For individuals, private strategies include quitting one’s hazardous job and searching for jobs in safe workplaces. For collectives, private strategies can involve people joining labor unions and bargaining with employers for safe working conditions. For individuals, public strategies include suing in court for individual rights to information about hazards, to refuse hazardous assignments, and to…
A good government always questions its use of and tactics involved in coercion against anyone, including criminal suspects. Killing suspects, whatever the reasons–and taser use is reportedly responsible for 180 occurrences, is a denial of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum. The classification of tasers as “less than deadly” force may be problematic. In the real spectrum…
I am familiar with several private firms wherein IT security is handled by Risk Management. These tech firms (the examples I know are ebusinesses) are taking the lead in this area. They tend to divide risk management into operational risk management (IT security functions), financial risk management (treasury controls), and traditional risk management (insurance, self…
“I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America. In any constitutional state in Europe every sort of religious and political theory may be freely preached and disseminated; for there is no country in Europe so subdued by any single authority as…
Private news outlets are afforded privileged access to the government (or, for that matter, most news “sources”–private or public) based, in large part, on the content and perspective that news is generally presented. In this manner, what is “newsworthy” or not is entirely subjective. The government can, to a great extent, influence the rate and…
Public buildings typically seek to achieve many goals that include security/safety, sustainability, productivity, accessibility, functionality, aesthetics and cost-effectiveness. It is important to balance these goals depending upon the specific use and location of each public facility. For an overview of safety/security issues, you can download a copy of UNIFIED FACILITIES CRITERIA (UFC) DoD MINIMUM ANTITERRORISM…
My understanding of a General Plan (California’s terminology for a community master plan document) is that it is a reference document that reflects the current planning direction of the community’s electorate. The current trend toward form-based general plans gives communities a flexible tool to create sensible transportation networks, neighborhoods, and an appropriate mix of high-…
See http://www.fema.gov/rrr/pa/overview.shtm . The Public Assistance Program provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain Private Non-Profit (PNP) organizations. The Federal share of assistance is not less than 75% of the eligible cost for emergency measures and permanent restoration. The State…
An estimated 18,000 people per year in the U.S. receive rabies preexposure prophylaxis. Preexposure vaccination is recommended for persons in high-risk groups, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, certain laboratory workers, other persons whose activities bring them into frequent contact with rabies virus or potentially rabid species, and international travelers likely to come in contact with…
What are the usual and customary insurance standards for contractors (including professionals, e.g., legal, engineering, financial auditors, etc.)?A set of generic contractor insurance requirements [these would NOT apply to airport construction, high-rise construction, large construction projects (construction values greater than $1 million) marine construction, asbestos-related abatement, construction, hazard control, or removal contractor, disposition and development…