Wetness, ground frost or wet leaves increase the risk of accidents and falls on construction sites. However, accidents caused by tripping or slipping can lead to serious injuries and unexpectedly long downtimes.

Walk and stand safely

Depending on the weather, paths must therefore be gritted with salt to prevent slipping hazards. This also applies to scaffolding, walkways and stairs. In addition, safety shoes with a strong tread prevent slipping. Rain and wetness, for example, not only make for a slippery surface: In the case of slope edges, heavy rain can also affect stability.

The BG Bau advocates above all bright and reflective warning clothing. This is the be-all and end-all in winter. Such workwear can prevent accidents and save lives in poor visibility conditions or in the dark. However, this should above all be luminous and reflective and class 2 or even better class 3. A waterproof and windproof weather protection clothing additionally protects against respiratory or joint diseases at low temperatures.

The right light

Artificial light sources ensure greater safety. For this reason, companies on construction sites must also ensure uniform illumination of all workplaces. Lighting with a wide beam or aysmmetric light distribution is ideal. According to BG Bau, traffic routes must be illuminated with at least 20 lux. Work areas, however, require up to 500 lux, BG Bau said. This can be achieved by using a different light color or brighter illuminance, it adds. In addition, light sources should be regularly maintained and cleaned to guarantee reliable use.

In summary, the BG Bau checklist contains four points: The workplace and traffic routes should be cleared and freed of leaves. In addition, weather-proof shoes with a strong anti-slip tread should be used. Clothing should also be adapted to the weather conditions. Ideally, protective clothing in the fall should be reflective, but also water- and wind-repellent. In addition, the construction site should be sufficiently illuminated.

Source: BG Bau/editorial office

Researchers led by Empa researcher Ivan Shorubalko have developed a cost-effective miniaturization process for IR spectrometers based on a quantum dot photodetector. The highlight: the solution can be integrated on a single chip. Details were published in Nature Photonics.

Ultra compact design

The new spectrometer has a wide spectral bandwidth and a moderate spectral resolution of 50 cm^-1 with a total active volume of the spectrometer of less than 100 by 100 by 100 micrometers. This ultra-compact design of the spectrometer allows optical-analytical measurement instruments to be integrated relatively quickly and easily into consumer electronics and space equipment.

"The monolithic integration of IR photodetectors in the subwavelength range has enormous implications for the scaling of Fourier transform waveguide spectrometers. However, our design could also be used for miniaturized Raman spectrometers, for biosensors and 'Lab-on-a-Chip'devices and for the development of high-resolution hyperspectral cameras," says Shorubalko.

Way for wider use

The miniaturization of infrared spectrometers is enabling wider use in consumer electronics, such as smartphones for food inspection, detection of hazardous chemicals, air pollution monitoring, and portable electronic devices. They can be used for quick and easy detection of certain chemicals without the need for laboratory equipment. In addition, they can be useful for detecting counterfeit drugs and greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2.

Source: Press release/Empa

Individualization and work-life balance bring new needs, but working and living with people from different nations also influences us. Many changes are also taking place through digitalization, i.e. with the use of new applications and media. Technological progress not only challenges us with its speed, but also influences the way we work.

Strategic Facility Management

Following the "Top Trends in FM" (CBRE 2019). the focus is on relationships, digitalization, people and business models for facility management. Long-term relationships based on partnership are becoming more and more crucial in order to cope with constant change with constantly increasing and changing requirements. Competition demands good benchmarks and the right KPIs, which requires good data structure and transparency. This leads us to digitalization. The fact that the focus is increasingly on people is based on individualization and sustainability: two topics that place great demands on our organization and processes. These first three top trends lead us to the fourth trend in FM: the reorientation towards flexibility requires a new strategy, new business models. "Simpler, more modular and more transparent" is the focus.

As facility managers, being collaborative, forward-thinking and technically savvy helps us to actively contribute our expertise and actively influence change.

Status quo: FM and the market

According to "FM Monitor 2019" by pom+ digitization in the FM industry is progressing only slowly. "The FM industry is only moderately infected by the digitalization hype. According to the survey, the use of digital technologies in the industry is stagnating at a low level. Only decentralized energy technologies are showing signs of progress. Of the twelve technologies distinguished in the survey, the greatest investment is currently being made in BIM and decentralized energy technologies." This clearly shows that the transformation will take time and that incentive models may also be lacking.

The majority of the education market has already reacted. The new technologies are being incorporated into higher education in real estate and facility management. But where do we stand in operations? The current study "FMgoesDigi" on the status of digitization in FM at the European level, which the facility management associations of Switzerland, IFMA and fmpro also supported, shows a mixed picture. Most "in use" are CAFM tools with 64.7 % and applications for mobile devices with 52.6 %.

What does digitization enable us to do, especially with new buildings?

For facility management, digital construction (BIM) reveals a good possibility and opportunity to exert influence in the planning and realization phase. The BIM method makes it possible to obtain information from a new building or conversion more directly and comprehensively. This is also reflected in the BIM dimensions, which support us to think as broadly as possible and to realize and use the advantages of digitization:

• 3D modeling ⇒ digital building, visualization
• 4D construction time analysis ⇒ time, thinking ahead
• 5D Cost analysis ⇒ Price allocation: real estate and movables
• 6D Sustainability ⇒ long-term, flexible
• 7D Life cycle ⇒ Facility management, materials
• 8D Safety ⇒ Risk and safety management
• 9D lean construction ⇒ process optimization
• 10D industrialized construction ⇒ Improve productivity

Buildings are constructed for 30-60 years and must withstand use during this time without expensive conversions. The key to effective facility management in a new building is to think of future-oriented solutions and concepts. These use standardization to reduce complexity, focus on the "multi-use" of the space and ensure a high level of customer benefit by means of modelable process design. With these prerequisites, the FM accompanying planning and construction can exert a great influence in building projects, set the corresponding requirements, e.g. also with regard to fire protection, at an early stage and monitor these during the planning and realization phase.

What can future FM solutions and concepts look like?

An already widespread concept is impersonal checkrooms for employees with automatic issue and return of service clothing. These are well placed near the streetcar stops and two-wheeler parking spaces and a short distance from the workplaces.

Other examples of how digitization can support the defined goals include the following

• Service robots for ad hoc transports where long presence times with high availability make personnel deployment too expensive
• Standardized material supply systems on the various departments, in which RFID digitally supports the ordering system and stock levels can be optimized by means of system evaluations
• Asset tracking, which enables interdisciplinary use of medical technology equipment across different departments and displays the location of the equipment at all times
• Touchless access systems with palm vein or facial recognition, which increase security because authorization by passing on visual IDs is no longer possible

Responsibility and added value FM

In the case of new buildings, the owner ideally commissions the user representatives to draw up an operating concept (functional specification) and the facility manager to supplement this concept with the FM concepts and processes. After the competition, the general planner is commissioned with the planning and realization of the new building on the basis of the specifications. The FM accompanying the planning and construction (pbFM) ensures that the requirements in the functional specification are met and supports the user or operator in further specification (materialization, process testing). The pbFM consults internal specialists such as the fire safety officer for all questions, specifications and tests.

The cooperation between architects, specialist planners and facility management managers still shows some deficits. On the FM side, the potential of technological progress is only slowly being perceived. Those responsible for the various FM disciplines often still think in their silos, and the benefits of integral FM, especially in today's economic environment, still need to be built up in many places. Greater collaboration across the various disciplines also strengthens shared expertise and argumentation vis-à-vis construction planning, which focuses on investment rather than lifecycle costs. For architects and professional planners, standardization and flexibility should be a much higher priority to ensure customer focus over the lifetime of a building. Ongoing training of all project participants is particularly valuable in order to use digitization correctly.

Technology is changing our processes significantly. To ensure that this takes place in a planned and well-structured manner, it is very important to align the facility management strategy with the company's digitization strategy. With the right use of technology, we gain competitive advantages.

Presentation excerpt "Strategic FM - Trends in New Construction", GVZ Conference Fire Protection 2022

This technical article appeared in the printed issue SicherheitsForum 4-2022. You want to read the articles of this issue? Then close right away here a subscription.

Around 100,000 full-time employees in Switzerland work in the field of electrical installations. They do this as employees of electricity, electrical installation and electrical control companies, as company electricians in industry and commerce, and as instructors in schools and companies. They know that electricity is very dangerous because it is invisible, noiseless and odorless. If we feel it, it is usually already too late.

