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Project

Committee On Chemistry and Industry

 

Number: 2005-046-1-022

Title: Occupational Health and Safety Assessment in East Africa

Task Group
Chairman:
Kelvin Khisa

Members: Mike Booth and Mark C. Cesa

Completion Date: 2007 - project completed

Objective:
To enable industrialists and other stakeholders in East Africa to appreciate the purpose of an occupational health and safety (OH&S)
management system; explain the legislative framework relevant to
such an OH&S management system; and explore the purpose and
intent of Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 and 18002.
To reach that objective, a 3-day conference will be organized in Nairobi, Kenya, on 27-29 September 2006.

Description:
Whereas developed country industrialists take OH&S issues very seriously, their counterparts in the developing world do not always do so. This is largely due to lack of awareness, non-enforcement of relevant safety laws and regulations, and a lack of a systematic structure that guides the establishment of sound OH&S management systems. The end result has been an uncoordinated approach to safety issues, a development that exposes workers to high levels of risks. There is therefore an urgent need for developing country industrialists and key stakeholders to be exposed to OHSAS specifications that give requirements for an OH&S management system and enables organizations to control their full range of risks. This OHSAS specification is applicable to any organization that wishes to establish an OH&S management system so as to eliminate or minimize risks to employees and other parties; implement, maintain and continually improve on its OH&S management system; assure itself of its conformance with its stated OH&S policy; demonstrate such conformance to others; seek certification of its OH&S management system and make a self declaration of conformance with OHSAS specifications. This fits in with the objectives of the IUPAC/COCI Health and Safety Fellowship program. If health and safety experts from the East African Region are exposed to OHSAS specifications, they will be able to guide industrialists in the setting up of comprehensive occupational health and safety programs.

By the end of the conference, participants will be able to describe the purpose of an OH&S management system in managing health and safety risks resulting from their business operations; outline the concept and approaches to OH&S risk management; summarize relevant national and local OH&S legislation in the context of the development of modern OH&S legislation, based on the principles of risk assessment and self-regulation; understand and appreciate the purpose of OHSAS 18001 Specification and OHSAS 18002 Guidelines, how they interrelate and the benefits to organizations that use an OH&S management system specification; outline the content of OHSAS 18001 and OHSAS 18002; Describe with reference to the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle (the OHSAS 18001 elements of successful OH&S management), the structure and scope of OHSAS 18001; Explain key OHSAS definitions and terminology; and determine conformance of a management system to OHSAS 18001.

Progress:
> Conference 1st circular [pdf file - 342KB]
> Access
2006 conferences calendar

> Conference report - Chem. Int. 29(3), 2007

- project completed

Last update: 17 December 2007

 

<project announcement published in Chem. Int. May-June 2006>

 

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