Lowell, MA — Keeping workers safe during a disaster – natural or human-caused – is the goal of a new online course from a NIOSH Total Worker Health Center of Excellence.

Arlington, VA – A new, free training module from the Mine Safety and Health Administration aims to aid employer compliance with incident and injury reporting requirements.

Arlington, VA – Seven miners died during the third quarter of 2015, bringing the total death toll through September to 25, according to preliminary data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Athens, OH — Blows to the head are common among performing arts theater personnel but often go unreported by workers who may not understand how serious head injuries are, according to a recent Ohio University study.

Atlanta — Suicide prevention strategies for workers are needed to help mitigate rising workplace suicide rates, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

Washington – U.S. service members deployed to the Middle East may be facing occupational health risks due to a lack of health monitoring and flaws in the Department of Defense’s multiple data storage systems, according to a Government Accountability Office report released June 22.

Charlottesville, VA — Frequent exposure to minor explosions may increase the risk of brain injury and inflammation among members of law enforcement and the military, results of a recent study led by researchers from the University of Virginia show.

Silver Spring, MD — The number of fatal falls to a lower level among construction workers increased from 2011 to 2017 – reflecting a surge in employment – although the rate of such incidents decreased 25%, according to a recent report from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR.

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

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.

Security systems integrators lauded the state of the market in 2015, yet their revenue was down 1 percent overall and among those integrators with which a year-to-year comparison could be made, a significant number — 34 of 82 companies — reported decreased North American systems integration revenue.

As security systems integrators take to the world stage amidst trends such as the commercial Internet of Things, cybercrime and terrorism, they showed their prowess with 14 percent growth in 2016.

Security integrators are benefiting from vital technology innovations that are far greater than just simple upgrades.

Security integrators describe the 2018 market for integrated security systems as “strong,” “hot” and “accelerated” — all apt terms, given that the nation’s largest integrators grew their systems integration revenue by at least 14 percent last year.

Security integrators faced no shortage of curveballs in 2020, but many in the top 100 managed to stay ahead in the count and find successes.

In the face of significant obstacles, the 2022 SDM Top Systems Integrators are demonstrating the resilience, creativity and perseverance that keeps them at the top.

By adapting their sales models, vendor relationships and pricing, the 2023 SDM Top Systems Integrators performed exceptionally well in spite of significant obstacles.

With unprecedented changes in technology and customer expectations driving up demand, the 2024 SDM Top Systems Integrators had a banner year.

Washington — OSHA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will host a public meeting on June 20 to gather information in preparation for a pair of United Nations meetings, the agencies announced in the May 22 Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will host virtual public meetings June 24 in preparation for a pair of United Nations meetings.

Washington — Enhancing California’s workplace heat standard could better protect workers in the state and guide current federal rulemaking on heat stress prevention, a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests.

West Lafayette, IN — At least 83 incidents involving confined spaces in the agriculture industry were documented last year – up 41%, according to an annual report recently released by Purdue University.

Atlanta – Among workers younger than 55, employees in service and blue-collar jobs are more likely to report a history of coronary heart disease or stroke, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Berkeley, CA – Recycling industry employees face “unnecessarily hazardous” conditions on the job, but those conditions can be improved, according to a report released June 23.

New York – Injuries and fatalities are prevalent in the New York City commercial waste industry despite being easily preventable, according to a recent report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

Raleigh, NC — An estimated 781 to 1,484 needlestick-related injuries – a rate of 2.7 per 100 workers – occur annually at solid waste and recycling material recovery facilities, according to a recent report from the Environmental Research and Education Foundation and the Solid Waste Association of North America.

Silver Spring, MD — At least 52 sanitation workers in the United States and Canada died from on-the-job injuries in 2020 – a figure that remained steady from the prior year, according to a recent analysis from the Solid Waste Association of North America.

Washington – The “deterrent effect” of OSHA fines takes a hit when the agency reduces penalties in cases involving willful violations and worker deaths – and OSHA too often agrees to reduce fines in exchange for an employer’s promise to quickly abate hazards, according to a report released June 30 by the Center for Progressive Reform.

Washington – Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has introduced legislation intended to protect employees of companies that perform work for the federal government.

Washington — OSHA received 15% more complaints during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic than it did during the same period in 2019 – but conducted 50% fewer inspections, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit report released March 2.

Washington — Legislation recently introduced by House and Senate Republicans would prohibit the federal government from imposing a fine, fee or tax on workers or employers who don’t comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Chattanooga, TN — Long-term work disability claims for musculoskeletal issues have climbed 40% overall and 62% among men since 2010, and are especially prevalent among workers in occupations that require heavy lifting, repetitive motion or prolonged sitting, a recent analysis from insurance company Unum shows.

Washington — Reusable respirators could prove a “viable option” for health care facilities’ respiratory protection programs, especially in preparation for a public health emergency, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

Boston — Common types of N95 respirators – widely used by health care professionals providing direct care to patients with COVID-19 – can be safely reprocessed up to 25 times to help augment supplies during future pandemics, results of a recent study by Boston researchers suggest.

Washington — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is calling for two separate respiratory protection frameworks – one for workers, and one for the public – amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, in a recently published report.

Robust investment growth in target building segments is expected to drive increased spending through 2023, according to the NSCA’s Electronic Systems Outlook report for Summer 2023.  

In this issue, we present expanded coverage of OSHA’s “Top 10” most cited standards for fiscal year 2023. In addition to the overall Top 10, you’ll find lists for willful and serious violations, OSHA regions and – new for us – a list of which industries have the most citations.

Anchorage, AK – Vessel disasters and falls overboard are the primary hazards experienced by workers in commercial fishing – an industry with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average – according to a recent NIOSH analysis of four U.S. regions.

Washington — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is among four lawmakers calling for Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to address their concerns over OSHA’s responses to a Government Accountability Office report, issued in November, on the health and safety of meat and poultry industry workers.

Washington — Employers in the marijuana industry should provide safeguards to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries, NIOSH states in a recently released Health Hazard Evaluation Program report.

Washington — President Joe Biden on Jan. 22 signed an Executive Order withdrawing a controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed rule that would have permitted line speeds at certain poultry-processing plants to increase to 175 birds a minute from the current 140.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising dairy and poultry facilities to take steps to protect their workers and the public from exposure to bird flu.

West Lafayette, IN – A common procedure used to repair water pipes can release hazardous chemicals into the air and should be re-evaluated for its risks to workers, the public and the environment, according to researchers from Purdue University.

Denver – On the heels of a recent Purdue University study suggesting that a popular method for repairing water pipes can release hazardous chemicals into the air, the National Environmental Health Association will host a one-hour webinar on Oct. 5 to discuss potential risks to workers and the public.

Boston — Falls to a lower level were the leading a cause of fatal worker injuries in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2015, representing nearly 17 percent of the state’s workplace fatalities, according to a report released Oct. 16 by the state’s Department of Public Health.