The risk of losing one's life in an electrical accident is 50 times higher than in other accidents. Nevertheless, the "5 + 5 vital rules for dealing with electricity" are repeatedly applied only half-heartedly or even ignored - especially when dealing with low voltage. The consequences are fatal: Every year, the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (Esti) receives around 500 electrical accidents reported. Almost 99 percent of these are occupational accidents, and nine out of ten occur in the supposedly "harmless" low-voltage environment. Between 2007 and 2016, 450 people were seriously injured in occupational electrical accidents. 18 even lost their lives, 14 of them in low-voltage accidents!

When does electricity become dangerous?

The severity of injuries in an electrical accident depends on the current intensity and the exposure time. The current strength results from the voltage and the contact resistance. The latter, in turn, depends on the type of contact surface (clothing, skin thickness and moisture) and the conductivity of the substrate (rubber soles, parquet, moist soil). Therefore, an electrostatic discharge of the carpet is harmless despite 30,000 volts - because the energy is tiny. On the other hand, just approaching a high-voltage device with also 30,000 volts is life-threatening - because a voltage flashover (arc) and thus a high current flow are imminent.

Depending on the individual physiology, the human body resistance is 700 to 1000 ohms. Accordingly, as little as 50 volts is sufficient to cause a life-threatening current of 50 mA (milliamperes) to flow. But even much lower currents of 10 mA or more can be fatal. From this "release limit," muscle spasms triggered by the current tie the victim to the conductor. The duration of exposure increases and with it the severity of the injuries.

When to see the doctor?

Particularly insidious is that the damage provoked by electricity is often not immediately noticeable. Electricity can shift the electrolyte balance, causing the heart's impulse to become increasingly unstable over a period of hours - until it stumbles, fibrillates or stops. Therefore, it is imperative that any person who has been electrocuted be taken to a hospital or doctor - even if they appear to be fine. If the victim complains of palpitations, heart palpitations, shortness of breath or a cramping sensation in the chest after the shock, the emergency services must be called immediately anyway.

Main cause of accidents: rules violated

The main cause of electrical accidents is primarily the disregard of the "5 + 5 vital rules". In addition, there is a lack of technical knowledge, time constraints, distraction, lack of clarity about the condition of an installation, as well as incompetence or the wrong tools. According to Esti statistics, about half of all accidents could have been prevented by consistently following the safety rules for de-energized work. Most electrical accidents in the low-voltage range could be prevented by installing circuit breakers.

Supervisors must exercise their leadership responsibility and consistently enforce that the "5 + 5 rules" are applied without exception - just as much in the training of unskilled workers as of seasoned professionals.

What to do in case of an electrical accident?

• Observe self-protection. The victim may be under power.
• For low voltage (whichever is faster and safer): Remove victim from circuit with non-conductive object (e.g., broom handle, wooden slat) and move out of danger area or interrupt current flow (unplug, remove fuse).
• In case of high voltage: Keep your distance, call emergency services. Any approach is life-threatening until the current is cut off.
• In case of unconsciousness, dizziness, chest pain or rapid heartbeat: Check breathing and heartbeat. In case of cardiac or respiratory arrest, apply artificial respiration and chest compressions immediately and until the arrival of the rescue service.
• In the absence of the above symptoms: Cool any burns and go to hospital.
• In case of secondary injuries (e.g. fractures, bruises): Take immediate measures and consult a doctor

Useful guide

Instruction film for electricians

A new federal tax is now to take into account the lower harmfulness potential of e-cigarettes and is therefore to be set at a lower rate than for classic tobacco cigarettes. Normal reusable e-cigarettes are to be subject to tobacco tax only in the case of liquids containing nicotine. The proposed tax rate for these products is 20 centimes per millimeter of liquid. For so-called "disposables" or e-cigarettes for single use, the tax rate is one franc per millimeter of liquid.

According to the federal government, the tax rates on reusable e-cigarettes were deliberately set low so that smokers willing to quit would not be discouraged from using electronic cigarettes as a means of quitting. The higher taxation of disposable vapor devices is intended to have an effect above all on the protection of young people.

In 2021, Parliament originally adopted the motion to draw up the legal basis. With the dispatch that has now been adopted, the Federal Council has submitted a corresponding draft decree to parliament.

Source: Federal Council/Editorial Office

Biometric data is highly sensitive information because it can uniquely identify people. However, beneficial facial, voice and speech biometrics require clear legal frameworks. In a study, researchers at the Foundation for Technology Assessment (TA-Swiss) advocate a series of recommendations to create a trustworthy use of biometric technologies.

