Given the expanding international market in chemical substances and mixtures, a global system of classification and labeling was proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit by the International Labour Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and many other governments and stakeholders. In response, the United Nations developed the ‘Globally Harmonised System’ (GHS) which is a single worldwide system for classifying and communicating the hazardous properties of industrial and consumer substances and mixtures.

Next time you think about getting a burger or some other meat-containing meal from Burger King, Arby’s, Olive Garden, Domino’s pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Starbucks or Applebees, you may want to consult a recent report that gave those restaurant chains an “F” for using beef that contains large amounts of antibiotics.

“Fugitive” natural gas and an error by local authorities were behind the April 17, 2017 explosion that destroyed a home in Colorado and killed two people. Those findings are from a brief recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigated the incident. The homeowner and a plumber who was working at the house died in the explosion, and two other residents were injured.

A company based in Anson, Maine has been cited by OSHA for an employee fatality that occurred at a jobsite in Inman, Nebraska. Smith Mountain Investments LLC is a professional pole inspection company that inspects and treats some of the 150,000,000 wood utility poles in North America to ensure structural integrity. An employee of the company became ill while performing extreme physical activity in excessive temperatures in July 2019 and later died.

Salt Lake County, Utah this week became the eighth community in the state to commit to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030. The county’s council passed a resolution on Tuesday establishing a goal of powering the county with 100% renewable electricity by that year – one which requires local utility Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) to replace fossil fuel generation with renewable energy resources to meet the new commitment.

The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) has established the President's Leadership Award. This award, to be given annually by AIHF, will be the foundation's highest scholarship and professional development honor. The award consists of a considerable scholarship as well as a professional development opportunity to attend a British Occupational Hygiene Society, Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, or comparable international conference on occupational health and safety.

In a study which has implications for occupational health, European researchers have found that certain non-toxic substances can have a negative impact on neuronal development when mixed with other substances. The in vitro research project conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) examined this “cocktail effect” by using chemical products belonging to different classes.

A series of workplace incidents in Indiana and Illinois last week claimed the lives of two workers and left another hospitalized. In Mooresville, Indiana, 22-year-old Sean Merrell died of blunt force injuries after being trapped in a machine he was cleaning that was re-energized before he could get out.

Nearly two years ago, Jeremiah Mock heard a student in Marin County, California, complain that her school was littered with e-cigarette waste. A health anthropologist by training, Mock did some shoe-leather investigating in a student parking lot, where he found a significant amount of e-cigarette and tobacco trash. Surprised, Mock went further.

Most adults are unprepared or lack confidence to help if a medical emergency occurs, according to a new public poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). And, that confidence wanes as medical emergencies become more serious. “Anyone can become a first responder in an emergency,” said William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP.