Networking OSH strategies – creating a worldwide prevention culture

2nd Strategy Conference, 3-4 February 2011, Dresden

12.11.2010

How can the different national and international strategies for OSH be networked? And how can implementation at local level be improved? These questions are at the heart of the 2nd Strategy Conference, which is to be held on 3 and 4 February 2011 at the IAG – Institute of Work and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance in Dresden.

In past years, many national governments and international organizations have launched various strategies for occupational safety and health, and have begun their implementation. "One of the most important findings of the first Strategy Conference was that these strategies are generally still being followed in isolation and without co-ordination," says Dr. Walter Eichendorf, Deputy Director General of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). "With our conference, we aim to test possibilities of improving co-ordination in order to promote the objective of a worldwide prevention culture."

In Dresden, delegates from governments, international institutions and the research community will therefore be discussing what core topics the various OSH strategies throughout the world have in common, and how these topics can be implemented in the national context. The question of how strategies for OSH can be developed and evaluated is also to be discussed. For this purpose, an interim report on the EU's Community strategy on health and safety at work 2007-2012 has also been announced. The aim of the conference is to create a blueprint for selecting instruments for the creation of a prevention culture at enterprise, national and international level.

The conference is being organized by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) in conjunction with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) and the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI).