Vice President Chen Chien-jen (center) greets international workplace health and safety experts David Michaels (third left), and Park Seung-hyun (left) at the Office of the President March 6 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Office of the President)

Vice President Chen Chien-jen said March 6 that the government is committed to advancing global workplace health and safety through expanded collaboration with partners at home and abroad.
 
The government attaches great importance to creating work environments free of health hazards so as to ensure the safety and well-being of employees, Chen said. No effort will be spared by the public and private sectors in cooperating with relevant overseas agencies in ensuring Taiwan can make greater contributions to the field for the benefit of all, he added.
 
Chen made the remarks while receiving a delegation of foreign experts at the Office of the President in Taipei City.
 
The group, which includes David Michaels, a professor at George Washington University and former assistant secretary of U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Park Seung-hyun, a senior official from South Korea’s Occupational Safety and Health Agency, is in country for the International Conference on Occupational Hygiene March 7-8 in Tainan City, southern Taiwan.
 
According to Chen, the conference is an outstanding example of government’s commitment to sharing its know-how, and also builds upon the successful collaboration at a locally staged scientific conference organized by U.K.-based International Occupational Hygiene Association in 2008.
 
It is hoped the visiting experts will bring local OHS practitioners up to speed on the latest developments and experiences in their countries while expanding exchanges, Chen said.
 
Organized by Occupational Hygiene Association of Taiwan in conjunction with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the Ministry of Labor, the event features policy presentations and keynote speeches, as well as research paper discussions on emerging issues and trends. (SFC-E)