Morgantown, WV – Despite robbery-related violence being the leading cause of death in the retail industry, many Texas convenience store owners fail to take precautions that could prevent robberies and protect workers from violence, according to a new NIOSH study.

Washington — NIOSH has published its National Occupational Research Agenda for Wholesale and Retail Trade, as well as its NORA for Traumatic Injury Prevention – both intended to spotlight the research, information and actions most needed to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.

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. 

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.

Washington – The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General is currently conducting audits of three OSHA programs, with two other audits planned, OIG stated in its semiannual report to Congress.

Washington – The second of two public meetings to discuss how OSHA can “reshape” its Voluntary Protection Programs is scheduled for Aug. 28 in New Orleans.

Washington – OSHA has stated that it will change some of the processes in its Voluntary Protection Programs, after a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit uncovered several weaknesses in recording and reporting systems involving contract workers.

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

Rave Collaborate addresses needs unmet by traditional incident management solutions with an intuitive tool to coordinate preparedness and response for both planned activities and unplanned emergencies. 

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

Guardian Alarm announced the launch of the MyGuardianAlarm mobile app, a new technology tool that provides convenience and control for home and small business owners.

This new service includes tunneling and full network management for cameras, NVRs, alarm panels and other devices with built-in cyber security site isolation and automated AI VPN credentialing.

A woman alleged a defective smoke alarm led to severe burns on her hand while frying chicken. An appellate court decided otherwise.

A decision recently rendered in Illinois involved a requirement that a property be retrofitted with an automatic sprinkler system. The municipality had previously mandated that commercial buildings be retrofitted with the fire/life safety solutions. The ordinance excluded multiple residence dwellings from the retrofit sprinkler requirement.

In Michigan, an arsonist set the plaintiff’s liquor store on fire.

Under a new proposed rule, the FTC would ban employers from saddling workers with non-compete agreements that prohibit them from working at competitors. 

Following the unfortunate death of a woman who had activated a PERS alarm, a jury will decide the damages. 

Kansas City, MO – OSHA has launched a pilot program targeted at employers in Region 7 who “engage in egregious behavior and blatant retaliation against workers who report unsafe working conditions and violations of the law.”

San Francisco – OSHA has launched a pilot program in its Western region that allows whistleblowers protected by certain statutes to request that the agency stop an investigation and release findings to the Office of Administrative Law Judges.

Washington — The adequacy of OSHA’s future pandemic planning and the effectiveness of the agency’s National Emphasis Program on COVID-19 may be evaluated this fiscal year by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Convergint will integrate Alcatraz AI's Rock X facial authentication solution into its security systems, enhancing global enterprise access control with advanced AI technology.

Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are the two most dangerous heat-related illnesses, according to OSHA.

The Foundation Series is a complete, off-the-shelf fire detection solution featuring addressable and non-addressable models, and a full range of Autocall devices.

Kidde said the new series will be constantly updated to improve the user experience. The series features pluggable connectors on modules and call points, a quick removable door and quick removable chassis.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program has authorized Genetec as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA) .

ONVIF working groups are subsets of the ONVIF Technical Committee and Technical Services Committee, and any ONVIF member company at the full or contributing membership level is encouraged to participate in this work. 

In this blast from the past, Dave Engebretson revisits a column from December 2014 on 3D Audio

Oulu, Finland — Premature menopause can limit how long women stay in the workforce, results of a recent study by Finnish researchers shows.

Washington – NIOSH and the California Department of Public Health have collaborated on a video intended to protect oil and gas extraction workers from deadly hazards linked to manual gauging and fluid sampling on production tanks.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement recently unveiled a free text message alert system that delivers the agency’s safety alerts and bulletins to offshore oil and gas workers on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding miners working near oil and gas wells to remain aware that “an inadvertent intersection with one of these wells” could be hazardous.

Washington — In response to the death of a drillship worker who lacked formal training on using a hydraulic torque wrench, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a safety alert.

The Paxton Tech Tour is a free half-day commercial and technical experience that gives security installers and integrators an opportunity to see live product demos and get hands-on with Paxton’s extensive product line.

Arlington, VA – The American Transportation Research Institute, the research arm of the American Trucking Associations, has launched a website on commercial motor vehicle operator fatigue management.

Gaithersburg, MD — “In many buildings, ventilation is often misunderstood or infrequently assessed,” says the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has created an online tool designed to help determine indoor air quality.

Washington — Recently reintroduced legislation would allow certain workers to annually accrue up to 56 hours of job-protected paid sick leave.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

Gaithersburg, MD — Wear and tear in firefighters’ protective clothing may lead to an increased release of chemicals linked to cancer, according to a new study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The AXION eyePOD faucet-mounted eyewash offers a medically superior way to remove eye contaminants. The eyePOD turns an existing faucet into an ANSI-approved eyewash with the flick of a wrist.

The Halo Swing-Activated Faucet and Eyewash combines a gooseneck faucet for regular use with a built-in emergency eyewash featuring Halo technology. In an emergency, the eyewash is immediately activated when it is swung out 90 degrees over the sink.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a Spanish-language online training course on bloodborne pathogens for health care, emergency response, hospitality and other industries.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA has launched a state emphasis program aimed at identifying and reducing exposures to indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration must make improvements to its oversight of state pipeline safety programs, concludes an audit released May 7 by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

Washington — Developments in automation in the transportation industry have prompted a pair of Requests for Information from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

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.

Washington – Automobile dealerships should remain exempt from OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping requirements, the National Automobile Dealers Association stated during a March 26 meeting officials from OSHA and the Office of Management and Budget.

Arlington, VA — The Stand Down to Save Lives, set for May 17, is an “opportunity for mine owners and operators to share safety measures that can prevent injuries and deaths.”

Arlington, VA – Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors will be visiting mines to conduct “walk and talks” with miners and mine operators, the agency has announced.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has reopened the comment period on a Request for Information on ways to monitor and regulate miner exposure to diesel exhaust in underground mines.