The new EKAS guideline 1871 "Laboratory" has been valid since its adoption by the EKAS on July 7, 2022. The new guideline shows how laboratories can be planned, built, operated and maintained safely when handling flammable and hazardous chemicals or substances. According to the EKAS, the scope of application refers to analytical, application technology, biological, chemical, diagnostic, medical, metrological, physical and preparative laboratories. The scope includes the planning, construction, equipment and operation as well as the work carried out in laboratories, the handling of hazardous, flammable, biological or radioactive substances or samples as well as the resulting effects and exposures.

Among other things, aspects such as the ventilation performance of fume hoods, explosion protection for flammable liquids, and guidelines for fume hoods in the immediate vicinity of exits are also covered. But what transition periods apply? What is the general situation regarding the protection of existing laboratory equipment? In February, the EKAS made a new FAQ available for download to answer the most important questions.

To the questions and answers of the EKAS guideline 1871 "Guideline Laboratory 

The Swiss Cyber Security Days will be held for the first time at the Bernexpo site on September 20 and 21, 2023. For two days, the Swiss capital will become a national and international meeting place for cyber and knowledge transfer. The focus will be on presentations by international speakers who will address various geopolitical and socially relevant trends. The presentation of current research findings at a trade fair is ideal for bridging knowledge gaps between people, society and technology, according to a statement by the organizers.

Thanks to its proximity to politics and administration, Bern is the perfect location, says program director Nicolas Mayencourt. The topic of cyber is of central importance for Switzerland, he said. "As a native of Bern, it makes me proud to make the federal capital the cyber capital of Switzerland," says Mayencourt.

From June 6 to 9, 2023, Suisse Public Smart will revolve around the topic of Smart City: As a subsection of the established Suisse Public, the leading trade fair for the public sector, the aim is to support municipalities and cities in the further development and safeguarding of municipal infrastructures and with the help of digitalization.

The two-day event will take place on September 20 and 21 during the fall session at the Bernexpo site.

www.swisscybersecuritydays.ch

According to BleepingComputer vulnerabilities in Intel processors were already discovered in June 2022. According to this, it was possible, for example, for processes running in one virtual machine to access data in another virtual machine. In June 2022, Microsoft also informed about the vulnerabilities in some Intel processors.

The now published updates can be According to ZDNet only manually, via the Microsoft Update Catalog. However, it is unknown whether Intel microcode will also be initiated with the security updates to minimize the impact of attacks on the four vulnerabilities. It is speculated that Microsoft will not automatically distribute the updates because they could lead to performance degradation.

The now-released updates for Windows 10 (versions 20H2, 21H2, and 22H2), Windows 11 (versions 21H2 and 22H2), and Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 are available for update.

Source: ZDNet

High blood pressure sometimes manifests itself as sleep disturbances, headaches or dizziness. However, it is not uncommon for sufferers to be completely symptom-free. This is fatal in the case of permanent high blood pressure. After all, the disease is considered a precursor to cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of high blood pressure is becoming more frequent, as evidenced by the Care Atlas study published in 2020 by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Between 2009 and 2018, for example, with unchanged threshold values in Germany, the number of people with statutory health insurance with diagnosed hypertension - as high blood pressure is known in medicine - rose from just under 17 million to a good 19 million. The causes for this can also be found in the working world.

"Whether it's shift work, time pressure, noise, conflicts within the team, long working hours, or under-demanding and monotonous work: stress-related high blood pressure has individual triggers that vary according to personality and disposition," explains Dr. Ingolf Hosbach from the Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance (IPA). Likewise, the risk of contracting high blood pressure is not limited to certain industries. "Admittedly, there are jobs that are more risky, think of management positions or healthcare workers. However, the family situation also plays a big role," he says. Mothers in partnerships with traditional roles are often exposed to a double burden, which leads to stress and thus promotes high blood pressure.

Detect and eliminate stress factors at work

As a preventive measure, it may be necessary to adjust working conditions. Safety officers play a crucial role in this process at the interface between employees and supervisors. "It is important that they do not act in a controlling manner, but listen and mediate when concerns and grievances arise," explains Hosbach.

For example, safety officers can help to identify stress-triggering factors in the workplace and encourage supervisors to eliminate them. They can also encourage colleagues to exercise more. After all, exercise is good for you: "Studies have shown that daily exercise can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure. Just ten minutes of moderate physical activity a day is enough to reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease as a result of hypertension by almost two-thirds," says Hosbach.

