Occupational Health: A Basic Right to Work - An Asset to Society.

摘要

The meeting, 29th International Congress on Occupational Health: Occupational Health: A Basic Right to Work. An Asset to Society, was held in Cape Town, South Africa, March 22-27, 2009. This Congress is the triennial meeting of the International Commission on Occupational Health, the only international body of scholars and practitioners in the field. Worldwide workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses remain at unacceptably high levels and involve enormous and unnecessary health burden, suffering, and substantial economic loss. The World Health Organization and International Labour Organization estimate two million work-related deaths worldwide and the trend seems to be rising. In addition, each year there are some 268 million non-fatal workplace accidents in which the victims miss at least three days of work as a result, as well as 160 million new cases of work-related illness (NIOSH, 2004). The most common workplace illnesses are cancers from exposure to hazardous substances, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory diseases, hearing loss, circulatory diseases, and communicable diseases caused by exposure to pathogens. In many industrialized countries, where the number of deaths from work-related accidents has been falling, deaths from occupational disease, notably asbestosis, continues to be on the rise. An average of 16 American workers die each day from injuries on the job. In 2007, there were 5,488 fatal work injuries. Even the most conservative estimates find that about 137 additional workers die each day from workplace diseases. The specific aims of the proposal: 1. Provide an opportunity for the international gathering of occupational safety and health scientists and practitioners for education and training in occupational health and safety. 2. Share knowledge about current and emerging issues related to safety and health at work, advances in the science in occupational safety and health and the translation of research to practice, and best practices in occupational health and safety. 3. Support opportunities for occupational safety and health professionals from underserved and underrepresented areas to acquire knowledge and information about the science, education and training, and practical aspects concerned with health and safety at work. A wide range of topics was covered reflective of the NORA which included more than 70 oral abstract and poster sessions each, and about 90 special sessions, each with individual topics and speakers.