Microsoft has in its blog to a corresponding update announcedthat Adobe Flash will be completely cleaned out of Windows 10 starting this June. In June, the update update KB4577586 should be installed on all current Windows computers.

The Flash Player should no longer be dormant in Windows 10 systems as a result. A corresponding update was previously available as an option, but will now be distributed to all systems as part of the patch day.

The flash removal should also work on older Windows 10 systems with version 1507 and 1607. Likewise, the software will also be removed from Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2021 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard.

Source: Microsoft/The Standard 

Schuko plugs basically pose a risk to Swiss consumers, according to ESTI. (Image: Pixabay) 

16 percent of the electrical products inspected by the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations ESTI in 2020 showed defects. A total of 130 sales bans had to be issued. Furthermore, thirteen recalls and safety warnings of electrical equipment were published.

A total of 236 products had formal or technical defects that could lead to electric shock, scalding, smoke formation or fire. The products most affected by sales bans were devices for air and surface disinfection, chargers, rechargeable batteries, lamp sockets, travel adapters and devices from the camping equipment sector.

If there is a potential risk to persons or if there is no proof of conformity, the ESTI can prohibit the provision of a product on the market. The sale of electrical appliances with an unauthorized foreign plug (e.g. Schuko plug) is prohibited in Switzerland, as live parts can be touched when attempting to plug the appliance into the socket. ESTI warns that great caution is also advised when purchasing conspicuously cheap appliances on dubious online platforms.

Market surveillance 2020 - low-voltage products according to NEV

When purchasing electrical equipment, consumers should look for a correct Swiss plug, accessible and competent customer service, comprehensible operating instructions and test marks affixed to the equipment. A recognized Swiss test mark is the voluntary safety mark of ESTI.

Source: ESTI

Quarantine and strict contact requirements: The coronavirus is keeping the world on tenterhooks and ensuring that more and more office workers are suddenly working from home offices, either voluntarily or by order. While some have been working from home on a daily basis or entirely for some time, others are not quite ready for the home office. Here are the seven tips for more comfort in the home office from Dr. Jürgen Waldorf, Managing Director of the industry initiative licht.de.

1. set up a permanent workstation for yourself
Great if you can do your office tasks in an already set up home office. This way you can easily separate work and relaxation at home. But what if there is no extra office? A good alternative is a separate workspace. It can be easily screened off, for example, by a portable movable wall, a screen or a shelf.

2. make sure the chair and table fit you
Anyone who now works at home for more than an hour or two needs the appropriate equipment. Even a small upgrade to the work corner can quickly pay for itself in everyday life. Ergonomically sound equipment includes a height-adjustable desk chair and a matching desk. This prevents back pain and poor posture. Good ergonomics also include the right lighting.

3. place the computer and screen to the side of the window
Although today's computers usually have a good anti-reflective coating, make sure that there are no large brightness contrasts or reflections at the workplace. They disturb the visual comfort and should be avoided. It is therefore best to position the desk and monitor to the side of the window. In this way, sufficient daylight falls on the workstation without dazzling it. A positive side effect is that the eye can also "wander" from time to time, which is good for the eyes and for the sense of well-being.

4. lux and lumen: important ingredients for your lighting concept
Also indispensable: a well-coordinated lighting concept that takes into account natural daylight, direct and indirect lighting. Sufficient basic lighting ensures that the contrasts between the workplace and its surroundings are not too high and that the eyes do not have to constantly adjust to different brightness levels. Desk luminaires provide supplementary direct light at the workplace. In both cases, energy-saving LED solutions are a good choice.

Practical assistance in lighting design is provided by the European standard DIN EN 12464-1 on the lighting of indoor workplaces. According to this standard, every workplace should be illuminated with at least 500 lux; in the immediate vicinity, 300 lux is correct. Translated, this means: A desk lamp should provide about 1000 lumens. For the illumination of the adjacent environment, an LED luminaire with about 600 lumens is correct.

In the study, pendant luminaires are used or power track. They make do with a single ceiling outlet, but still bring the light to where it is needed. Additional accents are set by individual luminaires that direct their light onto bookshelves or pictures. As a quick and simple lighting solution for small work corners, for example, a ceiling washer is suitable as a floor lamp. It provides pleasant indirect light and sufficient brightness in the surroundings so that visual tasks can be easily perceived.

By the way: Older employees need much more light than younger ones. So it may be a little more lux above the standard recommendation.

5. flexible lights
Desk lamps provide direct light on the work surface. They are really practical when they are equipped with a movable luminaire arm. Then the luminaire head can always be positioned as required, for example when reading important documents. Another tip: The light should come from the left for right-handers and from the right for left-handers so that no disturbing shadows are created when writing. Position the lamp so that reflections on screens and shiny surfaces are avoided.

