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Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
8 / 5 [1997] 1 8 1 –1 8 2 © MCB Unive rs ity Pre s s [ISSN 0956-6163]
The role of professional bodies in occupational and
environmental health in the Asia-Pacific region
Wai-On Phoon
Pro fe s s o r o f Oc c upatio nal He alth, Unive rs ity o f Sydne y, Pymble , NSW, Aus tralia
Acknowledges that profes-sional associations and col-leges and similar bodies have played a major part in the development of occupational and environmental health. Some notable bodies exist at both the national and regional levels.
Asian Association of Occupational
Health
T h e p a r a m ou n t b ody in occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h in t h is r e gion t od ay is w it h ou t d ou b t t h e Asia n As s ocia t ion of Occu p a t ion a l H ea lt h . It w a s fou n d ed in Tok yo in 1956 in con ju n ct ion w it h t h e fi r s t Asia n Con fer en ce of Occu p a -t ion a l H ea l-t h . A-t -t h a -t con fer en ce on ly s even cou n t r ies w er e r e p r es en t ed . T h ey w er e Bu r m a , Ch in a , In d ia , In d on esia , J a p a n , t h e P h ilip p in es a n d T h a ila n d (P h oon , 1982).
Sin ce t h en , t h e t r ien n ia l Asia n Con fer en ces on Occu p a t ion a l H ea lt h h ave a t t r a ct ed la r ge n u m b er s of p a r t icip a n t s. For exa m p le, t h e t en t h s u ch con fer en ce, h eld in Sin ga p or e in 1982, a t t r a ct ed m or e t h a n 500 p a r t icip a n t s fr om a p p r oxim a t ely 30 cou n t r ies w h o p r e-sen t ed n ea r ly 200 scien t ifi c p a p er s. In r ecen t t im es t h e Xt h con fer en ce w a s p r ob a b ly t h e b est a t t en d ed , bu t t h e XIt h (in M a n ila ), XIIt h (in Ba n gk ok ) a n d XIIIt h (in Beijin g) con fer -en ces a ls o a t t r a ct ed m a n y p a r t icip a n t s a n d excellen t p a p er s.
In a d d it ion t o h old in g t r ien n ia l
con fer en ces, t h e Asia n As s ocia t ion of Occu -p a t ion a l H ea lt h h a s a ct iv it ies d eliver ed t h r ou gh a n u m b er of t ech n ica l com m it t ees. T h e Tech n ica l Com m it t ee on E d u ca t ion a n d T r a in in g, for in s t a n ce, ca r r ied ou t a s u r vey of t h a t s u b ject in t h e Asia -P a cifi c r e gion , w h ile t h e Tech n ica l Com m it t ee on Res ea r ch con -d u ct e-d t h r ee m u lt i-cou n t r y r es ea r ch p r oject s in t h e 1980s t h r ou gh fu n d s p r ov id ed by t h e In t er n a t ion a l Develop m en t Res ea r ch Cen t r e in Ca n a d a . T h e fi r s t p r oject w a s a s t u dy of t h e occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h s er v ices, ed u ca t ion a l a n d r esea r ch p r ogr a m m es of eigh t d evelop in g cou n t r ies/ t er r it or ies. T h ose cou n t r ies w er e H on g Kon g, In d on esia , Kor ea , Ma lay sia , t h e P h ilip p in es, Sin ga p or e, Sr i La n k a a n d T h a i-la n d . T h e fi n d in gs w er e p u blis h ed a s a m on o-gr a p h , “Occu p a t ion a l H ea lt h in d evelop in g cou n t r ies in Asia ”, by t h e Sou t h ea s t As ia n Med ica l In for m a t ion Cen t r e in J a p a n in 1985.
An ot h er r es ea r ch p r oject r ela t ed t o t h e occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h of p est icid es. Fou r cou n -t r ies, T h a ila n d , M a lay sia , Sr i La n k a a n d In d on esia , p a r t icip a t ed . T h e t h ir d r es ea r ch p r oject focu sed on sm a ll-s ca le in d u st r ies in t h e P h ilip p in es, Kor ea , H on g Kon g a n d Sin ga -p or e (P h oon , 1992).
In 1982 a P r esid en t ’s P r ize for You n g Scien -t is-t w a s in a u gu r a -t ed , a n d aw a r d ed a -t ea ch Asia n con fer en ce sin ce. T h e r ecip ien t s t o d a t e h ave com e on ce fr om T h a ila n d , on ce fr om H on g Kon g, t w ice fr om Ch in a , a n d on ce fr om Au st r a lia .
