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The latest reports show prisons in England and Wales have surpassed their normal capacity for the first time. At present, there are 82,068 inmates in jail which is 96 over the Prison Service’s normal capacity. Since November 2007 to date, 521 people have been sentenced and sent to prison and around 358 inmates are serving their time in police or court cells in an attempt to ease the pressure. "The government’s policy towards prisons is like boiling a kettle – there is a red line and when you fill it with water, you don’t cross that line" – Colin Moses, Prison Officers’ Association For the first time the Prison Service has more inmates in jail than the number governors want to hold. This added pressure has caused concerns over safety & security within the prisons. HOW MANY INSIDE? Friday population: 82,068 In prison: 81,710 In police cells: 358 Official limits Operational Capacity: 81,972 Uncrowded conditions: 74,141 Source: Prison Service Tensor has a unique, low cost Prison Pass PC computer based system that allows prison officers to quickly check the identity of the visitor and monitor their movements. This is a first class system, which is used by many prisons around the country. The system is highly secure and stores a digital image to ensure instant confirmation of the visitors’ identity. Tensors Prison Pass system will also provide the prison officer with a warning when a banned or cautioned visitor is recognised. A Biometric Fingerprint Reader can also be installed for ‘extra’ security to provide indisputable proof that the guest is who they say they are. For more information on the Prison Pass Visitor Monitoring System, Access Control & Biometrics or to book a demo, please contact our Sales Team on (01480) 215530 or sales@tensor.co.uk

Many schools are checking their security level to ensure that it is sufficient to match current threats. A recent survey of teachers carried out revealed there are a number of different security issues that present themselves in the day to day environment of a school. In the summer of 2007, schools were given the go-ahead to take fingerprints from children as young as five. An investigation earlier in 2007 showed that 285 schools had already introduced fingerprint scanners for a range of purposes including tracking children for truancy and security purposes. Although this is a successful system it still does not make school computers and equipment secure. Schools are targeted for their laptops, computers, over-head projectors and general electrical apparatus. In February of this year, a school was burgled and "50,000 worth of equipment was stolen. Unfortunately, the school did not have Access Control or secure entry & exit system. However, they did have an alarm system, but regrettably the alarm was ignored by local residents and an alert did not go through to the control centre. It is very important that schools are fully equipped with a professional security system to keep intruders out and to protect the school during the evenings and weekends.

Every year, many people die or are seriously injured as a result of fires in the workplace. Fires cost UK businesses millions of pounds a year due to damage, loss of business, fines, compensation claims and insurance premiums. Statistics show that between 70% and 80% of UK businesses fail within 3 years of experiencing a fire. Burning or combustion is due to a chemical reaction between fuel and oxygen. Many common materials can act as fuels such as: furniture curtains desks The rate of fire growth depends on the fuel that is burning and how much air can get to the fire. Legislation implements a risk based approach to fire safety within a business. It requires a responsible person to carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement appropriate fire precaution and protection measures. Once this is in place, it must be maintained with a fire management plan. Fire safety at work is exceedingly important. Although employers must ensure that their staff are trained in how to prevent a fire and know the escape routes, there are still companies that do not have a Fire Roll-Call system in place. A Fire Roll-Call system is a fundamental tool. Should a fire start, the Fire Roll-Call system will automatically print a report indicating which employees are on site. In 2002, over 40,000 workplace fires were reported causing 147 deaths and 3,200 work injuries. Fire Roll-Call will determine who is at the fire muster point and who is unaccounted for.

A turnstile allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be manufactured to enforce a one-way traffic system for people. The turnstile was originally used to allow people to pass while keeping sheep or other livestock penned in. In the late 1880’s Britain used turnstiles for public events. The first major use of the turnstiles was at a sporting venue in Hampden Park, Glasgow. A turnstile is often used for counting the number of people passing through a gate, even when payment is not involved. Turnstiles are extensively used in amusement parks to track how many people enter and exit the park and go on each ride. Turnstiles are more effective than doors when there is a need to physically control people entering or exiting a facility. With crime such as robbery on the increase, turnstiles are also used for security purposes. In addition, an Access Control system can be integrated with the turnstile/turnstiles. There are many different types of turnstile. It depends on what the individual wants. The most commonly used turnstiles are: Half Height Turnstile – Ideal for controlling access in areas such as reception, health clubs and libraries. Full Height Turnstile – Recommended for use when absolute entrance or exit security is required. For example football stadiums, amusement parks and high security establishments. For more information on a Tensor turnstile, barrier or gate, please contact our sales team.

