Fall is in the air!
And with football season back, we’re sure you’ve been spending your weekends watching your teams and grilling out in the backyard.
So, don’t worry if you’ve missed a blog or two. Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up all the latest news from the Vector Solutions team right here.
From preparing your business for disasters to addressing the recent outbreak of vaping incidents to healthy stress management and road safety, we cover it all.
Now, grab a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy Vector’s best September reads!
“Disasters often strike with little to no warning, and they can come in many forms: hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, cyberattacks, accidents, and more.
“To give your business the best chance of success during a disaster, you need to have a plan in place that assigns clear roles to employees and ensures timely communications with all stakeholders, both internal and external.
“This type of plan is often referred to as a business continuity plan.”
Read more about how to prepare your business and employees for a disaster.
“It’s hard to miss the headlines about the recent outbreak of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat up liquid nicotine to generate aerosol that users inhale. As recently as September 6, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted this investigation notice: ‘CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of severe pulmonary disease associated with e-cigarette product (devices, liquids, refill pods, and/or cartridges) use.’ In addition, the CDC recommends that during this ongoing investigation, individuals should consider not using e-cigarettes. This holds especially true for teens and young adults.”
Learn more about the dangers of vaping and how SafeSchools can help address the use of e-cigarettes and other drugs with staff and students.
“Hazing refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. And, research shows that 60% of students are subjected to hazing while on campus.
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“It’s critical that institutions send a clear and recurring message to students about hazing and the role it plays on campus – prohibited and in most states, illegal. Institutions can pay the price if they are found to be negligent in criminal hazing cases – as well as generate negative press for the school.”
Read more to access helpful SafeColleges guidelines and resources to reduce hazing on campus.
“Challenging behavior is not just frustrating; it can have serious negative effects for educators, students, and family members. Challenging behavior can be disruptive, interfere with teaching and learning, and lead to punishment and changes in class or school placements. It’s not just a problem for one student. The whole class can feel the effects and miss out on learning opportunities.
“There are three functions of challenging behavior: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and sensory stimulation and regulation. Predictable chains of antecedents, behavior, and consequences help identify the function. A set of techniques called Positive Behavior Intervention Plans (PBIP) can make a real difference. Teaching students what to do instead of the challenging behavior and making sure there are supports in place for the new, appropriate behavior can lead to improvements.”
Learn more about what PBIPs include and how to implement them.
“It’s no secret public safety professionals are exposed to more high-stress situations than the average civilian. With that, fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel experience higher rates of stress-related disorders and disease.
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“As September [was] National Suicide Prevention Month, identifying workplace stressors and reacting to warning signs is crucial. It’s the responsibility of every individual in these fields to understand their personal mental health and help one another when possible.
“Learn more about how your agency can address health concerns with TargetSolutions’ custom-built training for stress management.”
“5S is central to lean manufacturing, and it’s frequently one of the first parts of a lean manufacturing implementation at the workplace.
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“[It] is a formulaic method you can use to straighten and organize a work area. Using 5S reduces waste (a fundamental goal in lean manufacturing), improves safety (see our article on Lean 6S Safety), and otherwise improves your production process and work environment.”
Read more to learn about 5S and how to implement it in your organization.
Americans are spending more time driving, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. So what does the uptick mean for roadway risk?
Read more to understand the implications and discover solutions for assessing and training your own drivers.
“Kevin Wen joined the IndustrySafe team in April of 2019 as a software developer intern.
“Since then, Kevin has participated in the development cycle of several IndustrySafe release updates. This involves assisting in the creation of new features and functionality, as well as applying software patches.
“Learn more about Kevin with the brief Q&A session we had with him.”