6. chipper in the morning, but rather relaxed in the evening
What is the right light color for the home office? It depends on the time of day: Following nature's example, neutral white light with at least 3500 Kelvin is right for mornings and early afternoons. The high blue components in it make people awake and promote concentration, explains licht.de.

On the other hand, if you still work in the evening, it's better to switch on a subdued, warm light (maximum 2700 Kelvin) so as not to unnecessarily throw off your sleep-wake rhythm. This also includes setting the screen to night mode in the evening.

7. "Smart" for more convenience
Lights on and off were yesterday. Today, lighting can be effortlessly controlled with appropriately equipped light sources: Brightness and light color can be adjusted as needed. Some systems are easy to operate via app and smartphone - and offer an ideal solution for the home office.

Source: licht.de

When questions arise on the subject of occupational health and safety, finding answers is often more difficult than expected. Regulations on individual topics can be found in various laws. Sometimes it is unclear where something has been regulated. Where can you find information on reasonable load weights, for example? In a SECO guideline, on the Suva homepage or in an FCOS directive? To save time in finding the information you are looking for, there is the FCOS guidance on occupational safety (WLAS).

WLAS was redesigned at the beginning of the year and now offers enhanced functions. Optimized search and filter functions enable intuitive operation. This makes it even quicker to find the desired content. The application now also supports the use of mobile devices and tablets.

In future, the platform will also be even more up-to-date than before. Content maintenance by the site administrators has been made much easier, so that the site can be kept up to date with less effort.

Last but not least, it should also be mentioned that WLAS can of course still be used in three languages. The French version can now be accessed at www.guide.cfst.ch. The German and Italian addresses have remained the same (www.wegleitung.ekas.ch; www.guida.cfsl.ch).

According to a federal report, the security situation in Europe has become more unstable and unpredictable. Tensions and power-political rivalries in particular, and thus the risk of conflicts at border regions in Europe, have increased. Hybrid means of waging conflict, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, had also become more prevalent. In addition, threats such as Islamist terrorism have not yet disappeared. Moreover, climate change will also lead to more frequent and more severe natural disasters.

The Federal Council's report, which is much shorter overall than previous security reports, summarizes nine goals for Swiss security policy:

1) the further strengthening of the Early detection of threats, dangers and crises in order to identify risks to Switzerland as early as possible in the increasingly volatile situation;

2) the Strengthening international cooperation, stability and security, in that Switzerland is committed to a rules-based international order and uses civilian and military means to help promote stability and security in the surrounding area;

3) a strengthened Alignment with hybrid conflict managementThe aim is to increase the protection and resilience of the state, the economy and society against phenomena such as cyber attacks and disinformation and, in particular, to gear the resources of the armed forces even more closely to the changed picture of conflict;

4) free opinion making and undistorted information, so that public and political discussion in Switzerland can take place freely and transparently, based on facts, and without disinformation, attempts to influence, and propaganda by state agencies or by agencies acting on behalf of states;

5) Strengthening protection against cyber threats, to further improve overall cyber risk resilience in Switzerland, taking advantage of both the risks and opportunities of digitization and new technologies;

6) Prevention of terrorismviolent extremism, organized and other transnational crime, so that no terrorist, violent extremist or serious criminal groups can establish themselves on Swiss territory;

7) Strengthening resilience and security of supply in the event of international crises, so that Switzerland can maintain its ability to function and act even in the event of prolonged supply disruptions;

8) Improving protection against disasters and emergencies and regenerative capacity, in order to strengthen the means of preventing and managing such hazards in the face of increasing risks (for example, from climate change);

9) Strengthening cooperation between authorities and crisis management so that, in view of the volatility of the situation and the concatenation of threats and dangers, cooperation between the various policy areas and instruments in Switzerland is further improved. This is the case both in the normal situation and in crises.

Implementation measures

In future, a security analysis is to be published once per legislative term. The consultation procedure for the current report will last until August 18, 2021, and will be approved by the Federal Council at the end of the year. For each of the objectives, the Federal Council lists various concrete measures that need to be implemented over the next few years. The individual policy areas as well as the armed forces, the intelligence service and also the Federal Customs Administration are working together on the measures.

 To the full report "Security Policy in Switzerland 

Source: Federal Council

To the best of our knowledge and belief, legislation has been taken into account, the latest findings have been consulted and years of experience have been used to eliminate possible sources of error.

Today everything is different, more modern, more contemporary, BIM-based (Building Information Modeling) and digital. Screens have replaced the traditional drawing boards. Guidelines, standards and calculation bases are integrated in digital form - always up to date - as a planning basis in various software tools. Each planning step is traceable and can be represented visually as well as virtually. Building owners, building planners and installers are faced with a dynamic, forward-looking industry. The development of new technologies and their integration into planning and operational processes is advancing rapidly. Everything seems much more straightforward and secure. But is this the case? Is digitization the easiest way to eliminate errors and a path to greater planning reliability?