Technologies such as voice, speech and facial recognition have made enormous progress in recent years. With the help of facial recognition, for example, security in public spaces can be increased because it also facilitates the search for missing or fugitive persons. However, constant real-time data analysis can also impair personal freedom and lead to surveillance.

Promote social debate

The research group believes that all facial recognition systems should be evaluated regularly. This should be done by independent experts. If possible, the corresponding reports should be made available to the general public. It is also important to regularly train the personnel who use the technologies, so that they are aware of the protective measures they need to take to safeguard the rights of the population. It is also important to promote an ongoing social debate on the opportunities, risks, and ethical challenges of facial recognition by the police and its democratic legitimacy.

Data processing only on the device

Among the most important recommendations, TA-Swiss counts the demand for more transparency about the purposes and processing of personal data. In addition, it should be ensured that manufacturers can obtain explicit and informed consent from users for every program function and all subsequent changes. Users should be able to delete their own data easily. In addition, data processing must be promoted directly on the device and not in the manufacturer's cloud.

In this respect, the study underscores the character of biometric data as personal data requiring special protection. Thus, an analysis of biometric data could also reveal highly personal information such as the current state of health. As a result, more and more data is being accumulated about individual people. With artificial intelligence, there is a risk of discrimination against certain groups of people on the basis of their gender, skin color and age. In addition, so-called false positives could not always be ruled out in the recognition process, since the analyses are based on probabilities.

The complete study of TA-Swiss analyzes a total of eight application examples, including authentication by voice in telephone banking, violence prevention in sports stadiums, early detection of physical and mental illness, emotion recognition, attention analysis at schools, and everyman identification.

Source: TA-Swiss, editorial office

Codex Alimentarius is a set of United Nations food safety and food product quality standards first issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963. Codex coordinates fair trade in food at the international level and ensures the protection of consumer health using uniform standards. The Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice "General Principles of Food Hygiene" is affected by some important adaptations which also have an impact on EU and Swiss food law, in particular concerning the topics "HACCP" and "food safety culture".

Dr. Evelyn Kirchsteiger-Meier, ZHAH lecturer, shed light on these changes at the Wädenswil Food Law Conference. The revised version of the globally recognized procedural rule has been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission since September 2020.

Adjustments of the work steps

The elaboration and implementation of HACCP systems according to Codex Alimentarius is carried out by means of twelve working steps, respectively seven HACCP principles. The sequence of these work steps or principles has not been changed due to the broad international dissemination of the procedural rule. However, the names of some of the steps have been changed in order to emphasize the need to validate the elements of the HACCP system. The food business operator should therefore, in accordance with the specifications in the procedural rule, develop a "proof" based on scientific criteria concerning:

• Plausibility of the identified potential hazards
• Traceability of the hazard analysis and the identification of CCPs in the process under consideration.
• Correct CCP limits
• Effectiveness of the defined monitoring and corrective measures
• Adequacy of the verification measures
• Appropriateness of the documentation

The need for validation of the elements of the HACCP system is mentioned in work step 8 (principle 3) as well as in work step 11 (principle 6). In the 2003 version of the Code of Practice, validation was not explicitly mentioned in the titles of the mentioned work steps/principles, so the related requirements could easily be overlooked. With the 2020 version of the Code of Practice, the requirements for validation have now been more explicitly stated and accentuated.

Legal effectiveness

As far as the legal anchoring of the Codex amendments mentioned is concerned, it must be noted that the amendments concerning HACCP have not yet been incorporated into food law, neither at the level of EU law nor in Swiss food law. In particular, the accentuation of the validation of elements of the HACCP system would have to be laid down in food law, because the seven HACCP principles are legally anchored and the adjustments concerning HACCP validation are already apparent in the description of the corresponding HACCP principles:

• Principle 3: "Establish validated critical limits for each CCP".
• Principle 6: "Validation of the HACCP Plan and Verification Procedures".

However, even without a change in legislation to date, it is recommended that the HACCP adaptations be taken into account in the operational HACCP systems, for example with regard to definitions or the accentuation of HACCP validation.

As far as the food safety culture is concerned, it can be stated that the requirements are still open to interpretation; nevertheless, it is a remarkable process that elements belonging to the establishment of a management system and to organizational development are now laid down both at Codex Alimentarius level and in EU food law (see Box, page 44). The importance of the management culture and the behavior of all employees with regard to food safety has thus gained great recognition, and the topic will certainly continue to gain in importance in the coming years.

