The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines to Safeguarding Ventilation Systems

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released new guidelines for protecting ventilation systems in commercial and government buildings from chemical, biological and radiological attacks. The guidelines issue recommendations concerning physical security of ventilation systems, airflow and filtration, systems maintenance, program administration and maintenance staff training.

"This guidance offers reasonable and practical measures to reduce the likelihood of a containment attack and to minimize the impact if one occurs," says Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. "This effort demonstrates how the federal government and the private sector can work together to make our nation more secure."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) prepared the guidelines with input and review by the Interagency Workgroup on Building Air Protection, a unit of the Office of Homeland Security; and with multiple state, federal, local and professional agencies.

According to the guidelines, protective measures should be tailored to fit the individual building based on several factors, including perceived risk, engineering and architectural feasibility and cost. A copy of the report, entitled "Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological or Radiological Attacks," can be viewed on the NIOSH Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh

For more on government security issues, check out the Web site for our new sister publication, GOVERNMENT SECURITY. Just follow the link at http://www.securitysolutions.com

SIX STEPS TO A MORE SECURE WORKPLACE

"With greater security in the workplace, employees are more confident that their safety is a priority." So says Norman Heinle, president of Datamatics Management Services, Inc., a labor management technology company.

"While some industries and larger corporations have had security measures in place for decades -- and quasi-public entities like the Postal Service have had theirs criticized, it has become evident that the subject needs further examination. Protecting human assets has become much more important than guarding physical facilities," he adds.

While mid-sized businesses struggle to squeeze funds for something that was not a budgetary consideration previously, opportunities exist to take a few key steps that involve marginal costs.

Heinle, with over 30 years' experience in the labor management industry and former professor of management at Rutgers University, offers six tips:

• Consider background checks and specific selection criteria to help ensure only qualified, and responsible applicants are accepted.
  
  
• Know where your employees are, and when they are in the work facility
  
  
• Explore various automated solutions to help monitor employee behavior for improved productivity and security in the workplace.
  
  
• Take measures to protect critical company and employee data, while limiting access to only those properly authorized.
  
  
• In addition to 'checking references,' research information from known third-party sources regarding industry standards and security benchmarks.
  
  
• Define a clear company policy for handling phone and e-mail inquiries, and general release of information.