Report of the ICOH Website Task Group (Aug 2001)

Chairman:
Malcolm Harrington

Members:
Tar-Ching Aw
Bengt Knave
Saadiah Awek

Background:
Following the installation of the new ICOH Board in Singapore last year, President Bengt Knave allocated Board members to different task groups. The Website Task group is headed by Malcolm Harrington as Group Chairperson with Tar-Ching Aw as Editor.

President Bengt Knave also has an advisory panel (Drs. G Hoglund, A Wennberg) to consider other possible Website developments. ICOH provided a small financial allocation initially to pay for the time of an IT specialist to help with the Website. Mr Hardeep Sandhar was hired on a one day per month basis. With his move to a different department, we had a backlog of material to install on the ICOH Webpage. This has now been sorted with Bruno Hannemann from LemonGraphics replacing Mr. Sandhar.

Website activities:
Since the setting up of the Website task group, we have dealt with the following issues:

a) reviewing and updating the current contents and display of material on the Webpage

b) trying to obtain material for inclusion on the webpage. We have had some success in submitted articles on occupational health systems and practice in different countries e.g. Greece.

c) editing articles submitted before they are posted on the Web

d) creating links between the ICOH Website and other relevant websites

Work in progress and Strategy for the Website

a) The website needs a steady stream of news items, articles and other material. In the main, this will have to come from the ICOH membership. We propose that the ICOH Board and the country representatives remind the membership of the necessity for submitted material.

b) Items submitted are considered by the task group before deciding on which items are put on the Web, modified, or removed and in what time frame. Other than on some occasions when urgent items are fast-tracked for display, there will be a time interval between receipt of items and their appearance on the Webpage.

c) The Website task group is constantly considering ways of improving the Webpages. We would welcome advice and suggestions from ICOH members.

d) Translation of Webpages into other languages. We have had an offer from Board members Alain Cantineau and Janine Fanchette to help with French translations. At the ICOH general assembly in Singapore last year, there was also an offer from India to translate items at minimum cost. ICOH Board members can assist the Task group with progressing these translations. A Board policy decision is needed regarding translations into other languages e.g. Spanish.

e) We are waiting for more material on the 27th General Assembly (Iguassu Falls, Brasil) to publicise the event to ICOH members and interested parties.

f) It is the intention of ICOH Board to have all the Task Group reports published on the Website. These reports will document action and planned activities from Board members belonging to these groups.

T-C Aw