GEOLibrary
Encyclopedia
The Global Environmental and Occupational Health e-Library or GeoLibrary is a database of occupational safety and health and environmental health training materials and practice tools. The library is divided into three sections: Environmental Health; Occupational Health and Safety; and a specialty library on Road Safety at Work.
The GeoLibrary is a project of the Network of Collaborating Centres
Work Plan in support of the World Health Organization
(“WHO”) strategy “Occupational Health for All,” and is maintained by the Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago
School of Public Health. It was created with the following specific aims, to provide:
With a focus on training programs and capacity building, the GeoLibrary provides its users with access to complete courses, tutorials/modules, fact sheets, sample/model programs, guidelines and case studies, all within the public domain and free of charge. Resources are available in six languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese and Arabic) and come from a variety of sources (international organizations, governmental institutes and agencies, academic institutions, corporations, and unions).
The construction of the library was made possible through a gift from Abbott Fund. Additional support for its creation was provided by the U.S. National Center for Environmental Health, the U.S. National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center, and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”) Training Program.
In kind support was provided by NIOSH, the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
, and WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health.
In January 2010, in response to the Haiti earthquake, the GeoLibrary and the Pan American Health Organization
(“PAHO”) coordinated a request for natural disaster-related training materials from the Network of Collaborating Centres. The result of this collaboration was the timely creation of a library section entitled “Special Focus: Haiti,” which included emergency and disaster response materials in French, English and Spanish.
In 2009, the GeoLibrary collaborated with PAHO to centralize resources related to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. The result was the creation of a database entry entitled “Hot Topic: H1N1.” Resources included in this section apply to businesses, agricultural workers, educational facilities, health care facilities, laboratory workers, and travel industry workers.
The GeoLibrary is a project of the Network of Collaborating Centres
WHO collaborating centres in occupational health
The WHO collaborating centres in occupational health constitute a network of institutions put in place by the World Health Organization to extend availability of occupational health coverage in both developed and undeveloped countries. The effort includes 64 collaborating centres that have been...
Work Plan in support of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(“WHO”) strategy “Occupational Health for All,” and is maintained by the Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
School of Public Health. It was created with the following specific aims, to provide:
- Training materials on diseases of occupation and the environment
- Training materials on hazards and diseases as they pertain to individual economic sectors
- Teaching materials specific to prevention, safety, advocacy, legal and ethical issues, roles of government, etc.
- Practice materials for control and prevention
With a focus on training programs and capacity building, the GeoLibrary provides its users with access to complete courses, tutorials/modules, fact sheets, sample/model programs, guidelines and case studies, all within the public domain and free of charge. Resources are available in six languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese and Arabic) and come from a variety of sources (international organizations, governmental institutes and agencies, academic institutions, corporations, and unions).
The construction of the library was made possible through a gift from Abbott Fund. Additional support for its creation was provided by the U.S. National Center for Environmental Health, the U.S. National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center, and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”) Training Program.
In kind support was provided by NIOSH, the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is a federal public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances...
, and WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health.
Environmental Health Materials
The environmental health branch of the GeoLibrary provides training materials, practice tools and capacity-building resources on topics such as environmental disasters, exposure to physical, chemical, biological and waste hazards, environmental health practice, and environmental management.In January 2010, in response to the Haiti earthquake, the GeoLibrary and the Pan American Health Organization
Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization is an international public health agency with over 100 years of experience working to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas...
(“PAHO”) coordinated a request for natural disaster-related training materials from the Network of Collaborating Centres. The result of this collaboration was the timely creation of a library section entitled “Special Focus: Haiti,” which included emergency and disaster response materials in French, English and Spanish.
Occupational Safety and Health Materials
The occupational safety and health branch of the GeoLibrary provides training materials, practice tools and capacity-building resources in areas such as exposure to physical, psychosocial, chemical, and biological hazards, adverse health effects, and control strategies. It also includes a sub-section focused on the safety and health hazards of different economic sectors.In 2009, the GeoLibrary collaborated with PAHO to centralize resources related to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. The result was the creation of a database entry entitled “Hot Topic: H1N1.” Resources included in this section apply to businesses, agricultural workers, educational facilities, health care facilities, laboratory workers, and travel industry workers.
Specialty: Road Safety at Work
In collaboration with NIOSH, the Specialty: Road Safety at Work branch was added to provide materials related to the prevention of road traffic injuries and deaths while at work. The resources include employer policies and guidance documents on road safety at work, research reports on risk factors for work-related crashes, as well as statistics about worker injuries and fatalities on roads.External links
- GeoLibrary
- Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health
- Illinois Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Education Research Center
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
- World Health Organization (WHO)