One of the more serious and endemic occupational health and safety problems in the global electronics industry has long been worker exposure to a wide range of toxic chemicals, used today in Asia even though they may be banned in Europe and other parts of the world. This and other health hazards require technical expertise to prevent worker exposure and introduce adequate industrial hygiene measures. Electronics Watch is developing our capacity to meet this need with a new OHS Advisory Panel whose members have expertise in occupational health and safety, chemical use and safety and medicine.

Electronics Watch is entering its next phase of monitoring in the mining sector by extending its pilot monitoring project in the Philippines and launching similar monitoring projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bolivia.

In the case study 'Using procurement in Catalonia to strengthen workers' rights in electronics supply chains' (Making Socially Responsible Public Procurement Work), the EU has highlighted the collaboration between Electronics Watch and affiliate ACM (The Catalan Association of Local Authorities, which comprises over 1000 loval government entities), as a good practice case for the ICT sector.