Visitor monitoring is an indispensable system and is becoming increasingly popular. Visitor monitoring controls, records and monitors the entrance and exit of a guest. Upon arrival the Receptionist will check the visitors’ identity and enter their details onto the visitor monitoring system. The guest will then be issued with a printed ID pass. This system is an advantage to any business because: It records an accurate date & time of the visitors arrival Is individulaised with a bar-code and expiry date Is an efficient way to quickly pass visitors through Reception It is becoming increasingly common for businesses not to have a Reception/Receptionist. Visitor monitoring will allow a guest to self register by using a touch-screen computer. The system will automatically notify the host by email. Depending how high-tech a company wants to be, biometric fingerprint readers are frequently used as part of the visitor monitoring system to provide irrefutable proof that the guest is who they say they are. The biometric fingerprint reader is vital for high security sites. In addition, surveillance equipment such as digital CCTV and automatic number plate recognition devices can be combined with your ID card software, allowing you to create a highly sophisticated visitor monitoring network.

In Cambridgeshire alone metal thefts increased by 170% in 2007. Figures obtained by the BBC, show that metal thieves have been responsible for thefts valued at tens of millions pounds. Police are hoping to crack down on the spate of metal thefts by setting up a nationwide task force to tackle the problem. School roofs, statues and power lines seem to be some of the most popular targets, costing millions of pounds to replace. In particular copper is becoming one of the most sought after materials, because it is now worth £4,000 per tonne; twice as much as two years ago. Security is an essential tool for businesses, in order to combat such crime and to provide general peace of mind. Popular security solutions for businesses consist of rising bollards, barriers, turnstiles and automated gates. These are robust products, which will deter intruders whilst causing the minimum amount of inconvenience to employees. For more information on Car Park Barriers, Turnstile & Gates, please contact our Sales Team on +44(0) 1480 215530 or click here to request a call back. www.tensor.co.uk

Working from home is becoming more popular throughout the country. Over 3.1 million people are regular home-based workers. Recent reviews show that people benefit from working at home as they are able to be a working parent, and have fewer interruptions. Some workers also find that they are more motivated, as a result of reduced stress and sickness levels. Although working from home can be advantageous for the employee, many employers have no method of maintaining an accurate record of the employees’ hours or monitoring their performance. Tensor has developed an efficient, quick, add on product, which allows the employer to monitor their employees’ hours who work from home, for just £1,250. The online system permits the employee to clock ‘In’ and ‘Out’, review their holiday planner and submit requested annual leave to their manager. For more details please contact our Sales Team on +44(0) 1480 215530 or click here to request a call back.

Conducted by Salary.com, the 2007 Wasting Time Survey polled 2,000 employees across all job levels about how they spend their working hours. The top time-wasting activities included using the Internet for non-work-related purposes, socializing with co-workers and conducting personal business. The average time wasted represents a decrease from the previous year’s survey, when workers reported wasting an average of 1.89 hours a day. In the survey, 20- to 29-year-olds admitted they waste an average of 2.1 hours a day, with the wasted time dropping with age: Those aged 30 to 39 reported wasting 1.9 hours a day while those 40 to 49 wasted 1.4 hours. But some of the differences may be a question of semantics. Older employees tend to have a very strong work ethic who understand that some humdrum office tasks, like all-day meetings, have value that may not be apparent. The under-30 crowd is so used to instant feedback that that kind of thing to them seems to be wasting time. Younger workers may well have a higher standard for what efficient or effective use of time is. Younger workers often require time to learn what’s expected of them. While wasted time certainly includes Web surfing and non-work-related instant messaging, some of that behavior may be due to “inefficient processes,” such as waiting for computers to retrieve information or waiting for a return phone call. Employees generally rate their companies’ efficiency of work processes very low. Most people do tend to feel that there could be process improvement and the younger employees are even more impatient about those improvements being made. According to the survey, 14 percent of those who slack off said they did so because their hours are too long, 18 percent said they don’t have enough work to do and 11 percent said their work isn’t challenging enough. The whole HR community needs to realize that kids these days have grown up in a different environment, rife with distractions, and they are used to multi-tasking. When younger workers don’t achieve instantaneous results on work-related duties, they often get bored and turn to other tasks. It’s very important for HR to target under-30s through mentoring programs. Younger people particularly have a great interest in being developed. Fostering employee engagement, showing them what it takes to get ahead in the company and showing interest in them will help to motivate them and build commitment to the company. HR professionals should solicit feedback from workers on how to improve processes and reduce idle time. Employees usually have some very good ideas.

