take care” ICOH midterm conference (October 2014) stipulated the importance of gathering education and training champions from other ICOH Scientific Committees who would like to exchange their experiences with those in other committees and to join ef-

Photo by Frank van Dijk

Education on risks and protection is needed. A farmer working with pesticides in Sri Lanka.

forts. Therefore a World Café has been organized at the global congress of ICOH in Seoul, June 2015. Many scientific committees participated and all agreed that common efforts are needed and will be productive. The discussion focused on a) how to improve - through education and training - the performance of OSH experts in interdisciplinary collaboration with each other, b) opportunities and challenges of international online courses and online information and c) how to get a better impact via education and training using better educational skills and strategies. We want to take into account new options for translations, webcasting and use of web-

sites for the easy access and exchange of online lessons and courses that are already available. Interesting examples of such learning materials are to find at the websites www.workershealtheducation. org and http://www.geolibrary.org.

A Special Session on “Primary Health Care and Workers Health” in Seoul 2015 was organized in collaboration with other committees and with WONCA, the world organization for family physicians. Experts from South-Africa, Brazil, the Middle East, Thailand, Indonesia, Italy and United Kingdom showed how primary health care increases the efforts worldwide to contribute to the workers’ health.

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workers, supervisors and managers, professionals being not OSH experts like in primary health care or technicians in agriculture, OSH experts/practitioners, and OSH scientists. Already today, but even more in the near future, information and education will be accessible for everyone through tablets and smart phones, in forms as e-learning, distance learning, massive open online courses, apps, Wikipedia, YouTube, discussion fora on OSH, webinars etc. Social media will play a major role in working life and in health care, as we witness that e-health and m-health are developing rapidly. Therefore special attention is needed for new e-learning or blended learning approaches. We are recommending well-funded stimulating programs and more intense international collaboration to foster such developments.

Book "OSH online. How to find reliable information" (2015, second edition) with Yohama Caraballo-Arias from Venezuela and Frank van Dijk as the main authors, can be ordered as a free of charge PDF, at the foundation Learning and Developing Occupational Health (LDOH) in the Netherlands.

Prof. Frank van Dijk,

The Netherlands Chair, SCETOH Email: v.dijk.workandhealth@gmail.com Dr. Marija Bubas,

These efforts are urgent and necessary as for 85 % of the workers worldwide there are no specialized occupational health services available at this moment. Education and training of primary health care professionals, including community

health workers and volunteers are needed with a high priority.

Education and training, and reliable information are vital for healthy and safe work places and practices. Good education and training is needed on the level of

Croatia Secretary, SCETOH Email: mbubas@hzzzsr.hr

Occupational Health and Development The Scientific Committee on Occupational Health and Development (SCOHDev) is one of ICOH’s most active scientific committees. Established in 1983 as the Scientific Committee on Occupational Health in Developing Countries, its name was changed in 1997 to the Scientific Committee on Occupational Health and Development. Currently, the Committee has 73 members across all continents.

Policy and objectives

SCOHDev’s focus of interest is the rela-

tion between occupational health and development. The relation between technical and economic development and occupational health should be explored. It should be possible to improve occupational health and safety even in a situation in which resources are scarce and unemployment high. Occupational health and safety should be developed and sustained, taking into consideration the new threats and challenges of the globalized market economy.

The most important function of the

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Committee is networking, allowing for contacts between those interested and active in issues of occupational health and development, both in developing and industrialized countries, and taking into account social and cultural aspects. In addition, the activities of SCOHDev and the contents of its communication are action oriented rather than research oriented.

Scientific activities

The Committee organized special scientific sessions devoted to health and safety

Photo by the Indian Association of Occupational Health

In connection with the 58th IAOH National Conference, the SCOHDEv International Workshop was arranged in Mumbai, India in 2008.

priorities during the triennial congresses of ICOH. The focus is on developing countries and countries in transition.

These sessions have brought together various stakeholders from different parts of the world, and facilitated the exchange of ideas, the dissemination of information, and the evolution of interventions and solutions. It organized special sessions at the ICOH Congresses in Iguassu (2003), Milan (2006), Cape Town (2009) and Cancun (2012) with increasing numbers of participants. Six special sessions/workshops, three free paper sessions and one poster session on OH & Development are planned at the forthcoming ICOH Congress in Seoul.

Midterm workshops

During the last 10 years, the Committee has organized workshops and sessions outside the ICOH congresses on a regular

basis in Helsinki (2005), Mumbai (2008), Hyderabad (2010), Espoo/Helsinki (2011) and Bangalore (2013).

