Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidance intended to help employers in the retail and service industries protect workers from violence that may occur when they ask customers or co-workers to comply with store policies aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Boston — Grocery store workers who interact with customers may be five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their colleagues who don’t have direct contact with customers, results of a recent study led by researchers from Harvard University show.

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.

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.

Ann Arbor, MI — Most paper receipts at large retailers contain chemicals with possible links to hormone disruption and other adverse health effects, results of a recent study show.

Northampton, England — Prompted by workers’ safety concerns about the quietness of electric forklifts, British researchers are working to develop an audible alert.

The investment, together with AMP’s renewed senior debt facility, provides AMP with a growth capital structure in excess of $60 million.

Washington – NIOSH has scheduled a public meeting on July 31 in Cincinnati to hear comments on a proposed survey about engineered nanomaterials.

Washington – NIOSH recently issued an update to its strategic plan for protecting workers from safety and health hazards associated with nanotechnology.

Washington – The American Industrial Hygiene Association has published a fact sheet that aims to improve safety for workers in the nanotechnology industry.

Can I modify or handwrite GHS pictograms?

Do all chemical containers need GHS labels?

Are HazCom-covered businesses permitted to use and distribute chemicals purchased from foreign suppliers?

What are the best practices, and proactive measures being taken, to ensure chemical safety in the workplace?

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 – 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 a new online portal for employers to submit applications to the agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs.

Emergency24, an Underwriters Laboratory-listed central station that writes its own proprietary software, and BluePoint Alert Solutions, a company that focuses on hardware installation, training and implementation of Rapid Emergency Response Systems (RERS), have partnered to leverage each companies’ capabilities to minimize the impact of crisis situations, such as an active shooter event or natural disaster.

Today, DMP released its new line of alarm communication radios that are FirstNet Ready and approved for use on FirstNet.

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. 

Communication — both with end users and emergency personnel — has always been an essential part of any monitoring business. The methods through which monitoring centers communicate, though, have become incredibly varied.

When I first entered the security industry in 1973, alarm communications were performed by Direct Wire, McCulloh and some high security applications using voice-grade telephone lines configured in “open window” and later “closed window” bridges.

Here’s the good news: Experts predict that within the next four or five years, there will be more than 40 billion IoT devices hard at work — improving the safety, efficiency, reliability and productivity of the world’s enterprises.

Security professionals examine the evolution of analytics in security applications.

For a long time in the physical security industry, there were two camps: the alarm company — based on RMR, and the integrator — based on large onsite systems.

The ISO 9001 certified, U.K.-based manufacturer of network fiber optic transmission products brings a broad line of transmission solutions to the Americas. 

Interface Systems announced WaBa Grill Franchise has chosen Interface Systems’ Restaurant Network-Technology-in-a-Box solution to transform its network and voice infrastructure in over 190 franchise locations.

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.

TouchTone’s partners face a unique challenge: the phasing-out of legacy copper-wire phone lines, informally known as Plain Old Telephone Service or POTS.

According to the announcement, Solis Energy’s commitment to reliable outdoor power solutions aligns with Magos Systems’ advanced AI-powered radar detection technology.

With headquarters in Barneveld, offices in Belgium and Spain, and additional sales forces throughout Europe, Intronics supplies standard stock products as well as customer-specific solutions in and beyond the Benelux region.

Washington — OSHA is revising its Site-Specific Targeting inspection program to update the Form 300A data it requires.

Washington — OSHA is asking for input on leading indicators – how they’re being used and their impact on safety and health management systems.

To learn more about how safety and health metrics can be used more effectively to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, OSHA has asked the National Safety Council to conduct a survey.

Washington — A recent letter of interpretation from OSHA clarifies whether a fatal motor vehicle incident involving an employee would be considered work-related.

Website operators who seek to bind visitors to the terms of an arbitration agreement must make those terms “reasonably conspicuous” under the law.

A man trapped for five days after a fire tore through an apartment building filed a suit seeking compensation to punish the defendant.

A worker claiming unsafe working conditions sought unemployment benefits after quitting is role as a technician with a fire services company.   

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.

A state trooper dispatched to a burglar alarm activation at a warehouse leads to litigation over whether or not the defendant was legally apprehended.

An Illinois state law ensures that individuals are in control of their own biometric data and prohibits private companies from collecting it unless they meet certain consent criteria.

A plaintiff entered into a negotiated plea agreement under which he agreed to reimburse his victim for a video surveillance camera and other security equipment.

Guest columnist James D. Berkeley details why a U.S. federal court dismissed an inventor’s attempt to copyright artwork produced by an image generator he designed.

Before entering the house from the garage, the defendant announced his and the K-9’s presence and ordered anyone in the house to surrender or they would be bitten by the dog.

A court has to decide if a police officer’s actions rise to the level of reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Orlando, FL — Ensuring psychological safety and diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace demands safety professionals’ expertise, skills and practice, according to one expert.

ASSA ABLOY announced the company’s latest GreenCircle Certifications and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for architectural door accessories, which include the following Rockwood Products: locking pull LP3301; MegaTek pulls; MezzoTek pulls; GeoMetek pulls; BandWidth pulls; vandal resistant pull; offset pull and push bar; pull plates including 105x70C, 107x70C, and 111x70C; as well as ASSA ABLOY glass solutions products 4-in. square and tapered door rails, and the PDU8000-3 panic device.

SALTO Systems, a manufacturer of electronic access control solutions, has received carbon-neutral certification across all of its operations. 

Washington — Workers in the trucking and railroad industries filed the most whistleblower complaints in 2017, according to OSHA, prompting the agency to schedule a public meeting on whistleblower issues for industry stakeholders.