Sports are good for your health, but accidents happen all the time. According to the annual balance "Status 2022" of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, a total of 430,000 people in Switzerland were affected by accidents at home and abroad last year. However, it is striking that the number of senior citizens has doubled in the past ten years. The accidents occur, for example, while cross-country skiing. In mountain hiking, every third injured person is over 64 years old. Accidents during mountain hiking account for 41 percent of injuries during sports in this age group.

More accidents in old age - aging population

The BFU assumes that the sports accidents in this age group can be attributed to the aging population, because people are generally getting older today. They are also fitter for longer and do sports for longer. Nevertheless, fitness, surefootedness and the ability to keep one's balance decline with increasing age.

However, men are usually more likely to be affected by serious accidents. Men are affected by over 80 percent of fatal sports accidents. This is also reflected in road traffic. Male road users are affected by serious injuries in three quarters of cases. Women, on the other hand, have more accidents in the home and leisure sector. Falls in particular account for the lion's share of most accidents there.

Source: AAIB

LiDAR is a method related to radar: Instead of radio waves and their receiving technology, laser beams and optical sensors are used. Put simply, it is a type of three-dimensional scanning using laser beams. Depending on the sensor technology, wavelengths and resolution, there are many possible applications. In addition to the 3-D scan already mentioned, this also includes the measurement of clouds and aerosols. In addition to information on dimensions and density, it is even possible to draw conclusions about the composition of gas clouds, depending on the method used.

Applications in the industry

The method is also used in the control of industrial robots because objects can be captured three-dimensionally with little additional equipment and thus much more information is available than with classic two-dimensional imaging methods. In addition to direct control, the robots' surroundings can also be monitored by using a few additional LiDAR sensors. This increases the safety of the operators and prevents damage caused by incorrect movements. Other areas of application include, for example: rangefinders (craft), speedometers, use in driver assistance systems, detection of turbulence in aviation and monitoring of smokestack emissions in industry.

Use in safety engineering

In the field of security technology, the process has not yet been exhausted and offers considerable potential. In facial recognition, "only" simple 2-D image processes are still in use in some cases. The use for access control is an example that becomes particularly interesting when a reliable and for the user simple multi-factor authentication for buildings is to be implemented. Possible factors include fingerprint, card, PIN and facial recognition. Portal areas could be monitored "volumetrically" with relatively simple sensor setups - similar to environmental sensing in robotics.

Perimeter protection

A few manufacturers are now also bringing cameras or sensors for perimeter surveillance onto the market. Their usefulness has not yet been tested on a large scale, but it is quite conceivable that some monitoring functions can be improved with them. In particular, the detection of objects and their position in space is optimized.

Conclusion

LiDAR has some potential applications for security and surveillance technology, and vendors are just beginning to use the technology more broadly. The challenges for information security and privacy are similar to those for camera technology and video surveillance. With LiDAR, another dimension is added and more individual and identifying characteristics can be stored.

A Rega patronage is a donation towards the Foundation. Rega is not an insurance company, but can "at its discretion and within the scope of its possibilities, partially or completely waive the costs of assistance provided by itself or organized by it for patrons, if insurance companies or other third parties are not liable to pay and do not have to pay or only partially pay for the costs of the mission". Rega is financed to the tune of over 60 percent by patronage contributions. It is also important to note that Rega does not carry out every air rescue operation in Switzerland.

Advantages of patronage

Firstly, as a patron, you and around 3.6 million other people in Switzerland are helping to maintain first-class air rescue services at home and abroad. This is because Rega does not receive any subsidies from the public purse. On the other hand, you may benefit from partial or complete waiver of the rescue costs if no insurance company or other third party pays for them. However, Rega always decides at its own discretion and within the scope of its possibilities. Moreover, the patronage contribution can be deducted from taxes as a donation in almost all of Switzerland. Please note the regulations in your canton of residence.

When does Rega get involved?

Rega will only reimburse members in part or in full for assistance provided by themselves or organized by Rega if no insurance or third party will pay for it.

What is worthwhile: Rega or insurance?

In principle, Rega only ever contributes to the financing of rescue costs on a voluntary basis. And only if no insurance or third party will pay for it. You should therefore definitely consider additional insurance cover, because rescues are often very expensive.