National professional bodies
T h e con st it u en t m em b er s of t h e Asia n Asso-cia t ion of Occu p a t ion a l H ea lt h a r e u su a lly t h e p ea k p r ofession a l b od ies in t h a t d isci-p lin e in t h eir r esisci-p ect ive cou n t r ies. T h ese n a t ion a l b od ies a r e oft en p ion eer s for d evel-op in g t r a in in g a n d ser v ices in occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h . T h ey m ou n t in for m a t ion a n d ed u ca -t ion a l p r ogr a m m es. T h ey lobby gover n m en -t s t o d evelop m or e occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h a n d sa fet y fa cilit ies. Som et im es t h ey in it ia t e occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h ser v ices t h em selves. T h e P h ilip p in es Occu p a t ion a l a n d In d u st r ia l Med icin e Associa t ion , t h e In d ia n In d u st r ia l Med icin e Associa t ion , a n d t h e Ma lay sia n Occu p a t ion a l Med icin e As socia t ion a r e bu t a few exa m p les of n a t ion a l p r ofession a l b od ies d eliver in g for m a l cou r ses of t r a in in g, p a r t ic-u la r ly t o p h y sicia n s. T h er e a r e ver y few n a t ion a l b od ies in en v ir on m en t a l h ea lt h a s su ch , bu t sever a l p u blic h ea lt h a ssocia t ion s, w h ich cover en v ir on m en t a l h ea lt h in t er est s.
Professional colleges
P r ofession a l colle ges or t h eir eq u iva len t s oft en t a k e on t h e r es p on sib ilit y of d evelop in g or s u p er v isin g t r a in in g a n d st a n d a r d s of occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h in t h eir r es p ect ive cou n -t r ies. For exa m p le, -t h e Au s -t r a la sia n Colle ge of Occu p a t ion a l Med icin e (la t er r en a m ed a n d r econ st it u t ed a s t h e Au s t r a la sia n F a cu lt y of Occu p a t ion a l Med icin e of t h e Roya l
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Wai-On Pho o n
Ro le o f pro fe ssio nal bo die s in o c c upatio nal and
e nviro nme ntal he alth in the Asia-Pac ific re gio n Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
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m em b er p a r t icip a t es. T h e fa cu lt y a lso h a s a n In t er n a t ion a l Rela t ion s Com m it t ee t o p r om ot e clos er colla b or a t ion w it h it s cou n t er -p a r t s in t h e As ia -P a cifi c r e gion . In Au s t r a lia , sim ila r b od ies look a ft er t h e t r a in in g a n d st a n d a r d s of ot h er occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h a n d sa fet y p er s on n el. T h e Au s t r a lia n In s t it u t ion of Occu p a t ion a l H ygien ist s, t h e Au s t r a lia n E r gon om ics Societ y, t h e Au s t r a lia n Colle ge of Occu p a t ion a l H ea lt h N u r sin g a n d t h e Au s -t r a lia n Sa fe-t y In s-t i-t u -t e exer cis e -t h os e fu n c-t ion s for c-t h e d iffer en c-t ca c-t e gor ies of p er s on n el r esp ect ively.
In Au s t r a lia , t h er e a r e eq u iva len t b od ies for p u blic h ea lt h , t h e F a cu lt y of P u blic H ea lt h , a n d Reh a b ilit a t ion a n d M ed icin e, b ot h a lso a t t a ch ed t o t h e Roya l Au s t r a la sia n Colle ge of P h y sicia n s. In m a n y ot h er As ia P a cifi c cou n -t r ies, s im ila r b od ies exis -t w h ich s u p er v ise p r ofes s ion a l t r a in in g for occu p a t ion a l a n d en v ir on m en t a l h ea lt h , a n d r eh a b ilit a t ion (Roya l Au s t r a la sia n Colle ge of P h y sicia n s, 1996).
