International News
EU-OSHA Announces Workplace Safety Photo Contest Winners
A blindfolded girl wanders in front of a moving piece of farm equipment to highlight the dangers of agricultural safety. Slovenian coal mining students receive instruction for a dangerous job. A farmer dons a respirator and prepares to treat his crops with pesticides. A construction worker in Madrid studies the view from his vantage point. These images and more make up the winning entry in EU-OSHA's 2011 pan-European photo competition on safety and health in the workplace...
Germany Experienced Rise in Occupational Fatalities in 2010
Germany's latest occupational safety and health annual report shows that the country experienced a 7.3 percent increase in fatal work-related injuries in 2010. Conditions including economic growth, a rise in employment, higher work intensity, speed and pressure may have led to this increase, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)...
Occupational Injuries, Illnesses Continue to Decline in U.K., but Fatalities Rise
In the United States, occupational injuries and illnesses have, generally, been on the decline in recent years. The same appears to hold true in Britain: According to new data released by the U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in early November, work-related injuries and illnesses continue to decrease...
Britain Shines the Olympic Torch on Construction Safety
When the Olympic games descend on London in 2012, the event may result in more than medals, glory and athletic accomplishments. If Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has its way, the Olympics also will help set the tone for how the U.K.'s construction industry should approach safety...
Canadians Driving in the United States Involved in Fewer Alcohol-Related Fatal Accidents
Never mind Canada’s storied beer-drinking culture: A new study shows that when our neighbors to the North drive in the United States, they are involved in fewer drunk driving-related fatal accidents than U.S. drivers...
Creating Confidence: Oct. 14 is World Standards Day
Friday, Oct. 14 is designated as World Standards Day, the annual event recognizing experts from around the globe who work with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and other international organizations to develop voluntary standards...
Groups Claim Hershey Chocolate Is Not So Sweet For Child Laborers
The Hershey Co. has been given an “F” by several non-profit groups for allegedly failing to remove child labor from its chocolate production ...
Budget Cuts and Environmental Career Trends
Just as in the United States, cuts to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs make headlines, Vicky Kenrick explores how these cutbacks actually increase the value of environmental professionals with occupational health and safety experience and skills...
United States Must Take Steps to Protect Domestic Workers
For housekeepers and child care givers who work within private homes, the nature of their work often shields them from outside view. According to an employment law expert, this means domestic workers may face an increased risk of working in unsafe, abusive or otherwise exploitative conditions – and the United States must take steps to protect these workers...
U.K. Safety Agency Publishes Plan to Recoup Safety Intervention Costs
Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a proposal for recouping the costs it incurs from conducting interventions of businesses that violate health and safety laws...
DOL Takes Steps to Better Protect Guatemalan, Nicaraguan Employees Working on U.S. Soil
On June 16, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis vowed to protect citizens of Guatemala and Nicaragua working in the United States...
Safety 2011: Embracing Diversity to Achieve Organizational Goals
In Britain, employees don’t take lunch breaks – instead, they bring food to their desks and continue working. The French go out to lunch; the Dutch eat at their desks but don’t answer the phone. In lieu of a lunch hour, Spaniards leave for an afternoon siesta. Richard Cooper, MSc, CMIOSH, told ASSE Safety 2011 attendees that these varying routines demonstrate a national, cultural identity that can bring strengths into the workplace...
The Director of International Labour Organization Says Workers Are Being “Squeezed,” Calls for Social Justice
Director-General Juan Somavia called on employers and governments to commit to a new era of social justice in his opening remarks at the 100th International Labour Conference in Geneva...
Finland, Sweden, Australia Offer Most Flexible Work Schedules
If you’re traveling the world in search of the most flexible work schedules available for employees, you might want to settle in Finland, Sweden, Australia or Thailand – and take a pass on Japan, Greece or Armenia...
Safety on the Road: Make this Decade the Safest Ever
The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, an initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May, strives to prevent road traffic deaths and injuries worldwide over the course of the coming decade...
AIHce: The Power (and Pitfalls) of Fear Surrounding Nuclear Incidents
On May 16, a radiation expert told attendees at the 2011 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo (AIHce) that fears surrounding radiation, especially in light of Japan’s recent crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, largely are blown out of proportion and can do more harm than good...
Workers’ Memorial Day: ILO: Use of Safety Management Systems Would Benefit Workers Worldwide
April 28 marks the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) marked the occasion by releasing a report, “OSH Management System: A Tool for Continual Improvement,” that discusses the application of an occupational safety and health management system (OSHMS) for the effective management of hazards and risks in the workplace...
25 Years After Chernobyl, Nuclear Safety Still a Concern
April 26 marks the 25th anniversary of the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear accident, the world’s worst nuclear disaster that led to widespread radiation fallout across Europe...
Safety Center Stresses Need for International Construction Safety Training
The director of University of California San Diego Extension’s International Safety Education Institute (ISEI) Construction Workplace Safety Training Program stressed a growing international need for safety training based on OSHA standards to better protect construction workers around the world...
How Will Japan’s Crisis Affect U.S. Nuclear Safety?
In an interview with EHS Today, a physicist explained that the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may have implications for nuclear safety in the United States...
Understanding Radiation Exposure and the Health Risks in Japan
Reactor problems at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could lead to exposure to large amounts of radioactivity, which can be lethal to humans and have long-term health consequences. An expert at Nova Southeastern University breaks down the types of radioactive materials, exposure and risks...
AIHA Offers Support to Japanese IH Members Following Earthquake, Tsunami
The American Industrial Hygiene Association reached out to Japanese counterpart organizations of International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA), Japan Occupational Hygiene Association (JOHA) and Japan Association for Working Environment Measurement (JAWE), as well as individual AIHA Japanese members, in an offer of support and outreach in light of the recent devastation that has struck Japan...
OSHA, Mexican Consulate Form Alliance to Promote Safety for Mexican Workers
An alliance signed Feb. 18 by OSHA and the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, Ark., strives to enhance workplace safety and health for Mexican workers in Arkansas and Oklahoma...
NIOSH and NHCA Collaborate in Noise Research Efforts
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in cooperation with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), has developed a dedicated supplemental issue of the International Journal of Audiology that focuses on expanding the traditional boundaries of hearing loss prevention and sharing knowledge on an international level...
Study Finds Most People Unwilling to Use AEDs
A Dutch study reports that less than half (47 percent) of people in a public place with access to an automatic external defibrillator (AED) would be willing to use it, with more than half (53 percent) unable even to recognize one...
