Arlington, VA — Prompted by a recent incident in which a bulldozer operator working on a surge pile of coal was engulfed and trapped in the machine’s cab when the pile collapsed, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

Washington — A new law permanently restores a recently expired excise tax rate increase on coal production, which will help fund health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.

As we look ahead to the coming year, it is a good opportunity to reflect on the learning moments of 2017 ― the areas where the security industry learned, grew and shifted thinking to better provide products and solutions for buildings of all types, across all industries.

Customers never have to come home to a dark house when the lighting is turned on by this wireless controller.Widely perceived as a residential crime deterrent, lighting is a natural

The Israel Nature & Parks Authority (INPA) is using PowerG™ technology from Visonic Ltd., Tel-Aviv, Israel, a developer and manufacturer of wireless home security and safety systems and components, to enable research that will help protect the griffon vulture population in Israel.

The University of Minnesota’s UMore Park wind energy research site in Rosemount, Minn. is not a typical security installation. In fact, security is only secondary to the needs of this project. Yet, Tom Fuxa, director of sales for Plymouth, Minn.-based Paragon Solutions Group Inc., saw an opportunity to apply security technology to this unique project.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), a living laboratory for researchers to teach, test and study the long-term impact of sustainable practices and technologies, features advanced building controls, sensing technology and management software from Honeywell.

With a nearly 10,000-foot perimeter to secure at its newly constructed solar farm in the Midwest, an independent power producer turned to SmarterFence and SmarterBeam solutions from SmarterSecurity Inc. Systems integrator MidCo Inc. took on the task of installing the solutions to help secure the owner’s investment and operations from intruders to allow the site to be routinely unmanned.

The Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter partnered with CoastalCOMS to install digital cameras networked with Milestone XProtect® Corporate to monitor wave breaks and sand lines.

After experiencing an increase in crime, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad, home to more than 39,000 grad and undergrad students, was in the market for a professional grade CCTV surveillance system to improve the security of its students and assets.

Throughout the channel and around the industry, security just keeps getting greener all the time.

Cincinnati – Night-shift workers have the highest risk for sleep problems compared with all other workers, according to a recent study from NIOSH.

Boston – Women whose jobs require heavy lifting or shift work may experience decreased fertility levels, according to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Hong Kong – Night shift workers are at an increased risk of becoming obese or overweight, according to new research by Chinese and Dutch scientists.

L’Aquila, Italy — A recently released study has linked sleep disorders and burnout to certain aspects of shift work among nurses.

Shift work is a way of life for nearly 15 million Americans, spurring numerous studies that link the practice to health problems and chronic conditions. “It’s really important to recognize these risks, and we need to understand them and we need to treat them,” a leading researcher says.

Toronto — Middle-aged and older shift workers are more likely to be considered frail – particularly women who work rotating shifts, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

Istanbul — A recent study involving female mice shows that only four weeks of shift work-like light patterns were enough to disrupt their biological clock and reduce fertility.

Richland, WA — Spending just three days working a night shift “can knock the body’s biological rhythms off course, disrupting important processes related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation,” researchers from Washington State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory say.

The Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR) is now offering several of its resources in Spanish.

Washington – OSHA and NIOSH have published recommended practices to help tobacco workers and employers avoid a potentially deadly combination of illnesses.

Washington – A recent blog post by NIOSH sheds light on the thought process that goes into choosing the most effective art for safety materials.

Washington – Immigrant workers who report unsafe or unfair work practices would become eligible for a type of visa reserved for victims of criminal activity, under legislation recently reintroduced by House Democrats.

Los Angeles – Latino immigrants and African-American men are most at risk for being injured on the job, according to a study from the University of Southern California.

Washington — Immigrant construction workers employed by small companies do not receive the same amount of safety and health training as their counterparts at larger companies, according to a recent study from NIOSH and the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Albany, NY — Attorneys general from New York, California and Maryland have filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to indefinitely delay a requirement for employers to provide enhanced training intended to protect farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families from exposure to pesticides.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency on June 14 announced its intent to publish a Federal Register notice establishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials, in accordance with 2015 revisions to the federal Agricultural Worker Protection Standard.

Washington — By publishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials after previously resisting the move, the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce risks of injury and illness among employers, farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families, the EPA Office of Inspector General asserts in an audit report released Aug. 30.

Richmond, CA – The Richmond City Council in California recently adopted a resolution to implement recommendations from a Chemical Safety Board interim report on the August 2012 Chevron refinery fire and explosion.

Retail workers experienced a combined injury and illness rate higher than the construction industry in 2016. Experts say top-down commitment is needed to prevent a work environment that values inventory over safety.

Washington — To help keep safe the workers who play a role in getting “gifts from the warehouse to your home” for the holidays, OSHA has published a series for seasonal workplace safety tips and a video – including COVID-19-related guidance.

Falls Church, VA — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among more than a dozen health and safety experts calling on the Biden administration to update and strengthen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to help prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Portland, ME — A new online training course launched by the University of Southern Maine’s Cutler Institute focuses on protecting retail workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Washington — A panel of safety experts and industry and government representatives will talk about training, proper forklift operation and maintenance June 8 as part of a free, virtual National Forklift Safety Day program organized by the Industrial Truck Association and DC Velocity.

Washington — Forklift safety and operator training will be in the spotlight June 14 as part of the ninth annual National Forklift Safety Day, organized by the Industrial Truck Association.

Tampa, FL — COVID-19 mortality rates among adults with lower levels of education who worked in the labor, service and retail industries were nearly five times higher than other groups in 2020, results of a new study by the University of South Florida show.

Iselin, NJ — A recent survey of manufacturing and warehouse employees shows that 75% receive less than 30 minutes of safety training a week, while 20% receive no weekly training.

Vancouver, British Columbia — A new forklift safety video illustrates why the equipment’s operator should be the only rider.

Washington — OSHA will launch a National Emphasis Program “this summer” that will focus on high injury rates in warehouses, agency administrator Doug Parker said June 13.

Washington — OSHA has begun a National Emphasis Program that targets hazards in warehouses, distribution centers and “high-risk” retail establishments.

Parkland parent Andrew Pollack is launching School Safety Grant, a new organization that awards security technology solutions in school districts across America with the objective of saving response time and lives in an emergency. 

Traditional security and the smart home are the same. There — I’ve said it. Our industry likes to see them as different, but for someone growing up now, without any preconceptions of alarm systems, they all just look like a lot of gadgets for the home.  So what does this mean for the smart home and traditional alarm monitoring?

This program provides the flexibility and cost structure alarm dealers and residential integrators need to grow their business, while delivering the technology new homebuyers demand.

The self-paced program is designed to prepare individuals for obtaining their alarm contractor license and serves as a Level One equivalent certification.

Washington – Designating a single government agency to direct safety, health and environmental research efforts on nanomaterials could help accelerate progress, a new National Research Council report suggests.

Washington – A national strategy implemented in 2011 to provide guidance to federal agencies on nanotechnology and occupational safety has led to the collection of workplace exposure assessment data and exposure control strategy resources, according to a report released June 25.

Washington – NIOSH has announced the launch of a consortium to expand guidance and research on occupational health and safety related to nanotechnology.

Washington — As emerging technologies continue to impact the workplace, NIOSH is keeping a watchful eye on whether these new materials and processes will create new on-the-job hazards.

Silver Spring, MD — A new e-tool from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training is intended to help manufacturers, distributors and importers of products that contain nanomaterials strengthen their Safety Data Sheets.