At Telcom, we’re here to provide you with relevant, up-to-date information to help you and your team stay safe no matter where the day takes you. This month, we’re here to make sure your team stays safe in the heat and updating you on the SEC’s new cybersecurity guidelines. Read on to learn more!
Hot Weather Safety Practices

No one really needs to be told that working in hot weather can be dangerous, right? Yet every year we hear or read stories about heat-related illnesses resulting in catastrophic injuries or death. The U.S. averages roughly 702 heat-related deaths, and nearly 68,000 ER visits, resulting in about 9,000 hospitalizations, annually. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there has been a significant increase in heat-related deaths since 2020 and are on track to continue the rise.

OSHA has a quick three-pronged approach to follow to stay safe in the heat. 1) Water, 2) Rest, 3) Shade. This may seem like an easy task, but workers out in the heat are highly susceptible. After a certain point, one can begin to lose the ability to self-rescue. This is why it is so important for our workers and contractors to watch each other.

Our outside crews, including construction, installation, and repair technicians, central office folks, and our contractor crews should be constantly made aware of the hazards of working in extreme heat. The same goes for our contractors who are doing work for you. Make sure they are training their employees on heat exposure too.
Heat-related illnesses often follow a progression. Sunburns are an obvious starting place. Next, you may acquire a heat rash, and maybe even a heat cramp, which usually happens after work while resting. This is an indication that you need to intake more fluids the next day.

When a person loses consciousness, it is always a medical emergency. Heat-related illnesses are preventable, and we all must work to limit exposure and mitigate the risks. It may be one thing to tell someone to drink more fluids and take more breaks, it is another thing to insist or mandate it.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are true medical emergencies, and we must try to avoid these at all costs. Drinking fluids all day, taking breaks, finding shade, and watching out for each other will help us all reduce the statistics.

Supervisors, foremen, work leads, and even the newest hired person, should be able to step up and say something to someone who isn’t taking care of themselves to prevent a heat-related illness. It is up to us to keep this in check and stop avoidable and accidental heat-related deaths.
New SEC Guidelines on Cybersecurity

While we typically insure privately held companies, often rules that apply to publicly traded companies serve as best practices for all to follow, and so we share this.

On July 26, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a new set of rules requiring publicly traded companies to disclose all material cybersecurity incidents to investors. These incidents are required to be reported within four business days of determining whether the cybersecurity incident could have a “material” impact on the company’s financial performance.

The new rule improves transparency of reporting cybersecurity risks and can help investors make more informed decisions on the topic. It aims to provide a more adaptable path to risk management, so companies can take a more diversified approach to developing cybersecurity strategy and keep up with the ever-changing nature of cyber-attacks. The SEC hopes that with this new approach to cybersecurity, companies will be able to pivot more quickly in response to threats.
The disclosure rule not only helps investors receive crucial information in a timely manner, but also recognizes that certain cybersecurity incidents can have a greater impact outside of the company. The carve-out in this SEC rule provides a specific precaution regarding cybersecurity issues that may pose a security or public safety threat.

As for cyber insurance professionals, be on the lookout for further clarity from the SEC on the reporting process. Overall, the new guidelines recognize cyber risks as business risks and how a security breach can affect business operations.

To learn more about the SEC’s new rules for cybersecurity disclosure, click here for more information.
Check out our new website for more information!