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News

Epidemiology and Food Safety Risk Analysis—A Comprehensive Course in QRA, October 9–13, 2017, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Whether you have no prior training or work experience in quantitative risk analysis, or if you want to further improve your risk analysis skills, you will be interested in our course, Epidemiology and Food Safety Risk Analysis (formerly Animal Agriculture & Food Safety Risk Analysis and Disease Modeling).

This 5-day class covers the basic principles of risk analysis, essential probability and statistics theory, stochastic processes, core risk modeling principles, and incorporates the latest innovations in modeling methods. Thanks to the case studies that guide participants through the main steps in developing a risk assessment model, it provides participants with hands-on skills to effectively use a risk modeling software environment, while learning good practices and common mistakes to avoid. The course content is available at:

http://www.epixanalytics.com/CoursePrograms/EpidemiologyFoodSafetyRiskAnalysis_CourseContent.pdf.

You can register for the course at:

http://www.epixanalytics.com/risk-analysis-in-health-epidemiology-and-food-safety/epidemiology-and-food-safety-risk-analysis-5-days.html.

For more information, contact Barbara O’Neill at boneill@epixanalytics.com.

Bureau Veritas has been helping companies meet standards and comply with regulations since 1828. See the company’s recent listing at http://www.riskworld.com/risk-consultants/.
~ RiskWorld editorial staff (posted 9/12/2016)

National Environmental Trainers, Inc., launched the first online HAZWOPER course in 1998 and redefined hands-on training with its HAZWOPER Hands-on Simulator® in 2004. Today the full-service compliance education company is currently the only HAZWOPER training provider with courses designed for all mobile devices, including iPads®, tablets, and smart phones. HAZWOPER Mobile Training® provides the same functionality on mobile devices that is available on the desktop, with seamless integration between the two. For information on all the courses that National Environmental Trainers offers, visit https://www.natlenvtrainers.com/.
~ RiskWorld editorial staff (posted 6/3/2016)

Findings of the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework. The commission’s report The Neglected Dimension of Global Security: A Framework to Counter Infectious Disease Crises was released on January 13. The GHRF webpage provides links to the report and related resources. Go to http://nam.edu/initiatives/global-health-risk-framework/.
~ RiskWorld editorial staff (posted 1/13/2016)

Small Modular Reactors: Nuclear Power Fad or Future? by Daniel T. Ingersoll of NuScale Power USA, a highly respected expert in the nuclear industry, was released December 8, 2015. This unique guide to small modular reactors presents policymakers in government, business, and research with the background they need in small nuclear power to create a balanced discussion of the many advantages of SMRs and the criticisms they face.
~ RiskWorld editorial staff (updated 12/17/2015, posted 9/4/2015)

How Do You Balance the Benefits of Social Media with Its Underlying Risks?
Available now, Social Media Risk and Governance: Managing Enterprise Risk is a practical guide to the components and considerations which make up a good social media governance strategy, from external communications channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to enterprise social networks within an organization. Written by social media risk and governance expert Phil Mennie of PwC, the book addresses the concepts professionals in information security, marketing, compliance, and risk management all need to take into account, guiding readers through policy evaluation, planning on social media, information security and fraud risks, how to respond to a crisis, archiving data, and more and features examples from companies such as BP, MasterCard, Netflix, PwC, Silk Road, UBS, and Yelp.
~ RiskWorld editorial staff (posted 11/6/2015)

Is Your Job, Home, or Hobby Affecting Your Health?
The average consumer may ask how the United States National Library of Medicine could possibly relate to them and why they should access databases of health journals and chemical information. The answer is that unlike typical websites dispensing information, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ provides unbiased findings—with no commercial bias and no advertising.  Consumers can search symptoms, diseases and treatments, or find out about  medications that they are taking.  They can also find out what’s in their favorite household products, such as glue, cleaners, and weed killers … read more
~ RiskWorld contributor Carolyn Evans (posted 11/3/2015)

RiskWorld Asks the National Library of Medicine:
What’s New, What’s the Most Popular, and What’s the Most Overlooked in Its Online Databases for Risk Professionals
For decades, the National Library of Medicine of the U.S. National Institutes of Health has been compiling one of the world’s most detailed collections of online databases and other resources of human health and environmental data. More than 10 million viewers accessed the library’s TOXNET (TOXicology Data NETwork) web site last year, as risk analysts, medical doctors, and other health and environmental professionals referenced the site’s vast resources at no cost. Yet even experienced users don’t realize how the depth and breadth of these online resources has expanded in recent years, says Stephanie Publicker, a technical information specialist … read more
~ RiskWorld contributor Carolyn Evans (posted 9/8/2015)

