Minutes of the ICOH Board Meeting

Minutes of the ICOH Board meeting February 22-23, 2003 at Hotel Mabu, Iguassu Falls, Brazil

Opening of the meeting

The President, Bengt Knave, declared the last Board meeting of the Triennium 2000-2002 opened and welcomed the attending Board members.

Minutes of the ICOH Board meeting in Rome March 1-2, 2002

The Minutes of the previous Board meeting had been sent to the Board members as well as published on the ICOH homepage. The Minutes were approved withouth comments.

Minutes of the ICOH General Assemblies in Singapore August 27, 2000 and September 1, 2000

The Minutes of the two General Assemblies that were held in connection with the 26th ICOH Congress in Singapore in 2000 had been published on the ICOH Homepage. The Minutes of both General Assemblies were accepted by the Board to be presented for approval at the General Assembly in Inguassu on February 23, 2003.

Matters arising from these Minutes to be addressed in the 1st General Assembly in Iguassu on February 23, 2003

Collegium Ramazzini:

Bengt Knave reported that closer contact beetween Collegium Ramazzini and ICOH has been established during the past triennium. At a meeting in Stockholm in October 22, 2002 with participation of Phil Landrigan, Morando Soffritti, Anders Englund, Sverre Langård, Ruddy Facci and Bengt Knave it was agreed that ICOH and Collegium Ramazzini should actively seek possibilities to cooperate, particularly in the areas of Risk assessment and precautionary principles and Export of visible and invisible hazardous material and technology. The agreement was confirmed by formal minutes of the meeting October 22, 2002.

Proposal to inaugurate an Occupational Health Day:

The ICOH member, Ms. Julie George, USA, proposed to the 2nd General Assembly in Singapore 2000 that ICOH should inaugurate an Occupational Health Day. The matter was passed to the Board 2000-2002 to review. The discussion within the Board gave the result that the enhancement of Occupational Health should be made in connection with already existing celebrations by suitable organisations as a special ICOH activity. This conclusion was to be presented to the General Assembly February 23, 2003 for decision.

ICOH Scientific Committee management:

At the 1st General Assembly in Singapore 2000 a proposal was presented by some of the ICOH Scientific Committee Officers to allow non-ICOH members to actively participate in the work of the scientific committees as consultant or experts without becoming ICOH members in good standing. This demand had been handled by an ICOH Board Task Group during the past triennium. A proposal to solution was presented in the way that so called "associated experts" could be introduced as part of Scientific Committee Executives in the ICOH Bye-laws. It was decided to present this proposal for decision to the 1st General Assembly on February 23, 2003.

ICOH and HIV/Aids:

At the 2nd General Assembly Charles Roos of South Africa proposed the establishment of an ICOH Task Group on HIV/Aids. It was noted that HIV/Aids will be highlighted during the ICOH Congress in Iguassu. Further ICOH activities in this area to be discussed by the General Assembly, for example establishment of a scientific committee or Board task group.

Summary of the ICOH Board Task Groups' and Networks' activities

Bengt Knave had prepared a Power Point presentation of the Task Groups' and Networks' activities and the conclusions of their work.In connection with the presentation of the individual Task Groups and Networks related matters were discussed and necessary decisions taken by the Board as follows:

Task Group (TG) Finance Committee:

An ICOH Board TG, comprising three Board members and the Secretary General, has elaborated on the question of responsibilities of an ICOH finance committe. The members of the Task Group declared that a Finance Committee should not be a control group but assisting the Secretary-General in for example the budgeting, and in decisions of major changes in the budget during the running triennium. The report by this TG had been accepted by the Board meeting in Rome 2002.
It was recommended that the new ICOH President should appoint Board members for a Finance Committee to be active 2003-2005.

TG Transparency:

The need for and the form of a Declaration of Interest had been suggested by the TG. The report of this TG had been accepted by the Board. A proposal of the text of a Declaration of Interest was discussed. Some changes in the text were needed which Tee Guidotti, David Wegman and Sverre Langård agreed to deliver before the General Assembly at which the proposed Declaration of Interest was going to be presented for approval.
Need for explanatory notes were also expressed. This work was decided to pass on to the new Board.

TG Newsletter:

It was reported that the cooperation between TG Newsletter, TG Website and the Network on Information and Communication Technology had not been activated. Linnéa Lillienberg’s target to collect three articles for a Newsletter in the autumn 2002 was not reached. It was sugggested that the publishing of an ICOH Newsletter on the ICOH homepage, and in hard-copy to those members who did not have access to Internet, was a task for both the ICOH Secretariat and the TG Website. It was decided that this Task Group should continue to work under the new President for the triennium 2003-2005.

