Washington — A “fundamental shift” is needed in the mining industry’s approach to coal dust exposure to help mitigate a surge in black lung disease among underground coal miners, according a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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.

What environmental, health and safety processes can integrate with the “incidents application” to reduce the number of an organization’s incidents quickly and effectively?

Once you’ve finished an incident investigation, how do you use investigation data to prevent similar incidents from occurring again?

Lansing, MI — Service sector workers with irregular schedules often experience greater levels of stress and exhaustion, according to a recent report.

Washington – The ruptured steel pipe at the center of the 2012 hydrocarbon release and fire at the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. refinery in Richmond, CA, was corroded and should have been replaced, concludes a report released by the Chemical Safety Board and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board is scheduled to host a public meeting on April 19 in Richmond, CA, to present interim findings and safety recommendations from the investigation of the hydrocarbon release and fire at a Chevron refinery.

Washington – Failure to apply inherently safer design principles, conduct damage mechanism hazard reviews and implement safeguards led to the hydrocarbon release and fire at a Chevron refinery in August 2012, concludes a draft report from the Chemical Safety Board.

Richmond, CA – Agencies tasked with overseeing refinery safety in California need better coordination and stronger regulation, concludes a new report from the state’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety.

Richmond, CA – Chemical Safety Board members unanimously approved a set of recommendations as part of the agency’s third and final report on a fire and vapor release that affected thousands of residents near a Chevron refinery in 2012.

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles garment manufacturing industry – the nation’s largest cut-and-sew apparel base – is “plagued by workplace violations and marked by a lack of worker protections,” according to a new report released by the Garment Worker Center, the UCLA Labor Center and UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health.

New York — Retail employees injured on the job miss an average of 24 days of work as a result, according to recent report from AmTrust Financial Services Inc., an insurance provider for small businesses.

New York — Workers in the manufacturing, warehousing, construction and transportation industries need better support for their mental and emotional needs, results of a recent survey suggest.

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 – OSHA lacks sufficient controls to ensure worksites in the Voluntary Protection Programs maintain “exemplary occupational safety and health systems,” according to a Dec. 16 report from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Washington – Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez voiced his support for OSHA cooperative programs, as well as the need to increase the agency’s penalty limits, during a March 18 House hearing on the Department of Labor’s budget request for fiscal year 2016.

Washington — OSHA has a new online portal for employers to submit applications to the agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs.

Keeping video surveillance systems up and running can be challenging — in large part because not everything needed to keep the camera functioning properly is under the control of the security integrator.

Alula announced the launch of its new Alula Pro Training Portal.

Genetec Inc. announced that the company unified security platform has been chosen by Brazil’s Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianópolis (Floripa), to manage its physical security infrastructure, and provide operational insights.

Miami — Temporary construction workers face “unique barriers” to reporting injuries and near misses, according to researchers from the University of Miami and the NIOSH-funded Occupational Safety and Health Program at the Florida Department of Health.

Washington — OSHA is withdrawing the non-recordkeeping portions of its emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 focused on health care workers, the agency announced Dec. 27.

Washington — OSHA is reminding employers to submit their 2021 Form 300A by March 2.

Harrisburg, PA — A new website launched by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute will help track struck-by incidents involving first responders on the nation’s roadways.

Boca Raton, FL — Management commitment, communication and the setting of clear expectations are common elements of successful return-to-work programs for injured employees, according to a new report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

Washington — OSHA is reminding employers of the upcoming window to submit 2022 Form 300A data.

“Women seem to have to work harder to prove their knowledge of the subject matter even when they might have more knowledge and experience than a male,” one expert says.

Washington – Current laws fail to protect workers from retaliation for reporting their employer for health and safety hazards, concludes a new report from the Center for Effective Government.

Washington – OSHA and the Department of Transportation should increase collaboration to protect whistleblowers in the transportation industry, concludes a report released March 19 by the Government Accountability Office.

Mission 500, a charitable nonprofit organization engaging security professionals to assist families in crisis across the USA, will announce the winners of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Humanitarian Awards at ISC West today, Thursday, March 30. The ceremony will take place at The Bridge Stage – Booth #25063 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Barrier1 Systems is showcasing a lineup of crash-rated barriers at ISC West 2024 in Booth 4109.

CPI Security has already sent over 75 employees who have volunteered over 1,000 hours for hurricane relief efforts.

As malicious actors use AI to increase the volume and velocity of their attacks, leaders believe these threats will be harder for their employees to spot, according to the Fortinet survey.

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.

The flip side of the cybersecurity problem is the opportunity to offer cyber-related services.  

Summer may be winding down and security is not always known for its lighter side, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun of our own that doesn’t rely on the weather at all.

School security is a growing problem with no easy answers. But security integrators need to be trusted advisors to help their education customers navigate this extremely complex issue.

Diversity, equity and inclusion is a key initiative that can help the security industry with its talent shortage.

The convergence of technology and an aging population seems to make personal emergency response systems (PERS) a perfect fit for integrators to grow RMR. But use cases go far beyond the elderly.

Many are intrigued with some of the changes that have been introduced and adopted toward consistent services through the COVID-19 pandemic — everything from changes to business logistics to actually augmenting UL standards to accommodate work-from-home (WFH) staffing.

Z-Wave said certification is paramount when it comes to the future of connected IoT devices.

As computer and network technology continues to burrow into the devices we depend on for daily connectivity, there is a clear and present danger for all connected devices

AirGuard is a next-generation portable breathing air system that meets NFPA and OSHA Grade D breathing air requirements.

Kansas City, MO – The baby boomer generation now comprises a large portion of the U.S. workforce, and this aging workforce will become a driving factor in increased employee injury costs in the next two decades, according to a new report from risk management company Lockton.

Portland, OR — Older workers feel more stress than their younger colleagues when employers don’t provide the support and resources necessary for employees to do their jobs well, results of a recent study from Portland State University suggest.

Hartford, CT — Employers need to pay close attention to new and aging employees to help prevent workplace injuries, according to a report from insurance provider The Travelers Cos.

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

Remote video monitoring is advocated as a critical solution for addressing labor shortages and enhancing operational efficiency within the security industry, highlighting its evolution and economic advantages over traditional security guarding methods.

Boulder, CO – Researchers are calling on Colorado to require reporting of all fires and explosions in the state’s oil and gas industry, after an analysis showed an incident rate significantly lower than that of neighboring Utah, where reporting is mandatory.