PRESS RELEASE

WHO KEEN TO DEVELOP USER FRIENDLY TOOL-KITS TO PREVENT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Chennai,
20th November 2007,

The WHO is keen to develop models of tool-kits for preventing occupational health hazards that are cost effective and easy to implement so that employers who are responsible for keeping chemical pollutants and other risks within a certain limit, implement them for the benefit of the employees, said Dr. Marilyn Fingerhut, Occupational Health Consultant to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, USA. She was inaugurating a WHO inter country consultation on reducing workplace exposure through risk management tool kits, at Sri Ramachandra University here yesterday. While several models have been developed in some countries, implementation has remained a major problem. Therefore we have to develop simple guidelines that can be easily understood and implemented especially by small business and industry which are shy because of cost and practical difficulties.

Dr. I- N. Saiyed from SEA region who read out the address of its Regional Director, Dr. Samlee Pilanbangehang, said South East Asia region has the highest burden of diseases attributable to occupational factors which occur mostly in the informal sector of industries. To reduce the risk, implementation systems must be established at all levels - international, national and local.

Dr. Hisashi Ogawa, from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific said problems of asbestos use and associated diseases is an important area crying for urgent attention.

Representatives from eleven Asian countries are attending the four day inter country consultation workshop that will develop relevant tool for their countries.

Mr. V. R. Venkataachalam, Chancellor, SRU, honoured the distinguished experts from the WHO and various participating countries. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. S. Rangaswami, Dean of Faculties, Prof. K. V. Somasundaram, Director Research, Prof S. P. Thyagarajan and Dr. Kalpana Balakrishnan, HOD, Departement of Environmental Health, SRU participated in the workshop.

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(not for publication)

For more information please contact Dr.Kalpana Balakrishnan - 9841020289.

T.G.Nallamuthu, Consultant, Media Relations, SRU, 9444265578, nallamuthu@hotmail.com