The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited the procurement of the IT solution for the registration and organization of vaccination appointments at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The application of the appointment system with vaccination documentation cost around eleven million francs. After initial difficulties, the Covid app was used by the majority of cantons. In the meantime, the SFAO has conducted a corresponding Final Report submitted. For example, in the second half of 2021, the contractors would have invoiced the FOPH for services amounting to around two million. However, according to the SFAO, the billing was not questioned by the FOPH.

Missing work reports

Lump sums of half a million francs also remained unjustified: services which, according to the SFAO, should have been invoiced. In addition, the work reports required to check the accounts were missing, although the suppliers would have been obliged to provide them. One of the criticisms was that all contracts were only signed after services had already been provided and payments made.

The FOPH commented on the SFAO's criticism and acknowledged that the procedure for awarding contracts had not been in line with the usual processes, given the crisis situation and the urgency of the projects.

Source: SFAO

Bumblebees are not the best fliers. They sometimes bump into each other when they land on a flower to feed. That doesn't do their wings any good at all. But despite many tiny cracks and holes in their wings, bumblebees can still fly. Flying robots, on the other hand, are not as resilient. With holes in their propulsion system, the chances are pretty good that they'll crash. "We've spent a lot of time understanding the dynamics of soft artificial muscles. And we've achieved a level of resistance to damage comparable to that of insects," says MIT researcher Kevin Chen.

The tiny rectangular robots being developed in Chen's lab weigh little more than a paper clip. The wings at each corner are powered by dielectric elastomer actuators, which are soft artificial muscles that use mechanical forces to make the wings beat quickly. They are made of layers of elastomer sandwiched between two ultra-thin electrodes. When a voltage is applied, the elastomer begins to flap. The tiny robot is supplied with electricity from outside via ultra-thin cables.

Balancing act with carbon tubes

If damage occurs, it can be repaired by applying a higher voltage; the wing virtually heals itself. This effect is not new, but Chen and his team have optimized it. They use carbon nanoparticles as electrodes, super-strong but extremely small molecules that are shaped like tubes. The challenge was to reduce the amount of carbon molecules to lower the energy required for repairs. "We had to find the optimal point between the amount of carbon tubes and the energy required for the repair mechanism," Chen says. Even with perforated wings, he says, the tiny animal can still fly.

(Pressetext.com)

According to the Accident statistics of the Federal Roads Office (Astra), the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Swiss roads has increased significantly. A total of 241 people died and 4002 road users were seriously injured. Astra speaks of an increase of 41 fatalities and 69 serious injuries compared to the previous year.

More serious accidents involving passenger cars

Of the occupants of a passenger car, a total of 87 people lost their lives in 2022. This corresponds to an increase of 22 people compared to the previous year. 768 passenger car occupants were seriously injured. A decrease can be seen among younger road users between the ages of 18 and 24 compared to older drivers. The largest increase concerns the age groups between 55 and 64, but also the category of 65 to 74 year olds. Of the 630 drivers of passenger cars involved in serious accidents, 74 percent caused the accident themselves. However, speed as the main cause was declining, he said. In most cases, the condition of the driver, for example under the influence of alcohol or medication, played a greater role.

Increase in e-bike accidents

Among motorcyclists, there is an increase among younger and older persons, but a decrease in the middle age group. Among cyclists, the age group between 65 and 74 years is most affected by accidents. Bicycle accidents are mostly skidding or self-inflicted accidents.

The situation is similar for e-bikes. For both slow and fast e-bikes, the 55-64 age group has the most serious accidents. The most common causes in e-bike accidents are due to inattention, distraction, misconduct or being under the influence of alcohol.

The mood regarding the security situation has generally become more pessimistic in view of the Ukraine war, also in Switzerland. The question of neutrality is also viewed more critically. A slight majority of voters in Switzerland would like to see According to a recent study the Military Academy (Milak) of ETH Zurich and the Center for Security Studies (CSS) welcome a rapprochement with NATO and want to strengthen Switzerland's defense capability. Study participants were asked about the three biggest threat scenarios: war, climate change and economic crises.

More critical view of neutrality

Compared with 2019, confidence in the USA, among others, has risen significantly, while confidence in China and Russia has fallen sharply. For the first time, a narrow majority (55 percent) of the Swiss would also welcome a rapprochement with NATO, the survey further shows. 53 percent of respondents even believe that neutrality would allow Switzerland to plan its military defense on a cooperation level with NATO.

Approvals of neutrality have generally declined. Study participants were asked, among other things, about Switzerland's functions as a mediator and about Switzerland's role as a conflict-avoidance party. Particularly with regard to the role as a conflict-avoidance party, trust continued to decline (to 55 percent or by a further 14 scale points). On identity, trust in the survey decreased by a further 7 points (now at 80 percent). Confidence in the role as a mediating party, on the other hand, is still comparatively high (91 percent, with a drop of 6 points).

