Posted on March 30, 2020
Each year, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) dedicates Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW) April 1-7 to increasing awareness of asbestos and preventing exposure by bringing together experts and victims from around the world to share, learn, and take action. To view all 7 days of GAAW content, please click here. We’d also like to thank the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) for sharing it’s No Time to Lose campaign resources on preventing asbestos exposure and to McOnie for their commitment in the international distribution of the GAAW press release. Be sure to follow the conversation on social media with our GAAW hashtag: #2020GAAW.
*COVID-19 INFORMATION AND AWARENESS: To protect your family and stop the spread of COVID-19, learn more about World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and best practices during this outbreak here*
Today, on Day One of GAAW, we’re highlighting ADAO’s incredible global partner, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), who’s dedication and hard work has helped push our prevention and awareness goals even further. Today will also feature the story of Mavis Nye: “I fight on for all our Meso Warriors past, present and future.”
IOSH is the world’s leading chartered professional body for occupational safety and health professionals. With more than 48,000 members in 130 countries, it acts as a champion, adviser, advocate, and trainer for workplace safety and health in organizations from all sectors.
Since 2014, IOSH has been campaigning for occupational cancer prevention through its No Time to Lose (NTTL) campaign.
Worldwide, work-related cancers claim at least 742,000 lives a year – that’s more than one death a minute. These cancers are caused by exposure to carcinogens including asbestos, silica dust, solar radiation and diesel engine exhaust emissions.
The No Time to Lose campaign aims to:
- raise awareness of a significant health issue facing employees
- offer businesses free practical, original materials to help them deliver effective prevention programs
- secure commitments from organizations to improve preventative measures.
Through the campaign, IOSH launched new materials to help raise awareness of asbestos and how to manage it. These include a fact guide, a leaflet and pocket card for employees, presentations and ‘Duty to Manage’ flowcharts.
IOSH is also encouraging organizations to support the campaign and sign-up to its pledge. The pledge is a six-step plan which captures the key actions an organization is already doing, or planning to do, to manage carcinogenic exposures within its workplace.
More than 390 organizations from 40 countries are supporting the campaign and have agreed to raise awareness of occupational cancer, and 135 leading businesses have signed up to the pledge to manage carcinogens in the workplace.
ADAO became an official supporter of IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign two years ago. Since then, ADAO has collaborated with IOSH on a range of activities from presenting at high-profile global conferences to co-branding campaign resources and sharing on social media. During GAAW 2019, IOSH Chief Executive Bev Messinger presented No Time to Lose at the 15th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference.
Bev said: “We’re proud to be partnering with ADAO for Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2020. Through our No Time to Lose campaign, we’ve a range of resources that can help organisations manage the risks of exposure to asbestos and I’d encourage employers to use these and other advice, provided by organisations such as ADAO, to keep their workers safe.
“With the COVID-19 outbreak really focusing the minds of employers on how to keep their employees healthy, Global Asbestos Awareness Week is a timely example of how we can help organisations make the right decisions and not expose their workers to unnecessary workplace risks such as asbestos.
“In these challenging times, we wish everyone and their families well, and I can assure you, IOSH and its members are doing absolutely everything we can to protect people at work wherever they are.”
I encourage everyone to download IOSH’s “Eight Steps to Managing Asbestos,” and view the rest of their “No Time To Lose campaign” to learn more.
Join the global conversation by connecting with @Linda_ADAO @IOSH_tweets @_NTTL on Twitter, and remember to use #2020GAAW in your tweets and Facebook posts.
Together, we make change happen.
Linda Reinstein
Special thanks to our 2020 Gold Sponsor Motley Rice LLC.
Together, we make change happen.
Linda Reinstein