HSE International ISSUE 106 | Page 12

SPOTLIGHT

ISO CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY by Sandrine Tranchard

2017 is ISO ’ s 70th anniversary ! The ISO story began in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries gathered in London to discuss the future of standardization . A year later , on 23 February 1947 , ISO officially came into existence . In this post-war era , the founding members saw International Standards as a key to the world ’ s reconstruction efforts .

Back in 1947 , the purpose of the fledgling organization was to facilitate the coordination and unification of standards developed by its member bodies , all of which were national standardization entities in their respective countries . The founders decided that the organization would be open to every country wanting to collaborate – with equal rights and equal duties .

These founding principles still hold true today and the ISO family has blossomed to include 163 * members from almost every country in the world . Standardization has come a long way and ISO International Standards , which now cover almost all aspects of technology and business , will continue to ensure positive change in an evolving world .
The first steps Following the creation of the organization , 67 groups of experts ( called technical committees ) were set up in specific technical fields such as screw threads , marine technology , food , textiles , paints and laboratory equipment with a mandate to develop International Standards . This led to the birth , in 1951 , of the first ISO standard ( called “ Recommendations ” at the time ) – ISO / R 1:1951 , Standard reference temperature for industrial length measurements . Since then , the ISO portfolio has expanded to include over 22 000 standards supporting all the important technological , environmental and social changes that have taken place in the world .
“ For 70 years , ISO has made standards that have shaped our history and accompanied the world ’ s greatest innovations . From the standardization of materials , components and equipment for the aerospace or automotive industry to the measurement of environmental pollutants , from establishing a management system to ensure food safety in the supply chain to creating guidelines for human-robot interaction , the need for

EUROPEAN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WELCOME NO TIME TO LOSE CAMPAIGN

CANCON Conference , Malta
Over 70 health experts in Europe applauded IOSH ’ s No Time to Lose campaign at a leading cancer conference in Malta ( 14-15 February ).
The campaign , which aims to raise awareness of occupational cancer and help businesses take action by providing free practical resources , was showcased by exclusive invitation at the ‘ Final Conference of the Joint Action on Comprehensive Cancer Control ’.
The event was organised to coincide with the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union to share solutions from the European Guide on Quality Improvement in Comprehensive Cancer Control ( CANCON ).
Tina Lipuscek , CANCON Project Manager , said :
“ In 2014 we launched CANCON , a collaborative initiative co-funded by participating organisations , institutes , universities , health care providers , and the EU Commission , to reduce the cancer burden in the European Union .
“ Our guide aims to tackle cancer in the EU and reduce inequalities in cancer control and care that exist between Member States . The guide includes recommendations for EU governments to implement to make national cancer control plans more effective .
“ We welcome initiatives which help prevent cancer . The No Time to Lose campaign is an excellent example to help businesses tackle cancers caused by work , and it was fantastic to have it displayed at our conference .”
The No Time to Lose materials were translated into 24 European languages and given out at the conference to help professionals raise awareness of work-related carcinogens in their countries . Andrew Baldwin , IOSH Public Affairs Adviser , said : “ IOSH is delighted to have exhibited the No Time to Lose campaign at the CANCON conference . Delegates from across Europe showed great interest in our translated campaign materials to help raise awareness and prevent occupational cancer .
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HSE INTERNATIONAL