New standard fuels innovation, enhances safety through testing, approval requirements WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule that updates testing, evaluation and approval requirements for electric motor-driven mine equipment and accessories used in gassy mines with high risks of fire and explosion. The final rule incorporates by reference eight voluntary consensus standards suitable for gassy mining environments and approved by the American National Standards Institute. The rule also allows product designers and manufacturers seeking MSHA approval to follow ANSI voluntary consensus standards or existing MSHA-specific technical requirements. By…
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“Syria is now at a crossroads with great opportunities for us, but also with grave risks. And we need really to look at both,” said Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria. “We know that, of course, HTS is now the dominant group in control of Damascus, but it’s important also to remember that they are not the only armed group in Damascus.” Amid images of jubilant scenes on the streets of the capital following the end of the Assad regime, Mr. Pedersen cautioned that the transfer of power had been accompanied by reports of robberies and the “invasion of…
The U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues, Abby Finkenauer, will travel to London, United Kingdom, from December 10-11, 2024 to build connections with youth leaders, innovators, and changemakers and highlight the importance of civic engagement. During her time in London, Special Envoy Finkenauer will meet with The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and engage with members of the Duchess’ youth council. Special Envoy Finkenauer will also meet with young politicians and leaders, including participants of Fulbright and the International Visitor Leadership Program. For more information on the trip, follow along on Instagram, X, and Facebook. Source_link
OSHA cites G&S Metal Products Co. Inc. for 1 willful violation, 5 serious violations CLEVELAND – U.S. Department of Labor inspectors found a Cleveland bakeware manufacturer failed to prevent two workers from suffering injuries that resulted in amputations, incidents that could have been avoided with proper safety measures. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the two incidents that led to the amputation injuries and found G&S Metal Products Co. did not equip its machinery with adequate guarding or enforce critical safety protocols, including establishing proper lockout/tagout procedures, and failed to provide effective employee training in machine safety.The first incident occurred…
For many coastal communities around the world, especially in developing nations like ours, fish are essential for survival. They support robust livelihoods, provide protein and nutrition, contribute to food security, and anchor centuries-old cultures and traditions. But all of that is at risk. Rampant overfishing is depleting this valuable marine resource. In the mid-1970s, 10 percent of fish populations were fished at unsustainable levels, according to a 2024 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report. Now, nearly 50 years later, that number has almost quadrupled. In 2021, 37.7 percent of stocks were overfished. It is imperative that all of us…
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Ian, Chair-in-Office Borg, thank you so much. Thank you to you. Thank you to all of our Maltese hosts for a very productive ministerial and for being such a strong, successful chair-in-office. Half a century ago, our countries came together to forge a shared vision for preserving peace and stability in Europe. The group that would eventually become the OSCE agreed that military and economic security are inseparable from – indeed, rooted in – the upholding of fundamental freedoms. Thirty years ago, I was with President Clinton in Budapest when the CSCE became the OSCE, and as he…
With the Paris climate targets looking increasingly difficult to achieve, technologies are being proposed to reduce warming by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Known as “solar radiation modification”, these technologies are gaining traction in some circles, and modelling suggests that some of them may have the potential to prevent further global warming and reduce some of its effects, such as extreme weather events and rising sea levels. But these technologies are not ready, and in any case, they are no substitute for emissions reductions, according to experts from the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) and European Group on Ethics (EGE). Both…
The theme for Human Rights Day 2024, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now”, highlights the continued relevance of human rights in addressing global challenges. This year, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) aims to inform and change perceptions on human rights while mobilising action. Here are five essential facts about human rights everyone should know: 1. Human Rights are universal and inalienable Human rights are not granted by states – they belong to everyone, everywhere, simply by virtue of being human. They transcend race, gender, nationality, or beliefs, ensuring inherent equality and dignity for all. These rights include fundamental ones, like the…
As the world prepares to mark Human Rights Day 2024, Mr. Türk reflected on “a time when human rights are not only violated, but also increasingly instrumentalised.” He highlighted three critical issues to the international community: the proliferation of armed conflict, the rise of disinformation, and the neglect of long-term security. Proliferation of armed conflicts Mr. Türk noted an erosion of respect for international law in the conduct of hostilities, and “the apparent indifference of powerful actors to immense numbers of casualties and suffering.” He pointed to ongoing crises in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and…
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, hello, everyone, and I’m so pleased to be able to spend time with colleagues from civil society from Ukraine, from Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia. We’re here at the OSCE, and a foundational premise, principle of the OSCE is that we can’t separate our military, physical, and economic security from fundamental freedoms, that these go hand in hand. And in all of our countries, civil society is absolutely essential to helping us preserve, defend, and protect basic human freedoms that matter the most: to be able to speak freely, to associate freely, to practice religion freely, to vote.…