Dr Kawakami introduced WISE training methods. WISE is an action-oriented training method which focuses on participatory approaches and low-cost improvements. WISE has been applied in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Laos in Asia and other countries in the world. It has enabled workers and employers to improve safety and health. WISE has its six principles:

• build on local practice
• focus on achievements
• link working conditions with other management goals
• learn by doing
• exchange experiences
• promote workers’ involvement

WISE aims at improving productivity and efficiency of factories as well as safety and health. This attracts many owners of small enterprises to take immediate action. WISE starts with local good examples. They demonstrates that improvements can start at low-cost. Good examples also show the importance of "multi-faceted" and "step-by-step" improvements. It is necessary to look at many technical areas of safety and health together, because the needs of local people are multiple. WISE has nine technical areas:

• materials handling and storage
• workstation design
• machine safety
• control of hazardous substances
• lighting
• premises
• welfare facilities
• work organization
• environmental protection.

During the WISE project in the Philippines from 1994 – 1996, 2,060 improvements ideas had by training participants. 83.7 % of the proposed ideas had been actually implemented by owners and workers in small enterprises. This is a very high success rate.

WISE is effective in reducing occupational accidents. In Thailand, NICE conducted a WISE training course in six metal-processing factories. After the WISE training course, the number of accidents in all the six factories had been reduced. Many small enterprises in Asia have enjoyed improvements in productivity and working conditions. It has been confirmed that WISE is useful for :

• decreasing workloads
• increasing productivity
• decreasing occupational injuries
• sustaining action for improvement

WISE applies participatory action training tools:

The participatory action approaches of WISE are spreading to different countries and, various occupations, at policy levels, and among all the ILO tripartite partners. WISE methods have been applied in multinationals, in agriculture and construction as well as in small enterprises. Both employer organizations and trade unions are active in applying participatory methods for improving safety and health. Governments use WISE methods to train labour inspectors for increasing their practical knowledge on safety and health. Employers’ organizations can deliver WISE training courses as a service to their members. They can apply "marketing principles" to sustain WISE training. For example, an employers’ organization in Laos offers WISE training to their members with fees. They collect about 7 dollars from each participant to cover the costs of running WISE training. This means that the employers’ organization in Laos can conduct WISE training courses in a sustainable manner without needing financial assistance from other sources.

Learning from WISE, the Work Improvement in Neighborhood Development (WIND) training method for farmers was developed by the Centre for Occupational Health and Environment in Cantho Province in Viet Nam and the Institute for Science of Labour in Japan. WIND is unique because it aims at improving both the working and living conditions of men and women workers who work in and around the home and use their house as the work place such as farmers and many informal sector workers. WIND promotes equal participation of women and men to the training. In conclusion, the participatory action approaches of WISE:

• provide practical support for an increasing number of small workplaces
• help the government establish effective policies in safety and health
• accelerate direct involvement of employers and workers in safety and health.