Occupational health care detects diseases at an early stage

Employers are obliged to protect the health of their employees. This also includes preventive occupational medicine. In this way, illnesses can be detected at an early stage and thus usually treated more effectively. In cooperation with company physicians, a company can also find out how to make workplaces, working hours and break arrangements healthier.

Last but not least, successful health protection requires companies to recognize that their most valuable asset is their employees. "Companies can do a lot by providing healthy food in the canteen, relaxing breaks, sensible digitization of work steps or suggestions for physical activity," says Hosbach. However, it is clear that those affected must also contribute something themselves. A company cannot prescribe a healthy lifestyle for its employees, for example without alcohol and cigarettes - it can only motivate them to do so.

How to reduce stress in the workplace

• Reduce noise
• Improve lighting
• Eliminate sources of danger that place a high burden on employees, e.g. at workplaces with a high risk of assault
• Adhere to working and break times
• If workload is too heavy, seek discussion with supervisors

(Source: This article originally appeared in the 1/2022 issue of "Das Magazin für Sicherheitsbeauftragte" published by Raufeld Medien AG)

The content of the draft federal regulations on Account assignments as well as network disconnections has triggered a lot of feedback in a consultation process lasting just under three weeks. Over 250 comments from cantons and municipalities and political parties and numerous companies from the electricity sector took part in a consultation process. Some points of criticism and proposals for adjustments have now been included in the draft regulations by the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) and the National Economic Supply (NES).

All industries must make a savings contribution

For road traffic, a maximum speed of 100 km/h is to be waived. The direct impact on electricity consumption would have been minimal, as little electromobility is used yet. The savings potential of completely abandoning electromobility would also have been too low. Accordingly, the Federal Council sees greater savings potential only in the event of a further increase in e-vehicle use. However, all sectors should continue to make a contribution to savings. In the event of an electricity shortage, the aim is to prevent grid shutdowns or even a nationwide grid collapse. This requires a contribution from all large consumers (annual consumption of 100 MWh or more). In the winter of 2023/24, for example, a solution is also to be introduced for multi-site consumers across the distribution network. In addition, according to the federal government, stationary emergency power groups could also be used by end consumers without time restrictions during contigenting and grid shutdowns. Temperature regulations, for example, were simplified and brought into line with those in the gas sector.

The measures now published are to be further developed and put into effect by the Federal Council in the form of ordinances, according to a statement.

Source: Federal Council

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.

According to Stéphane Deguin, chief executive of the 2019 Cyber Peace InstituteIn an interview with the news agency SDA, he mentioned in particular the evaluation of protective measures and the training of employees, but also the support after a cyberattack. In an interview with the news agency SDA, he mentioned in particular the evaluation of protective measures, the training of employees, but also the support after a cyberattack. With the founding of his Cyber Prevention Institute three years ago, he has already assisted several NGOs and companies. In view of the increasing danger of such attacks, a new platform for "humanitarian cybersecurity" was launched in Geneva on Monday. launches.

NGOs targeted by criminals and states

As the SDA news agency writes, according to the CEO of the cyber organization, the attack on the ICRC was "a huge wake-up call" for those who were not convinced of the importance of protecting humanitarian organizations. The ICRC was the victim of a cyberattack last year. Data on more than 500,000 people was stolen. The explosive aspect was that this data contained personal information. These were people whom the ICRC had helped during armed conflicts, natural disasters or migration. According to Deguin, this makes it all the more important to protect humanitarian organizations that could be targeted by both criminal groups and states.

Source: SDA

DuPont is not only a reliable partner for us when it comes to comfortable protective equipment, but also strives to develop its materials in an environmentally friendly manner. Be it in terms of manufacturing, packaging, distribution and marketing, all these aspects are sustainably tested and implemented. The Tyvek®️ Protective equipment are made of high-strength continuous filament polyethylene, is low-linting and free of contaminants that could pose a risk in critical environments. The sustainable material provides high barrier protection, improves breathability and extends durability.

DuPont has thus made a trusted name for itself among manufacturers of protective clothing and accessories, and its versatile line of protective equipment ranges from activities in industrial to pharmaceutical and hazardous environments.

In addition, the designs have been optimized with a better fit and are available in sizes S to 5XL.

Have we piqued your interest? Discover more about the Tyvek®️ products on our Weita online store.