SCOHDev has focussed on Basic Occupational Health Services, which although they have global relevance, are needed more in countries undergoing development and transition. Many of our sessions and midterm workshops focus on the various aspects of BOHS, such as country status, toolkits, and interventions.

Dissemination of scientific information

SCOHDev has also facilitated the dissemination of information among its members. Important examples are OSH and Development publications from Sweden until 2010, regional FIOH Newsletters, and a guide on Ergonomics. One important recent success of SCOHDev has been participation in the development of

a simple ‘OSH guide to Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace for Entrepreneurs, Owners and Managers’ in developing countries.

Collaboration

SCOHDev gives high priority to networking and collaboration. It has collaborated with various other ICOH scientific committees, national occupational health associations in developing countries, and others such as the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the Cochrane Colloquium. It has provided technical collaboration and participated in national and regional occupational health conferences in India, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam and Colombia.

ICOH membership

SCOHDev has supported the ICOH objective of increasing membership from

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Photo by the Indian Association of Occupational Health

From the Editor-inChief

Mr Muchiri from ILO was speaking at the National Conference in Mumbai.

developing countries. It has worked with ICOH National Secretaries and OH associations in various countries to promote ICOH in these regions and to encourage experts from developing countries to join ICOH. Collaboration with the Noro fund resulted in 40 experts from developing countries joining ICOH. Many of these experts have continued in ICOH as long-term active members, making valuable contributions.

Management structure

Since 2009, Dr. Shyam Pingle from India has been the Chair of the committee. He is supported by a general secretary and four regional secretaries. The position of general secretary is held by Dr. Diana Gagliardi from Italy.

The regional secretaries are Dr. Patricia Canney (Latin America), Dr. Nguyen Bich Diep (Asia), Dr. Clara Barbra Khayongo (Sub-Saharan Africa) and Dr. Abdeljalil El Kholti (North Africa and Middle East). SCOHDev conducts business meetings during ICOH Congresses along with workshops and conferences, which helps the further planning of activities and networking.

SCOHDev has always received support, encouragement and guidance from former ICOH Presidents, espe-

cially Prof. Jorma Rantanen and Prof.

Kazutaka Kogi. Prof. Kaj Elgstrand and Ms. Suvi Lehtinen, both past Chairs of SCOHDev in succession, have played a major role in forming SCOHDev and giving it a definitive direction and momentum, which has been continued by the present officers.

Meet SCOHDev, a friend to countries in development…!

Dr. Shyam Pingle

India SCOHDev Email: drshyampingle@gmail.com Present Chair: Dr. Diana Gagliardi

INAIL, ex ISPESL Via Fontana Candida, 1 00040 Monteporzio Catone (Rome) Italy Email: d.gagliardi@inail.it Secretary: Dr. Dileep Andhare

A-3, 5/4, Millennium Towers, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai, 400705 India Email: dileepandhare@gmail.com

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The power of information is strong and ground-breaking. The story of the African Newsletter is evidence of this.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) carried out collaboration in East Africa – with funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and working together with the International Labour Office, ILO. In November 1986, a joint symposium was held in Marangu, Tanzania, with attendees from Kenya (11), Tanzania (14), Uganda (3), Zimbabwe (4) and Finland (7). One expert from Germany and one from Malaysia also participated. In addition, the ILO; the International Development Research Center, IDRC/Canada; and the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC contributed to the success of the meeting.

A group of experts from FIOH attended the Symposium to give presentations and share good practices, and I had the privilege of participating in this meeting.

The leader of FIOH at that time, Professor Jorma Rantanen, considered it important that all who attended the meetings had a role to play. In addition to handling the administrative issues with Mr. Georg Kliesch of the ILO, Professor Rantanen challenged me with another task: Do something together with your East African colleagues. – Like what? – Like establish a regional information newsletter with them, to provide a forum for the exchange of information; to allow information to flow from expert to expert, from country to country, and to wider readerships on topics that are on both national and international agendas, on projects that are underway, on challenges to the development of occupational health and safety. We can discuss it in the Closing Session of the Joint Symposium. And so we did.

In order to make an abstract matter more concrete, an exemplary issue of a

Photo by Studio Sempre/Mikko Pekki

16-page information newsletter was printed for the participants of the Symposium.

