June is National Safety Month

Each June, the National Safety Council encourages organizations to get involved and participate in National Safety Month. Take a look at this week’s articles for some ideas on how your organization can take part. Also, Friday is Heat Safety Awareness Day. According to the National Weather Service, heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States, killing more people each year than floods, lightning, tornados and hurricanes combined. Be careful out there!

Information from NIOSH provides information on violence in the workplace. (Item #1) OSHA provides information for building owners, managers and employers on sources of indoor air pollutants, applicable OSHA standards, and preventing or minimizing IAQ problems. (Item #2) Do you have an off-the-job safety program? (Item #3)

NIOSH offers a lot of information on workplace safety; look it over. (Item #4) Every organization should be concerned about parking lot safety; is yours? (Item #5) It’s your responsibility to ensure you stay safe at work; here are some tips you can put to good use. (Item #6)

Check out the entire issue at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Mass Notification Systems

One of the main reasons for the failure of business continuity and/or disaster response plans is lack of communication... for whatever reason, those who need it do not receive targeted, actionable information so they can carry out their roles. This week, our articles focus on what you need to know about mass notification systems (MNS) and, finally, providing information on various MSN products.

Here are eight steps to take to create an effective mass notification system. (Item #1) Regulation of mass notification systems is currently being studied. (Item #2) What’s the best way to deploy network-centric notification systems? (Item #3)

This article aims to give you the know-how you need to select a mass notification plan. (Item #4) The key to a good MNS is choosing not only the right mix of emergency communications systems to meet the facility’s needs, but also understanding and complying with the latest minimum requirements. (Item #5) This mass notification product showcase will provide you with a number of products to consider. (Item #6)

Everything you need to know about mass notification systems is available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Business Continuity Planning

In any crisis or emergency, there are a large number of business continuity requirements within the organization’s business and service processes, facilities, personnel, and other areas. The state of business continuity and disaster recovery planning is dismal in most organizations and nonexistent in many. Many plans in place simply won’t work... this week’s articles will help you ensure your plan works or, if you don’t have one, get you on the road to creating one.

Investing in a BCP is making an investment with a return nearly impossible to estimate; but the price of failure can be incalculable. (Item #1) How long should it take to create a BCP? (Item #2) Here you will see suggested steps and considerations, in an abbreviated way, for small companies to create a BCP that will improve their chances of continuing operations during or after significant disasters. (Item #3)

Although we can’t predict the future, we still need to mitigate risk and heed warnings carefully. (Item #4) What are the pros and cons of one plan versus many branch plans? (Item #5) Companies that don't take the time to prepare disaster recovery and business continuity plans (BCPs) are more likely to close in the first two years of trading. (Item #6)


The full issue is available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Employee Issues

There are two areas employers must be aware of with regard to employees: how to keep them safe and how to prevent disruptions caused – accidentally or on purpose – by employees. Some experts cite statistics that show that 80% of business disruptions are caused by employees – perhaps maliciously by mailing a customer list to a competitor, but also carelessly by leaving confidential information where it can be seen by anyone. This week's articles can help you with training so employees know how their actions impact the organization, as well as what you can do to ensure their safety.

While most businesses have continuity plans in place, many don't address a company's most precious assets: its employees. (Item #1) It is very common for managers to be concerned about how they will be able to effectively manage offsite employees. (Item #2) A number of concerns motivate employers to monitor employees surfing the Web at work. (Item #3)

You can lower the risk of litigation with a commitment to strategic e-mail management, combining written policies, employee education and technology tools. (Item #4) Even though employers have a policy against sexual harassment, they still can be held vicariously liable in cases where a supervisor uses sexual content to discriminate against an employee. (Item #5) There are pros and cons about the electronic surveillance of employees at work. (Item #6)


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