It gives me great pleasure and honour to present you with the Second Announcement of the 23rd Conference.

Having organized the 1st APOSHO Conference in 1985, The National Safety Council of Singapore is happy to see that the Conference has gained great importance over the last two decades among the participating countries. The Conference provides APOSHO with a platform to ful?ll its objectives of promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among the communities in the Asia-Paci?c region and contribute to the enhancement of occupational safety and health in these communities through the exchange of information and views.

As we progress into a new millennium, most of our workplaces have now been replaced with advanced and sophisticated hardware and software technologies. This has in turn developed new de?nitions and focuses in the ?eld of Occupational Safety and Health for the workplace. Continuing education for the workforce is now seen as an integral part of the employment package as employees not only need to know how to operate the machines safely, but also how to protect themselves from health hazards such as noise pollution.

In addition, the advancement and development of biological sciences and technology has called for studies and tighter legislation into safe handling of chemicals and harzardous substances. In the headlines for the past few years were the in?uenza pandemics, such as SARS and the Bird Flu, causing health specialists to focus on creating a cleaner and hygienic workplace for all. More importantly, the workforce also needs to be educated on preventive measures and how to handle the outbreak ef?ciently and correctly in case of emergency.

At the 23rd APOSHO Conference, we wish to address and tackle some of the most important issues relating to Occupational Safety and Health issues faced in the region. The organizing committee hopes to welcome researches, authors, academics and practitioners to come forward to contribute and share your ?ndings and experience with us. We also look forward to welcoming all delegates to Singapore. Only with your participation and involvement will we get the most out of this meeting.

See you in Singapore !

Tan Jin Thong
PGP, BBM, FlFireE (UK)
President, National Safety Council of Singapore
Chairman of APOSHO 23