OiRA: Online interactive Risk Assessment, a free web application to assess workplace risks

Developed by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, OiRA – Online interactive Risk Assessment – is an easy-to-use and cost-free web application that can help micro and small organisations to put in place a step-by-step risk assessment process – starting with the identification and evaluation of workplace risks, through to the decision making and implementation of preventative actions, to monitoring and reporting.

The development of an OiRA tool consists of 3 steps:
• Step 1: Preparation and development of an OiRA tool
A good project plan drawn up together with the relevant parties (trade associations, trade unions, national authorities, etc.) will help in the development of the OiRA tool.
• Step 2: Implementation of an OiRA tool
A correct implementation of the OiRA tool will ensure that it will be used by employers/employees and applied on the shop floor.
• Step 3: Maintenance and updating of an OiRA tool
An OiRA tool has to be maintained and updated periodically.

Find out more here: http://www.oiraproject.eu/#mainContent#title

La pagina Progetto HIA21 e` online

Nella strategia generale sui rifiuti dell'Unione (1996) si stabilisce la gerarchia preferenziale delle operazioni di gestione. Al terzo gradino di tale gerarchia è previsto lo “smaltimento finale ottimale e il migliore monitoraggio”. La strategia sottolinea anche la necessità di prevedere nuovi e migliori strumenti di gestione del ciclo dei rifiuti. Nello stesso documento la DG Ambiente dell'UE sostiene che il cittadino può, e deve, chiedere costantemente all'amministrazione locale quali interventi essa compie per migliorare la situazione dei rifiuti a livello locale.

Da qui nace il Progetto HIA21

Toscana e Abruzzo, le regioni nelle quali sono ubicati i due impianti pilota del progetto HIA21, hanno una produzione annuale di RSU di circa 2.545.014 e 699.265 tonnellate, con una produzione procapite rispettivamente di 686 e 524 chilogrammi per abitante.

Le azioni di HIA21
• monitoraggi sulle varie matrici ambientali come aria, acqua, suolo e agenti fisici, indagini epidemiologiche sui principali indicatori sanitari, indagini di carattere economico e sociale.
• consultazioni periodiche e costanti con i portatori d'interesse (stakeholders) e con le popolazioni locali.
• incontri con la popolazione per discutere gli stati di avanzamento dei lavori, per pianificare insieme le azioni da intraprendere per la valutazione degli impatti e recepire suggerimenti e istanze da parte delle popolazioni locali.

New Spanish HIA Portal

From Carlos Artundo, CEO of the Andalusian School of Public Health:

I’m pleased to inform you that the new HIA portal in Spanish, the CREIS, Centro de Recursos de Evaluación de Impacto en Salud is already on line at http://www.creis.es

The CREIS provides key information and resources in Spanish, as well as links to relevant documents, tools, evidence and other helpful resources available in other specialised websites and HIA portals. The site was launched last December 2011. It is an ongoing project and its full functionality will evolve throughout this year accordingly to new developments and emerging needs.

It has been created and it is maintained by the Andalusian School of Public Health. Nonetheless, we’re planning to build on partnerships and collaboration with other public health institutions at the regional/national level, as well as with the private sector, as part of a wider strategy to promote HIA development and practice across Spain. The idea is to make it also a useful resource in other Spanish speaking countries interested in HIA.

Please feel free to disseminate this information among your networks. And of course, any comment/suggestion/feedback, are very welcome.