November 11, 2002—Occupational safety and health officials from the United States, Canada, and Mexico met October 7, 2002, in San Diego, California, for the second session of the Trinational Occupational Safety and Health Working Group.
Formed under the auspices of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s labor arm—the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC)—the group brings together technical experts from the three nations to advance cooperation and programs in key areas of occupational safety and health. The group is headed by each nation’s top occupational safety and health official.
The working group established four subgroups to focus on key areas: inspector and technical assistance staff training; handling of hazardous substances; safety and health management systems and voluntary protection programs; and communications and best practices sharing, including the establishment of a trinational Web site that will link each country’s occupational safety and health programs.
Consensus of the group is that training is a key component in improving occupational safety and health throughout the three nations, and discussion focused on a possible long-term goal of establishing an occupational safety and health degree program and development of educational resources centers. The group also recognized the importance of a common system for hazard classification and labeling. It will consider the United Nations-supported Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Effective safety and health management systems are also crucial in reducing work-related injuries and costs; therefore, the group will examine each nation’s existing voluntary safety and health management systems and programs.
The Trinational Working Group operates under the guidance of each country’s National Administrative Office that administers the NAALC. The group is scheduled to meet again next spring in Canada.
