The value of the FCIA member, FM 4991-approved or UL-ULC qualified firestop contractor comes from the commitment to excellence. These important designations – FM 4991-Approved, UL-Qualified, ULC-Qualified and FCIA Member in Good Standing – are being recognized by 07 84 00 Firestopping specifications in many occupancies around the world.

October product focus on Firestopping/Fireproofing.

ClarkDietrich is giving framing contractors greater flexibility in leveraging the firestopping power of its BlazeFrame family of products with the introduction of BlazeFrame Tape.

Specified Technologies announced that its SpecSeal LC Endothermic Firestop Sealant is now being offered in three colors: deep red, gray and white. Customers have been asking for both the white and gray for gypsum wallboard and concrete block spaces.

I once witnessed a contractor mixing red chalk into a bucket of mud, and when I inquired what he was doing, he responded, “I’m making firestop.”

Walls & Ceilings’ annual roster of the country’s top insulation contractors.

Washington — A new OSHA initiative is aimed at protecting workers in the engineered stone fabrication and installation industries from silica exposure.

On Oct. 2, the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry of the American Chemistry Council announced the recipients of two prestigious industry awards – the 2024 Polyurethane Innovation Award and the 2024 Distinguished Leadership Award.

For many cost estimators, the days of working with full-size plans and a single digitizer are a thing of the past. 

In this video, W&C speaks with Agent Wall Systems’ Adam Taubman.

Ed Sullivan, chief economist and senior vice president of market intelligence for the Portland Cement Association — which represents America’s cement manufacturers — says that the Federal Reserve’s recent move to lower interest rates, coupled with easing inflation, signals a significant retreat in interest rate levels by the end of next year…all to the benefit of construction activity.

Montreal – Emergency dispatchers who work at 911 call centers face a variety of physical and mental challenges in a high-stress environment, according to a study conducted by scientific research organization IRSST.

Pittsburgh — A new guide on stop-work authority from the United Steelworkers is aimed at helping workers develop and bargain for programs that allow them to halt unsafe or unhealthy operations and processes until hazards are abated.

Hopkinton, MA – “Overexertion involving outside sources” was the leading cause of disabling injuries in the United States in 2014 for the third consecutive year, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs.

Boca Raton, FL — To help commemorate its 100th anniversary, the National Council on Compensation Insurance has published a list of the 10 most significant workers’ compensation appellate decisions since 1923.

Washington – A fall prevention guide recently released by NIOSH aims to help building owners and designers build more safety features into their facilities rather than relying on back-end controls.

Back injuries are among the most common injuries in the workplace, incurring above-average workers’ comp­ensation costs. More than half of these injuries occur when employees try to lift objects.

San Francisco — A recent study of stone fabricators in California who have been diagnosed with silicosis shows that virtually all of them were immigrant, Latino men.

Washington – Although tobacco use continues to decrease among working adults overall, a significant number of workers in the construction, mining, and transportation and warehousing industries still use some form of tobacco product, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Citizen ID business area of HID manufactures, designs and implements physical and mobile identity solutions for government to citizen programs around the globe.

Recently I had the pleasure of returning in person to one of my favorite conferences, PSA TEC. Consisting of owners and members of the largest integrator consortium in the world, it is a great place to really hear what is on the minds of systems integrators.

More than ever, the physical and cyber are tied together, both on a business level and on the world stage.

Fire alarm industry experts weigh in on the latest in fire alarm control panel tech, selection, maintenance and installation — and code updates affecting all of the above.

Here's how fine-tuning your LinkedIn company page can help you network and prospect for quality sales leads, and much more.

Successfully driving webinar attendance in the physical security sector involves a multifaceted approach.

Washington – Employees who work with stone countertops are at risk of crystalline silica exposure, and employers should take steps to protect them, OSHA and NIOSH stated Feb. 18 in a joint hazard alert.

Washington — A new guidance document from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is intended to help prevent respiratory illnesses and infections in the workplace.

