1975 - Brighton
14-19/09/1975
18th International Congress of the Permanent Commission and International Association on Occupational Health (PCIAOH)
In 1975 the triennial Congress is held again in Europe, in Brighton (UK). Contributions are subdivided over 33 different sessions quite often resuming the topics investigated by the Scientific Committees, that by now have become much more relevant as to topics and involved countries.
The new Constitution approved during the Congress assigns more importance to the role of Committees which change officially their denomination from subcommittees to Scientific Committees.
Address by Prof. Leo Noro President of ICOH
In his opening address, Prof. Leo Noro, president of ICOH, strongly emphasizes the importance of relationships with the Commission, by now qualified as the highest world specialistic reference for international governmental agencies like ILO, WHO, ISSA, etc. Beside the role of ILO and WHO, President Noro highlights the international role of ISSA and its interest in Occupational Health. The representative of ILO, Dr. Ernest Mastromatteo and the official delegate of WHO, El Batawi, officially attend the Congress.
Structure of ICOH
President Prof. Leo Noro highlights the noticeable amount of organizational work carried out in the last years, specially through subcommittees, Smaller Conferences and Seminars and Meetings.
He emphasizes the role of this organizational network providing national and international connections with laboratories, universities, administrations and industries to a much greater extent than in the past. The new constitution of ICOH, accounting for this new structure is approved.
The most significant changes regard the Board that is practically doubled for number of components (The Officers of the Permanent Commission shall consist of the President, the immediate Past President, the Secretary-Treasurer and a Board of 16 members, no more than two coming from the same country) and takes over more relevant assignments with more continuity of action.
“The Board is empowered to define the policies of the Permanent Commission, to authorise extraordinary expenditure and to assist the President and the Secretary-Treasurer by means of the following advisory committees:
(a) on membership and Constitution;
(b) on Scientific Committees;
(c) on international congresses;
(d) on finance.
The Board shall meet at least once before the General Assembly, and at any other time which the President considers necessary”.
The Committees, now formally defined as “Scientific Committees” are better ruled: their composition is no longer decided by the President only but has to be examined by the “Advisory Committee” and Committee members are indicated by their chairs. “The President, upon proposal by the appropriate Advisory Committee of the Board and after approval by the Board, shall decide on the scientific committees and appoint the chairmen and the secretaries thereof. According to Article 3, Section 3, the members of the Scientific Committee chosen by the chairman must be active members in good standing or honorary members”.