IAEA Releases Improved Self-Assessment Tool for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Infrastructure

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On May 4, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched a new version of the Self-Assessment of Regulatory Infrastructure for Safety (SARIS) tool, designed to help countries determine whether their nuclear and radiation safety infrastructure meets IAEA safety standards. These standards comprise over 100 documents which outline the basics of how to establish, maintain and continuously improve nuclear and radiation safety regulatory frameworks.

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UAE Introduces New Health and Safety Legislation

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A new United Arab Emirates occupational health & safety law called Article 22 is expected to reduce workplace accidents and attract more skilled workers to the country. At the first national forum for safety and occupational health in Dubai, health and safety leaders discussed changes brought on by the passage of Article 22; issues addressed include restrictions on working in high temperatures or humidity and exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, viruses or parasites. “It is now compulsory for companies to develop a health and safety guide for the nature of any job,” said Dr Ayesha Suhail, director of primary health care at the UAE health ministry.

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ISO 20400 Launches New Sustainability Guidelines for Supply Chains

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The International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) launch of ISO 20400:2017 this April set new international guidelines for sustainable procurement. The new standard considers environmental as well social and economic sustainability in its procurement guidelines. However, while the new standard outlines how organisations can integrate efficient measures into their procurement methods, it stops short of making suggestions for changing the procurement methods themselves.

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Dr. Alexander Li Lays Out Vision for Future of US Healthcare in Keynote Talk

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11 May 2017 - Dr. Alexander Li was the keynote speaker at EHSSENTIALS 2017 UCLA, a healthcare industry Environmental Health & Safety symposium. The talk began with Li explaining a key issue with the US healthcare industry today - the lack of access to healthcare among US residents (particularly among the poor, people of color, and illegal residents) despite the US healthcare industry’s ability to provide high-quality healthcare, and despite the vast, if not excessive, amount of money circulating through it.

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US Environmental Market Sector Remains Positive Despite Federal Budget Cuts

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Delegates at the annual Environmental Business International industry summit, 22-3-17 through 24-3-17 in San Diego, were upbeat about the state of the environmental market sector, despite proposed major budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and to funding for climate change research. Among the mostly American attendees, a commonly echoed idea - with less federal oversight, states will begin to create and enforce their own environmental policy, leading to a boom in public-private partnerships.

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