International Safety


Breathalyzer Law Takes Effect in France

Meant to curb drunk driving, the new law requiring every vehicle with four or more wheels in France to have a breathalyzer kit took effect July 1.

The main focus for Rega was reducing the weight on board, saving space, and keeping the data up to date. (Motion Computing photo)

Top-Flight Tablets

A Swiss air rescue service enhanced its documentation efficiency and improved flight conditions by adopting new tablet PCs.

$1.3 Billion Merger to Create Shipping Giant

Leaders from the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and Saudi Aramco signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding June 27 to combine their fleets. Bahri would be the fourth-largest owner of very large crude carrier ships.

HSE's Chair Reappointed for Three Years

Judith Hackitt will serve until October 2015 as chair of the Health and Safety Executive.

Synthethic Drugs Also Concern Chinese Officials

The Xinhua news agency reported June 26 there were 69,244 drug-related criminal trials in the country's courts last year and a rising number of cases involve synthetic drugs.

Gas Explosion Levels Homes in Manchester, England

A child was killed and a male resident suffered serious burns in the blast, which prompted police to evacuate 30 homes and a day care.

'Serious Gaps' in EU Workers' Nano Knowledge: EU OSHA

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work reviewed current research on the topic and concluded knowledge of the risks posed by nanomaterials is still poor.

Statoil to Charter Seven New Supply Ships

The company's announcement is a boost for the shipbuilding industry. All of the vessels will exceed the strictest NOx emission requirements of IMO, and some will have the highest oil spill protection classification.



Canadians, Chilean Receiving IMO Bravery at Sea Awards

Three honorees worked for six hours to save to Inuit hunters from a life raft that had filled with cold water, while the other pulled seven survivors from a stranded motor launch in stormy conditions.

More Blood Donors Needed Worldwide, WHO Says

The need for blood is being driven by increasingly sophisticated medical and surgical procedures such as cardiovascular and transplant surgery, trauma care, and therapy for cancer and blood disorders.

Faulty Wiring Blamed for Doha Mall Fire

The May 28 fire killed 13 children, four teachers, and two firefighters inside a child care center at the Villaggio shopping mall in Doha.

Diesel Engine Exhaust is Carcinogenic, WHO Says

The agency found that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer and also noted a positive association (limited evidence) with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

GM Reports 450,000 OnStar Subscribers in China

Shanghai OnStar, launched in October 2009, also reached 13.8 million requests for Turn-by-Turn Navigation as of May, the company reported.

Airport Full-Body Scanners Pose Little Risk to Health, Study Says

The radiation doses from full-body scanners were below recommended standards and considerably lower than radiation levels in other X-ray procedures, such as a mammogram, according to the study.

Aftershocks Still Damaging Christchurch Cathedral

The plan remains to deconstruct it. Leaders of the Anglican diocese and architects are touring some of the world's great cathedrals to develop ideas for rebuilding.

Norwegian Oilfield Supplier Growing Fast

Aker Solutions' announcement of 1,300 new jobs at its London engineering hub follows its opening of a new training academy in Katy, Texas.

H5N1 Outbreak Confirmed in Northwest China

The Ministry of Agriculture reported it Tuesday, according to a Xinhua New Agency report. WHO reports 168 cases of human H5N1 infection have been confirmed in Egypt, 60 of them fatal.

I2P2 Standard Not Far Off

Plenary Session audience members at ASSE’s Denver conference and exposition were keen to know if OSHA plans to implement the Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (I2P2) standard before the presidential election this November. After being asked a few times, OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels said that there’s a possibility that the agency will try to implement I2P2 before the election, “but I’m not allowed to say,” he added.

IMO Guidance Calls for Certified Private Maritime Security Companies

This is interim guidance from the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee that applies to privately contracted armed security personnel on vessels transiting off the east coast of Africa.

Unlock Requests Swamping London Fire Brigade

New figures from the department show its personnel responded to almost 22,000 calls, or 20 per day, in the past three years.

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