The International Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork) hosted an informative lecture on nanotechnology at ILO Headquarters on 27 November 2008. Dr John Howard, former Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the United States and Chair of the Steering Committee for the 5th edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, presented a comprehensive overview of this new technology and of the possible risks associated with it.

The creation, use and control of extremely small structures have caught the attention of the world, especially for their applications in electronics and medicine. We should, however, understand that benefits may come with a risk. Do these nanostructures in fact pose new risks to safety and health?

If so, how can we best manage them while reaping their benefits? As of now, we know that there may be a potential hazard to exposed people, but we do not know their nature and extent. We do not even know to what extent the concentration of these particles can be measured and how protection may be offered. We do not know the limitations of possible controls.

Efforts are now directed at risk assessment and risk management. It is evident that nanotechnology will need an innovative approach to occupational safety and health.

In a subsequent interview conducted at ILO Headquarters, Dr Howard answered some questions about nanotechnology within the context of the ILO Decent Work Agenda. He also shared his vision for the 5th edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety as the best tool to publicize the latest knowledge about the safe use of nanotechnology.

For more information, please see:

Dr Howard's presentation (in PDF format, 4,32 Mb) at the ILO on 27 November 2008 and Dr Howard's publications and presentations on this subject.

References:

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF):

• UK Royal Commission Warns of Lethal Impact of Unregulated Nanotech Products - 18 November 2008.
• New Study Highlights Explosive Growth and Dangers of Nanotechnology in Food and Agriculture - 09 April 2008.
• Australian Unions Call for Strong Regulatory Oversight of Nanotechnology - 20 September 2007.
• International Call for Strong Regulation of Nanotechnology - 02 August 2007.
• Unions, Civil Society Groups Reject "Voluntary Risk Assesment" for Nanotechnology - 13 April 2007.
• United Nations Recognizes but Stumbles over Health and Environmental Risks of Nanotechnology - 16 February 2007.

The Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) / Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN):

• Guidelines for the Precautionary Matrix for Synthetic Nanomaterials FOPH/FOEN 2008.
• Precautionary matrix for synthetic nanomaterials.

CIS has prepared a bibliography containing references to a selection of items reflecting the theme. References are extracted from the CISDOC bibliographic database, a practical tool for seeking information on occupational safety and health at the international level.