Billions of IoT devices are generating ever greater volumes of data. This data holds enormous potential; among other things, it can be used to develop new business models or make manufacturing processes more efficient. But the new appetite for information also brings challenges: How can the floods of data be stored efficiently? What are the future trends in storage? The industry is constantly trying to answer these and other questions. Here are the five trends that are currently important in the field of data storage:

Shift from cloud to edge computing

In the early stages of IoT, applications were primarily supported by clocud platforms. However, computing power and intelligence are increasingly shifting from the cloud to the network edge. The interplay of 5G, AI and IoT makes it possible to process significantly more data directly there. For many IoT applications, it is now essential that data is verified, analyzed, and transformed at the point of collection, for example in vehicle sensors, robots, or drones. This creates more demand for storage in edge devices, which in turn creates new challenges. For example, the highest possible, but above all scalable, storage capacity is needed at the network edge. Especially when a large number of endpoints are connected to each other. How the storage solution has to be designed also depends on the environment, for example. The more exposed or even inhospitable the location where the data collection and processing takes place, the more special the requirements for durability and reliability of the storage.

Network latency plays a key role in IoT applications. If processing is too slow, the captured data can be corrupted or even lost. Edge storage is capable of managing data collection and provides sufficient compute resources to aggregate and analyze this data in real time - for example, through the use of AI or machine learning (ML). This creates immediately usable insights at the device level.

New preferred memory type for IoT applications

Reliable and fast memory solutions are critical for optimal edge device performance. NOR and NAND flash memory are typically used in IoT applications. NOR is stable as well as reliable, and features include long lifetime, low power consumption, and execute-in-place (XIP) capability for faster boot-up. NAND, on the other hand, is faster in every other respect, takes up less space, is less expensive and achieves higher density.

Traditionally, NOR was used as code memory with high reliability, while NAND was used for larger capacity and higher performance. In recent years, this has changed. NAND is also becoming more popular for code storage. This paradigm shift will continue to grow as IoT applications become more sophisticated and modern edge devices can store code. NAND-based storage solutions such as eMMC (Embedded Multimedia Card), UFS (Universal Flash Storage) or SSD (Solid State Drive) are coming to the fore in almost all sectors - from the manufacturing industry to medical technology.

Cold Storage Increases in Importance

In a changing - increasingly hybrid - working world, the requirements for storage solutions are also changing. When colleagues collaborate from multiple locations, critical data can no longer be stored in just one central location. To still be able to access and protect the data, companies need to use local, external and cloud backups as well as archiving solutions.

However, multiple backups at different locations significantly increase the amount of storage in data centers. It is therefore important to examine how data can be archived most efficiently. Long-term archives, also known as cold storage, offer a suitable solution. Data that does not need to be accessed immediately is stored cost-effectively and archived until it is needed. The increasing importance of cold storage is also a response to cyber attacks such as ransomware attacks. These are much less dangerous if external backup copies exist.

Most cold storage archives are housed either on tapes or on hard disk drives (HDDs). Tape storage is less expensive than HDDs, but also has higher latency when accessing data. HDDs and next-generation platforms have a critical role to play in further increasing the efficiency of archive solutions.

(Energy) efficient data storage is essential

In order to cope with the ever-increasing flood of data, many companies use data centers. However, these consume huge amounts of electricity and thus account for a not inconsiderable share of global CO2 emissions. Relying on energy-saving data centers not only pays off ecologically, but also financially and lowers the total cost of ownership. There are various approaches to increasing energy efficiency in data storage.

Thus, it makes sense to switch to high-capacity drives. A few high-capacity drives are more energy efficient than multiple low-capacity drives. At the same time, this increases the storage density per rack, which in turn reduces their required number. JBoD (Just a Bunch of Disks) solutions can also reduce power consumption. Here, the drives are protected from vibrations using modern technologies, such as those we offer exclusively, and the airflow is channeled in such a way that optimal operating temperatures can be maintained. Additional expensive cooling is no longer required. In this context, it is also worthwhile to use helium-filled hard disks instead of air-filled ones. Since helium has only one seventh the density of air, there is less turbulence inside the drive.

Ultimately, the recipe for success is to modernize the existing infrastructure and make it more efficient. There are several new approaches that help with this. For example, zoned storage is a good tool for storing data intelligently and thus increasing performance and storage density, reducing latency and lowering operating costs.

Success with an intelligent storage strategy

The examples make it clear that storage solutions are a critical factor in the use of IoT on many levels, but also for the fundamental performance of companies. An intelligent storage strategy is therefore indispensable and should be considered early on in all investments.

The ever-increasing volume of data streams is creating new challenges in storage. However, with the right solutions, these can be mastered.

 

NOR vs. NAND Flash

NOR flash is usually used for the program memory of microcontrollers and is also used, for example, as non-volatile memory for the BIOS or UEFI of a PC. Due to the internal serial circuitry in NAND flash, reading and writing is only possible in blocks.

