This issue

Kaj Elgstrand

…starts up with an article by Susan Moir on the Big Dig, which is a big infrastructure project in Boston, US: tunnels, a cable span bridge and highways. Susan gives a fascinating account of efforts to integrate occupational safety and health into this infrastructure project. She also reflects on the future effects on projects in other countries, when the contractors will export their techniques and methods. The Big Dig is a massive research and development project in highway and engineering methods. Countless new technologies are being developed and refined.

One of the risks present in the Big Dig is exposure to silica dust. Following the first article, there are three articles concerning the prevention of silicosis. Gideon Gerhardsson makes a historical, technical and economic review of how silicosis has been eradicated in Swedish mining and industry. Riitta Riala describes good practices in controlling quartz dust exposure in different kinds of production. Suvi Lehtinen & Greg Goldstein summarise the current state of the WHO-ILO Global Programme on Elimination of Silicosis, launched in 1995. The summary is based on a meeting held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in November 2001.

In the following two articles we make a visit to the troubled country of Zimbabwe. Blessing Chebundo summarises the political, economic and social situation, and comments on how this situation is influencing the occupational safety and health work. Clementine Dehwe describes "the double burden" of women in Zimbabwe, especially related to HIV/AIDS.

Tee Guidott drafts a model for incorporating issues of environmental quality, health and safety compatible with developing societies in general. The work presented is based upon conceptualizing the economic development process related to health in traditional, largely indigenous communities in the boreal forest of northern Canada. Such societies are faced with a paradox: to develop economically and to secure a future for their people that is more attractive and humane than the present, they must destroy much of the society on which their system is based and risk the culture of their people in the transition.

The above articles represent the thematic contents of this issue. In addition there are a number of articles on more singular subjects. Abdeljalil El Kholti makes an overview of how occupational medicine has developed in Morocco, and makes a critical appraisal of the current challenges. Hassan Boukacem reports from a survey about the design and impact of safety posters. Kaj Frick gives some highlights from the 6^th European Congress of the International Industrial Relations Associations, held in Oslo, Norway, in June 2001. Special attention is given to the gap between the occupational health and safety issues on the one hand, and the other issues of industrial relations on the other hand. Maritza Tennassee and colleagues in Brazil, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and USA describe a PAHO/WHO tool kit for workplace health promotion. Carina Håkansta and David Gold present SOLVE, a training package developed by ILO to meet the challenges of health-related problems at work: stress, tobacco, alcohol & drugs, HIV/AIDS and violence.

Finally, three new publications are reviewed. First, ILO guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems. Second, a trainers' manual for occupational safety and health developed for trade unions in Asian developing countries by Kazutaka Kogi and Tsuyoshi Kawakami. Third, a historical and sociological review of the development of work life, work environment and work safety in Sweden, during the 20th century. One of the chapters, written by Annette Thörnquist, describes how the state and the social partners handled the silicosis problem in the Swedish iron and steel industry during the 20th century, and therefore links with Gideon Gerhardsson's article in this issue of "OSH & Development" (pages 13-25).

So, this is the fourth issue of "OSH & Development". The next issue will be published in 2003. Start planning your articles!

Finally, you should visit the following web-sites to keep track with what is happening:

Kaj Elgstrand
Swedish National Institute for Working Life
SE-112 79 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel:+46 8 619 6742
Fax:+46 8 618 3635
E-mail: kaj.elgstrand@niwl.se