International Safety


World Leaders Hail Paris Climate Deal

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Paris Agreement "is a monumental triumph for people and our planet. It sets the stage for progress in ending poverty, strengthening peace, and ensuring a life of dignity and opportunity for all."

Border agents in Scotland have confiscated more than 15,000 hoverboards that have been tested and found to be unsafe, authorities said Dec. 3.

British Authorities Warn Non-Compliant Hoverboards Unsafe, Confiscate Thousands

More than 17,000 of them were examined at Scottish entry ports, with 88 percent confiscated over concerns such as safety issues with the plug, cabling, charger, battery, or the cut-off switch in the board, which often fails.

DOL Awards $4.87 Million to Reduce Child Labor in Turkey

The Fair Labor Association has been awarded $4.87 million to reduce child labor in hazelnut production.

WHO Launches Sexual Violence Toolkit

"WHO strongly condemns violence against women and girls and supports partners and countries' efforts towards the denormalization of this type of violence. Ensuring equality between women and men is a crucial part of these efforts," said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.

$4.5 Million Awarded to Reduce Child Labor in Cocoa-Growing Communities

The International Cocoa Initiative is the recipient of the award.

ECHA Taking Comments on Adding Lead Compounds to Authorisation List

The four lead compounds were included in ECHA's previous draft recommendation in 2014 but were not included in the final recommendation that was sent to the European Commission in July 2015. Comments on 11 proposed substances are due by Feb. 18, 2016.

AIHA Begins Partnership with South African IH Organization

AIHA announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for technical cooperation with the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene.

Only 80 of more than 600 exposure standards Australia has used since adopting them from ACGIH standards in the 1980s have been updated since then.

Australia Updating Chemical Exposure Standards

Safe Work Australia has asked stakeholders to submit comments by Dec. 18 about the existing standards for airborne exposures. Most were adopted from ACGIH standards in the 1980s and have never been updated.



Air Liquide Acquiring Airgas for $13.4 Billion

"Airgas customers and employees will benefit from Air Liquide's unrivaled global footprint and strength in technology, innovation, and operational efficiency, while Airgas is ready to bring the entrepreneurial culture and packaged gas excellence that have driven our success to date," Airgas Executive Chairman Peter McCausland said.

Week Calls Attention to Antibiotic Resistance

A global action plan to tackle this growing problem was endorsed at the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2015; a key objective of the plan is to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education, and training.

World Marks 20th World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

This year, the day was marked as the 20/10 World Day of Remembrance -- 20 years since road victim organizations under the umbrella of the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims observed it and 10 years since the UN adoption.

$4.5 Million Awarded to Reduce Child Labor in Ghana

Winrock International has been awarded the money in order to reduce child labor in cocoa-growing communities in Ghana.

HSE Inspectors Find Many Renovation Firms Substandard

Forty-six percent of inspected sites fell short, according to the British agency.

UN Meeting Allows for Satellite Tracking of Planes

UN Meeting Allows for Satellite Tracking of Planes

ADS-B signals will be extending beyond line-of-sight to facilitate reporting the position of aircraft equipped with the signal anywhere in the world, including oceanic, polar and other remote areas, according to the UN.

The branch was honored with the IOSH Communications award for work its members did examining occupational driving hazards and recommending best practices to employers.

Driving Safety Work Wins IOSH Excellence in Communication Award

"Management of occupational road risk came up in a committee meeting as a big issue. It was felt that not enough employers were showing the necessary care and diligence to the safety and health of staff driving for work," said Les Pearce, who chairs the Midland Branch's East District.

Safety Advisory Follows Report on Canadian National Derailment

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation determined the derailment occurred because of excessive "truck hunting" on an empty 80-foot long centerbeam bulkhead flat car.

The 2015 Rhine River cruise season ended shortly before A+A 2015 opened at the Dusseldorf Fairgrounds. (Messe Dusseldorf North America photo)

A+A 2015 Notebook: Dusseldorf's Top Attractions

Visitors to the city are eager to visit the Altstadt area, take in the view from the top of the Rheinturm, and admire the Gehry buildings at Medienhafen during their stay.

Looking Ahead to A+A 2017

Birgit Horn, A+A's director, said it takes the full two years to plan the next trade fair and a team of about 30 employees to prepare for it; during the trade fair itself, about 150 employees are involved, she said during an interview.

More than 65,000 people, a new record, attended the A+A 2015 trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Messe Düsseldorf photo by Constanze Tillmann)

A+A 2015 Trade Fair Continued Record-Setting Ways

More than 65,000 people from 80 countries attended the 30th A+A trade fair last month in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Heat Flash Detected Before Russian Plane Crash

Heat Flash Detected Before Russian Plane Crash

A midair heat flash from Metrojet Flight 9268 was detected by a U.S. military satellite before the plane crashed.

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