Collaborating Centre Connection - March 2011

Collaborating Centre Connection - March 2011
World Health Organizati​on (WHO) Collaborat​ing Centre Connection March 2011

In this issue:
1. Inclusion of Young Workers in WHO Executive Board Resolution 128/19 Child Injury Prevention
2. Spotlight: Global Health Care Worker Update
3. Spotlight: OH Learning in Hyderabad, India
4. Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials
5. ICOH 2012 Congress March 18-23: Venue moved to Cancun, Mexico

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Collaborating Centre Connection - March 2011



4. Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials
By Vladimir Murashov


WHO is developing Guidelines to “Protecting Workers from Potential Risks of Manufactured Nanomaterials” (WHO/NANOH). These Guidelines aim to facilitate improvements in occupational health and safety of workers potentially exposed to nanomaterials in a broad range of manufacturing and social environments.

Workers in all countries face new risks from manufacturing applications of rapidly advancing new technologies based on nanometer-scale atomic structures known as nanomaterials. The growing list of nanomaterial applications includes cosmetics, food packaging, clothing, disinfectants, surface coatings, and paints. Most of these nanomaterials are produced with simple processes and often in low and medium-income nations. Toxicological laboratory studies in animals have shown adverse effects such as inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of animals resulting from exposures to some nanomaterials. Although strong human studies of exposure and response to engineered nanomaterials are not currently available and more research is needed to predict the effects of exposures in humans, sufficient information is available to provide interim recommendations and guidance about prudent approaches to nanomaterial handling in the workplace.

Many low and medium-income countries lag behind in introducing occupational safety and health guidance for nanotechnology. This is why the World Health Assembly identified exposure to nanomaterials as a priority action for the Global Plan of Action on Workers Health it adopted in 2007, and the WHO Global Network of Collaborating Centers in Occupational Health has selected this field as one of their key areas of focus.


The WHO NANOH Guidelines will provide the basis for the development of an Implementation Guide of user-specific guidance and recommendations for four target groups: country ministries of health and labor; Occupational Safety and Health agencies and professional associations; Occupational Health and Hygiene professionals; workers and management.

As part of the WHO NANOH Guidelines development, WHO is in the process of identifying scientific knowledge and expertise on nanomaterials and health to contribute to this initiative. Relevant scientific publications, submissions from experts wishing to participate in the development of these guidelines were submitted through the month of February, 2011. Declarations of interest in supporting this project through other contributions are welcome and can be sent to nanohealth@who.int. Further information about this project is available at http://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/nanotechnologies/en/.

For more information, contact Dr. Vladimir Murashov, Special Assistant to NIOSH Director, vmurashov@cdc.gov