International Safety


Port Inspections Block Millions of Unsafe Products

During 2010 and 2011, personnel from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection prevented more than 6.5 million units that were unsafe or violated U.S. standards from reaching consumers.

Volunteer Cleanup Reactivated for New Rena Oil Spill

The stern section of the Rena, the container ship that ran aground on a reef off the northeastern shore of New Zealand, is almost submerged and is leaking oil. It contains an estimated 400 containers, Maritime New Zealand reported.

HSE Steps Up Warnings After Rise in Fatalities

The British agency issued new regional alerts after reporting that 171 people died in workplace incidents during 2010/2011, up from 147 during the previous year.

PAHO Praises Brazilian Anti-Smoking Law

The new law will make Brazil the largest country in the world to declare all workplaces and indoor public spaces 100 percent smoke-free, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

Report Blames Control System Flaws for Chinese High-Speed Rail Crash

The July 2011 crash was one of the biggest stories of the year in China, and it triggered widespread public anger over the government’s building program and commitment to public safety.

GHS is designed to help workers identify the intrinsic hazards associated with chemicals and convey detailed information about hazardous ingredients.

OSHA to Adopt GHS

The revised classifications may have a significant effect on business operations.

International Asbestos Awareness Conference Slated for March

Conference presentations will include advances in diagnosing and treating asbestos-related diseases, preventing asbestos exposure in the home and workplace, patient resources, and a global advocacy session.

Virologists Debating Value of Flu Research Moratorium

The U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity asked the scientists involved and the journals Nature and Science to remove certain details when two papers on H5N1 transmissibility are published.



Volvo's Accident Research Team Profiled

The team visits 20-25 truck accident scenes annually to determine how the accidents happened and what happened to the truck involved. Since its formation in 1969, the team has investigated more than 1,600 crashes and has built an extensive database.

Stranded Ship's Problems Revealed

Records discovered from an inspection when the ship docked in western Australia in July 2011 identified 17 violations, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Container Weighing Plan Gets Major Boost

The decision by the International Association of Ports and Harbors earlier this month to back requiring that the weight of loaded export containers be verified before the vessel is loaded means both ports and carriers endorse it.

Air Pollution Levels from Deepwater Horizon Spill Similar to Large Urban Area: NOAA

About eight percent, or about one of every 13 barrels of the Deepwater Horizon-spilled oil that reached the ocean surface, eventually made its way into airborne organic particles small enough to be inhaled into human lungs.

Interspill 2012 Exhibit Space Already Sold Out

The March 13-15 event in London being hosted by the UKSpill Association is negotiating for additional space and finalizing the program.

DOE: Public to Vote on America's Next Top Energy Innovator

The voting among projects from 36 start-up companies will take place in January.

137 Big U.S. Relief Operations in 2011: Red Cross

“The number of lives affected by large disasters in the past year is simply staggering,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president for Red Cross Disaster Services.

Indian Olympic Association Protests Dow's London Sponsorship

The association does not favor a boycott of the London games, but Indians resent Dow Chemical's connection with Union Carbide and the December 1984 gas leak at Bhopal.

Health Canada Backs Drug Shortages Reporting System

Shortages of prescription drugs -- the same issue that prompted a Dec. 15 interim final rule from HHS to require manufacturers of some critical drugs to report manufacturing interruptions to FDA –- also is prompting Canadian action.

British Agencies Grant Interim OK to New Reactor Designs

The Office for Nuclear Regulation issued interim Design Acceptance Confirmations and the Environment Agency issued interim Statements of Design Acceptability for both.

Users Warned Mobile Phone Unsafe in Explosive Atmospheres

The European Commission has told member states to prohibit the Expert EP-EX-1 phone from being marketed as complying with the ATEX Directive.

90 Died in Indian Hospital Fire, Seven Directors Charged

At least three hospital staffers are among the victims of a Dec. 9 fire that spread from the basement of the AMRI Dhakuria Hospital in Kolkata, India.

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