Martin Ralph
President
INSHPO Honors Fallen Workers
On April 28, 2010, INSHPO will observe International Workers Memorial Day, which recognizes those workers who have died or sustained work-related injuries or illnesses during the previous year. According to the International Labour Organisation, each year more than two million men and women die from work-related incidents and diseases, 270 million more are involved in work-related accidents, and another 160 million suffer from work-related illnesses. Safety and health practitioners around the world have made great strides in our efforts to protect workers across the world, but our work is far from complete. As we remember those who have lost their lives or been injured on the job this past year, it is more important than ever that we as safety and health practitioners come together to advance the cause of protecting worker safety and health wherever workers are at risk. I hope you will join us in honoring those who have lost their lives or been injured on the job.
Related Links:
- ILO Observes Workers Memorial Day
- Information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- IFAP’s Honors Those That Have Died at Work
Welcome message from the President
Welcome to the International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations.
On behalf of the Executive Council, President-Elect Phil Lovelock (SIA), Secretary-Treasurer Jim Allan (CSSE), Immediate Past President Eddie Greer (ASSE) and the Secretariat, I would like to formally welcome our new Vice President, Neville Rockhouse from the NZISM, to this important role.
As his formal role with the Executive Council expires, I would also like to pass our thanks to Paul Faupel (IOSH), our founding President, for his wonderful contribution to the establishment of INSHPO and the growth of the organisation which has been witnessed during his time with the EC.
INSHPO has enjoyed a succesful past 12 months, and from our early beginnings has now grown into a truly international association, boasting 12 full members and 3 affiliates from 11 countries. Our expansion is evidence of the desire for, and commitment to, international co-operation on issues related to workplace safety and health, and the practitioners charged with improving global performance so as to reduce human suffering from work related activities.
Thanks to the efforts of our foundation members, INSHPO now has a well established set of corporate governance standards, that establishes the platform for expansion, and vigorous pursuit of our goals and objectives.
The new Executive Committee faces a number of challenges over the short term: expansion brings with it the very real challenge of communicating with member associations whose first language is not English, as well as the trials of dealing with multiple timezones. However, I see that our principal challenge is to continue the great work of the previous Executive Councils and continue to grow our numbers while developing initiatives that complement our vision and provide value for our members.
There is a palpable energy about INSHPO, and a sense of anticipation for what the organisation can achieve over the next few years. It is an honour to be your President at this exciting stage of INSHPO's development, and I look forward to regularly communicating with our Board members, talking to potential new member associations and collaborating with others who may ascribe to our vision.