It was well received by the occupational health and safety experts in East Africa, and full commitment to work together on the compilation of material for the Newsletter was confirmed. The East African Newsletter of Occupational Health and Safety became the African Newsletter in 1991, as it became part of the ILO-executed African OSH Programme, receiving funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Over its thirty years of activity, the African Newsletter has published over 1000 articles and reports, including two training material packages, and a total of 15 proceedings as supplements, to raise awareness and to increase the information base of occupational health and safety experts in East Africa, Africa, and worldwide. In addition, the Newsletter has offered a channel for international experts, decision-makers, and policy-makers to share good practices and solutions with colleagues in Africa.

An important aspect of the editing and publishing of the thematic issues of the Newsletter has also been the honour we have had in obtaining Editorial messages from the highest organizational lev-

els of the International Organizations.

These include Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN; Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of WHO; and Mr. Juan Somavia, Director General of ILO. And now more recently, at the beginning of this year, we had the privilege of receiving a message from Mr. Guy Ryder, Director General of the ILO. These messages have indicated the importance of occupational health and safety, and have encouraged actors at the national level to strengthen their efforts in developing working conditions, occupational safety and occupational health in their countries, thereby improving workers’ health and work ability. World Leaders have clearly stated that Occupational Health and Safety is a fundamental human right.

We have received a great deal of positive and encouraging feedback on the Newsletter from the readers in 120 countries, as well as from the International Organizations. However, despite the fact that there seems to be a need and demand for this kind of information dissemination, the new leadership of FIOH did not find a possibility to continue the editing and publishing of the African Newsletter, or of our two other regional newsletters, as of

the beginning of 2016.

We at the Editorial Office have been in contact with some prominent Institutes in the Region in order to find a new host for the African Newsletter.

I would like to take this opportunity – on behalf of FIOH, the Distinguished Founding Fathers of the East African Newsletter, myself and the Editors – to warmly thank all the writers, contributors, experts, and readers, for their attentive support, for giving their time, and for sharing their expertise for the benefit of the readers and workers of the world. The readership also deserves a warm thankyou for keeping the information flow vivid. Very special thanks go to the International Organizations, ILO, WHO and ISSA, and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as well as the Finnish Ministry for Social Affairs and Health for their financial support over the years, in addition to their non-financial contributions.

We greatly appreciate all that you have done. Thank you so much!

Suvi Lehtinen Editor in Chief

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Contact persons/country editors Director Department of Occupational Health and Safety (Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs) Private Bag 00241 Gaborone BOTSWANA Samir Ragab Seliem Egyptian Trade Union Federation Occupational Health and Safety Secretary 90 Elgalaa Street Cairo EGYPT Kebreab Zemer Ghebremedhin Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare Department of Labour P.O. Box 5252 Asmara ERITREA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs P.O. Box 2056 Addis Ababa ETHIOPIA Commissioner of Labour Ministry of Trade Industry and Employment Central Bank Building Banjul GAMBIA Dr Edith Clarke Occupational and Environmental Health Unit Ghana Health Service Accra GHANA

RD

IC ECOL A

BE L

NO

The Director Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services P.O. Box 34120-00100 Nairobi KENYA

441 763 Printed matter

Painotalo Plus Digital, Lahti

The Director Occupational Safety and Healh Private Bag 344 Lilongwe MALAWI H. Ali El Sherif Chief Medical Officer Occupational Health Service Ministry of Health and Social Services P/Bag 13198 Windhoek Namibia The Director of Factories Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity Federal Secretariat, Phase 1 Maitama P.M.B. o4 Abuja NIGERIA Chief Inspector of Factories Ministry of Labour SIERRA LEONE Peter H. Mavuso Head of CIS National Centre P.O.Box 198 Mbabane SWAZILAND Chief Executive Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) Ministry of Labour and Employment P.O. Box 519 Dar es Salaam TANZANIA Commissioner Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development P.O. Box 227 Kampala UGANDA

Editorial Board as of 1 August 2015

Director, Department of Occupational Health and Safety Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs BOTSWANA Occupational Safety, Health and Working Environment Department Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs ETHIOPIA Edith Clarke Occupational and Environmental Health Ministries GHANA The Director, Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations & Employment MAURITIUS Nancy Leppink Chief of LABADMIN/OSH International Labour Office Geneva, SWITZERLAND Evelyn Kortum Technical Officer Occupational Health Interventions for Healthy Environments Department of Public Health and Environment World Health Organization Geneva, SWITZERLAND Jorma Rantanen Past President of ICOH ICOH International Commission on Occupational Health Antti Koivula Director General Finnish Institute of Occupational Health FINLAND