TG Website:

The report by the Editor-in-Chief Tar Ching Aw was presented by the Website master, Bruno Hannemann. It contained positive figures on the number of unique visitors and visits. Many links to other useful websites have been erected. The material to be published on the ICOH website is reviewed by an Editing Board.
The website is under development with the aim that it will be easier for especially the Scientific committee Officers to insert information.
It was recommended that this Task Group could be discontinued, but an Editorial Board will be needed also for 2003-2005. The task of appointing members of the editorial board was forwarded to the new Board.

TG Constitution and Bye-laws:

The Board members agreed that the content of the ICOH Constitution and Bye-laws are in need of total revision. The TG had during the past triennium concentrated on the demand of change to accomodate non-members as experts in the executive group of a scientific committee. To comply with this demand changes are required both in the Constitution as well as the Bye-laws. See encl. A! The proposal for such a change was approved by the Board to be presented to the General Assembly for decision. It was recommended that the TG continue working 2003-2005.

TG Language matters:

A request to include Spanish as official language in the ICOH Constitution and Bye-laws had been presented by Julietta Rodriguez de Villamil from Colombia already at the 2nd General Assembly in Singapore 2000. The TG Language matters had dealt with the request and had presented a report proposing English, French and Spanish as official languages for a minor number of official documents like the Constitution and Bye-laws, Code-of-Ethics and Membership registration forms. The proposal was also that English should be the working language for ICOH.
Annette Jörgensen, leader of the TG Language Matters, thanked all colleagues in the TG for their cooperation and support. It had turned out to be a difficult task to produce a mangeable proposal. It had been clear that the three languages English, French and Spanish were desirable as official ICOH languages. The obstacle was that there should not be any extra costs for ICOH.
A very lively discussion between the Board members resulted in the decision that the General Assembly should be informed about the work of the TG Language matters. The proposal should however not be presented for decision. The task of pursuing the matter of official ICOH languages was forwarded to the new President and Board.
Professor Kogi had formulated a statement about integrating Spanish in the ICOH documents. The statement was accepted by the Board and would be presented to the General Assembly in reply to the request by Ms. Rodrigues de Villamil. The statement read:

"In view of the legal, financial and other implications of a change in the official languages, the Board has agreed to further analyse the matter. Recognising the need to enhance communication with the members and potential members in the countries using Spanish as a main language for international exchanges, the Board has agreed to establish a formal mechanism for translating the core documents into Spanish. They may include the Constitution, Bye-laws, Code of Ethics, Membership applications and such documents considered by the Board as essention."

TG Membership Fees:

A proposal of a differential fee system was presented by Kaj Elgstrand, representing the TG. The proposal was that with the triennium 2003-2005 as a trial period different membership fees should be collected as follows:

• 60 CHF per triennium from members in countries with per capita GDP < 15000 USD
• 270 CHF per triennium from members in countries with per capita GDP >15000 USD

In this connection the Board approved the temporary change of the Bye-laws to make a decision only regarding the membership fees for the current triennium, and leave decision of the membership fees for the triennium 2006-2009 to be proposed by the new Secretary-General and Board.
After a lively discussion of the possible effects of the above differential membership fees the Board agreed that the proposal should be presented to the General Assembly for decision.
The approvalwas accompanied by a recommendation for close evaluation in 2005 before a proposal of membership fees for 2006-2009 is to be presented.
If the General Assembly approved the differential membership fees it was recommended that this TG could be discontinued.

TG Code-of-Ethics:

The revision of the Code-of-Ethics was completed and the English version is available at the homepage of the ICOH Scientific Committee Health Services Research and Evaluation. Jean-François Caillard is responsible for the French translation and Ruddy Facci for the Spanish translation. The Code-of-Ethics will be printed shortly. It was proposed that this TG could now be closed.

TG National Secretaries

Ruddy Facci presented the work of the TG National Secretaries. It had been an active group. A number of meetings had been held with the National Secretaries in different parts of the world, mostly in connection with other conferences that some of the National Secretaries were expected to attend. The aim was to increase the number of ICOH members in each country and to promote ICOH activities internationally and in each country. The membership recruitment activities have been successful in some countries.
It was suggested that the TG could now be closed, but the function should continue in one way or the other within the new Board.

TG Regional Activities:

This TG has been integrated in the ICOH Scientific Committee on Occupational Health and Development. The matter of HIV/Aids will be dealt with separately. It was concluded that this TG could now be discontinued, but the function carried forward within the new Board.

TG Asbestos Matters:

The report by this TG was accepted at the Board meeting in Rome 2002, and it was agreed that the TG now could be closed.

