It is especially important in high-risk industries, such as oil and gas and chemical, that workforce training and education is prioritized beyond that of an afterthought in a company's safety plan.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will convene a public meeting on Wednesday, September 30, 2015, in Houston, Texas, at The Hilton Americas – Houston Hotel from 6 to 9 p.m. CDT to hear and vote on investigators’ findings and safety recommendations from the November 2014 chemical release at the DuPont La Porte facility that killed four workers.

The Department of Homeland Security can’t verify threat level reports from thousands of chemical plants across the country, reducing Homeland’s ability to respond to a chemical attack or emergency, according to a new government report.

The EPA has released a final risk assessment for trichloroethylene (TCE) that identifies health risks to workers in shops and dry cleaners that use the chemical as a degreaser or a stain removing agent. Consumers may also be exposed to TCE when using spray aerosol degreasers and spray fixatives.

One of the major controversies involving hydraulic fracturing – or, “fracking” – will be the subject of an EPA inquiry that could lead to new regulations on the industry.