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How technology can help prevent workplace injuries

Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

A few months ago, we reported on workplace fatalities being at their highest levels since 2008, although workplace injuries are trending down. And now, the National Security Council recently released its first Work to Zero research report, "Safety Technology 2020: Mapping Technology Solutions for Reducing Serious Injuries and Fatalities in the Workplace." The report identifies the most relevant workplace hazards, along with technologies that can help to mitigate the risks.

COVID-19 continues to be good for the planet — for now

Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental

With the coronavirus raging, there's little that's not connected to the topic. The environment continues to be a bright spot among the bad news. It's a topic we've covered here before, but social distancing and the near-shutdown of the world's economy are having overwhelmingly positive impacts on the health of the planet. Manufacturing and most pollution-producing industries have ground to a halt due to the spread of the virus. Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at the University of Leicester, called it the "largest-scale experiment ever" regarding the reduction of industrial emissions.

‘Corona change’ is an economic force with environmental consequences

Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & Environmental

Climate change issues are intimately tied to the coronavirus pandemic, but how? The recent announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has suspended regulations requires reflection on the pandemic’s climate change politics. There are countless speculations as to the virus’ origins, and all are anthropogenic. This means human practices disrupt ecological balance, resulting in huge social impacts, like pandemics. Plain and simple, right?

COVID-19 and the wild sheep decline: An interesting parallel

Chester Moore Jr. Recreation & Leisure

The impact of COVID-19 on humanity is nothing short of historic. While the death toll has not and hopefully will not reach the levels of the Spanish flu of 1918, the potential is there, and the grip it has on government, commerce, and private citizens is unprecedented. That’s why I can’t help but make parallels between COVID-19 and the near-catastrophic decline of wild sheep of the 1800s.

A healthier environment is an unintended consequence of the coronavirus

Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental

One significant positive from the COVID-19 pandemic? As economies are crashing, industries shuttered, and people mandated to shelter in place, the beneficiary of this is the natural environment. The coronavirus is cutting global emissions faster than any previous climate legislation or negotiations. In fact, according to numbers researched by Lauri Myllyvirta at the University of Helsinki's Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, this is all because of the pandemic.

Afraid of bedbugs? Avoid these cities, says Orkin

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Got bugs? Many cities do, if it is bedbugs that are the target. Washington, D.C., is the No. 1 city on Orkin's Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list, topping nearby Baltimore, which fell to the second spot after three years as the front-runner. Indianapolis joined the top 10 of the list this year. The list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bedbug treatments from Dec. 1, 2018 to Nov. 30, 2019. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.

5 ways leaders can stop people from panicking

Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk Management

If I get one more email from someone telling me "don't panic," I'm going to freak out. There are other ways of helping people calm their fears. I don't know about you, but whenever someone tells me not to panic or be afraid, I become more frightened. I feel that the person uttering those words is either not hearing me or trivializing my concerns. The coronavirus has interrupted our lives and businesses as we know it. As a leader, I want to share five ways you can help people remain calm and be present in their lives.

A glimpse at new sustainability trends for food and beverages

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

Rising awareness of environmental issues has paved the way for sustainability-driven investment in all areas, including food and beverage. This industry, with its complex supply chains, is increasingly under scrutiny. Companies have to take into account a wide range of environmental and social issues like gender equality, equal pay, animal welfare, human rights, climate, and the safety of indigenous peoples as they plan for the future.

Mentoring, a beacon in the dark for young leaders

Sheilamary Koch Education

Recently, my 15-year-old daughter, an emerging environmental activist, told me of her first mentoring experience at a youth summit she attended. In a nutshell, a college student involved in activism on her campus was assigned to a group of three younger students. She began by sharing how she’d experienced little support for her ideas in the area she grew up, then encouraged the others to share about their lives and aspirations. Often, mentors act as metaphorical beacons in the darkness for mentees aiming to accomplish things outside the scope of what people around them are doing.

A facility management guide to virus protection

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

The National Safety Council has updated its original statement from Jan. 31 on the coronavirus (COVID-19). The organization works to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes, in communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education, and advocacy, so its standing in the facility management world has a strong foundation. In its statement regarding the virus, it is urging employers to assess their risk of exposure and ensure procedures are in place to control transmission effectively. Likewise, workplace illness prevention training is imperative for all employees, the NSC adds.

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