Political and military attitude to neutrality

How neutrality can still be credibly protected militarily today, however, divides the population. More respondents believe that Switzerland's close political ties with other states make it impossible for it to act jointly with its European neighbors. However, a majority of respondents still favor a differentiated neutrality policy for Switzerland, in which Switzerland would be allowed to take a political stance but remain militarily neutral. However, a clear majority is still of the opinion that sanctions against Russia should be maintained.

Voters continue to have a positive attitude toward the Swiss army. The demand for a fully equipped army (76 percent) and its necessity (78 percent) have even increased by a few points in the survey scale.

The market environment in the security industry remains challenging. However, the latest industry statistics from the Swiss Security Equipment Installers Association (SES) point to further historic growth in the Swiss security industry. Overall, the industry as a whole recorded an upward trend of 2.6 percent. The increase of 20.4 million Swiss francs lifts the industry to the 800 million mark for the first time. While this confirms to SES the upward trend that has been ongoing since 2017, both the Fire and Security sections were able to contribute equally to the historic upward trend.

Access control on the rise

The SES statistics also reveal two other pleasing trends: the security sections (intrusion detection systems, access control and video security) increased by 3.2 percent. The fact that projects relating to intrusion detection systems (EMA) in particular are bucking a trend that has persisted for years in this segment is manifested in an increase of 3.5 percent, which corresponds to growth of four million Swiss francs.

The statistics also show that the Access Control (AC) sector grew by a strong 4.5 percent, which according to SES is "in keeping with tradition", while the Video Security (VS) sector recorded a stagnant trend.

Strong upward trend in the "Fire" segment

A further upward trend of 2.2 percent was followed by the "Fire" section. The pleasing result is measured by all technical working committees (TAK) from the areas of fire alarm systems (BMA), wet dry extinguishing systems (NLA), gas warning systems (GWA) and voice alarm systems (SAA).

BMA from the Fire section is considered the most weighty contributor, and finished with an increase of over 2.6 percent in the statistics compared to the previous year, while NLA was not quite able to match the previous year's result with a minus of 2.5 percent.

TLA, on the other hand, achieved a solid annual result with an increase of 8.8 percent, which compensated for the decline in NLA. GWA closed the year with an increase of almost 16 percent. According to SES, this was a "great year.

In top-class sports, fractions of a second sometimes decide between victory and defeat. To optimize their performance, athletes therefore use custom-made insoles, among other things. But people with musculoskeletal pain also turn to insoles to combat their complaints.

To fit such insoles precisely, specialists must first create a pressure profile of the feet. To do this, athletes or patients have to walk barefoot over pressure-sensitive mats, where they leave their individual footprint. Based on this pressure profile, orthopedists then create individually fitting insoles by hand. However, optimizations and adjustments take time. Another disadvantage is that the pressure-sensitive mats only allow measurements to be taken in a limited space, but not during training or outdoor activities.

Now, however, an invention by a research team from ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL could significantly improve the situation: The researchers used 3D printing to fabricate a customized insole with integrated pressure sensors. This allows the pressure on the sole of the foot to be measured directly in the shoe during various activities.

"You can tell from the pressure patterns detected whether someone is walking, running, climbing stairs or even carrying a heavy load on their back. Then the pressure shifts more to the heel," explains co-project leader Gilberto Siqueira, senior assistant at Empa and the Laboratory for Complex Materials at ETH Zurich. Tedious matte tests are thus a thing of the past. The invention was recently presented in the journal Scientific Reports.

One device, multiple inks

However, not only the use, but also the production of the insoles is simple. Together with the integrated sensors and conductive tracks, they are produced in just one step and only on a 3D printer, a so-called extruder. For printing, the researchers use various inks whose formulations they have developed specifically for this application. For example, the material scientists use a mixture of silicone and cellulose nanoparticles as the basis for the insole.

They then print the conductive tracks on this first layer using a conductive ink containing silver, and the sensors on these at individual points - using ink containing carbon black. The distribution of the sensors is not random: they are placed exactly where the pressure on the soles is strongest. To protect the conductors and the sensors, the researchers cover them with another silicone layer.

An initial difficulty was to achieve good adhesion of the different material layers. The researchers therefore treated the surface of the silicone layers with a hot plasma.

The sensors are so-called piezo elements that convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals. They measure normal and shear forces. The researchers have also built an interface into the sole for reading out the generated data.

Read out run data wirelessly soon

Tests showed the researchers that the additively manufactured insert worked well. "So with data analysis, we can actually identify different activities depending on which sensors responded and how strongly," says project leader Siqueira.