What’s New at One of the World’s Most Popular Collections of Risk Databases
RiskWorld has delved into a national treasure trove of human health and environmental data that once was the domain of risk analysts and other professionals but is increasingly used by nursing moms, hobbyists, and other consumers. In a two-part series, RiskWorld examines the recent expansion of topics and accessibility of these resources, offering readers an overview of what’s new, what’s often overlooked, and what’s the most popular of the online databases at the National Library of Medicine’s TOXNET (TOXicology Data NETwork) web site, which is available at no charge to the public and professionals alike. “Many people don’t realize that our resources are not just for professionals,” says Stephanie Publicker, a technical information specialist in the National Library of Medicine’s Office of Clinical Toxicology. “For instance, our LactMed database is a database of drugs and chemicals to which breast-feeding mothers might be exposed. The mothers themselves can directly access this data to find out … read more
~ Former RiskWorld senior editor, Amy Charlene Reed (updated 8/27/2015 and 1/12/2016)

Views

Tales from a Risk Blogger Who Tries to Avoid Fanning the Flames, January 26, 2015, by RiskWorld contributor Carolyn Evans. When RiskWorld went looking for risk blogs to feature, one of the first to be recommended was Michael Jayjock’s Human Health Risk Assessment to Chemicals, which one long-time reader called a “thoughtful” look at today’s risk assessment issues. RiskWorld contributor Carolyn Evans interviewed Dr. Jayjock and reports here on his experience as a blogger.

Releases

Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S. Are Vulnerable to Climate Change (8/11/16, U.S. Geological Survey)

NIH Begins Testing Investigational Zika Vaccine in Humans (8/3/16, National Institutes of Health)

New Report Calls for Rigorous Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico (7/26/16, National Academies) Read Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico (2016).

IEA Sees Major Shifts in Global Gas Trade Over Next Five Years (6/8/16, International Energy Agency)

Gene-Drive Modified Organisms Are Not Ready to Be Released into Environment; New Report Calls for More Research and Robust Assessment (6/8/16, National Academies) Read Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values (2016).

Strengthening and Sustaining Strong Safety Culture for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations Requires Collective Action Among Industry and Regulators (5/25/16, National Academies) Read Strengthening the Safety Culture of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry (2016).

IBHS Scientists Initiate 2016 Hail Field Study in Central Plains Region  (5/24/16, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety)

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Is “Wake-Up Call” for U.S. to Improve Real-Time Monitoring of Spent Fuel Pools (5/20/16, National Academies) Read Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety and Security of U.S. Nuclear Plants: Phase 2 (2016).

Distinction Between Genetic Engineering and Conventional Plant Breeding Becoming Less Clear, Says New Report on GE Crops  (5/17/16, National Academies) Read Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects (2016).

Bullying Is a “Serious Public Health Problem,” Says New Report; Evidence-Based Approaches to Prevent Bullying and Its Harm Could Have a Dramatic Effect on Children’s Well-Being and Development  (5/10/16, National Academies) Read Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice (2016).

Process Contaminants in Vegetable Oils and Foods  (5/3/16, European Food Safety Authority)

Remote Real-Time Monitoring of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations – New Report (5/2/16, National Academies) The report Application of Remote Real-Time Monitoring to Offshore Oil and Gas Operations (2016) from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends how the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement of the U.S. Department of the Interior could apply remote real-time monitoring (RRTM) to improve the safety and reduce the environmental risks of offshore oil and gas operations.

Hepatitis B and C Could Be Eliminated as Public Health Problems in U.S., But Reducing Number of New Cases Is More Manageable in Short Term, Says New Report (4/11/16, National Academies) Read Eliminating the Public Health Problem of Hepatitis B and C in the United States: Phase One Report (2016)

Gorilla Safety Introduces First and Only Fully Integrated Mobile Application for Fleet and Safety Management (4/11/16, Gorilla Safety Fleet Management) This newly formed company brings its patented cloud-based fleet and safety solution to market.

