The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Marie Larue, is pleased to announce that the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the IRSST's Scientific Direction as one of its collaborating centres. The main role of the collaborating centres (CC) is to provide strategic support to WHO in fulfilling its mandated activities and to help it ensure the scientific validity of global health work.

The IRSST’s Scientific Director, Paul-Émile Boileau, will head the new collaborating centre, which is part of a network that comprises some 60 institutions active in the occupational health and safety (OHS) field around the globe.

This new OHS collaborating centre will support WHO in six activities relating to the characterization, handling, control of exposure to and good practices regarding the safe use of nanoparticles as well as the development of indicators for monitoring OHS and the design of practical tools for preventing or reducing the consequences on OHS of exposure to extreme climatic conditions, all within a sustainable development framework.

Firmly established in Québec since 1980, the IRSST is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its scientific research and expertise of its personnel. “It is with great pride that the Institute has become a WHO collaborating centre,” said CEO Marie Larue in hailing this decision. “It is a significant recognition of our expertise and contribution to the body of knowledge in occupational health and safety, and one that reflects on the entire staff.”

-30-

Source
Jacques Millette
Public Affairs
IRSST