TG Tobacco-free Workplaces:

The TG has produced a position paper that was decided by the Board to be presented to the General Assembly for decision.

TGs Co-operation with other organisations - WHO, IEA, ILO, IOHA, ISSA, WWCS, ICNIRP, IARC:

WHO, IEA, ILO, IOHA and ISSA - reports had been accepted by the Board in Rome 2002.

WWCS (formerly WWDU) - A formal request for collaboration had been presented to ICOH. The Board members had approved this in January 2003 by email.

IOHA - a special presentation of the Joint Declaration by ICOH and IOHA to promote Occupational Hygiene will be presented during the ICOH Congress in Iguassu. In this connection Linnéa Lillienberg, the liaison officer of ICOH-IOHA, informed about the next IOHA conference in 2004 in the Netherlands.

IEA (International Ergonomic Association) - A joint project to produce ergonomic guidelines for developing countries is on-going.

ICNIRP has asked for closer co-operation with ICOH. It was decided that Bengt Knave and the new President will collaborate in creating suitable forms.

ISSA - Jean-François Caillard started the co-operation in the previous triennium. Bengt Knave represented ICOH together with Alain Cantineau in the ISSA conference 2002. A joint statement regarding the occuaptional health for health care workers and development is planned. It was recommended that development of the co-operation continues under the new ICOH-leadership.

IARC - In this connection Sverre Langård asked about possible collaboration with IARC. The task of creating a formal channel of collaboration was handed over to the new ICOH leadership.

IEA (International Epidemiology Association) - Jean-François Caillard informed about the prospective date of the international epidemiology congress (joint meeting of the International Epidemiology Association and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology) in the autumn of 2006. IEA asks for ICOH's support. The date of the IEA congress will collide with the ICOH Centennial Congress in Milan, Italy. It was decided that the President-elect and David Wegman collaborate in sorting out this problem soonest possible.

ICOH Networks:

Network on Information and Communication Technology - Max Lum presented his work on the ICOH information leaflets. The two leaflets (ICOH Information and Performance) were produced and distributed at the ICOH conference in Baltimore, USA, 2002 together with a poster. The leaflets were further distributed to all ICOH members together with the President's letter of September 2002. 20000 copies fo the information leaflet were also distributed by the ICOH 2003 organising committee and 18000 copies were spread to all ICOH national secretaries and ICOH scientific committee officers. Max Lum offered to send the poster by email to anyone who could use it.
The question about future version of the information leaflets was raised. The text should be up-dated and comprehensive information about the 28th ICOH Congress in Milan, Italy in 2006 added.
An introductory package for the national secretaries was discussed with special emphasis on developing countries. Close collaboration between the scientific committee on OSH and Development and the Board was recommended .

Network on Women and Work - The leader of this network, Elisabeth Lagerlöf, was not present at the Board meeting but the area was considered very important also in future. The report had been approved at the Board meeting in Rome, Italy 2002.

Network on Education and Training in Developing Countries - The leader of this network, Richard Ennals, could not attend the Board meeting. The network report had already been approved by the Board in Rome 2002.

GOMEC/Network for Guidelines on Occupational Medicine Education and Competence - A proposal to form a new network, GOMEC, had been presented by Ragnar Rylander in connection with the ICOH Mid-term meeting in Rome 2002. The proposal had been accepted by the Board members before the ICOH Congress in Iguassu and a first meeting of GOMEC was included in the congress programme.

Plans for the ICOH National Secretaries

As the Vice President Ruddy Facci, responsible for the National secretaries, was called away on urgent matters about the Congress, this item on the Agenda was deleted.

Financial up-date

The Secretary-General, Kee Sing Chia, informed that due to the early date in the year of the 27th ICOH Congress and General Assembly the audit period of the past triennium ended September 2002 instead of the usual December 31. The financial reports were included in the ICOH Triennial Report together with the Auditors' report. As an effect of the early closing of the books of the past triennium there were economic events left for the Board to approve that had taken place in the period October 1 - December 31, 2002. These matters had been discussed by email and accepted by the Board members before the Board meeting.

Kaj Elgstrand, Chair of the Scientific Committee on OH and Development applied for 40000 USD (55000 CHF) in support of four symposia in the 27th ICOH Congress focusing developing countries. The money was to be used to cover registration fees, travel and accommodation costs for Chairs and presenters in the four symposia.

a) The Vice President, Malcolm Harrington, offered to transfer the remaining part of his Vice President allowance, 30000 CHF, to the above cause.
b) It was proposed to cover the rest, maximum 25000 CHF, out of the resources for ICOH Strategic Initiatives.

