International Safety


BHP Billiton Expects Dam Failure Findings Soon

The giant mining company reported a $6.2 billion year-end loss on Aug. 16 but said "good progress" is being made on environmental restoration, community resettlement, and community health following the November 2015 collapse of the Fundão tailings dam at Samarco in southeastern Brazil, a disaster that killed 19 people, including 14 working on the dams at the time.

The GHS classification and labeling system for chemicals uses this symbol to denote carcinogenic substances.

EU OSHA May Conduct Survey on Workplace Exposure to Carcinogens

The agency is commissioning a study to assess the feasibility of designing a computer-assisted phone survey.

TSB Report Cites Lack of Beacon in Loss of Three Fishermen

Investigators found the boat was not carrying a distress communication device (and it was not required to have one on board). Previous TSB investigations have found that carrying an emergency position-indicating radio beacon can help to save lives, and the board has recommended that small fishing vessels carry one or other similar equipment.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Production Company Pleads Guilty

"The British film industry has a world-renowned reputation for making exceptional films. Managing on-set risks in a sensible and proportionate way for all actors and staff – regardless of their celebrity status – is vital to protecting both on-screen and off-screen talent, as well as protecting the reputation of the industry," an HSE spokesman said July 26.

First LNG Vessel Passes Through Expanded Panama Canal

According to the Panama Canal Authority, the expanded canal can accommodate 90 percent of the world's LNG tankers.

Vestas Generator Plant Celebrates Safety Milestone

Factory Manager José Miguel Soto López saluted the accomplishment: "Four years without any TRI is an enormous achievement and a result of a common effort of us as a team. I am very proud of the whole Viveiro team."

Canada Cancels Some Uses of Boric Acid Pesticides

There are a total of 110 pesticide products registered for use in Canada containing boric acid, and 25 of those will have their registrations cancelled while the remaining 85 will have to meet new labeling requirements within the next two years.

This July 2015 photo shows an autonomous underwater vehicle being deployed in the underwater search for the missing MH370 aircraft. (ATSB photo)

MH370 Hunters Agree Not to Terminate Search

Only 10,000 square kilometers of the high-priority search area remaining to be searched, and the three governments involved had agreed earlier to stop searching if the missing plane wasn’t found in that area. But they agreed July 22 only to suspend the search if that is what happens.



Australian Safety Agency Steps Up Four-Wheeler Safety Campaign

SafeWork New South Wales' Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program includes a $2 million dollar rebate package to encourage farmers to adopt preventive strategies and equipment.

IOSH Says More Action Needed on Preventable Deaths

The emphasis comes after an annual rise in work-related deaths in Britain.

Safety and Environmental Standards Raised for Arctic Exploratory Drilling

The regulations have been raised to ensure high safety standards for drilling activities on the OCS.

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the mosquitoes that alos spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

NIH to Monitor Zika Exposure Among U.S. Olympic Committee Personnel

Some athletes, coaches, and other USOC staffers attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil next month will be monitored in a study funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The government says the illegal marijuana industry is estimated at $7 billion per year and costs Canadian governments $2.3 billion to enforce, and that Canada has one of the highest rates of marijuana use in the world among children and youth.

Canada Moves Toward Marijuana Legalization

The public consultation continues through Aug. 29 and will seek input on all key areas of inquiry for the task force, including effective prevention and harm reduction, ensuring safe and responsible production, and enforcing public safety.

New Chief for Australian Transport Safety Bureau Arrives

Greg Hood began a five-year term on July 1 as ATSB's second chief commissioner. He has more than 35 years' experience in the transportation industry, beginning his career as an air traffic controller in the Royal Australian Air Force before working in the country's civil aviation industry.

This photo from the final report of the Major Incident Investigation Board shows the Buncefield depot after the explosion. (Photo is © Chiltern Air Support)

Texas City and Buncefield: Will We Ever Learn?

These incidents evoked a paradigm shift in organizational behavior and influenced the creation and enforcement of new legislation to prevent similar situations from happening.

WorkSafeBC Planning Safety Committee Changes

The proposed changes were developed following two fatal explosions in early 2012 at sawmills in the province.

Toxic Chemicals Series, Metro Fire Story Honored in Journalism Awards Contest

The 2016 National Press Club Journalism Contest also awarded the Consumer Journalism, newspapers, award to the Associated Press for its stories about the fishing industry in Southeast Asia’s use of slave laborers.

AMA Adopts Guidance on Selecting LED Lighting to Minimize Human Effects

The Annual Meeting of the AMA adopted guidance for selecting LED options to minimize potential risk.

HHS, Cuba Sign Public Health Pact

"Cuba has made significant contributions to health and science, as evidenced by their contribution to the Ebola response in West Africa and becoming the first country to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission. This new collaboration is a historic opportunity for two nations to build on each other's knowledge and experience and benefit biomedical research and public health at large," HHS Secretary Burwell said.

FDA Approves Cholera Vaccine

Cholera is rare in the United States, but travelers to parts of the world with inadequate water and sewage treatment and poor sanitation are at risk for infection. Travelers to such areas have relied on preventive strategies recommended by CDC to protect themselves against cholera, including safe food and water practices and frequent hand washing.

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