Austin, TX – Shorter words and sentences, clearer headings, and less jargon are among the changes the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation has made to its form letters for injured employees.

Cambridge, MA — Beginning physical therapy days, rather than weeks, after suffering a low back injury is associated with better outcomes, according to the results of a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Cambridge, MA — Workers who receive larger quantities of opioids shortly after an injury, as well as those who are prescribed higher doses, are at increased risk of longer-term opioid use, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has published a plain language glossary intended to make workers’ comp insurance easier to understand.

Waltham, MA — Injured workers are more likely to experience psychosocial risk factors that can lead to “poorer functional recovery,” according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

The PipeMarker V8 is a new software program for Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 that features the K-Sun PEARLabel 400iXL, a 300-dpi, wide-format thermal transfer printer.

Working with chemicals and solvents in the workplace can expose workers to a host of health hazards. Being properly trained in how to handle these hazardous materials is vital.

Painters commonly use products such as paint strippers that may contain toxic, flammable or combustible chemicals.

Montreal – Scientific research organization IRSST has released a free online resource intended to help identify workplace musculoskeletal disorder risks and avoid injuries related to material handling.

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has approved two alternatives for complying with its rules on scissor lifts.

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association has published an online guidance document to promote the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries on planes.

The DiSCmini is the smallest handheld instrument for the measurement of nanoparticles. It measures particle number, average particle diameter and lung-deposited surface area with time resolution and logging at one second (1 Hz).

A Wi-Fi battery is now available for the Ventis Pro5 Multi-Gas Monitor for customers in the United States and Canada.

The External Pump is a single-button motorized sampling pump that gives any Gas Clip diffusion detector (single-gas and multi-gas) the ability to take remote samples from up to 75 feet away, drawing in air at 2 feet per second.

Designed for industrial and environmental monitoring, NextPM is a high-specification particulate matter sensor. It features advanced technical innovations that enable ultraprecise measurements to be obtained, even in extreme climatic conditions.

Honeywell announced a new training and certification program to help integrators become proficient with the company’s Pro-Watch® Integration Kit, a software development kit designed to create smarter buildings that fold security into building management functions.

 Leviton announced its OmniTouch 7 touchscreen was recognized by the Consumer Electronics Association's TechHome Division with the 2014 Mark of Excellence (MOE) Award of Human Interface of Product of the Year.  

The National Safety Council suggests employers relay the following information to employees to help reduce workplace incidents when handling and moving materials.

The Monitoring Association (TMA), along with co-sponsor SDM, unveiled the 2020 Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners for Monitoring Center of the Year, Manager of the Year, Operator of the Year and Support Person of the Year. 

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Excellence Awards. This year’s awards were presented virtually on Monday, April 25 by TMA President Morgan Hertel and the award sponsor, SDM Magazine.

SDM will publish a feature story on this year’s TMA Excellence Awards winners in its August emagazine and online.

Washington — Stakeholders now have until Nov. 29 to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s process for determining whether truck and bus companies are able to operate safely.

Blacksburg, VA — Researchers at Virginia Tech have launched a project aimed at boosting the effectiveness of dust scrubbers in underground mining to enhance dust control and improve miner safety.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has determined that the annual training requirements outlined in its Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines rule supply “an experience sufficient to enable miners to apply their knowledge, other training and available written instruction to effectively use the refuge alternative in an emergency.”

Arlington, VA — Criteria for the certification of coal mine rescue teams will “remain in effect, without changes,” the Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Sept. 1, after completing a requisite review under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Energy-saving light control manufacturer Lutron Electronics announced that its Washington, D.C. Commercial Experience Center was awarded LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing buildings.

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.

Reliability and redundancy and energy efficiency were critical when eBay selected the fire and life safety systems for its new Tier IV level data center in South Jordan, Utah. Because maintaining and operating this $287 million data center is an absolute necessity, fire and life safety systems help meet the important goal of continuous operation and mission continuity.

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.

Legrand, North America has installed a 500kW, solid-oxide fuel cell system to provide cleaner and more efficient power to its headquarters in West Hartford, Conn. The Fuel Cell will sit adjacent to the company’s corporate offices and Wiremold manufacturing facility, and is expected to produce up to 88 percent of the electricity to every building on its 263,000-square-foot, 100-year-old campus.

Guildford, England – Women are more likely than men to be affected by the adverse ramifications of shift work, a new study out of England suggests.

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

San Diego — Eating within set times while not skipping meals can reduce the cardiovascular health risks of firefighters and other shift workers, results of a recent study show.

Chicago — If you’re unable to get more than six hours of sleep a night in the week before and after getting a vaccine, researchers say its effectiveness may be reduced – something shift workers should keep in mind.

Melbourne, Australia — Shift work and long hours can significantly raise the risk of preterm birth for pregnant workers, according to the results of a recent study.

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

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 – The Chemical Safety Board is including Spanish language translations of some of its safety materials, the independent agency announced Nov. 20.

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.

Información Rápida (Quick Information) will feature regular updates on workplace safety and workers’ rights.

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.

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.

Washington – California should strengthen its process safety management regulations for refineries, the Chemical Safety Board stated in a final report on a fire at a Chevron refinery in 2012.

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.

Vancouver, British Columbia — Protecting workers from struck-by injuries related to heavy equipment or vehicles is the goal of new employed-aimed resources from the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia.

This year’s Monitoring Center Excellence Awards looked a bit different than usual. While the awards have historically been announced live at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) annually held in the summer, due to COVID-19 the in-person awards were canceled, along with ESX.

Interface Security Systems, a managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, announced that El Pollo Loco, one of the nation’s fastest growing restaurant chains that specializes in fire grilled chicken, is relying on Interface's managed video verified alarms and intrusion alarm monitoring to reliably detect intrusions and minimize false alarms.

Whenever a natural disaster or tragedy strikes, many invoke the words of popular children’s television host Fred Rogers, told to him by his mother: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” For these Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners, the helpers are in the central station, helping all the time, even when they’re off the clock.

Ten innovations that can add pizzazz to your interactive services for residential users.