When winter weather storms begin, many smart businesses pay attention to facility safety issues such as making sure sidewalks and parking lots are clear of snow and ice. A business may also enact a safety plan, telling non-vital workers to stay home until it is safe to come to the office. There are many different types of winter hazards businesses must prepare for. Read More
At the beginning of December, AlertMedia conducted a webinar on how to prepare and protect businesses from winter weather hazards.
Paul Yura, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service, and Peter Steinfeld, VP of Sales at AlertMedia, explored the impacts of severe weather and provided tips on how to effectively prepare businesses for winter weather events through effective communication and technology. Below we have compiled a summary of the main points discussed with our webinar audience last week. Read More
Some view winter weather as a welcome excused absence from work or school. Others must still find their way into the office. What they don’t want to encounter on their way are slick sidewalks, power outages, or the worst – inching your way through icy gridlock only to learn after they’ve battled the weather that the office is, in fact, closed. “Sorry,” simply won’t suffice. Read More
Full suits. Dark sunglasses. Talking in hushed tones. Everyone knows the stereotypical image of a bodyguard. Although this specific image is only a cliché reinforced by movies and television shows, there is some truth to it.
Close protection is a massive industry. Today, there are upwards of 20 million private security workers worldwide. In most countries (including the US), private security outnumbers the police force. Experts expect the industry to grow to $240 billion by 2020.
But who uses close protection—and is it the right choice for your organization? The reality is: close protection is a luxury best reserved for very specific situations. For most organizations, there are better ways to keep your people safe. In particular, new technologies that have emerged in recent years make protecting your employees easier than ever before. Read More
Although spring and summer bring with them their own weather problems, winter can be especially nasty. While a fire or flooding can threaten business continuity for several days, winter storms can stretch on for weeks—even months.
Winter storms also bring with them a wide variety of threats. We pulled the following common winter dangers straight from NOAA: Read More
Winter may conjure up imagery suitable for a Norman Rockwell painting: sitting by the fire with a hot drink in hand, enjoying the twinkling lights and decorations, and watching through the window as snowflakes drift lazily through the air. But the reality is that the business impact of winter weather is anything but idyllic.
The economic impact of a simple snowstorm can be upwards of $1 billion. And it’s not just companies in the path of those epic nor’easters that need to take heed. Last winter, unusually cold weather as far south as Florida even caused several theme parks to close. Read More
Following the tragic 2015 Paris terror attacks, the Wall Street Journal published an article highlighting companies’ reassessments of travel security policies. One specific company impacted during the attacks was A.T. Kearney, a global management consultant with about 300 employees either working or traveling for business in the Paris area during the time. When they heard news of the attacks, the company immediately sent out a message to employees using their emergency notification system in an attempt to verify their location and status—but three days later, one employee still had not responded.
Managing Partner Johan Aurik checked the employee’s Facebook page and was relieved to find that the employee had just updated their picture with a French flag. Mr. Aurik learned a valuable lesson from the experience that we can all take away. Sending one message over one channel once just isn’t enough. Thankfully, in this case, the unresponsive employee ended up being alright. But waiting three days hoping to see some sign of life is not a situation any company wants to be in. Ensuring corporate travel safety requires comprehensive planning and a robust emergency communication system. Following these four tips will get your organization headed in the right direction.
In 2018 alone, 213 casualties resulted from active shooter events in the United States. No company ever wants to think about an active shooter event occurring at their workplace, but with the number of active shooter incidents on the rise, it is crucial for companies to have an active shooter response plan in place. Since at least 60% of active shooter events end before the police even arrive, teaching employees response strategies can help save many lives. In this blog post we evaluate the most common method taught in the United States: “Run, Hide, Fight.” Read More
Most companies never want to think about the potential for an active shooter event at their workplace. The “it won’t happen here” mentality has resulted in many companies being unprepared to respond to a mass shooting event. In reality, more than half of all active shooter events—60%—occurred in the workplace in 2018. With no active shooter response plan, companies fail to provide their employees with the proper protection and safety. Read More
Duty of care is one of the fastest-developing areas of law worldwide. Over the past five years, the United Kingdom and France have both passed laws that lay out specific guidelines for employers. Meanwhile in the United States, the courts have begun to widen the scope of who owes a duty of care. Most recently, the courts have taken up the question: what is a university’s duty of care to students? Read More