At the moment, he and his colleagues still need a cable connection to read out the data. They have installed a contact on the side of the insert. One of the next development steps, he says, will be to create a wireless connection. "However, reading out the data has not been the focus of our work so far," the researcher emphasizes.

Such a 3D-printed insole with integrated sensors could be used in the future by athletes or in physiotherapy, for example to measure training or therapy progress. Based on the measurement data, training plans can then be adapted and permanent shoe insoles with different hard and soft zones can be fabricated using 3D printing.

Although Siqueira believes the market potential for their development is great, especially in elite sports, his team has not yet taken any steps toward commercialization.

Researchers from Empa, ETH Zurich and EPFL were involved in the development of the insole. EPFL researcher Danick Briand coordinated the project and his group contributed the sensors, while the ETH and Empa researchers developed the inks and the printing platform. The Lausanne University Hospital CHUV and the orthopedics company Numo were also involved in the project. The project was funded as part of the ETH Domain's "Strategic Focus Area" Advanced Manufacturing.

Image: Empa

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has published its annual safety report on commercial and private aviation incidents. Overall, there were more incidents in commercial and private aviation last year. Incidents continue to be reported on helicopters due to cables and other obstacles, while few incidents are reported on drones. Incident reports have been increasing since 2019, according to the FOCA.

However, the FOCA attributes the main causes of the increase in safety incidents to an improved reporting culture, especially since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. There have also been significantly more attempts to jam the GPS signals of aircraft abroad using GPS jamming.

In the reporting year 2022, the FOCA received almost 12,000 incident reports for a total of 8052 incidents. These "Occurrence Reports" are categorized according to the five risk areas of aerodromes, flight operations, flight technology, air traffic control and helicopters. The safety report is based on the experience of pilots, air traffic controllers and ground staff. The complete Annual Safety Report 2022 of the FOCA is on the federal website to find.

Source: FOCA

The rules of use in video surveillance systems for security application have been published as part 4 of the SN EN 62676 series of standards. It should prove useful for all those responsible for establishing operational requirements, writing specifications, selection, installation, commissioning and use and maintenance of video surveillance systems (VSS). It does that, and yet: in practical application, it's a bit unwieldy. In order to familiarize interested parties with the handling of the standard, appropriate seminars are offered in the DACH region by the BHE-Bundesverband Sicherheitstechnik e.V. and by Save AG in cooperation with the Verband Schweizerische Errichter von Sicherheitsanlagen (SES). Thus, the meanwhile 7th SES practical seminar "Video-Security-Norm EN 62676-4" took place on August 30 in Egerkingen. The aim of this recurring event is to show the participants the advantages of applying the standard in their daily work by means of a combination of expert knowledge from theory and practice. During this event, the SES planning tool for video surveillance systems SES PlaTool VS was also presented.

Immediately after the publication of the standard, the Technical Working Committee Video Security (TAK VS) of the SES had already dealt with how it could optimally support its members in practice in the application of the standard. It quickly became clear that the existing checklists did not meet this requirement and that more was needed. The idea of a planning tool was born. This was developed by Simak Consulting AG for SES. Version 1.0 of the tool was available at the end of 2016 and has since been regularly updated with new functions. The current version, published in 2022, bears the version number 2.10.

The structure of the tool essentially follows the standard and supplements it with useful additional functions, such as checklists and maintenance plans, which the members of the SES are certainly familiar with from the Video Security Guidelines, which are regularly provided by the TAK VS. Special attention was paid to the fact that after project completion, a documentation of the installed video surveillance system, which can be handed over to the customer, is available without much additional effort.

Backup levels provide the opportunity to structure requirements for the video surveillance system and thus create the basis for the subsequent selection of components of the video surveillance system as well as the test plan and test sequence. Up to six Backup levels be defined, whereby the recommendation clearly applies here to only Backup levels that are actually needed. Nevertheless, all six observation categories could also be mapped with this, if this makes sense in a concrete project.

One of the functions, which in any case has a very high practical value, is the planning of the video cameras by means of the Camera List. Here the products used in the concrete project are entered with their characteristic values in a separate table. In the table with all cameras, the aforementioned table is accessed and the already existing characteristic values are supplemented with further information. For example, information on the distance of the camera from the object of observation and the reserve pixels as a percentage value are required, from which the net available pixels can be calculated. This enables the tool to determine the theoretically achieved observation category. In other words, it can be used to ensure that each camera meets the specified requirements as early as the planning stage of the video surveillance system. If information about the network load and any PoE load is also added, the Network Design table can also be used to check whether the selected network components are adequately dimensioned or whether they need to be adapted.

The test plan and the test sequence of the standard pose a special challenge. The tool provides all the necessary lists and tables for all the people involved in the test. Thus, an inspection plan with the expected results can be created in advance. In the course of the test procedure, the actually determined results, e.g. recognized faces or observation category, are recorded on the basis of corresponding test images. The calculation of the result of the test, in particular whether the test was passed, is done automatically in the tool. This follows the algorithm for the test criteria described in the standard.

