Experts launch new initiative to improve workers' health and wellness

Leaders from 16 international occupational medical societies attending the 2013 annual meeting of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) have launched the International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative -- a new initiative aimed at improving worker health and wellness globally through the exchange of ideas and information.

Sponsored by the Society of Occupational Medicine, located in the United Kingdom, and ACOEM, located in the United States, the Collaborative is intended to provide an ongoing forum to promote best practices in occupational medicine and greater awareness of issues impacting worker health worldwide.

During its inaugural meeting, Collaborative members discussed shared interests as well as opportunities and challenges facing occupational medicine practitioners globally. Topics ranged from the impact of an aging workforce to the rise of chronic conditions that affect worker health and productivity - such as obesity and diabetes. There was widespread agreement that more trained specialists would be needed to meet these growing issues.

Representatives from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, India, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, the Philippines, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States participated in the first meeting of the Collaborative.

According to the International Labour Organization, there are an estimated 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million cases of occupationally related diseases each year worldwide, along with more than two million work-related fatalities. Organizers of the inaugural meeting of the Collaborative said the statistics provide a compelling reason for international occupational medicine societies to share resources and information.

"As professional medical societies, we are engaged in a wide variety of educational, research, and advocacy activities aimed at addressing worker health, injury and illness," said ACOEM President Ron Loeppke, MD, who served as co-chair for the first meeting. "Major contributions to the science and practice of occupational medicine are increasingly coming from all countries around the world. By communicating more closely as a group, we can leverage our individual efforts and experiences for greater impact."

Meeting co-chair Richard Heron, MD, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine, said the meeting was a "great first-step forward in a shared effort to promote healthy workplaces worldwide."

He noted that while the participating countries have diverse populations, economies and social structures, many of their occupational health issues are remarkably similar.

"We are more alike than different in that regard," he said. "There is much we can learn from each other as we seek to promote a balanced work life, safe environments and accessible health resources for all workers."

The Collaborative plans a series of online meetings during 2013-14, with a second in-person meeting tentatively planned for a location in Europe in 2014.

SOURCE American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine