News and Events

We are pleased to announce that Huw Wilkins Associates (HWA) has become part of the IOM group, bringing together two leading organisations in the occupational hygiene industry. The move which will incorporate HWA into the IOM brand is set to provide IOM with even greater expertise and enable Huw Wilkins, founder of HWA to cement his legacy with an organisation he trusts.

“We would urge those in hospitals not to panic in the face of the news stories coming out. N2O can be safe to use in environments with the right controls that are properly maintained. Keeping this vital pain relief available for expectant mothers across the country.” Ross Clark, Head of Workplace Protection, IOM

IOM has been called in to several hospitals to measure levels of exposure of nitrous oxide following concerns after a Hospital Trust reported that limits were 7% – 2,900% higher than the legal limit, leading to worry of healthcare staff across the country.

IOM is pleased to announce that Dr. Miranda Loh is joining IOM’s senior management team as the Director of Science and Engagement.

Organised annually by Interface, the awards mark the biggest celebration of business and academic knowledge exchange in Scotland. Focused on showcasing the achievements of collaborative partnerships and individuals alike.

IOM are delighted to welcome Tracey Bowman and Aimee Doole to our board of governors.  Like all charities, IOM is overseen by a board of governors who ensure that we are delivering on our mission. As IOM strives to protect and improve health through the workplace and wider environments, the experience of both Tracey Bowman, formerly of Komatsu and Aimee Doole will support us in achieving that.

After nearly 10 years of nurturing, supporting and developing the IOM Singapore business, the decision has been made for it to operate independently and under the new identity of Institute of Ergonomics and Hygiene (IEH). This change will take effect from 1st December 2021. The IOM Singapore management team will stay with the business and lead the IEH into the future.

The move benefits both businesses, allowing them to succeed in their own right as each pursues a similar but not identical path. Allowing them to act and develop in different ways to focus on purpose and deliver excellent service to clients and partners. For any questions, please get in touch with your IOM contact or email: [email protected]

No overall link between concussion, length of career and cognitive function in retired male elite rugby players aged 50+

IOM is proud to be sponsoring the Particles and Health conference, a two day event designed for regulators and researchers to:

• Address scientific studies regarding human health effects of PSLTs. The value of human studies over animal studies-when human-exposed populations can be studied adequately- will be emphasized.
• ​Review and discuss definition of PSLT’s proposed at Edinburgh workshop and published in 2020 in the Journal Inhalation Toxicology with attention to both similarities and differences among these substances.
• ​Address translational toxicology challenges, including the appropriateness of rats as models for human lung pathogenesis (particularly lung cancer) in light of lung overload phenomena and species differences.
• ​Serve as a platform to present current scientific information about PSLTs important for regulatory action.
• ​Publication of pertinent conference presentations in the peer reviewed scientific literature will allow the presentations to live beyond the conference and subsequently be reviewed part of regulatory deliberations.
• ​Establish an interdisciplinary setting for industry, academia and regulatory professionals to interact on an important topic. Such interaction can facilitate enhanced understanding of the science and appropriate classification, labelling and setting exposure limits, among others.
• ​Recommend areas for further research regarding the significance of the rat as a model for translation toxicology.
• Review the biokinetics of inhaled nanoparticles and the potential for non-pulmonary effects.

For more information and tickets please visit the Particles and Health website here.

IOM in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen ran a modular MSc course in occupational hygiene. The course started 30 years ago this month with four students. Over the next twelve years we had more than 50 students participate in the course, and hundreds more joined one or more of the taught modules to increase their professional knowledge.

Professor John Cherrie, Principal Scientist at IOM, has co-authored a paper on ‘The Development of a Covid-19 Control Measures Risk Matrix for Occupational Hygiene Protective Measures’.

Dr Karen Galea, Head of Workplace Exposure Science at IOM, has co-authored a paper on the “HBM4EU chromates study – overall results and recommendations for the biomonitoring of occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium.”

