As one of the most powerful hurricanes in history begins to batter the east coast of central Florida – and after that, possibly, Georgia and North and South Carolina, the American Heart Association (AHA) is reminding people that Hurricane Dorian poses a health risk to those in its path.

A pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur dioxide and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and creates a cooling effect. Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years.

China will carry out a comprehensive inspection on all online after-school training institutions and set up records on the institutions, their training content and teacher credentials by the end of this year as part of its oversight of the rapidly expanding industry, the Ministry of Education said. The country has carried out inspections on brick-and-mortar after-school training institutions since early 2018 to cut the excessive workload on primary and middle school students.

Although the use of asbestos has been banned in European Union (EU) nations since 2005, the substance remains a health risk in Europe due to its ubiquitous presence in many private and public buildings. Asbestos was one of the major agenda items at last month’s seminar on chemicals and worker protection held in Lisbon. Hosted by the European Trade Union Institute in Lisbon in collaboration with the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP), the gathering brought together more than 40 union representatives from 21 European countries.

A new United Nations “convention” against workplace violence and harassment is being hailed as a landmark measure that will help governments draft their own laws and regulations to prevent the problem. Convention 190 (C190) was adopted last month by the International Labour Organization (ILO), an arm of the United Nations that sets internationally recognized labor standards. It will be binding for governments that ratify it.

Messe Düsseldorf and its local partner Tezulaş Fuar will organize the fourth edition of TOS+H Expo, the Turkish Occupational Safety + Health Exhibition, from May 3 – 6, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Held concurrently will be the X. International Occupational Safety and Health Congress, managed by the Turkish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.

Work being done to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is raising concerns about worker safety. A report entitled, “The Dark Side of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics,” published last month by the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) union, claims that laborers – many of them foreign workers – are being overworked and discouraged from reporting poor employment conditions.

Canada will follow the European Union in banning some single-use plastics like straws, bags and cutlery, according to an announcement yesterday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A statement by the government accompanying the announcement notes that without such a prohibition, Canadians will throw away an estimated $8.3 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030. Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in Canada gets recycled.

The “Arc Flash Protection Market Report” provides a statistical analysis of “Arc Flash Protection Market by Equipment (Personal Protective Equipment and Arc Flash Detection & Control System) by End Users (Infrastructure, Utilities, Oil & Gas, and Others): Global Industrial Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2017 – 2023.”