The recent staging of A+A – the Leading International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work – closed in Düsseldorf, Germany to record results: 2,121 exhibitors from 63 nations showcased their innovations on 839,600 square feet of exhibit space in ten halls to over 73,000 trade visitors. Every second visitor came from outside Germany.

Eliminating exposure to asbestos and addressing the effect of climate change on mental health were two of the fourteen new policy statements adopted by the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Governing Council at its 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo in Philadelphia this week. The ambitious agenda includes topics ranging from environmental justice to drinking water safety and attacks on health workers.

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.

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.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and five international associations have formed an Indoor Environmental Quality Global Alliance (IEQ-GA) to promote and advocate for indoor climate and health in buildings. The new association will serve as a global platform to facilitate the exchange of indoor environmental knowledge and information, promoting related education and research for indoor environmental quality and health in buildings.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been and will always be among the primary responsibilities of businesses worldwide. Continuous growth in industrial activities, pharmaceutical production and food & beverage consumption over the years has only fueled the odds of employee injuries and amplified various health risks.

The Spanish government’s recent proposal to double the occupational exposure limit value (OELV) for silica is being met with opposition by worker safety advocates. The current limit is 0.05 mg/m³. Under a draft decree presented to the national occupational health and safety commission earlier this month, OELV would be raised to (0.1mg/m³).

From November 5 – 8, 2019, A+A – the Leading International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work – held concurrently with the 36th International Congress for Occupational Safety and Health - will provide a comprehensive overview of the sector and its future in the digital age. Several new features have been added for this years’ event including the enhanced A+A Highlight Route, the “kommmitmensch Film & Media Festival of A+A 2019” and the international A+A START-UP ZONE.

More than 1.8 million employees in France (some 10 percent of all workers) are exposed to at least one carcinogenic product on the job, according to a recent SUMER 2017 survey. SUMER is the acronym for the French “surveillance médicale des salariés aux risques professionnels”, i.e. the medical monitoring of employees’ exposure to occupational risks.