The IOM human factors team has secured another prestigious contract to support HSE in their National Core Study (NCS) on Transmission (“PROTECT”).

The project, which will focus on understanding the behavioural factors that impact effective facemask use amongst worker populations and consumers within retail consulting rooms, is another way IOM is helping to inform COVID-19 policy and industry practice. Making our world safer.

Rebecca Canham, Principal Scientist in Human Factors at IOM had this to say “It’s such a great project to be working on.  Retail consulting rooms, such as those used by pharmacists and beauticians, bring consumers and workers together in a small space, often with a need for physical contact so it’s important to understand the things that affect mask wearing behaviours as this becomes more of a consumer choice and no longer a regulatory requirement as government restrictions ease.”

Project work is set to start in September with interviews and surveys with consumers and workers delivering personal health services and hair and beauty treatments within one or more retail consulting rooms.

Join us on the 8th of July as Will Mueller shares insights on how to implement Health Impact Assessment (HIA) methods in environmental and occupational scenarios. His seminar will be of particular interest to those in occupational hygiene and air pollution research. The talk will allow others to capitalise on what went well and learn from some of the challenges, leading to more accurate, informed and impactful research from colleagues. 

The HIA is an important evaluation tool used to judge the potential health effects of a policy, programme or project on a population, particularly on vulnerable or disadvantaged groups and by using it in different settings it can help to facilitate cleaner environments and healthier workplaces.  

Running from 11:00-12:00 there will be a presentation followed by questions.

IOM is proud to announce that Miranda Loh has been invited to speak at the 8th UK & Ireland Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science Meeting 2021 talk about exploring interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 in hospital environments. This is particularly relevant to public health researchers as we’ll be sharing a new tool that we have developed.

To attend the event, please register by sending your name, position, institution, email address, Zoom name and, optionally, your professional twitter or other social media account names to [email protected] before 8^th June 2021.

NanoTox 2021 is taking place online from 20^th – 22^nd April 2021.  This conference is aimed at personnel from research and academic institutions as well as from industry, governmental agencies, and other relevant organisations interested in:

• Nanotechnology
• Hazard and risk assessment of nanomaterials and advanced materials, and their governance
• Alternative methods for nanomaterial hazard testing, release and exposure.
• safe(r) by design (SbD) of nanomaterials and advanced materials.

In light of the news that Dr. Rob Aitken will be retiring as CEO, his successor has been named. Nathan Baker, current Managing Director of IOM consulting will be stepping into the role.

Six National Core Studies (NCS) have been funded through the Government Office for Science to respond to the near term strategic, policy and operational needs of the UK in response to Covid-19.

IOM’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Rob Aitken, announced that he would retire at the end of March 2021. Rob has been at IOM for more than forty years, holding a number of scientific and leadership roles. In 2002, he became a member of the Board of Management and was appointed to the position of CEO in November 2016.

This year has been like no other, and our business has endured the same economic pressures as most. Our staff have made sacrifices to continue doing their jobs to provide high-quality, impartial research, consultancy, laboratory analysis and workplace protection services and training.

In 2017, EU-OSHA started a multiannual research programme on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A range of projects has been carried out within the programme, resulting in various outputs, ranging from research reports and expert articles to practical tools and a database of MSDs-related resources.

Hear from Dr Richard Graveling, IOM’s Principal Ergonomist in session 1 – MSDs: from research to policy and practice.

by Anne Vested, PhD, Henrik A Kolstad, PhD, Ioannis Basinas, PhD, Alex Burdorf, PhD, Grethe Elholm, PhD, Dick Heederik, PhD, Gitte H Jacobsen, PhD, Hans Kromhout, PhD, Øyvind Omland, PhD, Inger Schaumburg, PhD, Torben Sigsgaard, PhD, Jesper M Vestergaard, Master of IT, Software Development, Inge M Wouters, PhD, Vivi Schlünssen, PhD.

IOM was engaged by a commissioning group consisting of the Night Time Industries Association, the Music Venues Trust, Festival Republic, Tokyo Industries, The Deltic Group and Proud Leisure.

A report commissioned by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA); Analysis of case studies on working with chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

Mass adoption of face coverings is an essential part of a control approach to minimise transmission of COVID-19. Mandatory use is now required in many situations. However where use is not mandated, merely recommended, there is partial compliance due partly to a limited understanding about the differences and functions of face coverings, facemasks and respirators.

Preventing work-related MSDs: lessons learned from research and good practice.

As dental practices start to reopen, we are proud to be supporting the British Dental Association by helping their members keep their patients and staff healthy.

Understanding PPE and Face Fit essentials are crucial to reopening safely and minimising the transmission risk of COVID-19 post lockdown.

Find out how to join the webinar ‘Respirators in dentistry: practical guidance and face fit testing’ by clicking event info.

In this pilot study, an assessment was carried out to understand the perceived wearability of three facemasks (Vogmask, TuHao and ReSpimask) marketed in the UK as being designed to protect children against exposure to air pollution.

Join Health, Safety, and Policy Experts for a Discussion on Returning to Work

IOM are pleased to collaborate with the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors to create a step by step guide to creating a safe workspace.

Professor John Cherrie, Principal Scientist at IOM, is due to speak at the Highly Potent APIs 2020 conference (online) on the 11th May, which is entitled “Respirators and their effectiveness in reducing particulate exposures“.

The study will evaluate the effectiveness of novel workplace interventions in protecting healthcare workers from infection.

We have been at the forefront of scientific research to understand and mitigate a range of occupational and environmental health risks for over 50 years.  We believe it’s important to outline our position on a number of policy issues in scientific and medical research.

IOM co-authors Biomonitoring for Occupational Exposure to Diisocyanates paper published in Annals of Work Exposures and Health.

The objective of this study was to create a quantitative JEM for occupational noise exposure assessment of the general working population.

The Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) was commissioned by The European Agency for Health and Safety at Work (EU OSHA) to carry out a research project regarding the national policies, and strategies on the prevention of work related musculoskeletal disorders

IOM Principal Scientist Professor John Cherriw has co-authored a paper entitled “Calibration of the Welding Advanced REACH Tool (weldART)”, which has been published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.

IOM scientists Professor John Cherrie and Hilary Cowie are amongst the co-authors of a paper entitled “Exposure to solar UV during outdoor construction work in Britain”, which has been published in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health.

IOM Principal Scientist Professor John Cherrie and Honorary Senior Scientist at IOM Dr Sean Semple have written an editorial entitled “Covid-19: Protecting worker health” for the Annals of Work Exposures and Health.

In these unprecedented times, I am writing to outline how IOM is responding to the challenge we are all facing with the escalating Covid-19 pandemic and to reinforce that we are committed to continuing to provide the high level of service you have come to expect from us.

IOM Scientists Dr Karen Galea, Dr Ioannis Basinas, and Prof John Cherrie are amongst the co-authors of a new paper entitled “Improving exposure assessment methodologies for epidemiological studies on pesticides: Study protocol”, published in JMIR Research Protocols.

Professor Damien McElvenny, Principal Epidemiologist at IOM, is one of the co-authors of a new paper, entitled “Concussion and long-term cognitive impairment among professional or elite sport-persons: a systematic review”, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry”

OM Scientists Dr Miranda Loh, Dr Susanne Steinle, and Will Mueller are amongst the co-authors of a paper on urban greenspace and the indoor environment, published in “Environmental Research”.

The European Commission has published on its web site the twenty five “Evaluation of the EU Occupational Safety and Health Directives – Country summary reports”, which were co-authored by IOM, COWI, and Milieu.

Professor John Cherrie, Principal Scientist at IOM, has co-authored a paper entitled “Exposure Models for REACH and Occupational Safety and Health Regulations”, which has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

IOM Scientists Shaz Rashid, Hilary Cowie Alice Davis, Peter Ritchie, and Prof John Cherrie  are amongst the co-authors of a paper entitled “Nudging construction workers towards better sun-safety behaviour: summary of the evidence for practitioners”, published in Policy and Practice in Health and Safety.

IOM Scientists Prof John Cherrie, Will Mueller, Susanne Steinle, Sotiris Vardoulakis, and Miranda Loh have co-authored a paper entitled “How Harmful Is Particulate Matter Emitted from Biomass Burning? A Thailand Perspective.” This has been published in Current Pollution Reports.

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of IOM, and in celebration of this major milestone, IOM is hosting in Edinburgh, the UK & Ireland Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology and Exposure Science meetings.

Dr Matthew Boyles, Senior Toxicologist at IOM, has co-authored a newly published paper in “Inhalation Toxicology” entitled “Assessment of the physicochemical properties of chrysotile-containing brake debris pertaining to toxicity”.

IOM Scientist Dr Miranda Loh has co-authored a paper entitled “Different cardiorespiratory effects of indoor air pollution intervention with ionization air purifier: Findings from a randomized, double-blind crossover study among school children in Beijing”, newly published in Environmental Pollution.

Professor John Cherrie, Principal Scientist at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, has co-authored a newly published paper in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health entitled “Managing Occupational Exposure to Welding Fume: New Evidence Suggests a More Precautionary Approach is Needed”.

IOM scientists Will Mueller, Dr Susanne Steinle, and Dr Miranda Loh are amongst the co-authors of a newly published paper entitled “Urban greenspace and the indoor environment: Pathways to health via indoor particulate matter, noise, and road noise annoyance” (“Environmental Research” journal).

Dr Richard Graveling, Principal Ergonomist at IOM, has co-authored a briefing paper requested by the EMPL Committee (European Parliament). IOM Researcher Dr Eva Giagloglou contributed to this publication that reflects some of the expected issues in the workplaces of the future.

Healthcare Estates is the unrivaled platform for Estate Managers, Directors, Facilities Managers etc to network with industry colleagues while sourcing and specifying the latest healthcare products and services.

Taking place on the 8th-9th of October, Healthcare Estates conference, exhibition and awards dinner offers you the chance to meet over 200 exhibitors and source the latest information for products and services

This paper briefly explains the technology of RFID chip implants; explores current applications; and considers legal, ethical, health, and security issues relating to their potential use in the workplace.

This document was prepared by Milieu/IOM Ltd at the request of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament

IOM scientists Will Mueller, Peter Ritchie and Prof Damien McElvenny are amongst the co-authors of a paper entitled “Cancer incidence among workers with blood lead measurements in two countries”. published in “Occupational and Environmental Medicine”

On November 12, 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will hold a webinar on the amended information requirements for nanoforms under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.

On September 19, 2019, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced the results of a study it commissioned to examine “next generation” nanomaterials and determine whether the current terminology used in the EU chemicals regulations, as well as the implementation of the current legal requirements for identifying nanomaterials, are likely to pose technical challenges.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative will hold a webinar on October 8, 2019, on “Evaluating Worker and Consumer Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterials.” The webinar, part of NNI’s 2019 series on the environmental, health, and safety effects of nanomaterials (nanoEHS), will examine the tools, techniques, and successes in assessing and managing potential effects of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) in the workplace and consumer environments.

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) has created a Nanopinion section, where it invites views from different contributors ranging from policy-makers and authorities to industry and civil society on their work and priorities related to nanomaterials on the EU market. The first item, posted on September 16, 2019, is “EUON: past, present and future,” written by Bjorn Hansen, Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). In July 2019, ECHA finished a mid-term review to assess where it has succeeded and where it can improve over the remaining years of the mandate that it host and maintain EUON. Hansen notes that the review highlighted areas where EUON can improve, including the need to:
• Enhance its communication;
• Provide more detailed information on nanomaterials for experts; and
• Provide more simplified information on nanomaterials to the public.

This year IOM celebrates it’s 50th anniversary. The culmination of our celebrations this year will be a reception to be held in the Scottish Parliament on 8th October at 6.00pm. We are delighted that Deputy First Minister for Scotland, John Swinney MSP, will be speaking on behalf of the Scottish Government at the reception.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Federal Register notice on September 11, 2019, to provide an additional 30-day comment period on its proposed information collection project entitled “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices.” 84 Fed. Reg. 47957. As reported in our April 24, 2019, blog item, on April 23, 2019, CDC published a Federal Register notice inviting comment on the proposed information collection project. According to CDC, no comments were submitted in response to its April 2019 notice. The goal of the project is to assess the relevance and impact of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for the safe handling of engineered nanomaterials in the workplace.

IOM scientists Professor John Cherrie and Dr Anne Sleeuwenhoek have co-authored a paper entitled “GuLF DREAM: A Model to Estimate Dermal Exposure Among Oil Spill Response and Clean-up Workers” published in The Annals of Work Exposures and Health

Dr Karen Galea, Head of Workplace Exposure Science at IOM, has co-authored a paper entitled “Setting up a collaborative European human biological monitoring study on occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium”, published in the “Environmental Research” journal.

IOM scientists Will Mueller, Peter Ritchie, and Prof Damien McElvenny have co-authored a paper entitled “Cancer incidence among workers with blood lead measurements in two countries” published in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal.

IOM scientists Will Mueller, Peter Ritchie, and Prof Damien McElvenny have co-authored a paper entitled “Cancer incidence among workers with blood lead measurements in two countries”, which has been published in “Occupational & Environmental Medicine”.

A letter by Prof John Cherrie, Principal Scientist at IOM on “Binding occupational exposure limits for carcinogens in the EU -necessary but not sufficient to reduce risk”, has been published in the “Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health”.

Come and join us IOM in Bristol on 17th – 19th June 2019 at this key multi-disciplinary conference for Occupational Health professionals. Dr Damien McElvenny, Principle Epidemiologist at IOM and Professor John Cherrie, Senior Occupational Hygienist and Principal Scientist, will be presenting ‘Brain Health of Former Professional Footballers’ on Day 1 of the conference. Other sessions cover mental health, MSK issues, travel medicine, vocational rehabilitation, men’s health, workplace noise, fitness to drive, pilot health, military OH, the mental healt

Continuing IOM’s 50th celebration, a number of IOM staff attended the annual British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) conference OH2019 in Brighton. Prof Rob Aitken, CEO of IOM gave a keynote presentation to the whole conference discussing IOM’s beginnings in the coal industry to where we are today. Part of this talk linked to our long relationship with BOHS as a number of past presidents of the society have been from IOM.

In celebration of our 50th anniversary, Rob Aitken (CEO),  is presenting a keynote at OH2019; ‘The IOM at 50, lessons from the past and directions for the future.’ Following the keynote listen to members of our research team discuss emerging health risks in 21st-century workplaces. You can also meet our Laboratory team at our exhibition stand.

As part of IOM’s 50th celebration programme the UK & Ireland Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology and Exposure Science meetings were hosted in Edinburgh at the Surgeons’ Hall Museums.

A new study led by researchers from Heriot-Watt University and the Institute of Occupational Medicine, funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), has for the first time measured UV exposure amongst outdoor workers in the UK, who during summer are at risk of excessive exposure due to the nature of their work.

Exposure to air pollution in the UK has an effect on annual mortality equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths.

HSE CONNECT is organised by the Health and Safety Executive. It brings together industry, the regulator, trades union and intermediaries to showcase good health and safety practice through lectures, seminars, exhibitions, panel discussions, surgeries and workshops.

We will be exhibiting at stand number four, our Occupational Team will be on hand to speak to delegates about how they can manage H&S within the workplace.

Today in The Lancet Neurology, experts in research and clinical practice in brain injury from around the world have asked for balanced news reporting when discussing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

2017 figures report that there were 8.4 million people working in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector in EU-28 with 1.6 million in the UK. With rapid changes and advances in this sector the European Commission funded ‘The Good Work Good Health ll: ensuring the mental wellbeing of ICT employers in a new world of work’ project.

Exposure Science researchers from the School of Physics in NUI Galway have been investigating pesticide exposures among professional gardeners and amenity horticultural workers. The results from this four-year study published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health have been disseminated.

The Thomas Bedford Memorial Prize has been awarded to Dr Ioannis Basinas and co-authors for the most outstanding paper published in the Annals of Work Exposures over a two year period, following a recommendation by the Editorial Board.

IOM scientists have received funding, as part of the H2020 TWINNING programme, to help develop and promote research excellence, training and professional development in the field of health aspects for oil and gas activities in the Cypriot region, using the human exposome framework.

On October 30th, the NIOSH Total Worker Health Webinar Series in conjunction with the National Center for Productive Aging and Work presents the next installment in the Productive Aging and Work annual webinar series.

The research carried out in partnership with IOM, and Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University, UK tested a range of respiratory protection frequently used by communities affected by volcanic ash, including bandanas, surgical masks and more sophisticated industry-certified ‘N95’ masks.

IOM is one of three UK-based researchers aiming to shed light on the possible association between a history of head impacts and neurodegenerative disease in former association football players in a £660,000 study funded by The Drake Foundation.

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are in many everyday products. Because of their size, they have interesting properties, and can be found in electrical appliances, medicines, cleaning products, cosmetics, paints and building materials, textiles and pollution control applications.

IOM is a partner in the BRAIN study is a major scientific study of former England rugby internationals, examining the possible long-term effects of the game on brain health and the possible link between a history of concussion and neurodegenerative disease in former rugby players.

The project is a joint partnership between MAHIDOL University and other Thai partners in collaboration with the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Heriot-Watt University in the UK

The highly successful meetings gathered together a network of collaborators, to discuss policy priorities, research needs, and local capacity and capability requirements while also engaging with local stakeholders

Asbestos has been used for decades as an inexpensive industrial material. It has been recognised for more than 50 years that exposure can cause serious diseases including cancer and asbestosis.

The reissue of the certificate demonstrates IOMs commitment to consider all environmental issues relevant to our operations, such as air pollution, water and waste management, soil contamination, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and resource use and efficiency

Hear from Richard Graveling, Principal Ergonomics Consultant and Thomas Winski, Research Ergonomics Scientist, discusses a recent study looking into mobile phone use

Hear from Richard Graveling, Principal Ergonomics Consultant and Thomas Winski, Research Ergonomics Scientist, discusses a recent study looking into mobile phone use

The aim of the review was to provide an update of the epidemiological and mechanistic evidence (how cancer could be caused) in relation to the carcinogenicity of shift work

December’s version of the newsletter has an editorial from CEO Rob Aitken that reflects on the past year.

IOM scientists have completed research on the possible risk of breast cancer among women who have worked night shifts.

Aimee McIntosh has been appointed to the position of Marketing Manager at IOM. Since graduating with a Marketing degree in 2006, Aimee has had a varied career across multiple industries and marketing disciplines

The IOM has released a Technical Memorandum today: “Firefighters and cancer: the epidemiological evidence”. This report is an update of the systematic review carried out for IIAC in 2010

IOM is proud to be the host organiser for the 26th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) which is to take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre from 28th-31st August 2017.

The COST Annual Report has been published and includes (on P34) an IOM success story.

Following Martie van Tongeren move to the University of Manchester, the IOM has appointed Sotiris Vardoulakis as the new Research Director with effect from 1 May

Today, 26th May 2017, IOM can announce that we have reached an agreement with E.D.P. Health, Safety and Environment Consultants Limited (‘EDP’) for EDP to purchase our Asbestos Site Services business.

Inhaled Particles XII will be held in Glasgow on the 21 – 25 September. Dr Craig Poland from The University of Edinburgh, and formerly a senior toxicologist at IOM, is Organising Committee Chair

Coordinated from London, but with a network of expert scientists and practitioners across four continents, the partnership comprises two integrated urban health projects

The European Commission have now published all of the reports prepared by a multinational team (of which IOM was a part) following a major evaluation of all EU Occupational Health and Safety Directives

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) could cause around half a million deaths in Europe over the next 60 years if nothing further is done to protect workers

For World Cancer Day (February 4th 2017) the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health have published a new part of their Occupational Health Toolkit on Return to Work after Cancer

Professor Ken Donaldson, Honorary Senior Scientist at IOM, gave a talk today at IOM entitled “James Craufurd Gregory and the first case of Coalworker’s Pneumoconiosis”.

The safety of workers will be inspected by 28 EU and EEA Member States. The key element of the project will be to investigate the quality of the safety data sheets (SDSs) that contain guidelines on the safe use of hazardous substances.

At IOM we are looking forward to an exciting new chapter, following the appointment of Professor Rob Aitken as Chief Executive of the Institute who took the reigns in late November.

In 2006, a group of scientists proposed five grand challenges to support the safe development and handling of nanotechnology. Ten years on, in an article published this week in Nature Nanotechnology, Andrew Maynard (Director of the Risk Innovation Lab at Arizona State University) and Robert Aitken (Director of SAFENANO and Chief Executive of the Institute of Occupational Medicine) – two of the original authors – look at where we have come, and where we still need to go.

In the final week of Dr Phil Woodhead’s tenure as IOM’s CEO, we were delighted to see (for the very first time), all three most recent CEO’s together for a very unusual photograph.

IOM/SAFENANO is pleased to announce that we are expanding our material characterisation services to include the provision of Size-Weighted Respirable Fraction (SWeRF) analysis of bulk materials and dustiness testing of according to EN15051-2.

Commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), research teams conducted six studies to shed new light on modern-day worker protection at a time when health and safety has been lambasted in sections of the media and become the subject of reviews into its regulatory frameworks.

2016 sees SAFENANO celebrating 10 years of supporting the responsible development of nanotechnology

Reflections on ten years of Safenano, IOM’s centre of excellence on research and consulting services into the safe use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials

Dr Ioannis Basinas has won the award for the Best Poster Student/New Researcher

The Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) is an HSE independent expert scientific committee providing advice to HSE about the scientific and medical evidence on workplace health issues

Prof. Lang Tran, Principal Toxicologist at IOM, has co-authored a paper entitled “Neurodegenerative and neurological disorders by small inhaled particles”

Dr Michael Riediker, SAFENANO Section Head at IOM Singapore, has co-authored several new nanoparticles papers

Dr Sean Semple (Senior Lecturer at Aberdeen University and Honorary Senior Scientist at IOM) recently spent some time in Blantyre Malawi for the BREATHE project.

Dr Miranda Loh, Senior Exposure and Environmental Scientist at IOM, has co-authored an open-access paper

Earlier this year, there was an important change in the sentencing guidelines for offences in regards to duties under Health and Safety Regulations

We are pleased to be a partner in the ongoing sports concussion study on behalf of the English Rugby Football Union. More than 200 former players have agreed to take part.

IOM exposure scientists Professor John Cherrie and Dr Anne Sleeuwenhoek have co-authored two papers on “Occupational dermal exposure to nanoparticles and nano-enabled products”, which have been published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health:

Judith Lamb, formerly Exposure Scientist at IOM, graduated with a PhD today

It is a little known fact that Asbestos in the construction industry is responsible for 14 deaths in the UK every day. While this is as a result of too little understanding and protection in years gone by, Britain’ deadly asbestos legacy remains a threat to those who simply aren’t aware of the dangers or know how to handle the material.

A new report published by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a comprehensive evaluation of the knowledge base regarding nano-enabled technologies in cosmetics, specifically addressing soluble nano-transporters.

Dr Sean Semple, Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Senior Scientist at IOM