National safety councils
N a t ion a l s a fet y cou n cils or t h eir eq u iva len t s exis t in m a n y As ia n -P a cifi c cou n t r ies. T h e J a p a n In d u s t r ia l Sa fet y a n d H ea lt h Ass ocia -t ion (J ISH A), for exa m p le, p lay s a lea d in g p a r t in in it ia t in g sh or t t r a in in g cou r s es in occu p a t ion a l m ed icin e, h ygien e a n d sa fet y. T h e J a p a n ese Gover n m en t con t r a ct s r esea r ch s t u dy a ssign m en t s t o J ISH A a n d p r ov id es a s sist a n ce in s p ecifi ed p r oject s t h r ou gh it , su ch a s t h e Su b s idy P r ogr a m m e for Sa fet y a n d H ea lt h a t Sm a ll a n d M ed iu m sized E n t er p r ises a n d t h e P r om ot ion of Com -for t a ble Wor k in g E n v ir on m en t Ca m p a ign . P r oject s on com p a n y s a fet y a n d ch em ica l su b s t a n ces ca r cin ogen icit y t est s in J ISH A a r e a lso s u p p or t ed by t h e J a p a n ese Gover n -m en t . J ISH A h a s, in a d d it ion , w id e con t a ct s w it h a la r ge n u m b er of in d u s t r y a ss ocia t ion s a n d in d u s t r ia l h ea lt h a n d sa fet y or ga n iza -t ion s in J a p a n (J a p a n In d u s -t r ia l Sa fe-t y a n d H ea lt h As s ocia t ion , 1997). T h er e is a ls o a ver y u s efu l a n d in t er es t in g m u seu m for t h e d is p lay of occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h a n d s a fet y eq u ip -m en t in Tok yo r u n by t h e s a -m e a ss ocia t ion . T h e N a t ion a l Sa fet y Cou n cil of Sin ga p or e h a s a n a ct ive Occu p a t ion a l H ygien e Un it w h ich d eliver s s ever a l k in d s of con s u lt a n cy s er v ices
t o en t er p r ises, su ch a s a u d iom et r ic exa m in a t ion s a n d m on it or in g of t h e wor k en v ir on -m en t . A sign ifi ca n t d evelop -m en t in r ecen t yea r s h a s b een t h e es t a blish m en t of AP OSH O (As ia -P a cifi c Occu p a t ion a l Sa fet y a n d H ea lt h Or ga n iza t ion ) t o co-or d in a t e sa fet y a ct iv it ies in t h e r e gion .
Other bodies
Ap a r t fr om b od ies w h ich focu s on occu p a -t ion a l h ea l-t h a n d sa fe-t y, -t h er e a r e m a n y o-t h er b od ies w h ich con t r ibu t e a ct ively t o p r om ot -in g en v ir on m en t a l h ea lt h a n d t h e h ea lt h of wor k er s a n d wor k sit es. T h ese b od ies in clu d e in st it u t es of m a n a gem en t , p er s on n el m a n a ge-m en t a n d en gin eer s, p r ofession a l cen t r es (fed er a t ion s of p r ofess ion a l a ssocia t ion s) su ch a s t h ose in M a lay s ia a n d Sin ga p or e, n a t ion a l p r od u ct iv it y b oa r d s, t r a d e u n ion s, em p loyer fed er a t ion s, a s socia t ion s of h ea lt h p r ofes sion a ls, a n d ot h er s, w h ich oft en h ave occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h a n d sa fet y a ct iv it ies.
On e n ot ewor t h y even t d u r in g t h is d eca d e w a s t h e est a blish m en t of t h e Ch u la b h or n Resea r ch In st it u t e (or t h e In t er n a t ion a l Cen -t r e for E n v ir on m en -t a l a n d In d u s-t r ia l Toxicol-ogy ) est a blish ed in T h a ila n d u n d er r oya l p a t r on a ge. T h a t In st it u t e, w h ich h a s r ecen t ly b een d esign a t ed a s a UN E P Cen t r e of E xcel-len ce for E n v ir on m en t a l a n d In d u st r ia l Toxi-cology, h a s or ga n ized m a n y con fer en ces a n d cou r ses on p ollu t ion con t r ol a n d m a n a ge-m en t , r is k a ss essge-m en t a n d r isk ge-m a n a gege-m en t in b iot ech n ology, a n d ot h er sim ila r s u b ject s.
References
J a p a n In d u st r ia l Sa fet y a n d H ea lt h Ass ocia t ion (1997), “In d u st r ia l sa fet y a n d h ea lt h or ga n iza -t ion s a n d r ela -t ion s h ip b e-t w een -t h em ”, S a fe-ty
a n d H ea lth in J a p a n , Vol. 19, p p. 11-12.
P h oon , W.O. (1982), Op en in g sp eech in Pr oceed in gs
of X A sia n Con feren ce of Occu p a tion a l H ea lth ,
Sin ga p or e, p. 15.
P h oon , W.O. (1992), “Resea r ch on occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h in t h e Asia P a cifi c Re gion ”, in Pr oceed
-in gs of X III A sia n Con feren ce on Occu p a tion a l H ea lth , Ba n k ok , p p. 7-8.
Roya l Au s t r a la s ia n Colle ge of P h y sicia n s (1996),
A n n u a l R ep or t, con t a in in g ch a p t er s on t h e
