Information Security for Occupational Safety

Many organizations collect large amounts of information. The information can range from employee records to operational data, customer databases, trade secrets, and so on. Organizational information that is commonly collected may contain administrative reports documenting various types of data for day-to-day operations, or other supplementary support. The fact is that most organizations retain a lot of information in their operational processes. This chapter will use educational environments as examples for computer and information security however, the concepts and examples are applicable to many organizational environments. 

Organizational information is a compilation of records, files, documents, and other materials that may contain many sensitive pieces of data. Information may be kept in a variety of formats, including handwritten, printed, and digital tiles and video and audio recordings. Information must be accurate and available to make timely decisions. In emergency situations, accurate and accessible information may play an important factor in safety. Furthermore, organizations could have legal consequences if they fail to safely maintain information. 

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Chapter 10 Computer and Information Security for Occupational Safety... 

Many federal documents, particularly those on environmental subjects, are obtainable from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). NTIS, an agency of the U. S. Department of Commerce, is the central source for the public sale of U. S. sponsored research, development and technical reports. The Monthly Catalog lists by agency and is available from GPO. Many publications on safety and toxicology that relate to chemical industry needs, however, must be obtained from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Cincinnati. Securing state documents can be equally frustrating. 

Occupational and consumer protection are seen as technical exercises in France. The National Institute of Research and Security (INRS) and the Institute for the Industrial Environment and Safety (INERIS) may be aptly described as state apparatus to control costs to the state of poor regulation. INERIS plays little part in the development of risk-reduction strategies (RRS) because consumer protection and environmental protection follow directly from the risk assessment process. INERIS feeds relevant information directly to the MEDD. Because MESA acts only as a statistical and economic branch of occupational protection, responsibility for the development of occupational RRS is left to the INRS. 

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