Source:

Kirchsteiger-Meier, Evelyn (2022). Conference Report on the 16th Wädenswil Food Law Conference, May 5, 2022: "Facets and Developments on Food Hygiene and Food Safety Law".  

In some homes, as a result of rising energy prices, some users are trying their hand at expressions with so-called tea light stoves. Here, clay pots are heated from below by one or more candles. This may sound cozy, but according to the physical law of conservation of energy, the amount of energy in a closed system does not change over time. Local fire departments in Germany are also observing this trend with concern.

For example, the Braunschweig Fire Department is currently warning residents on Instagram against such experiments. Tea light stoves could quickly start a fire if used for a long time. This results in so-called wax fires. Worse still, dangerous flash flames could also occur if fires were extinguished with conventional means such as water. In such a case, only fire blankets, extinguishing sprays or fire extinguishers approved for liquid fires should be used.

In an Instagram post, the Brunswick Fire Department shows how such a fire can develop in a tea light stove.

 

Check out this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Braunschweig Fire Department (@feuerwehr.braunschweig)

Source: NDR/Editorial Office

According to a projection by the Swiss Federal Accident Prevention Bureau (BFU), 200 people have lost their lives in road traffic accidents in Switzerland. The number of people seriously injured rose from 140 to 3933 accident victims. Compared to the previous year, the number of serious personal injuries on motorcycles among 16 to 17 year olds has jumped. One reason is likely to be the access to 125cc bikes, for which this age group has also been permitted since 2021.

An increase in the number of people seriously injured on e-bikes has also been evident for years. Last year, 841 people suffered serious or fatal injuries on bicycles. According to the BFU, this is about the same number as in 2011 (837 people). Common causes of accidents are inattention, distraction and alcohol.

However, all road users have a role to play when it comes to more prevention in road traffic. Many car drivers drive too fast or are distracted. Many cyclists do not make themselves visible enough.

More on the level of safety and accident occurrence in road traffic is summarized in the current "Sinus" report of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU). The BFU's "Sinus 2022" also shows: of five serious personal injuries in road traffic accidents, three involve the drivers of motorcycles, bicycles and e-bikes.

Source: AAIB/editorial office

According to the Federal Office of Police, current security standards necessitate a renewal of the Swiss passport series. Since October 31, 2022, people who want to receive the passport with the new design can make an appointment at a passport office or a representation of Switzerland abroad.

The procedure for issuing the passport remains unchanged, as does its issuance. Personalization and dispatch will be carried out by the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (FBL) as before. Combination offers comprising a passport and an identity card can still be ordered. All previously issued identity documents will remain valid until the expiration date entered in them.

The new series of Swiss passports includes the ordinary passport, the diplomatic passport, the service passport, the travel passport ("refugee passport") and the passport for foreign persons living in Switzerland.

Source: Fedpol

As the canton of Neuchâtel in a statement writes, a targeted attack on the email infrastructures of the Neuchâtel educational network was identified on October 19, 2022. The attacks continued towards evening. In the course of this, access to the Internet was shut down for all users of the Neuchâtel university network.

A cyberattack on the university network of the University of Neuchâtel could already be identified in February of this year. Unknown persons also attacked several medical practices in Neuchâtel in March. In the process, patient data from several tens of thousands of people ended up on the darknet.

This time, the university's Faculty of Education was affected by the current security incident. The IT department is currently conducting investigations with external cyber specialists to contain the attack.

Source: Ne.ch, editorial office 

According to the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (DGAUM), healthy people do not usually have to worry about room temperature if it is lowered to 19 °C, for example, due to energy savings. However, for certain activities requiring special dexterity, lower room temperatures could lead to minor performance losses.

The somewhat cooler temperatures can be compensated for, for example, by warm clothing and other measures such as warm drinks and regular exercise breaks. Scientific studies have shown that, depending on the activity, 17-19 °C at the workplace is sufficient to reduce the impact on the environment.

However, according to the WHO, lower room temperatures could be problematic for people with pre-existing conditions. Immunocompromised individuals could react to the cooler working conditions with increased blood pressure, a higher susceptibility to respiratory diseases and a worsening of asthma symptoms. In addition, lower temperatures may have an impact on conditions such as anemia or rheumatism.

The DGAUM therefore recommends consulting an occupational physician on the question of the correct room temperature. Two aspects are important here: if necessary, an adjustment in the case of individual peculiarities where the lower temperatures could be unfavorable, and the analysis of the respective work requirements at the location.

Source: DGAUM