Accident insurance pays rescue costs of employees

Accident insurance comes into play in the event of an accident. There are two different types of accident insurance. Employees who work for an employer for more than 8 hours per week are insured by the employer against non-occupational accidents in accordance with the Swiss Federal Law on Accident Insurance (UVG). They also benefit from full coverage of rescue costs in the event of leisure-time accidents. Those who do not have occupational accident insurance need accident insurance from their health insurance company. This also applies to accidents in the EU/EFTA area. In the rest of the world, the accident insurance pays at most twice the amount of the costs that would have been incurred for treatment in Switzerland. Here it can be expensive, depending on the case.

Health insurance - supplementary insurance covers rescue costs

A supplementary outpatient insurance policy starting at around Fr. 11.10 per month covers the costs of medical and emergency transport at home and abroad all year round. Alternatively, before traveling to countries with very high health costs, especially the USA, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, you can take out a one-off travel insurance policy specifically for the duration of your stay.

Caution: If you are preemptively rescued uninjured from an awkward situation (for example, if you have gotten lost in the mountains), then you may be threatened with a lengthy legal dispute. Such operations are usually not paid by the insurance and must be examined in each individual case.

How much does a Rega rescue mission cost?

A rescue mission by helicopter (without additional rescue specialists, for example in the mountains) costs on average around CHF 3,500. A Rega membership per year costs Fr. 40.- (for couples and families Fr. 80.-).

Source: Rega

For the Information Security Act (ISG) to come into force, three Regulations and another ordinance will be partially revised. At its meeting on August 24, 2022, the Federal Council has now opened the consultation process. opens. The ISG and the implementing regulations are scheduled to come into force in mid-2023.

Three new ordinances and one partial revision

Information Security Regulation (ISV)The new ISV combines, supplements and replaces two previous ordinances, the Cyber Risks Ordinance and the Information Protection Ordinance. It applies primarily to the federal administration and the armed forces. The planned changes to the previous law concern, for example, the provision for the implementation of an information security management system, the introduction of an accreditation obligation for IT resources, the increase of the classification threshold for classified information as well as the introduction of an internationally customary aftercare in the context of personal security. Furthermore, the heads of offices of the federal administration are obliged to new tasks, competences and responsibilities in the area of information security.

Ordinance on Personal Security Testing (VPSP)This summarizes the implementing provisions for the various personal security checks. It replaces the ordinance on personal security examinations, the ordinance on personal security examinations in the area of nuclear installations and all previous departmental ordinances on personal security examinations. The purpose of the personal security examinations is to assess whether there is a risk to the information security of the Confederation if a person performs a security-sensitive activity within the scope of his or her function. Under the new law, these audits are to be reduced to the minimum required to identify significant risks to the federal government. This means that significantly fewer audits are to be carried out in the future. This will be achieved, among other things, by the aforementioned increase in the thresholds for classification under the ISV.

Ordinance on the Operational Safety Procedure (VBSV)It regulates the details of the new operational security procedure introduced by the ISG and replaces the previous Secret Security Ordinance, which was restricted to military classified contracts. The operational security procedure is applicable to all security-sensitive contracts awarded by the federal government. This affects contracts in which information classified as confidential or secret is processed or IT resources with a high or very high level of protection are operated or managed.

In addition, the entry into force of the ISG requires adjustments to the Ordinance on Federal Identity Management Systems and Directory Services (IAMV)The partial revision includes in particular an extension of the scope of application to the administrative units of the decentralized federal administration, insofar as these have access to IT systems of the central federal administration.

The consultation procedure will last until November 24, 2022. An additional reporting obligation for cyber attacks on critical infrastructures requires an ISG revision. This is also currently underway under the leadership of the Federal Department of Finance. The consultation procedure for the ISG revision lasted until April 14, 2022.

Source: the Federal Council

Artificial intelligence can harbor both opportunities and risks. On the one hand, intelligent systems can contribute to safe and healthy workplaces. On the other hand, AI systems can also lead to loss of control and intensification of work, as well as dehumanization. A new report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work summarizes the risks and opportunities of AI-powered systems in human resource management. The findings of the data analysis are based on the ESENER study (2019).