Melbourne, Australia — A recent study of stone countertop industry workers reveals an “alarmingly high” occurrence of silicosis, indicating that government-mandated screening tests may be inadequate to diagnose the disease.

When asked about their biggest challenge in the coming year, security integrators and manufacturers alike often say the same thing: attracting workers.

After finishing 2022 with a respectable recovery from pandemic upheaval, the fire alarm industry is expected to carry strong momentum through this year and beyond.

IoT, DIY/MIY, cyber security, active shooters — SDM 100 dealers talk about the issues that will have the biggest impact, either positive or negative, on their businesses this year.

The top manufacturers and distributors used by SDM 100 dealers.

Each of these companies not only improved their 2021 RMR by double digit percentage points over 2020, but also moved several spots up on the SDM 100 ranking as a result. 

Kee Walk with Guardrail is an OSHA-compliant rooftop walkway system with an integrated safety railing.

Austin, TX — A perceived growing shortage of commercial motor vehicle drivers and potential changes to hours-of-service rules are the top issues affecting the trucking industry, according to an annual survey conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute.

San Diego — For the second straight year, a driver shortage and hours-of-service rules are the top two issues affecting the trucking industry, according to the results of an annual survey conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute.

San Diego — Several safety-related issues earned a spot on the American Transportation Research Institute’s recently released list of top trucking industry concerns.

Arlington, VA — Wanted: input from trucking industry stakeholders on the most critical issues facing the industry.

Boston — The top five costliest injuries in the construction industry in 2018 had a combined price tag of nearly $9 billion, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index – an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs involving more than five days away from work.

SDM's Top Systems Integrators: SUSTAINED GAINS

Touched by an improved economy in most regions and some expenditure of Homeland Security funds, seven in 10 firms reported in the 10th annual SDM Top Systems Integrators Report

Click to expand and see full integrator rankings. Total annual revenue of nearly $8 billion, built upon more than 61,000 project starts, marked an extremely robust year for the 100

The big splash security systems integrators made in the market during the first three quarters of 2008 was tempered by a fourth quarter that looked more like a quiet ripple

In the security systems integration business, fewer than 20 firms operate globally or nationally. The majority of integrators are regional and local businesses, which depend on construction and spending

The hotter the fire the harder the steel, some say. Tough times often forge resilient businesses with unexpected outcomes — demonstrated by the Top Systems Integrators who turned last year’s challenges into opportunities to retool their offerings. “We are most proud of our ability to getter better every year despite market conditions,” says No. 6 ranked Johnson Controls Inc. 

Do you think your security dealership or systems integration company may qualify to be ranked on the SDM 100 Report or the SDM Top Systems Integrators Report?  Published annually by SDM Magazine, these reports provide an excellent opportunity to market your company to potential customers as one of the industry’s most well-recognized businesses, as well as to attract employees and impress potential investors.

Security systems integrators had expected to pull ahead in 2011, but instead they experienced a dismal first half of the year and a better-by-comparison but still “just average” second half. Following a 4.4 percent drop in 2010, systems integration revenue among the industry’s largest security companies fell yet again — by 3.6 percent in 2011 — leaving many wondering what it would take to get back up to speed. Integrators face sharp curves in the need to quickly adopt IP as the primary infrastructure for security systems, as well as to create business models that offer security as a service.

Revenue classified as North American systems integration revenue rose from $6.29 billion in 2012 to $7.36 billion in 2013 — even though seven fewer companies are included in the report. However, for comparison purposes, SDM measures the top 100 companies’ 2012 integration revenue ($6.25 billion) against the top 100’s 2013 integration revenue ($7.33 billion).

While there has been no shortage of market pressures and disruptive influences on the security business lately, systems integrators nonetheless performed well last year. As a group, the integrators encapsulated in SDM’s 2015 Top Systems Integrators Report didn’t show much growth — just 0.3 percent. But that had more to do with the structure of the report than with the companies’ individual accomplishments in 2014.