An Earth Day Focus on Electronics: You Can Help Turn “Trash” into “Treasure” (4/5/16, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International)

New Grant Opportunity: Emerging Food Risks, Mycotoxin Mixtures, Animal Diseases (4/1/16, European Food Safety Authority) EFSA has launched its second thematic grant call for proposals on methodology development in risk assessment. The thematic grant scheme aims to facilitate scientific cooperation in the EU, boost innovation and support the exchange of expertise and best practice in areas relating to EFSA’s work.

National Zika Summit Focused on Coordinated U.S. Response (4/1/16, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Officials from most-at-risk states in Atlanta will develop action plans for implementation following the Summit.

California Drought Patterns Becoming More Common (4/1/16, National Science Foundation) Atmospheric patterns linked with drought occurred more frequently in recent decades. (This is part 15 in a series on NSF’s geosciences risk and resilience interest area. Links to parts one through 14 are provided at the beginning of the article.)

Lloyd’s Register Named Inspection Agency for Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Plant Project (3/31/16, Lloyd’s Register) Horizon Nuclear Power has chosen the UK-based international inspection body for supply chain oversight.

Longer-Term Weather and Environmental Forecasts Will Provide Enormous Benefit with More Research and Sustained Investment, New Report Says (3/29/16, National Academies) Read Next Generation Earth System Prediction: Strategies for Subseasonal to Seasonal Forecasts (2016).

Children with Cushing Syndrome May Have Higher Suicide Risk (3/29/16, National Institutes of Health)  NIH study finds that depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts increase after treatment.

World’s Older Population Grows Dramatically (3/28/16, National Institutes of Health)

The Public Toilet Seat’s Place on the “Ick Scale” (3/28/16, originally published 2/10/16, American Council on Science and Health)

Registration Is Now Open for the 2016 IRMI Emmett J Vaughan Agribusiness Conference in Tampa, Florida (3/23/16, International Risk Management Institute, Inc.)

StormGeo Announces Long Range Forecasting Service – ForeSight (3/23/16, StormGeo)

Lloyd’s Register Releases Guidance Notes for Inspection with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) (3/22/16, Lloyd’s Register Group Limited) New guidance approach supports industry in the safe and effective deployment of next generation drone and UAS technology that can significantly improve productivity gains through reducing risk exposure, survey times and in-service inspection costs of offshore, marine and onshore infrastructure. “Eyes in the sky” technology opens the way to rapid, safe and repeatable inspections that will lead to long-term benefits for energy and marine operators seeking high levels of integrity, compliance and commercial advantage.

Scientific Colloquium: Epigenetics and Risk Assessment (3/17/16, European Food Safety Authority) The issue of epigenetic changes and their impact on human health and life span was prominently discussed at EFSA’s second scientific conference “Shaping the future of food safety, together” in Milan. In response to the interest in this issue, EFSA has selected epigenetics as the subject of its next scientific symposium, which will be held on 14 and 15 June 2016 in Valencia, Spain.

Media Teleconference for U.S. Spring Outlook and Flood Risk on Thursday, March 17 (3/15/16, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

New Report Says Science Can Estimate Influence of Climate Change on Some Types of Extreme Events (3/11/16, National Academies) Read Attribution of Extreme Weather Events in the Context of Climate Change (2016).

Superbugs: MEPs Want to Curb Use of Antibiotics in Farming (3/10/16, European Parliament) To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today’s antibiotics, the use of existing antimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, said the European Parliament.

Latest Biennial Review of Health Problems That May Be Linked to Agent Orange Exposure During Vietnam War Upgrades Bladder Cancer and Hypothyroidism, Downgrades Spina Bifida (3/10/16, National Academies) Read Veterans and Agent Orange:
Update 2014 (2016).

New Report Recommends Research to Improve Understanding of Relationship Between Fatigue and Crash Risk for Truck and Bus Drivers (3/10/16, National Academies) Read Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health, and Highway Safety:
Research Needs (2016).

New Report Provides Recommendations for Improving Social Security Administration’s Process for Determining Whether Adult Beneficiaries Are Capable of Managing Their Financial Benefits (3/9/16, National Academies) Read Informing Social Security’s Process for Financial Capability Determination (2016).