Furthermore, the report addresses prevention measures and sums up that in order to design AI approaches, the human-centered aspects must be in the foreground, that the health, safety and well-being of employees can be ensured at the workplace.

In addition to a summary report on the topic, the report examines possible prevention measures and points out that human-centered and "prevention by design" based approaches are needed to ensure the health, safety and well-being of workers. The summary report can be found on the website of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Source: European Agency for Safety & Health at Work

One According to Axa's mobility study almost half of the population is convinced that electrification will fundamentally change mobility. According to the survey, around one third of the population has already sat behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. According to Axa, 98 percent of the electromobilists surveyed could no longer imagine returning to a combustion engine.

Heavy duty lithium ion battery

However, a look at Axa's statistics also reveals a clear danger: Drivers of electric cars usually cause 50 percent more collisions and damage than those of conventional gasoline and diesel cars. Powerful models usually cause 30 percent more damage to third parties. One reason is the lithium-ion battery, which also affects more powerful e-vehicles in terms of weight and construction. In addition, the battery has a weighty influence on rescue and recovery operations.

Fast torque for e-vehicles

More than 50 percent of respondents in an Axa study also had to adjust their braking behavior. However, the greatest risks are not when reducing speed, but when accelerating. Many drivers underestimate the so-called overtapping effect: electric cars have a very high torque, which is immediately noticeable as soon as the electric pedal is tapped. This behavior was proven in a crash test. A Tesla driver who presses the power pedal only briefly and drives toward a traffic circle at excessive speed is generally no longer able to brake.

Overestimated dangers: Fire and salvage

However, the risk of fire in cars, regardless of whether they are gasoline- or electricity-powered, is generally very low and is greatly overestimated among the Swiss population. According to Axa, statistically, only five out of 10,000 cars fall victim to a fire, and marten damage is 38 times more common than a car fire. Passengers in electric cars are generally well protected. According to Axa, the dangers of rescuing a person from an electric vehicle are also overestimated.

"This fear is unfounded because there is hardly any danger of voltage still being applied to the vehicle," explains Michael Pfäffli, Head of Accident Research and Prevention at AXA. In the event of an accident, he says, the battery is automatically disconnected from other high-voltage components and cables within milliseconds. The electric circuit is thus interrupted.

Tips from Axa accident researchers: 

• Drivers of electric cars should be aware of unintended rapid acceleration (the so-called overtapping effect). The handling of this immediate force must be learned. If possible, drivers should manually downgrade the strength of the acceleration to achieve greater resistance when tapping the electric pedal.
• Drivers of electric vehicles should keep a close eye on the underbody. Driving over road islands, stones or traffic circles, for example, should be avoided if possible to prevent damage to the underbody.
• Drivers of heavy vehicles tend to have a higher level of personal safety. For this very reason, they should be aware of their responsibility towards other road users: lighter vehicles are at a disadvantage in the event of a crash.
• First aid is mandatory, even in the event of accidents involving electric cars. Fears of suffering an electric shock when rescuing a person are unfounded in most cases.

Source: Axa Switzerland/Editorial Office 

New Provisions in the Ordinance of the Federal Office of Communications on Telecommunications Installations (VFAV) call for better protection of the privacy of owners of wireless devices. The revision will come into force on September 1, 2022. Manufacturers and developers of wireless devices such as smartphones and smartwatches must apply the new regulations from August 1, 2024 at the latest.

Network protection and privacy

A revision of the provisions in Bakom's Ordinance on Telecommunications Equipment (VFAV) will come into force on September 1, 2022. These state, among other things, that any wireless device connected for communication via the Internet must ensure the protection of personal data. Manufacturers and developers of smart devices, including toys such as baby monitors or wearables, must reduce unauthorized access to personal data "with appropriate measures," according to a statement from the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM).

In the future, more protective mechanisms will also apply to payment transactions: Smart devices used for electronic payments must have functions that significantly reduce the risk of fraud. This includes tighter control of user authentication. In addition, networked devices must be prevented from interfering with communication networks or disrupting the operation of websites or other services.

With the new provisions of the VFAV, the aim is to comply with Swiss legislation on those of the European Union which will be available from September 30.

