GPA 5.2: Recommendations to manage risks associated with the effects of globalization on workers’ health
Project title
Recommendations to manage risks associated with the effects of globalization on workers’ health
GPA Objective
Objective 5: to incorporate workers’ health in to other policies
GPA Actions 24-27
Resolution WHA 60.26 urged Member States of WHO …
(6) to encourage incorporation of workers’ health in national and sectoral policies for sustainable development, poverty reduction, employment, trade, environmental protection, and education; and
(7) to encourage the development of effective mechanisms for collaboration and cooperation between developed and developing countries at regional, subregional and country levels in implementing the global plan of action on workers’ health;
The most specifically relevant GPA Actions are:
24. The capacities of the health sector to promote the inclusion of workers’ health in other sectors’ policies should be strengthened. Measures to protect workers’ health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies. The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace. Similar measures should be incorporated in national plans and programmes for sustainable development.
25. Workers’ health should likewise be considered in the context of trade policies when taking measures as specified in resolution WHA59.26 on international trade and health.
26. Employment policies also influence health; assessment of the health impact of employment strategies should therefore be encouraged. Environmental protection should be strengthened in relation to workers’ health through, for instance, implementation of the risk-reduction measures foreseen in the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, and consideration of workers’ health aspects of multilateral environmental agreements and mitigation strategies, environmental management systems and plans for emergency preparedness and response.
Priority Area
5.2 Develop specific and relevant recommendations to manage risks associated with the effects of globalization on workers’ health.
Purpose of facilitating project
A key purpose of this project is to identify gaps in the deliverables expected from the existing four projects, as a basis for identifying future strategies and specific projects required to generate an effective set of recommendations addressing negative impacts of globalization on OSH.
David Rees, National Institute for Occupational Health, South Africa
David.rees@nioh.nhls.ac.za +27 11 7126502
WHO responsible person
Evelyn Kortum
Collaborating centre partners with separate contributing projects
5.24a
Global situation analysis – overall project. Prof. David Rees: South African National Institute for Occupational Health, Email: david.rees@nioh.nhls.ac.za; Dr Wendy Macdonald; Centre for Research and Teaching in Occupational Ergonomics, La Trobe University, Email : w.macdonald@latrobe.edu.au
5.24a-1
Globalization and Occupational Health in Shanghai, China. Taiyi. JIN and Wei LU Email address: tyjin@shmu.edu.cn, weiloo@scdc.sh.cn. Department of Occupational Health, Fudan University; Shanghai Municipal Center of Disease Prevention and Control.
5.26a
Changing patterns in employment and its impact in occupational health in South American countries. Dr. Marisol Concha, Sr. Rodrigo Pezo mconcha@achs.cl; rpezo@achs.cl Asociación Chilena de Seguridad (ACHS).
5.26b
The requirement analysis of occupational safety and health for migrant workers ongoing globalization and changing employment patterns in China. Tao Li. niohplt@sina.com. National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing.
WHO Regional offices actively involved (name and email)
Summary of the facilitating project
This project documents expected outputs from the four existing projects, in order to identify gaps in expected deliverables and to identify the nature of further work required to generate an effective set of recommendations to address identified negative effects of globalization on workers’ health.
Anticipated deliverables by 2012 from contributing projects
5.24a
A summary report of evidence-based conclusions concerning key determinants of the negative effects of globalization on workers’ health within a conceptual framework identifying relationships between these determinants, focusing particularly on work-related hazards and risk factors
A short report outlining the kinds of policy instruments, recommendations and actions that could be taken to reduce the negative aspects of globalization on work-related hazards of all types, at international, regional and national levels.
compilation of short documents appropriate for specific target groups to disseminate the policies, recommendations and actions
5.24a-1
The current status of basic occupational health services in 19 counties and districts of 4 provinces in China has been documented, including analyses of:
status of migrant workers
incidence of occupational diseases.
Substantial capacity development within the area studied: training courses and other significant improvements in basic occupational health service practices were implemented.
The area covered will extended from 19 to 40 counties and districts of more provinces.
5.26a
A discussion paper on changing employment patterns and their impact on occupational health in some South America countries
5.26b
Survey of the current status of occupational health services in state-owned enterprises, joint ventures and sole proprietorship corporations in Shanghai Municipality
Current projects are very limited in terms of both their regional coverage and the kinds of issues addressed. Expansion of coverage by a wider set of specific projects would be very useful.
The current project teams needs to recruit additional expertise to assist in formulating examples of feasible and effective recommendations, policy tools and actions to address the negative aspects of globalization. A global task team to address this need, focusing on development of some specific types of policies and strategies, may be a solution.
Objective 5: To incorporate workers' health in to other policies
CC or NGO Name
National Institute of Occupational Health, South Africa and La Trobe University, Australia
Project title
Global situation analysis – overall project
Keywords
Globalization, employment patterns, health consequences
Project leader
Email address
Prof. David Rees: Deputy Project leader, South African National Institute for Occupational Health, Email: david.rees@nioh.nhls.ac.za
Dr Wendy Macdonald; Centre for Research and Teaching in Occupational Ergonomics, La Trobe University, Email: w.macdonald@latrobe.edu.au
Partners (of the CC Network)
Asociación Chilena de Seguridad : Dr. Marisol Concha
TNO, the Netherlands: Prof. Frank Pot
In addition, the Institutions and project leaders of other AA1 activities
belong to the partners of AA1, since work within this whole Area is intended to be closely integrated.
