Implementation Guidelines for the National Industrial Health Week for Fiscal 1999

1. Purpose

This year is the 50th anniversary since the National Industrial Health Week was inaugurated in 1950. The broad range of campaign activities during this annual National Industrial Health Week have played important roles in enhancing public awareness concerning industrial health, securing worker health and creating comfortable workplaces through voluntary industrial health management activities at workplaces.

Although the number of persons suffering from occupational diseases in 1998 totaled 8,574 persons �| about two-thirds of the figure some ten years ago �| it still remains at roughly the same level as the previous year (qulick here). There are a number of patients suffering from lumbago and other diseases attributable to injuries and occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis. Accidents involving such hazards as organic solvent poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning and oxygen deficiency have been occurring repeatedly (qulick here) . Moreover, new problems are emerging, including dioxin generated by waste incinerators.

At the same time, there is a growing concern regarding worker health in line with the rapid changes in the environment surrounding workers, such as changes in the industrial structure and a rise in the number of elderly workers. Indeed about 40 percent of workers undergoing medical examinations have some positive findings such as those related to cerebral and cardiac diseases (qulick here and here) . In particular, night work is becoming more common than ever because of increasing public interest needs, new production technologies and the increasing diversification in market demand. There are some who point out that such work schedules upset our daily working rhythm and may negatively affect people's health. At the same time, numerous accidents have been occurring in relation to the use of chemical substances. It should be noted out that such accidents often occur because information concerning the risk of such substances is not adequately disseminated in workplaces, or that methods to manage such chemicals are not fully established.

In order to cope with these circumstances, the Ministry of Labour partially amended the Industrial Safety and Health Law in May and is making efforts to properly implement planned activities. These revisions are aimed at requiring employers to take necessary measures based on the results of medical examinations that night-shift workers have voluntarily undergone, requiring the transferors/suppliers of chemical substances to provide safety data sheets (MSDS) concerning such substances, and requiring employers to adequately disseminate such MSDS information among workers.

This fiscal year is the second year of the 9th industrial accident prevention five-year program. Under this program, further efforts will be made to actively promote measures to prevent occupational diseases, broadly deploy industrial health activities in workplaces, encourage the Total Health Promotion Plan (THP) activities and promote the creation of comfortable workplaces. It is also necessary to establish continuous safety and health management systems in which the "Plan, Do, Check and Act" (PDCA) cycle of work procedures are clearly organized to reduce the potential risks of industrial accidents.

In carrying out these measures, it is important that employers lead the process of implementing industrial health management activities, and that industrial physicians, health managers and other industrial health staff members diligently carry out activities in working environment management, work management, and health management. In addition, effective health-building efforts at workplaces require workers to voluntarily participate in health management activities to enhance spontaneous health management.

Commendation systems have been adopted by the Labour Minister and the Directors of Prefectural Labour Standards Bureaus as incentives to participate in industrial health activities. As this year is the 50th anniversary of the National Industrial Health Week, the traditional awards will be supplemented by Special Awards for those who have provided distinguished service, and Industrial Health Promotion Awards will be presented to further motivate industrial health professionals and small and medium-sized enterprise employers to work towards industrial health.

The programs of this year will add new efforts to build on the achievements of the past 50 years in overcoming the various challenges we are facing. Under the slogan of "Let's Continue Promoting Health and Comfortable Workplaces," the National Industrial Health Week campaign will contribute to the enhancement of industrial health awareness and further promote voluntary industrial health management efforts as well.

2. Slogan

Let's Continue Promoting Health and Comfortable Workplace(Direct translation)

3. Campaign Period

Preparatory period: September 1 to 30
Campaign week: October 1 to 7

4. Organizers

Ministry of Labour and the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA)

5. Sponsors

Japan Construction Safety and Health Association
Land Transportation Safety and Health Association
Japan Port Labour Accident Prevention Association
Japan Forestry and Timber Manufacturing Labour Accident Prevention Association
Japan Mining Safety and Health Association

6. Supporting Organizations

Related administrative agencies, local autonomous bodies, safety and health related organizations, labour organizations and employers organizations

7. Implementing Entities

Workplaces

8. Activities to be Implemented by Organizers, Sponsors and Supporting Organizations

(1) Providing for the dissemination of posters and pamphlets, public relations activities via mass media including TV, radio and newspapers, government publication and the Internet
(2) Holding regional conventions during the National Industrial Health Week
(3) Awarding commendations to distinguished workplaces and personnel in industrial health management activities
(4) Providing guidance and assistance in workplace activities
(5) Carrying out other activities appropriate to the National Industrial Health Week

9. Activities to be Implemented by Workplaces

(1) Activities to be implemented during the preparatory period

1. Establishing industrial health management systems and promoting effective activities for such systems

   1. Implementing annual industrial health management programs by employers
      

   2. Improving and enhancing the capabilities of industrial physicians, health managers and safety and health promoters so as to acquire the necessary qualifications relating to health management for workers, and clarifying the duties and strengthening cooperation among such professionals
      

   3. Selecting operations chiefs and enforcing proper performance of assigned responsibilities
      

   4. Establishing clear authority for site managers
      

   5. Reviewing, improving and enhancing rules relating to industrial health management
      

   6. Regularly holding health committee meetings and activating their performance
      

   7. Establishing information dissemination routes relating to industrial health management
      

   8. Collecting, arranging and disseminating information relating to industrial health

2. Activities relating to working environment management

   1. Implementing working environment measurements at workplaces and improving working environments based on measurement results, particularly where workers are exposed to harmful gas, vapor, dust and noise as well as workplaces with the risk of oxygen deficiency.
      