Three success factors

Answering this question is not so easy. On the one hand, a clear yes! The use of the new, web-based software and application solutions has many advantages, makes work easier and ensures a uniform exchange of information between the departments involved. On the other hand, a cautious no!

Modernization carries the risk of a lack of communication and often raises false expectations. The three most important factors remain decisive and authoritative: planning, control and correction! Digitized planning in fire protection is comparable to the use of the auto-correct function on a smartphone: It is practical, but not beyond all doubt. Incorrect use often influences the following planning steps and triggers a chain reaction with unpleasant consequences. The result: incorrect planning, additional work, higher costs - the schedule is thrown into disarray. Such mistakes must be avoided.

Digitization requires a high degree of personal responsibility and technical know-how. Expertise that is already passed on to the younger generation during training. The more mature planners, i.e. those who are still used to pencil and paper, must first acquire this knowledge. This requires courage, will and the willingness to expand one's own horizons.

Status quo in "Fire Protection 4.0

"Yes - we are ready! Ready to take the next step," is the response of many experts, "we are embarking on the Fire Protection 4.0 adventure." This decision simultaneously signifies the endorsement and acceptance of further digitalization. Smarthome, Smart Building, Smart City and Industry 4.0, to mention just a few areas that will occupy the economy and society in the near future.

All in all, it can be said that digitization in fire protection is already well advanced and brings a major advantage: Quality assurance and monitoring during operation are much simpler and more manageable. If a component fails or there is an interruption in the system, a message is sent with the exact information about the fault. It is possible to react immediately - without a long search. The small disadvantage: Digitalization never sleeps! The experts are challenged and must continue their education in order not to miss the connection.

You can read the detailed technical article in the print edition of SicherheitsForum from March 3, 2021.

On average, it takes around ten to twelve years for a new drug to be approved. Clinical trials account for more than half of this time. These take place in three phases: First, the drug is tested on healthy volunteers, then on a small number of patients, and in phase three on a large group of patients in many different countries. Only when positive results are available from all three phases can a pharmaceutical company apply for approval of the drug.

Especially in phase three, clinical trials are complex and expensive. Companies have a hard time finding suitable participants, collecting high-quality data and evaluating it. In addition, patients often drop out during the course of a study because participation is too inconvenient for them or they feel poorly informed. All this means that results are often delayed and costs explode.

Digital technologies speed up clinical trials, make them more cost-effective, and make them easier to conduct for everyone involved. Pharmaceutical companies find it easier to plan a study precisely and find suitable candidates. With the help of wearables, sensors and smartphone apps, digital biomarkers can be continuously recorded in an automated way. This provides researchers with high-quality data that deliver valuable insights.

Technologization in different phases of virtual studies

One of the most important new technologies used for virtual clinical trials is Big Data Analytics. Consequently, data analytics are a crucial factor when it comes to reducing the costs of clinical trials: after all, the researchers of a trial usually only realize late that it is failing. So the earlier you identify problems, the better.

To ensure this, modern analysis techniques are needed to evaluate the huge amounts of data from digital biomarkers. Furthermore, with their help, the study design can be optimized. For example, the analysis of genomic data helps to define the pool of potential candidates as precisely as possible. By combining current real-world data with historical data, it also becomes possible to identify problems early on and take countermeasures before a lot of money is lost.

Quantum simulation technology also plays a special role in the development of new drugs. With the help of high-performance computers such as the Atos Quantum Learning Machine it is possible, for example, to simulate how various clinical pictures develop and what concomitant diseases there might be. Such simulations are carried out using huge, anonymized data sets. This helps researchers to better identify relationships between different diseases and understand how they influence therapy. These findings can then be incorporated into the design of a clinical trial.

Change makes clear data protection regulations indispensable

Clinical studies involve highly sensitive personal data that is subject to the GDPR, among other regulations. Companies must therefore ensure that the data they use does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a specific person. This is usually ensured with techniques such as masking. In addition, high cybersecurity requirements must be met to protect the data from hacker attacks and theft.

The medical devices or wearables used on the patient side are also subject to strict guidelines and must be certified accordingly. In Europe, this is regulated by the MDR (Medical Device Regulation). Apps, on the other hand, fall into the new category of Software as a Medical Device (SaaMD). There are separate guidelines for them. Since phase three clinical trials are conducted in many different countries around the world, companies must take into account a large number of different regulations.

To master the numerous challenges associated with the introduction of virtual clinical trials, it is advisable to work with a specialized service provider. They provide the necessary technologies and support with digital services in all phases of the patient journey. This includes, for example, a web portal where interested parties can conveniently register for the study. It should be connected to a backend that can be used to coordinate and manage the pool of candidates. Chatbot services make it easier for patients to clarify important questions. In addition, clinics are given the opportunity to set up an online consultation.