Other partners
Dr. P.K. Abeytunga, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Prof. Christer Hogstedt, Swedish National Institute of Public Health;
Dr Jerry Spiegel, Director of Global Health at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Canada
Kaj Elgstrand, Sweden
Funding
Each collaborating partner is responsible for its respective costs
Objective of the
Project
The ”Global situation analysis” will give a picture of how the ongoing globalization and changing employment patterns are influencing the prerequisites for occupational safety and health. The analysis will allow the identification of actions to be taken considering in a creative way these changing prerequisites.
Project outcome(s)
and deadline(s) for completion of the
project
A number of reports related to:
1. The ongoing globalization and its consequences for labour markets, employment patterns and working conditions
2. Occupational safety and health in a globalised world
3. Case studies (AA1: 2-9)
4. Identification of actions to be taken by WHO´s CCsOH, and others.
The whole project will be completed before the end of 2010.
Target group and/or beneficiaries
Occupational health and safety professionals and policy-makers, inter-national organisations
Analyses of ongoing globalization, its health consequences and action implications. The project will consider the situation both in industrial and developing countries, and include a few national studies. It will be coordinated with other similar or related international activities; as and when feasible, outputs will be integrated with other activity areas of the Global Work Plan of WHOs Collaborating Centers in Occupational Health. The former “Global strategy on occupational health for all” (1995) will be considered, as well as the “Global Plan of Action on Workers´ Health” 2008-2017.
Dissemination
National documents and WHO documents.
Impact; global/regional
Global
Progress on Project
Progress was hampered by the demise of the Swedish National Institute for Working Life, resulting in transfer of the Project Manager role from Kaj Elgstrand to Wendy Macdonald and David Rees. Work on Reports 1 and 2 (see Outcomes, above) has now re-commenced in collaboration with Dr Jerry Spiegel. Further case studies to substantiate reports 1 and/or 2 have been planned, in addition to those comprising the other Projects in AA1 (see separate project reports).
List of outcomes already achieved by this project
Various problems have delayed the generation of outcomes other than informal conference presentations.
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012
A summary report of evidence-based conclusions concerning key determinants of the negative effects of globalization on workers’ health, within a conceptual framework identifying relationships between these determinants
A short report outlining the kinds of policy instruments, recommendations and actions that could be taken to reduce the negative aspects of globalization at international, regional and national levels.
compilation of short documents appropriate for specific target groups to disseminate the policies, recommendations and actions
2009-2012 Work Plan Number
5.24a-1
Formerly AA1:6
GPA Objective
Objective 5: To incorporate workers' health in to other policies
CC or NGO Name
Fudan University School of Public Health, Shanghai
Project title
Globalization and Occupational Health in Shanghai, China
Each collaborating partner is responsible for its respective costs
Objective of the
project
To elucidate the situation of globalization in Shanghai since 1979. Analysis of both benefit and adverse effects on occupational health in Shanghai following the globalization. Providing the suggestion for occupational health in Shanghai.
Project outcome(s)
and deadline(s) for completion of the
project
The project will make a report on and publish some papers in relevant academic journals.
Deadline: December 2008
Target group and/or beneficiaries
Decision makers, occupational health workers and researchers and enterprise managers.
Summary of the project
To identify current status of the globalization and its benefit and adverse effects on occupational health in Shanghai
Dissemination
publishing papers and project reports
Impact; global/regional
Global
Progress on Project as of June 2007
Working in collaboration with Shanghai Municipality Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center has surveyed occupational health services (OHS) situation in state-owned enterprises, joint ventures and sole proprietorship corporations, in order to investigate effects of global economic integration on OHS in China.
List of outcomes already achieved by this project
Survey of the current status of occupational health services in state-owned enterprises, joint ventures and sole proprietorship corporations in Shanghai Municipality
Presentation to ICOH 2009 on Globalization and Occupational Health in China
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012
Effects of globalization are expected to increase the rate at which occupational health services in China develop towards further international harmonization.
2009-2012 Work Plan Number
5.26a
Formerly AA1:2
GPA Objective
Objective 5: To incorporate workers' health in to other policies
CC or NGO Name
Asociación Chilena de Seguridad (ACHS)
Project title
Changing patterns in employment and its impact in occupational health in South American countries
Keywords
Patterns in employment, occupational health, South America
Project leader
Email address
Dr. Marisol Concha, Sr. Rodrigo Pezo
mconcha@achs.cl; rpezo@achs.cl
Partners (of the CC Network)
Universidad Andrés Bello, FISO
Other partners
Funding
Asociación Chilena de Seguridad (ACHS), FISO
Objective of the project
Identify the impact in the workers health of the patterns in employment
Project outcome(s) and deadline(s) for completion of the project
Discussion paper
One year from the starting point
Target group and/or beneficiaries
Professionals, politicians, policy analysts
Summary of the project
Bibliographic research, countries comparisons, projected impact in health
Dissemination
Governments, Labour and Health Ministers, International Organizations
Impact (global or regional)
Regional
Progress on Project
The start of this project was delayed due to illness, but work is expected to commence shortly.
List of outcomes already achieved by this project
List of additional outcomes expected from this project by 2012