Just as standards are always changing, the tool is also being further developed. The next release will be enriched with additional functions, such as a focal length calculator, an optimized backup level and references as well as an automatic synchronization of cameras in the audit and observer sheets.

For six years now, the SES PlaTool VS has been available to SES members as an aid in the practical application of EN 62676-4 and is regularly used by them. Interested professional planners and operators of video surveillance systems have the possibility to get access to the guidelines and thus also to the SES PlaTool VS in the form of a subscription. Apply the standard to handle your video surveillance projects more successfully. The SES PlaTool VS supports you in the practical implementation.

Of course, the tool also lives from user feedback. Suggestions are always welcome at office@simak-consulting.com with the password SES PlaTool VS in the subject line. Even if not all inputs can always be implemented immediately, as many of the suggestions as possible will be taken into account in the further development of the tool.

The polluter pays principle always stands for the principle that polluters bear the costs for the measures they have caused. According to the Federal Council, however, clarifications and adjustments to the law are still necessary in individual cases, for example when it comes to the costs of distributing the Iodine tablets goes. According to the federal government, these costs would have to be covered by the operators of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) in their vicinity. They should even pay for the full costs.

Another amendment to the law stipulates that the costs of remediation measures at radioactively contaminated sites are to be borne by the polluters and the owners. This refers, for example, to radiological contamination caused by the use of radium luminous paint in the watch industry.

The polluter-pays principle is also to be specified for those costs that are incurred in the specific monitoring of radioactivity in the vicinity of establishments. In this context, questions relevant to data protection are also to be clarified.

Taking iodine tablets
Timely intake of iodine tablets to prevent thyroid cancer is an effective measure for children, adolescents, pregnant women and persons under 45 years of age in the event of an accident at a nuclear power plant. To ensure timely intake, the iodine tablets are pre-distributed to all households within a 50 km radius of Swiss nuclear power plants. The tablets are intended for emergency use only and may only be taken on the orders of the authorities.
According to the Federal Commission for Radiation Protection, it is no longer recommended that people over 45 years of age take iodine tablets. Affected persons over 45 years of age who do not wish to stop taking iodine tablets should discuss taking them with their doctor in advance. Source: Confederation

The dovetailing of gainful employment and an association mandate has promoted mutual understanding over decades, especially in occupational safety, and has brought economic knowledge to the fields of health protection and prevention in society. It is true that highly competent bodies such as Suva and various labor inspectorates also do a good job. However, the Swiss Society for Occupational Safety (SGAS) sees the model of the Swiss militia system in danger due to the increasing individualization of society and the rising demands in the world of work.

Win-win for entrepreneurs and employees

For this reason, the occupational health and safety association, together with the umbrella organization suissepro, has developed a "Public Statement" which calls for the maintenance of the militia system in Switzerland. Together with the social partners, companies are encouraged to create framework conditions at the workplace that encourage and enable professionals to engage in occupational health and safety in charitable institutions.

For employers, the commitment of specialized militiamen results in many advantages, not least in terms of image, responsibility, network and integration. Such commitments could be cushioned by stronger personnel retention in order to strengthen Switzerland as a business location and not reduce labor peace.

Source: SGAS

According to the Federal Council, a baseline study by the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM), commissioned by the Federal Office for Combating Racism (FRB), provides for the first time data on more than 300 research papers and interviews with 25 experts from academia and practice on structural racism issues.

The Study concludes that such tendencies exist in particular in the areas of employment, housing, authorities and naturalization, as well as to some extent in social security and in the police and judiciary.

Change of perspective

Even though there are still many gaps in our knowledge about the occurrence and impact of structural racism, the study provides important facts. It is an invitation to science and authorities as well as other actors in the fight against racism to close knowledge gaps and to plan measures.

In its final demands, the FRB calls for a change of perspective. In addition to measures in the relevant areas, changes in the attitudes of people or support for those affected are required to combat structural racism in a targeted manner. In concrete terms, there is a need for more offices and people who have the knowledge and resources to initiate measures. Questions that arise are who works in which institutions and which processes and rules have an exclusionary effect.

Source: Federal Department of Home Affairs

The human brain is still superior to modern computers in many respects. While most people can't do math as well as a computer, we can effortlessly process complex sensory information and learn from our experiences, something a computer can't do (yet). And in the process, the brain consumes barely half as much energy as a laptop.

One of the reasons for the brain's energy efficiency is its structure. The individual neurons and their connections, known as synapses, can both store and process information. In computers, on the other hand, the memory is separate from the processor, and data must be transported back and forth between these two units. The speed of this transport is limited, which makes the whole computer slower when the amount of data is very large.

(Source: Empa)