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GAO is also evaluating the electromagnetic event preparedness of U.S. electricity providers and is making a technical assessment of protective equipment that could mitigate the impacts of a geomagnetic disturbance on electrical infrastructure.

Electromagnetic Pulse Report Calls on DHS, DOE to Identify Key Infrastructure

The GAO report released May 17 said the two agencies had not acted to identify key infrastructure assets as required, given their responsibilities under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Both agencies concurred with the recommendation, according to the report.

The NFPA Standards Council wants input by June 17, 2016, from stakeholders who are using robotics in their emergency response activities.

NFPA Wants Input on Emergency Responders' Use of Robotics

The organization's Standards Council has received a request to begin developing an ANSI standard on operational protocol and professional qualifications for operators of robotics, including drones, used in emergency responder applications.

According to IOSH, research suggests that each year in Britain approximately 800 people die from lung cancer caused by prolonged exposure to RCS at work, and 900 new cases are being diagnosed annually.

IOSH, BOHS, HSE Team Up for Silica Outreach

Their "Spotlight on Silica" presentations call attention to the hazards of respirable crystalline silica, which remains a potent hazard for millions of workers around the world.



Joint Commission Adopting 2012 NFPA Life Safety Code

It is following CMS' lead. The final rule CMS published this month adopts most of the proposals that CMS made in 2014, but CMS removed a proposed requirement for hospitals to install smoke-purging systems in operating rooms.

Amtrak announced May 26 it will install inward-looking cameras on the locomotives used on its Northeast Corridor trains, following the May 12 derailment near Philadelphia, its aftermath shown here.

NTSB Sets Meeting on 2015 Amtrak Crash

The key question is why the passenger train that derailed near Philadelphia on May 12, 2015, was traveling 102 mph at the time on a curved section of track where speed is restricted to 50 mph.

Challenge III winners are developing new materials to reduce head impact forces on sports professionals, military members, and others who wear protective gear.

Retired NFL Players Not at Greater Suicide Risk, Study Finds

NIOSH researchers found that from 1979 to 2013, the suicide rate among those former players was less than half of what would be expected compared with the general population: The NFL group experienced 12 suicide deaths, compared with 25 that would be expected in a comparable gender/race/age sector of the population.

The explosion in West, Texas, prompted President Obama

ATF Lab Determines West Fire Deliberately Set

The ATF Fire Research Laboratory has determined that the West Fertilizer fire on April 17, 2013, that caused a massive explosion of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and killed 15 people, was deliberately set. ATF personnel conducted more than 400 interviews and their investigation of the fire's origin cost more than $2 million.

The parasites that cause malaria are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The PfSPZ Vaccine is composed of live, but weakened P. falciparum sporozoites — the early developmental form of the parasite.

Investigational Malaria Vaccine Shows Promise: NIH

The data showed that the vaccine provided malaria protection for more than one year in 55 percent of people without prior malaria infection. In those individuals, the PfSPZ Vaccine appeared to confer sterile protection, meaning the individuals would be protected against disease and could not further transmit malaria.

The Coast Guard

Coast Guard Opens Science & Tech Innovation Center

Researchers at the New London, Conn., center will develop devices from existing commercial technology and host technology capability demonstrations to counter threats. One of the first projects is about tracking jettisoned objects and hazards to navigation at sea.

The May 2016 report from the White House says research suggests 30 million American workers are currently covered by non-compete agreements, and enforcement of them apparently is rising.

Obama Administration Eying Non-Compete Agreements

A May 2016 report from the White House says research suggests 30 million American workers are currently covered by non-compete agreements, and enforcement of them apparently is rising.

And 45 percent of U.S. full-time workers don

Teleworkers' Wellness Efforts So-So, Survey Finds

And 45 percent of U.S. full-time workers don't participate in exercise or wellness programs at all, either through their workplaces or on their own, Flex+Strategy Group/Work+Life Fit Inc. found.

ANA defines a Culture of Safety as one in which a health care organization

American Nurses Association Stresses Importance of Culture of Safety

ANA defines a Culture of Safety as one in which a health care organization's leaders, managers, and workers are committed to core values and behaviors that emphasize safety over competing goals, and where openness and mutual respect are present when discussing safety concerns and solutions without shifting to individual blame. It also is marked by a learning environment; transparency and accountability; and reliable teams.

Of the 721 cases and nine deaths statewide, investigators examined the records of 119 UMMC patients, including three deaths, and found 71 percent tested positive for a synthetic cannabinoid – and more than three fourths of the positive tests identified MAB-CHMINACA, a potent synthetic cannabinoid.

CDC's 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference Under Way

The Atlanta conference for EIS officers includes sessions on Zika, e-cigarettes, chronic diseases, serious illnesses associated with the synthetic cannabinoid MAB-CHMINACA, visitor injuries from with bison in Yellowstone National Park, and more.

Lake Maracaibo

NASA Crowns Earth's New Lightning Capital

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela experiences more lightning than any other location on Earth, with an average rate of about 233 flashes per square kilometer per year.

Although the dangers posed by smoke and toxic gases have increased over the years, gas detection devices are keeping pace with new features to protect firefighters and first responders. (Industrial Scientific photo)

Where There's Smoke . . .

Even if we can't stop the production of deadly gases during a fire, we can take precautions to protect ourselves.

A spill from an overturned railcar or tanker could be from small amount to 5,500-11,000 gallons of liquid cargo. If this material is volatile, 1 cc of liquid (not pressurized) would be converted into 1L of vapor, and one gallon of liquid contains 3,800 cc (3.8 million liters of gas) X volume spilled. In many cases, the chemical spilled has been liquid chlorine or ammonia.

Sources and Measurement of Toxic Chemicals

The PID is one of the most sensitive detectors available for many toxic compounds with detection limits in the low or sub-ppb range.

A safety shower is a piece of equipment that business and industry have seen, until recently, as an afterthought. It may stand unused for weeks, months, or even years, which hardly makes it the most vital piece of equipment; that is, until there

To Heat or Not to Heat? That Is the Question

Improvements in health and safety awareness, duty of care to employees, and increasingly extreme environmental conditions mean more thought than ever has to go into safety shower purchasing decisions.

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