London Heathrow Awarded Asset Management Certification by Lloyd’s Register (3/8/16,  Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Limited)

Study Sets Course Toward Corrosion Management Practices to Increase Safety, Decrease $2.5 Trillion Global Cost of Corrosion (3/7/16, NACE International)

IAEA Finds Japanese Labs Reliable in Analysing Fish from Sea Near Fukushima (3/4/16, International Atomic Energy Agency)

Better Evidence, Oversight Needed to Improve Effectiveness and Availability of Biomarker Tests for Molecularly Targeted Therapies, Says New Report (3/4/16, National Academies) Read Biomarker Tests for Molecularly Targeted Therapies: Key to Unlocking Precision Medicine (2016).

New TravelSafe™ Course Launched by Pilgrims Group (3/3/16, Pilgrims Group)

New Report Finds “Surprising Gaps” in Knowledge of Ovarian Cancers; Better Understanding Needed to Make Progress in Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment, and Management of Disease (3/2/16, National Academies) Read Ovarian Cancers: Evolving Paradigms in Research and Care (2016).

Joint industry Project (JIP) to Investigate How Best to Reduce the Potential Explosion and Fire Risks from Hydrocarbon Leaks in Gas Turbines (3/1/16, Lloyd’s Register Group Services Limited)

Car Emissions: Taking Tests Out of the Lab and Onto the Road (3/1/16, European Parliament)

Security with the Wave of a Wand (2/29/16, National Science Foundation) Dartmouth project designs cybersecurity measures for home-based health care.

EPA Proposes Revisions to Its Risk Management Program to Improve Chemical Process Safety and Further Protect Communities and First Responders (2/25/16, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) For more information about the proposed rule, go to http://www.epa.gov/rmp/proposed-changes-risk-management-program-rmp-rule.

NIST Report: Science-Based Data Collection Key to Better Wildland Fire Defense (2/24/16, National Institute of Standards and Technology)

Active Mind May Delay Alzheimer’s Symptoms, but Not Underlying Disease (2/24/16, Mayo Clinic)

Frozen Section Analysis for Breast Cancer Could Save Time, Anxiety, and More Than $90 Million (2/23/16, Mayo Clinic)

ASUS Settles FTC Charges That Insecure Home Routers and “Cloud” Services Put Consumers’ Privacy At Risk (2/23/16, Federal Trade Commission)

El Niño Prolongs Longest Global Coral Bleaching Event (2/23/16, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Increasing Drought Threatens Almost All U.S. Forests (2/22/16, National Science Foundation)

UA’s Kittles Breaks New Ground in Genetics (2/22/16, University of Arizona) A lifelong quest for self-discovery led nationally prominent researcher Rick Kittles toward a number of significant findings for African-Americans.

Cybersecurity “Rosetta Stone” Celebrates Two Years of Success (2/18/16, National Institute of Standards and Technology)

1 in 3 Adults Don’t Get Enough Sleep (2/18/16, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) A good night’s sleep is critical for good health.

Superbugs: Curb Use of Today’s Antibiotics, and Develop New Ones, Urge MEPs (2/17/16, European Parliament)

Register for SBCA Conference and Workshops, March 16–18, 2016 (2/17/16, Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis) See list of workshop offerings.

FDA Issues Recommendations to Reduce the Risk for Zika Virus Blood Transmission in the United States (2/16/16, U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

New Report Finds Gulf War Illness Continues to Be Major Health Effect Linked to Persian Gulf War Military Service (2/11/16, National Academies) Read Gulf War and Health:
Volume 10: Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, 2016.

New Action Plans Outline Recovery Efforts for Eight “Species in the Spotlight” (2/10/16, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

CDC Emergency Operations Center Moves to Highest Level of Activation for Zika Response (2/8/16, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

ECDC Publishes an Updated Rapid Risk Assessment on Zika Virus Disease Epidemic and Potential Complications (2/8/16, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)

NOAA Launches Unprecedented Effort to Discover How El Niño Affects Weather (2/5/16, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) The Pacific research goal is to improve accuracy of weather forecasts and models.

Zika Virus Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Public Health Efforts – Feb. 16 Workshop (2/4/16, National Academies)

Registration Is Now Open for the 2016 IRMI CyberRisk Summit in Houston, Texas (2/4/16, International Risk Management Institute Inc.)

Environmental Risk: Harmonising Assessment, Protecting Biodiversity (2/3/16, European Food Safety Authority) EFSA has published two Scientific Opinions on environmental risk assessment (ERA), with a third to follow shortly. Reinhilde Schoonjans explains the issues at the heart of this major project. Links to the opinions are provided at the end of the news release.