   2. Properly installing, operating, testing and thoroughly checking local exhaust ventilators, dust eliminators, gas and liquid waste processing equipment, and shielding facilities, etc.
      

   3. Carrying out cleaning work in dust-prone workplaces or sites posing the risk of health hazards and maintaining cleanliness at such places
      

   4. Checking and improving ventilation, lighting and illumination

3. Activities relating to work management

   1. Further reducing work burdens by means of automation and labor-saving equipment
      

   2. Surveying and analyzing work methods, including work movements, posture, speed and duration, and making improvements on the basis of survey results
      

   3. Widely disseminating information relating to policies for work management
      

   4. Making sure that respiratory protective devices are properly used, and improving the maintenance/management systems for such equipment
      

   5. Checking, improving and enhancing rest and recreational facilities

4. Activities relating to health management

   1. Implementing medical examinations, as well as taking such measures as changing working sites, job transfers, reducing working hours, and implementing working environment measurements by taking the views of physicians into account on the basis of the examination results
      

   2. Adequately notifying workers of the results of general medical examinations
      

   3. Providing guidance by physicians and health nurses to those workers needing such guidance on the basis of the results of general medical examinations
      

   4. Improving and enhancing systems to continuously and systematically implement THP activities

5. Activities relating to the prevention of dust hazards

   Making efforts to carry out the following activities, as October is the month to further strengthen comprehensive measures to prevent dust hazards

   1. Thoroughly implementing working environment measurements and properly managing working environments based on the measurement results
      
   2. Properly operating, testing and checking local exhaust ventilators
      
   3. Taking measures to prevent hazards due to accumulated dust by means of , for instance,workplace cleaning campaign activities.
      
   4. Making sure that dust hazards in arc welding work are well understood by workers, posting notices indicating dust-prone workplaces, and ensuring proper use of respiratory protective devices
      
   5. Ensuring proper measures based on the results of medical examinations for pneumoconiosis
      
   6. Thoroughly educating workers on the prevention of dust hazards
      
   7. Implementing health management education for workers with positive findings of pneumoconiosis

6. Activities relating to chemical substance management

   1. Adequately disseminating information based on the guidelines for risks and hazards involving chemical substances (MSDS), and implementing the necessary measures including proper the handling of chemical substances
      

   2. Promoting the proper management of chemical substances, including exposure prevention, appointing operations chiefs, posting information concerning their effects on human health and handling precautions, and storing such chemicals without the risk of leakage or emissions
      

   3. Surveying the hazards posed by chemical substances and ensuring protective measures based on the survey results
      

   4. Promoting the proper management of chemical substances involving carcinogenic or mutagenic properties
      

   5. Promoting the proper management of asbestos
      

   6. Preventing organic solvent poisoning based on the guidelines to prevent organic solvent poisoning in the construction industry
      

   7. Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning based on the guidelines to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the construction industry

7. Thorough prevention of noise-induced hazards based on the guidelines to prevent noise-induced hazards

8. Thorough prevention of vibration-induced hazards based on the guidelines to prevent vibration-induced hazards

9. Activities relating to industrial health education

   2. Implementing special education or similar education of workers engaged in work involving the risk of oxygen deficiency and other hazardous work
      

   3. Implementing skill-building education among health managers, operations chiefs and other important members in industrial health management

10. Promoting the creation of comfortable working environments based on the guidelines on the creation of comfortable working environments

11. Providing proper working environments, recommending better working methods and promoting other measures for aged workers by considering changes in their physical and mental capabilities

12. Promoting industrial health management measures in VDT work based on the guidelines on industrial health for VDT work

13. Promoting measures to prevent lumbago based on the guidelines for the prevention of lumbago at workplaces

14. Promoting measures to prevent cervical syndrome at workplaces

15. Promoting smoking measures in accordance with the guidelines for smoking measures at workplaces

16. Improving health management of cooking equipment, tableware, and food materials at dormitories and restaurants

17. Taking voluntary measures on HIV-related issues based on the guidelines for HIV-related issues at workplaces

18. Promoting the improvements in working environments, including working hours, etc.

19. Others

    1. Hanging posters and slogans

    2. Utilizing and implementing industrial safety and health proposal systems
       

    3. Providing better shower and hand-washing facilities to maintain clean workplace
       

    4. Improving industrial health signs
       

    5. Promoting green-and-healthy-factory campaigns
       

    6. Disseminating health knowledge at home

    (2) Activities to be implemented during the Industrial Health Week

    2. Hoisting the industrial health flag and hanging posters and slogans

    3. Conducting workplace patrol by employers or general safety and health managers

    4. Holding exhibitions, seminars, workshops, discussion meetings and observation tours for industrial health

    5. Conducting on-site training courses based on assumed emergencies, including accidents involving the leakage of harmful substances and oxygen deficiency

    6. Commending distinguished workplaces and personnel in the field of industrial health

    7. Holding exhibitions of paintings, compositions, photographs and slogans

    8. Carrying out various commemorative activities for the 50th anniversary of the National Industrial Health Week

    9. Developing other activities to enhance awareness concerning industrial health