Action-Oriented Support for Occupational Safety and Health Programs in Some Developing Countries in Asia

Action-oriented support programs have been increasingly playing vital roles in promoting safety and health in developing countries in Asia. This paper studied achievements of 3 action-oriented support programs: the WISE program for small enterprises, the WIND program for farmers, and the POSITIVE program for workers and trade unions. Special attention was paid to how the programs have strengthened local efforts for sustainable actions in safety and health improvements. The results showed that there were significant achievements in action-oriented support programs in the region, including a large number of improvement examples, integration into government policies, and network support through employers’ and workers’ organizations. Participatory, action-oriented training tools such as action-checklists, local good example photos, and group work methods played key roles in the effective implementation of the programs. It was of note that there were a number of local efforts to extend the coverage of action-oriented support even to hard-to-reach workers such as home-based workers, rural workers, and ethnic minorities. The efforts included the equal participation in the training by female and male farmers, shortened and weekend training programs, photo sheets showing local good examples, and reasonable fee collection for better sustainability. In conclusion, action-oriented support programs provided local people with concrete means to promote safety and health improvements. The successful programs commonly focused on local initiatives and were built on local wisdom and resources.     

A Random,Roadside Breathalyzer Survey of Alcohol Impaired Driving in Ghana

To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of alcohol impaired driving in an African nation, we conducted a random, roadside, breathalyzer survey of drivers in Ghana. A total of 149 (21%) of 722 drivers tested had a detectable blood alcohol concentration (BAC). In addition, 7.3% of drivers had a BAC ≥ 80 mg/dl. The prevalence of impaired driving (BAC ≥ 80) was higher among private drivers (9.8%) than commercial drivers (6.4%). However, due to a higher volume, the majority (64%) of impaired drivers were commercial drivers. Alcohol use was higher among uneducated (11%) compared to educated drivers (5.4%) and was higher among middle aged drivers (30 - 49 years, 9.1% impaired) compared with younger (< 30 years; 5.0%) or older drivers (≥ 50 years; 0%). Alcohol impaired driving is a significant problem in this African nation. Anti-drunk driving measures should be an important component of road safety efforts. Such measures may need to be different than industrialized nations and will need to target less educated drivers, middle aged drivers, and commercial drivers.     

Constraints to implementation of sustainability indicator systems in five Asian cities

Contemporary studies on sustainability indicator systems (SISs) typically focus on the technical advancement of indicator construction, on qualitative impacts of indicator programmes and on impacts on governance, decision-making and sustainability as a social construct. Yet, their implementation so far has rarely been addressed, even though monitoring and the use of indicator results fall far behind the number of SISs developed. This study aims at the identification of requirements for the development of and constraints to the implementation of SISs in five Asian cities of developing countries. Interviews with local key actors are held, and a qualitative content analysis is carried out. Findings include evidence on the degree of indicator implementation in the case study cities, a hexagonal model for the classification of requirements and constraints, as well as general conclusions for barriers to the use of SISs.     

大气污染物排放标准制定的法律原则和程序研究

《大气污染防治法》授权国家环境保护主管部门制定大气污染物排放标准,但关于标准的法律规则还不够全面,在一定程度上影响了排放标准的功能发挥,也给标准限值确定带来了困难。当前国家正在对《大气污染防治法》进行修订,为完善相关标准条款,本文在对我国大气污染物排放标准立法现状分析的基础上,借鉴国外相关标准的立法规则和我国标准实践经验,提出了适用于我国的大气污染物排放标准制定的主要法律原则和程序建议。研究认为,制定大气污染物排放标准应考虑污染物对公众健康、空气质量和生态环境的影响,以及可采取的污染控制技术措施等情况,通过技术经济论证确定排放限值和相关技术要求,做到技术可行、经济合理、减排效益突出。标准制定过程要充分听取各方意见,经标准评审委员会审查通过后方可按照部门规章批准发布。