International Safety


An image of a soldier

Study: Combat Injury Not Leading Cause of Medical Evacuation from War Zones

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, the most common reasons for medical evacuation of military personnel from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years have been fractures, tendonitis, and other musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders.

California Company Busted Trying to Send e-Waste to China

The waste was part of a shipment of approximately 31,993 pounds of cathode ray tubes that had been rejected in Hong Kong and returned to the Port of Long Beach.

This image depicts the operation of the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, called COSPAS-SARSAT.

Alaska Tops in 2009 Satellite-Aided Rescues

With 49, the state was ahead of Florida in rescues assisted by NOAA’s search-and-rescue satellites and Russia’s Cospas spacecraft. In all, the system helped to rescue 195 people last year in the United States and surrounding waters.

Rebuild Haiti with Seismic Safety Principles in Mind, ICC Urges

“Structures built to the most modern codes should resist minor earthquakes without suffering damage and ride out severe earthquakes without collapsing,” said ICC CEO Richard P. Weiland.

ASSE Launches 'Prevention Through Design' Standard Initiative

According to the society, recent studies indicate that approximately 40 percent of work-related fatalities are design related.

Former Wholesale Grocery VP Busted for Using Untreated Wood Pallets

The Department of Agriculture requires the heat treatment of wood pallets imported into the United States. The requirement is designed to prevent plant pests that can destroy domestic agriculture and livestock from entering the United States in wood packaging materials.

OSHA Fines Camden Chocolate Processing Plant Following Worker Death

OSHA has cited Lyons & Sons Inc. with seven serious citations and Cocoa Services LP with five serious citations for workplace safety and health violations following the death of a worker.

IOSH says the most powerful Buncefield explosion is thought to be the largest ever in peacetime Europe. This photo is posted on the site of MP Mike Penning.

Gasoline Terminals May Yet Fall Under CFATS

The Department of Homeland Security has not agreed to exempt them, and it published a new request for comments today about the models it is using for vapor cloud explosions and pool fires. The industry asked to be exempted.



Harvard Pilgrim to Develop Safety Monitoring System for FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has awarded a contract to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc. to develop a pilot of the agency's Sentinel System, which will use automated health care data to evaluate medical product safety.

FDA Seizes more than $1M of Food from Nashville Food Processor

At the request of the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals have seized bulk restaurant food product at Won Feng Trading Company, a food processor and warehouse in Nashville, Tenn. The products are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they have been held under unsanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth. The act uses the term "insanitary" to describe such conditions.

Short-Term School Closures Don't Control Flu Epidemics

Closing schools for less than two weeks during an influenza epidemic has no effect on infection rates, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, RTI International, and the Allegheny County Health Department.

Colo. Company to Pay $5M to Resolve Medical Device Allegations

Spectranetics Corp., a medical device manufacturer, located in Colorado Springs, Colo., has agreed to pay the United States $4.9 million in civil damages plus a $100,000 forfeiture to resolve claims against the company, the Department of Justice announced.

The combined effects of chemicals that seem safe in isolation but may present health risks when absorbed together were identified by Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in June 2009 as a large future challenge.

Multiple Chemicals Concern EU Environment Ministers

Endocrine disruptors may be addressed this year, but comprehensive action on combined chemicals as a whole probably is two years away, according to the EU.

Ireland's HSA Readying New Three-Year Strategy

Late last year, the Health and Safety Authority's chief executive marked the agency's 20th anniversary, saying it has made workplaces in Ireland safer and healthier. Occupational illnesses and the safe and sustainable use of chemicals are new challenges to be faced, he said.

An image of a mine worker

Mining Fatalities Fell to All-Time Low in 2009

Preliminary data from MSHA indicates that mine fatalities in 2009 fell for the second straight year for a combined total of 34 mining deaths nationwide, a significant drop from last year's total of 52 deaths.

FDA, Health Organizations Study Safety of Medications Taken During Pregnancy

A new research program called the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program (MEPREP) will fund research to study the effects of prescription medications used during pregnancy. The program is a collaboration among the Food and Drug Administration and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente's multiple research centers and Vanderbilt University.

JAMA: FDA-Approved Cardiovascular Devices Often Lack High-Quality Studies

Pre-market approval by the Food and Drug Administration of cardiovascular devices is often based on studies that lack adequate strength or may have been prone to bias, according to a study in the December 23/30 issue of JAMA. The researchers found that of nearly 80 high-risk devices, the majority received approval based on data from a single study.

USFA Offers Home Heating Safety Tips

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the high cost of home heating fuels and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternative home heating sources such as wood burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces. Heating is one of the leading causes of residential fires. Over one-quarter of these fires result from improper maintenance of equipment, specifically the failure to clean the equipment.

This is the logo of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

EU-OSHA Announces Safe Maintenance 2010-2011 Campaign

The official launch date of the new campaign is April 28, 2010, this year's World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

DHS to Host Free Webinar on Critical Infrastructure Resiliency

Presenter Rand Beers, under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, will discuss the infrastructure protection mission and “The Next Frontier in Homeland Security.”

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