As a first step, they must be able to assess a wound correctly. However, the assessment and triage of different wound types can already be challenging for first responders: what can and may they treat themselves, what belongs to the doctor and what even directly to the hospital?

When first responders decide they want to be able to treat a wound themselves, the question of the right method arises. The treatment of a wound should support wound healing, prevent wound infections, relieve the patient's pain and minimize the formation of scars.

Factors to consider include the type of injury, the age of the wound, the degree of contamination, and whether an infection exists. Depending on this, an X-ray examination is necessary to detect foreign bodies in the wound. The question of tetanus vaccination protection is also important. And these are only a few of many aspects.

Even if the wounds are large and the first responders send the patients to the doctor or hospital, initial care must be provided by lay helpers. So how should large wounds be dealt with and what is needed at first-aider level?

Wound assessment and treatment: at the 2023 First Responder Symposium and the following workshops.

Such issues are often challenging for first responders. They are taught far too rarely in traditional courses. Today, first responders are often very competent in assessing and treating polytrauma, but wound assessment and treatment can be a problem. For precisely this reason, the 3rd First Aider Symposium on November 4, 2023, will be devoted to this topic in depth and comprehensively.

The First Aider Symposium addresses all first aiders, whether beginners, advanced or professionals, whether Samaritans, company paramedics, private or blue-light organizations. Top-class speakers present their views on the various steps of wound assessment and treatment for about one hour each and answer the questions of the participants. The presentations:

• Assess different types of wounds: Assessing and triaging
• Treatment of different types of wounds: Latest findings from wound treatment for the ambulance service
• Large wounds: How to deal with them and what do first responders need to know?
• Looking beyond the horizon: wound treatment with the professionals

However, the topic of wound assessment and treatment will not be over on the evening of November 4, 2023. In the weeks following the First Aider Symposium, the organizers will organize workshops during which participants can practice wound treatment in a very concrete and practical way in smaller groups for half a day.

Supporting program and added values

At the First Aider Symposium 2023, as usual, the supporting program and other added values are also important:

• After each presentation, there will be plenty of room and time to ask questions of the speakers.
• All presentations will be simultaneously translated from German into French.
• Hours count toward the IVR certificate and SGAS continuing education credits are available.
• In the foyer, various exhibitors present their products, courses or other services.
• In addition, the SVBS AWARD 2022 for the First Responders of the Year 2022 will be presented during the First Responder Symposium.

The joint event of the Swiss Association for Industrial Paramedics (SVBS) and Hartmann was held for the first time in 2021 and was immediately sold out with 270 participants. The second First Aider Symposium in 2022 was also booked out to the last seat. The atmosphere among the participants, exhibitors and speakers was excellent in each case and the feedback was positive all round. Of course, the third First Aider Symposium on November 4, 2023 in the KKL Luzern would like to build on this success.

Info: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch
Registrations: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/anmeldung
Application deadline: September 30, 2023
Program: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/programm
Speakers: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/referenten

Source: SVBS/ASSE

In April 2022, the Federal Council instructed the Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) to prepare two consultation drafts on the electronic patient dossier (EPD). To elaborate. On the one hand, this involves a comprehensive revision of the Federal Electronic Patient Dossier Act (EPDG), and on the other, transitional financing until the comprehensive revision comes into force.

Transitional financing and simplified opening process

According to the federal government, various measures are now to be taken to further develop the EPD in order to increase the benefits for all parties involved. For example, hospital and care infrastructures as outpatient service providers are to be obliged to use the EPD. Furthermore, the EPD should be legally anchored as an instrument of the mandatory health care insurance (OKP). This is intended to ensure that the goals of the mandatory health insurance (OKP) in terms of higher treatment quality and better cost efficiency are achieved, as the federal government writes in a statement.

The cantons will also have to provide temporary financial assistance in the same amount as the federal government. The transitional financing will be brought forward as a separate bill from the comprehensive revision and is expected to come into force at the end of 2024. A payment in the amount of 30 million Swiss francs is necessary to guarantee the envisaged financial assistance from the federal government.

The comprehensive revision of the law is likely to take several years. The present partial revision is also intended to simplify the process for opening an EPD. This currently requires consent with a handwritten signature or a qualified electronic signature (QES). According to the federal government, the QES has not become established on the market as expected. Therefore, another form of electronic consent is now also to be possible.

Sources:

www.e-health-suisse.ch
www.patientendossier.ch