INSHPO symposium and ABM at the XVIII World Congress in Seoul, Korea

Monday, 07 July 2008

The International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO), which IOSH provides the Secretariat function for, held its third Annual Business Meeting (ABM) and organised a symposium in conjunction with the congress.

The symposium was on the topic of the "International Transportability of Safety and Health Credentials".  INSHPO are currently advocating an initiative which would allow professionals who have earned a certification or met a competency standard in one country to practise in another country. The symposium was comprised of presentations from a North American, Australasian and European perspective. Each presenter provided their perspective on defining competence, how their organisation fits into the initiative and what they would like to see in the future. The presentations and paper are available to view here.

INSHPO's annual business meeting was kindly hosted by the congress organisers the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Association (KOSHA). The successful meeting saw four new members join the network, taking its membership to fifteen. These organisations included the China Occupational Safety and Health Association (COSHA), China, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Association (KOSHA), Korea, Associazione Professionale Italiana Ambiente e Sicurezza (AIAS), Italy and the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), Canada as an affiliate member.

Representatives attended from the following member organisations:

• American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), America
• Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), Canada
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), UK
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Management (IOSHM), Mauritius
• Industrial Foundation of Accident Prevention (IFAP), Australia
• National Association of Centers for Occupational Safety and Health (NACOT), Russia
• New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM), New Zealand
• Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO), Singapore

INSHPO's next ABM will be held in conjunction with the CSSE's Conference in Calgary, Alberta from 20 to 23 September 2009. For further information about INSHPO please visit their website.