Source: Bakom

Operational disruptions as well as prolonged interruptions are considered new challenges for operational risk, safety and crisis management in light of recent events. Power security is just one example. However, special threats such as cyber attacks affect both government agencies and critical infrastructure operators. Inspiring proposals and countermeasures will be presented at the Save-AG Symposium of October 27, 2022 thematized.

Save AG also conducts the following practical seminars:

• 30.8. SES practical seminar "Video Security
• 14.9 Technical fire protection up to date
• 20.9. SSI Seminar Machine Safety

Source: save.ch/events

Suva investigated more than 2,800 suspected cases last year and, according to its own figures, was able to save around CHF 21 million. This amount benefits the insured in the form of reduced premiums, as the accident insurer writes in a statement. Bankruptcy cases have also increased in recent years. According to Suva, these lead to premium losses and damage honest customers and the Swiss workplace. For this reason, Suva wants to actively combat insurance fraud with various measures. For example, initiatives against undeclared work and premium fraud were launched together with two associations.

Specifically, of 237,390 cases last year in which a daily allowance or pension was paid out, Suva investigated 2839 suspected cases more closely. 3.9 million francs of the 20.9 million francs now saved came from additional premiums charged. Since the introduction of anti-abuse measures in 2007, Suva has been able to save a total of more than 215 million francs.

Accumulation of bankruptcy offenses

"The vast majority of our policyholders are honest, but in recent years we have seen an increase in cases of bankruptcy," says Roger Bolt, Head of Combating Insurance Abuse at Suva. For example, we regularly come across cases in which insurance premiums are systematically evaded by means of subcontractor constructs. The largest of these cases alone have caused Suva millions in damages in recent years, says Bolt.

Source: Suva/Editorial Office

Video surveillance systems usually operate without interruption and have to cope with very high demands. So-called surveillance HDDs are designed for continuous operation and typically have an MTTF time (Mean Time To Failure) of one million operating hours. This corresponds to an Annualized Failure Rate (AFR) of 0.88 percent. For an installation of 1000 drives, about nine HDDs would fail per year as an example. Normal desktop HDDs, which are designed to run 8 to 16 hours per day, typically have an MTTF time of 600,000 hours. Due to the high data load in video surveillance, hard drives must be built robustly. This also has an impact on the mechanical components of an HDD drive.

High resilience and performance

In terms of data load, surveillance HDDs can handle 180 terabytes of data annually. In contrast, desktop HDDs with less access activity, which handle comparatively smaller data volumes, are designed for a minimum of 55 TB per year. The probability of errors and failures would therefore reach a critical point more quickly with a normal HDD. Hard disks in the video surveillance sector also often have to process several high-resolution video streams in parallel. Surveillance HDDs, on the other hand, are equipped with special firmware and a much larger cache memory. This makes many parallel read accesses possible. However, if additional requirements such as artificial intelligence algorithms are involved, the high parallel write rates generate voluminous read rates. In this case, enterprise HDDs should be considered. Moreover, the use of video surveillance does not always take place in the best air-conditioned environments. Therefore, surveillance HDDs are designed for even higher temperatures than regular HDDs.

Typically, surveillance HDDs can withstand temperatures between 0 and 70 °C, while desktop HDDs are usually designed for temperatures between 0 and 60 degrees. HDD manufacturers also usually have to subject their surveillance HDDs to extensive compatibility and functional testing in various VTRs to ensure best interoperability. Various compatibility lists from the manufacturers are often consulted for this purpose.

Source: Toshiba/Editorial 

U.S. businesses and citizens continue to bear a high risk of becoming victims of cybercriminals. This is shown by the Annual report of the cyber security company "PC Matic".. The report summarized and analyzed the results of an August survey of nearly 1,000 Americans about their password habits.

Risky handling of data

Accordingly, employers and private users continue to apply lax password policies and procedures. This is especially true when compared to the 2021 survey. PC Matic therefore believes many citizens and companies are still at high risk of easily falling victim to cybercrime.

35 percent of Americans don't know when they last changed their passwords or have never done so, according to the survey. Companies have not improved their password policies since last year's survey and continue to be quite lax in their handling. Nearly 20 percent of employers still do not require their employees to change their passwords regularly.

