We are glad to welcome a new member to the ENETOSH network, which now has 93 institutional or individual members from 37 countries.
The Institute for Occupational Medicine and Occupational Safety (IAA) from Germany is an institution of experts, occupational physicians, company doctors, safety engineers and specialists for work safety with more than 20 years of experience in the support of companies in all industries. The Institute offers professional expert advice, helps to check regularly and train employees in work protection in a sustainable manner and provides risk assessments for all sectors (physical stress).
More information on the institute's website or in our members area.

The Flanders Institute of Healthy Living launched a new tool to increase the mental resilience of adolescents (NokNok). Using a combination of online coaching, mental health tips, and exercises, it motivates and stimulates adolescents to strengthen their mental wellbeing and resilience. On this newly developed interactive coaching platform, adolescents learn how to cope with stressors, to improve their self-confidence and to develop a positive vision on life. The tool is easily accessible and young people can use it on their own pace.
The NokNok platform uses gamification elements to motivate and re-enforce young people. Colourful monsters play a major role in the look and feel of the website. Each of the NokNok characters has their own personality and give advice and tips on mental health. NokNok visitors create their own unique monster when setting up their account. Each one lives in its own NokNok-room which can be completely personalised. Users can choose things like pineapple wallpaper, inspiring quotes on the wall, cool plants, and unicorns as pets. The more progress youngsters make on the platform, the more decoration options they unlock to style their personal NokNok space.
More information and access to the platform on www-noknok.be

Each year, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) seeks out speakers from around the globe to provide world-class education on topics important to IH/OH professionals.
Through collaborations with Dr. Ulrike Bollmann (ENETOSH), Dr. Thomas Fuller (Illinois State University), and Lester Claravall (Oklahoma Department of Labor), an abstract was put together discussing the ENETOSH ‘mainstreaming OSH into education’ concept. From the hundreds of abstracts submitted to the AIHA, “Global Occupational Safety and Health Education and Mainstreaming Collaborations” was one of the abstracts accepted. Fuller and Claravall co-presented this topic during the AIHce EXP 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The presentation identified OSH curricula for various educational levels, described the global need for expanded OSH education to build OSH professional competence, and identified new areas where OSH curricula might be applied in their organizations. In addition, Fuller discussed the ENETOSH / IOHA collaborations taking place between the two international organizations.
As a representative for ENETOSH, Claravall shared the current state of the art of the ENETOSH web platform and good practice examples. In addition, Claravall shared the ENETOSH model (see fig.1).
Fuller and Claravall fielded great questions from an international crowd of about 50 participants. At the conclusion of the session, many of the participants complimented how they liked the presentation because it introduced them to new insights they didn’t think about previously. The IH/OH professionals also had the opportunity to see firsthand how the ENETOSH model is currently being practiced in Oklahoma via curriculum policy and via the nation’s first ‘mainstreaming OSH into education” law (Senate Bill 262) passed in Oklahoma.

A new world-wide initiative in school health and safety promotion was launched for the coming four years at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris: the Global Health & Education.
This initiative provides a framework for participating universities to share their interests with partner organisations and institutions - for example, ENETOSH - in creating a new culture linking health and education. This initiative’s connections to UN agencies - both UNESCO and WHO - and its deep roots in existing international networks positions it as a strategic resource for knowledge production, knowledge transfer and capacity building at a global level.
The initiative will make a contribution to policy and practice by developing international research projects, translating research evidence, strengthening capacitybuilding and - within both institutions and networks - offering support to policymakers and practitioners at a global level. In particular, the goal of this network is to promote research and training while contributing to building, interpreting and disseminating a knowledge base in the field of health education and health promotion in schools.
As this new network is a unique opportunity for ENETOSH to disseminate the concept of ‘good healthy schools’ by sharing experiences and learning from other initiatives around the world linking health and education in school safety and health promotion, ENETOSH will be part of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education initiative.
More information on the UNESCO CHAIR website.