Chapter54-EnvironmentalPolicyOVERVIEW:OCCUPATIONALSAFETYANDHEALTHANDTHEENVIRONMENT-TWOSIDESOFTHESAMECOINLarryR.KohlerThisisthefirsteditionoftheEncyclopaediaofOccupationalHealthandSafetytoexplicitlyintegraterelevantenvironmentalissueswithinitsscope.Thischapterhighlightsanumberofbasicenvironmentalpolicyissueswhichareincreasinglylinkedtooccupationalsafetyandhealth.OtherspecializedenvironmentalchaptersincludeEnvironmentalHealthHazardsandEnvironmentalPollutionControl.Inaddition,aspecialefforthasbeenmadetoincludesectionsconcerningenvironmentwithineachofthechaptersonkeyindustrialsectors.WhenfirstconsideringwhethersuchastrategytointegrateenvironmentalissueswasindeedwarrantedintheEncyclopaedia,webeganwiththeverylimitedperspectiveofincludingonlyasinglechapterwhichwouldserveasauseful“cross-reference”demonstratinghowoccupationalsafetyandhealthissuesandtheworkingenvironmenthavebecomeincreasinglylinkedtoenvironmentalissues.AstheILOhasbeenstatingforthepasttwenty-plusyears:theworkingenvironmentandthegeneralenvironmentrepresent“twosidesofthesamecoin”.Itisalsoblatantlyclear,however,thatthemagnitudeandscopeofthechallengesthis“two-sidedcoin”representsfortheworkersofthisworldaregrosslyunderestimatedandunder-targetedforaction.ThemeritablesuccesseswhichreceivelegitimateattentionandpraiseinthisEncyclopaediariskleadingustowardsadangerousandfalsesenseofsecurityandconfidenceasregardsthepresentstateoftheartinoccupationalsafetyandhealthandtheenvironment.Theverybestofourtechnologies,managementpracticesandtoolshaveindeedmadeimpressivestridestowardsremediatingandpreventingproblemsinanumberofkeysectors,particularlyinindustrializedcountries.Butitisalsotruethattheglobalreachofthesetechnologies,managementpracticesandtoolsisindeedinsufficientandlimited,especiallyindevelopingcountriesandintransitioneconomies.Thischapterdescribesafewofthemostusefultoolsandpracticesavailabletodealwithoccupationalhealthandsafetyandenvironmentalproblemsandchallenges,althoughitwouldbemisleadingtosuggestthatthesearealreadyinfactwidelyappliedthroughouttheworld.Itisimportant,however,thatoccupationalhealthandsafetypractitionersallovertheworldlearnmoreaboutthesetoolsandpracticesasasteptowardstheirgreaterapplicationandpracticaladaptationtodifferenteconomicandsocialconditions.Thefirstarticleinthischapterprovidesabriefreviewofinter-relationshipsbetweenoccupationalsafetyandhealthandtheworkingenvironment,policiesandissuesrelatedtothegeneralenvironmentandtheconceptof“sustainabledevelopment”.ThisconceptbecametheguidingprincipleforAgenda21,theactionplanforthe21stcenturyadoptedattheUnitedNationsConferenceonEnvironmentandDevelopment(UNCED)inRiodeJaneiroinJune1992.Thepastcomfortable—andyetseriouslymisleading—viewthatitwasnotonlypossiblebutessentialtodifferentiateproblemsandresponsesbetweenthosethatdealwithactionattheworkplaceandthosethatdealwithwhatoccursoutsidethegatesoftheenterprisehasbecomeblurred.Infact,todaybothworkersandemployersandtheirorganizationshavebeguntorecognizeexplicitlythattheenterprisegateisfarfromimpermeabletotheeffectsofpoliciesandproblemsencounteredonbothsidesofthatgate.Giventhegrowingrecognitionthatoccupationalsafetyandhealthissuesmayhavebeentreatedintooisolatedamannerinthepast,thischapterprovidesaseriesofbriefdescriptionsofanumberofenvironmentalpolicyissueswhichoccupationalsafetyandhealthpractitionersmayfindparti...
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