Private mails as a threat

Nearly 55 percent of respondents have never changed their private WLAN password - down from 60 percent in 2021. 40 percent say they use the password lock function on both work and home computers. This number remained nearly the same as last year. The same is true for the 46 percent of employers who do not require their employees to use a virtual private network (VPN).

In addition, more than half of respondents access personal email accounts at work, just as they did in 2021. PC Matic sees this as an imminent threat to corporate networks.

Already in 2019, companies had to bear costs of around two billion Swiss francs due to cybercriminal data theft.

Source: Press release

The term telework covers any form of work in which employees work outside the company premises using electronic means of communication. Home office refers to any professional activity that employees perform wholly or partially, regularly or irregularly from home. Home office is one of the new forms of work that has increased significantly, especially since the pandemic. Certain professional categories tried working from home for the first time during the pandemic. This has changed the habits as well as the perception of home office in the society. This is also evidenced by the fact that numerous companies and public administrations promote working from home and want to maintain this form of work on a permanent basis.

Labor law is independent of the place of work

The aim of the Labor Act (ArG) is to protect employees from health impairments due to the working environment. The corresponding regulations comprise two pillars: on the one hand, health protection in general, and on the other, working hours and rest periods, which also have an impact on health. The ArG applies in principle to all private and public companies and the workers they employ. The provisions of the ArG are applicable regardless of the place of work, which is why teleworking or home office is not mentioned in the law. Employers are obliged to ensure the health protection of their employees and to implement the necessary measures, even if the employees work in a home office. In concrete terms, this means that they must take preventive measures and issue appropriate instructions, as well as provide information in a comprehensible manner about the currently known risk factors. It should also be mentioned that employees cannot claim a right to work from home. The provisions on health protection apply unchanged in any case. All provisions of the ArG are applicable, such as those on maximum working hours, the recording of working hours, rest periods, and the prohibition of work on Sundays, public holidays and at night.

What matters in the home office workplace

Working in a home office is characterized by the fact that the working as well as the social environment at home is different than in the premises of the company. In the home office, the rhythm is less set by other team members and there may be disruptions from family members. Also, the space and furniture are not always suitable. According to the scientific literature, the specific working conditions in the home office environment can cause damage to health without appropriate preventive measures. The desire to benefit from the advantages of the home office does not justify exposure to the associated health risks in the medium and long term. The Seco brochure mentions three areas where such risks exist. First, the health risks associated with workplace design: work in the home office is mostly screen work in the same sitting position all the time. A workplace that is not ideally set up can lead to uncomfortable positions and poor posture. Together with the often lack of movement, this can cause health complaints in the medium to long term. It is therefore important that office furniture meets certain ergonomic criteria.

Health risks must also be considered when working at home

Secondly, the health risks associated with the temporal organization of work: In the home office, both work life and family and social life take place in the same place. This can lead to a blurring of the boundary between free time and working time, which may create tensions (e.g. in the family). The autonomy of home office workers in organizing their time and work can lead to atypical working hours or daily structures. For example, employees may forego breaks and/or work too long overall. In addition, working in a home office can create the expectation that the person in question must be constantly available at home (by e-mail, telephone, etc.), even outside the agreed working days and hours. If employees in the home office feel obligated to be permanently available, this can lead to stress with health consequences. Thirdly, there are the so-called psychosocial risks: When working at home, there is no clear separation between work and private life. The lack of familiar fixed points requires adjustments in work organization, interpersonal relationships and communication. Moreover, it is precisely in this context that attention must be paid to an appropriate workload. Under inadequate framework conditions, working in a home office can have negative effects on mental health.

Set an individual agreement

The new forms of work do not call into question the principle of health protection, as this forms the basis of the ArG. The legal framework in Switzerland gives employers a great deal of leeway in organizing work in the home office. The social partners as well as employee representatives can also be involved. For example, a clear separation between work and private life, a daily schedule with fixed working hours, regular changes to the work position, maintaining contact with work colleagues and logging off outside working hours have proven to be effective. Seco recommends that these various points be recorded in an individual agreement signed by the employer and the employee. These different measures can contribute to favorable health conditions. Both employers and employees benefit when home office is possible under good conditions.

New Seco brochure: Home office health protection - also when working at home