The Board approved the transfer of 30000 CHF from the Vice President's Expense account to the ICOH Strategic Initiative .

The Board thereafter approved that maximum 55000 CHF of the means budgeted for the ICOH Strategic Initiatives should be made available to the SC on OH and Development in order to cover expenses as explained above.

No budget proposal for the triennium 2003-2005 had been presented by the Secretary-General. The task of creating a budget for the triennium 2003-2005 was handed over to the new Secretary-General and the new Board.

Information on the election of ICOH Officers and Board members

The Secretary-General Kee Seng Chia reported that there were no contestants to candidates for the positions of President and Secretary-General. The candidates were Jorma Rantanen for President and Sergio Iavicoli for Secretary-General. There were three candidates to the two positions of Vice-Presidents and 26 candidates to 16 positions of ICOH Board members.
The result of the election was to be announced Monday February 24, 2003 in the evening.

Voting on venue of ICOH 2009 Congress

Representatives of the three candidates to organising the ICOH 2009 Congress - Fukuoka, Japan - Cape Town, South Africa - Seoul, Korea, had each made a 10 minute presentation of the places, available conference sites and accommodation before the start of the Board meeting.
The voting procedure had been explained in a letter from the President to every ICOH member. The ballot papers were available to ICOH members in good standing attending the Congress from the 1st General Assembly Sunday February 23, 2003 up to Thursday February 27, 2003 at 4 p.m.

Three scrutineers of the votes were appointed:
Sergio Iavicoli, Italy - Barbara McPhee, Australia - Edoardo Santino, Brazil

The voting procedure for an ICOH Congress venue was not considered well-adapted. The Board proposed that the voting procedure should be revised, and possibly integrated in the voting process for ICOH officers and Board members.

The Board task of recommending one of the candidates for the ICOH Congress 2009 was thoroughly discussed. The result was that the Board could not decide to make a recommendation as it found that the three candidates were equally adept at organising a successful congress. The Board approved this decision that would be presented at the General Assembly.

Scientific Committees' activities

The report by the Vice President Malcolm Harrington, responsible for the contact with the ICOH Scientific committees, was included in the ICOH Triennial Report. There was no additional information as Malcolm Harrington did not attend the Board meeting.

The need for establishing new Scientific Committees to cover the areas of HIV/Aids and Migrants was brought up. No recommendation to be made in this case to the new Board.

A discussion about the role of the Board in relation to the Scientific Committees was initiated by the President. Those Board members who had been or were involved as Scientific Committee Officers strongly recommended that the Board members should take on co-ordination roles towards SCs of their choice. It was considered important that the Board was always aware of the activities and situation of the SCs and could act as mentors or advisers when needed.

Any other business

There were four other matters presented to the Board meeting:

a)The tasks of the ICOH Secretariat:
Linnéa Lillienberg had suggested that the ICOH Secretariat and the Secretary-General ought to be responsible for correspondence and co-operation with other organisations of interest to ICOH.

The President declared that he wanted an active Board and therefore the responsibilities for cooperation and contacts with external bodies had been distributed to the Board members. Moreover, it was found that the current resources do not accommodate a larger ICOH Secretariat with more employees. The decision was to take no action in this matter.

b) ICOH recommendation of individual protective devices:
Alain Cantineau had discovered that a Swiss company states that its protective devices are recommended by ICOH.
Bengt Knave knew that this matter had been handled by the SC on Radiation and Work. Bengt Knave was however ready to send a reply to the company if Alain Cantineau would supply him with an address.

c) Voting by proxies regarding ICOH Congress venue:
The question of voting by proxy had been brought up in connection with the voting on ICOH Congress venue 2009.
The ICOH Constitution and Bye-laws do not mention voting by proxy. It was proposed that this is a matter to be included in a total revision of the Constitution and Bye-laws that may be a task of the new Board. The decision was to take no action in the matter.

d) General human rights:
The President had received a letter from a woman who declared that she was lesbian and that she could neither attend the ICOH Congress in Singapore nor in Brazil due to these countries' attitude to homosexual people.
The President had already replied to the person writing the letter that ICOH supports all people in their work situation regardless of sexual disposition. The reply was approved by the Board as sufficient action in this matter.

Closing of the Board meeting

The President, Bengt Knave, concluded the Board meeting of February 22-23, 2003 by thanking his colleagues ICOH Officers and the Board members for stimulating co-operation during the triennium 2000-2003. Additionally Bengt Knave thanked also Bruno Hannemann, Saadiah Awek and Gunborg Jungeteg for excellent assistance to the ICOH work in the same period.

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