Clinical Investigations of Mitochondrial Replacement Techniques Are “Ethically Permissible” If Significant Conditions Are Met, Says New Report (2/3/16, National Academies) Read Mitochondrial Replacement Techniques: Ethical, Social, and Policy Considerations (2016).

Participants in Personal Genome Project Weigh Risks and Benefits of Data Sharing (2/3/16, Silent Spring Institute) Findings could inform revisions to the Common Rule.

ATVs Are Dangerous to Children (2/3/16, Consumer Federation of America) No significant change in injuries and estimated number of all-terrain vehicle deaths is down slightly for children, but data is incomplete.

A Minefield of Risks for Taxpayers (2/3/16, Consumer Federation of America) CFA releases its new analysis on the perils taxpayers face from unregulated preparers, lack of fee disclosure, and tax-time financial products.

More than 3 Million U.S. Women at Risk for Alcohol-exposed Pregnancy (2/2/16, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Sexually active women who stop using birth control should stop drinking alcohol, but most keep drinking. Also read FAQ about alcohol and alcohol consumption.

WHO Statement on the First Meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR 2005) Emergency Committee on Zika Virus and Observed Increase in Neurological Disorders and Neonatal Malformations (2/1/16, World Health Organization) Also read “WHO Director-General Summarizes the Outcome of the Emergency Committee Regarding Clusters of Microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.”

Report Affirms the Goal of Elimination of Civilian Use of Highly Enriched Uranium and Calls for Step-wise Conversion of Research Reactors Still Using Weapon-grade Uranium Fuel; 50-year Federal Roadmap for Neutron-based Research Recommended (1/28/16, National Academies) Read Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors (2016).

2016 Risk Predictions for Business: Institute of Risk Management (1/27/16, Institute of Risk Management) IRM experts look to the year ahead and make 2016 risk predictions.

New Report Finds Near-Term Update to Social Cost of Carbon Unwarranted (1/26/16, National Academies) Read Assessment of Approaches to Updating the Social Cost of Carbon: Phase 1 Report on a Near-Term Update (2016).

RES/CON New Orleans 2016 Announces Programming (1/20/16, RES/CON)

Latest Ebola Outbreak Over in Liberia; West Africa Is at Zero, but New Flare-ups Are Likely to Occur (1/14/16, World Health Organization)

Future Pandemics Pose Massive Risks to Human Lives, Global Economic Security, Says New Report; Need For Action Against This “Neglected Dimension of Global Security” to Prepare and Respond to Infectious Disease Crises More Effectively (1/13/16, National Academies) Read The Neglected Dimension of Global Security – A Framework to Counter Infectious Disease Crises, or click and scroll down to “Resources.”

New NIH Awards Will Support Development of Therapeutic Alternatives to Traditional Antibiotics (1/12/16,  National Institutes of Health)

Trying to Conceive Soon After a Pregnancy Loss May Increase Chances of Live Birth (1/11/16,  National Institutes of Health) NIH study finds no reason for delaying pregnancy attempts after a loss without complications.

AR5 Synthesis Report Available in All UN Official Languages (PDF) (1/11/16, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

BSI Launches Certification Scheme for the Safety of Personal Data in the Cloud (PDF) (1/11/16, British Standards Institution)

New Report Finds No Significant Increase in Health Risks for 1960s Project SHAD Veterans (1/8/16, National Academies) Read Assessing Health Outcomes Among Veterans of Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) (2016).

Mechanical Properties of Nanomaterials Are Altered Due to Electric Field, UW Researchers Find (1/8/16, University of Wyoming)

Australian National Takes the Helm as New UN Disaster Risk Reduction Chief (1/8/16, United Nations)

Oral Cholera Vaccines to Double to 6 Million Doses after UN Health Agency Approves New Supplier (1/8/16, United Nations)

NASA Looks at Storms Hitting California (1/8/16, EurekAlert)

El Niño Has Put World in “Uncharted Territory,” UN Relief Chief Says, Urging Action Now to Mitigate Impacts (1/7/16, United Nations)

EPA Releases the First of Four Preliminary Risk Assessments for Insecticides Potentially Harmful to Bees (1/6/16, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Energy Department Selects Battelle Team for a Deep Borehole Field Test in North Dakota (1/5/16, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

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