From research to practice with focuses on proactive risk management procedures and innovative solution-based approaches

The debate at the congress will focus on proactive risk management procedures and innovative solution-based approaches. The progress in these aspects is seen in the broad-ranging activities of 34 ICOH Scientific Committees that will actively take part in the organization of the symposia, mini-symposia and special sessions of the 2012 Congress. Serial sessions will be organized to promote regional and network-based cooperation for achieving good occupational health practices. The discussion and dialogue at the Congress will help to respond to urgent needs of workers and better understand the principles and ethics of occupational health activities.

The theme of the Congress is based on the belief that all workers of the world require health protection to prevent any occupational disease or injury as part of their human and labor rights. To achieve such an important goal, it is needed to take advantage of new scientific information to develop innovative guidelines, new approaches and procedures, training courses, and so on that can be applied to workers’ health protection.

Over 90% of scientific papers on occupational health are written in developed countries, though it is in developing countries where the most compelling needs in this field are a part of everyday reality. The congress aims to build a bridge between research and practice in order to help developed and developing countries improve the level of health protection for workers and help prevent occupational injuries and diseases.

The International Commission on Occupational Health

The International Commission on Occupational Health is an international non-governmental professional society whose aims are to foster the scientific progress, knowledge and development of occupational health and safety in all its aspects. The ICOH is the world's leading international scientific society in the field of occupational health with a membership of 2,000 professionals from 93 countries and is recognised by the United Nations as a non-governmental organisation (NGO). It has close working relationships with ILO, WHO, UNEP and ISSA.