Trinational occupational safety, health group sets 2005 program

The U.S., Mexico, and Canada have agreed to an active program of cooperative efforts to advance job safety and health next year under labor accords that the three nations have established under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), the NAFTA labor side agreement.

The 2005 program was set in September at a meeting of the Trinational Occupational Safety and Health Working Group in New Orleans that for the first time included labor and industry stakeholders. Highlights of the 2005 plan include:

• An expanded and enhanced Web page.
• A training workshop for safety and health inspectors.
• A workshop on risk assessment for chemicals in the workplace.
• Continued work on the Globally Harmonized System for hazard communication.
• Establishing a recognition program for companies that excel in occupational safety and health.

Additional future projects will include completing a strategy to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses among youth; exchanging information on safety and health management in the construction industry; providing safety and health training on fall protection and pressure vessels in Mexico; and expanding access to safety and health materials on each country's Web site.