The service provider can also take over the development of the app for the study, test it, validate it and install it on the relevant mobile devices. It takes care of managing the devices and shipping the study kits, including correct and secure documentation. This ensures that all participants receive their kits on time. It also provides a cloud platform with advanced data management and analytics capabilities. Data from the app as well as other sources flow together there and can be analyzed. A multilingual help desk is available around the clock for questions and problems.

You can read the detailed technical article in the print edition of SicherheitsForum from March 3, 2021.

Source: Atos

Vehicle crashes often end in serious injury and even death, and wearing a seat belt can reduce the likelihood of tragic accident consequences in many cases, the BUL writes in a statement. BUL's crash surveys for last year found that eight people lost their lives due to vehicle crashes. With the awareness campaign launched in 2020 "Got it yet?", the advisory service therefore continues to advise farms to retrofit seat belts in agricultural vehicles.

When retrofitting seat belts, however, there are a number of things that need to be taken into account, the BUL continues. For example, there are two systems for seat belts: The ALR and ELR systems. The ARL system automatically locks the extended belt at the required length, and extending the belt is only possible when the belt is unfastened. According to BUL, the ALR system provides a very secure hold and is particularly suitable for slopes. In contrast, the ELR system offers more freedom of movement because it blocks the belt only after a certain inclination and/or acceleration. However, the ELR system has only limited suitability for slopes.

In any case, it is advisable to leave the installation to a specialist, as a seat belt is a safety component and must be installed correctly. A specialist would also be in a better position to assess whether the seat might also have to be replaced if the existing seat did not have any attachment points and retrofitting with a seat belt was therefore not justifiable.

The BUL also appeals to plant managers to set a good example and regularly remind employees of the obligation to wear seat belts.

Source: BUL

Microsoft Teams has been struggling with various outages since Tuesday noon. Many users have been unable to log in, write chats or view their channels since midday on Tuesday (Central European Time). In the meantime, however, everything should run smoothly again, according to "Heise". In case of further problems, Microsoft advises to restart the client.

The Redmond company has since scrutinized the telemetry data. The cause has been found, but it is not entirely clear what caused the error since Microsoft does not communicate anything more detailed.

Source: Heise.de 

150 working days were spent by the volunteer experts and foundation board members in 2020. This is around 15 percent more than in previous years, writes Swiss Mountain Aid. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, workflows had to be adapted to the new circumstances and established processes had to be completely redeveloped. In addition, more requests for assistance were received due to the coronavirus crisis.

Swiss Mountain Aid had helped more than 100 small businesses in the mountain region with a Corona emergency aid program launched at short notice. Thus, around 50 more projects were supported than in the previous year - in total, support payments amounting to around 35 million Swiss francs were distributed.

The increasing solidarity of the Swiss population with the inhabitants of the mountain regions is gratifying: The number of donors has risen by around 2,500. Despite rising donor numbers, however, income from donations and bequests declined somewhat last year.

LID

It cannot be excluded that the gas cricket "Boston Pro 3 R Turbo" was delivered with a foreign pressure regulator which is not compatible with Swiss gas cylinders. The foreign pressure regulator cannot be connected tightly to the gas cylinders, so that gas leakage occurs and there is a risk of fire between the pressure regulator and the cylinder.

Which products are affected?

Affected by the product recall are those gas crickets "Boston Pro 3 R Turbo" which were delivered with a foreign connection for the gas bottle (see picture with the difference between the foreign and the Swiss pressure regulator).

What should affected consumers do?

Consumers in possession of a gas grill "Boston Pro 3 R Turbo" are requested to check whether their appliance is equipped with the correct pressure regulator and complies with the Swiss standard (see attached picture with the difference between the foreign and the Swiss pressure regulator).

If their gas grill is equipped with the foreign, non-compliant pressure regulator, they may no longer use the device and must return the gas grill to an Aldi-Susse store. They will be refunded the purchase price even without proof of purchase.

Source: Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau

The company Walberg Urban Electrics GmbH recalls the electric scooter "The Urban xC1". There is a risk of falling and accidents. The handlebars of the affected electric scooters will be replaced free of charge.

What is the danger posed by the affected products?

The electric front wheel brake can be released unintentionally at low temperatures under extreme load, for example when jumping off a curb. This could cause the front wheel to lock up while riding, resulting in a risk of falling and an accident.

Which products are affected?

The electric scooter "The Urban xC1" is affected by the product recall.

What should affected consumers do?

Consumers who own an electric scooter "The Urban xC1" are invited to contact the importer, Just4motion AG, by phone or e-mail or Walberg Urban Electrics GmbH via the service form. Consumers will receive a handlebar with new software. The affected electric scooters may no longer be used until the handlebars have been replaced.

Source: Federal Consumer Affairs Bureau