Much has changed since the first official Labor Day in America was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. Back then, workers sought job stability and most seemed comfortable with the idea of staying with the same company until retirement. But, while that percentage has decreased over time, new research indicates that only 2 percent of workers now rank job stability as a high priority for their next position. It now seems that the top three priorities workers want from their next jobs are: interesting work (29 percent), meaningful work (18 percent) and work/life balance, also at 18 percent. People realize that no job is permanent, that change is now normal and that they have considerable control over their own career – both with their present employer and a prospective one. It’s not that workers don’t want job stability, it’s that they know “that employers can’t guarantee that” in this day and age. So, people are really looking for work that works for them. Other attractions for job candidates are financial reward (14 percent), opportunity for promotion (8 percent), cultural fit (6 percent) and a boss they trust (4 percent). The survey of 976 participants across 33 countries, with three-fourths of respondents based in the United States, also found that women are slightly more likely than men to seek interesting work (30 percent versus 26 percent, respectively) or work/life balance (20 percent versus 14 percent, respectively). Most workers understand that they, not their employers, need to control their careers, according to the survey, which found that the majority (57 percent) of respondents don’t expect their employers to provide clear career paths – and that is a sentiment that increases with age. The drive to climb the corporate ladder, however, is slightly stronger in the Asia Pacific region, where 11 percent of employees are more likely to pursue jobs that provide an opportunity for promotion, compared to 8 percent in North America or 7 percent in Europe. A huge cultural shift has pushed away the idea in younger workers’ minds that taking a job results in a lifetime commitment. Most of the workers today, even professional ones, view their position as one where they view themselves as free agents who can move from one job to another without recourse. While they may consider themselves free agents, that does not mean that younger workers don’t want to contribute positively to their companies. There’s an expectation among younger people coming into the workforce that their jobs should provide more than just a paycheck, and that the job is fulfilling towards what they see themselves as doing during their lifetime. If there’s a way to allow for more decision-making or input from employees, that tends to help employees to view themselves more as contributors, and thus make them more likely to stay at their jobs. In addition, managers are uniquely placed to help satisfy employees, as they know each member of staff well and are able to help him or her connect the dots between the type of work the employee wants to do and what kind of work the organization values. Of course, keeping hold of valuable members of the workforce is a top priority for successful corporations, many of whom are implementing rotating or flexitime working, to enable their staff to preserve a positive work/life balance. Tensor manufacture and supply time and attendance systems that accurately record and process your employees’ clocking data. Multiple shift patterns can be monitored, analyzed and reported upon, giving you all the information needed for accurate processing of working time.

The 9/11 attacks in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. led many building owners and managers to upgrade their security protocols and systems. Surveillance cameras, lobby turnstiles and other high-tech security measures became commonplace features within many large properties. Yet while experts generally agree that U.S. buildings are safer than they were before 9/11, they also warn that many building owners and managers have grown complacent on security issues since the attacks. That’s particularly disturbing in light of a recent warning from the federal government that al-Qaeda remains bent on carrying out “visually dramatic mass-casualty attacks” against domestic targets. But a vague threat seems to have triggered a vague response: Many building owners and managers are taking a wait-and-see attitude on costly security upgrades. In fact, it is feared that it will take another U.S. attack to once again grab the attention of the country’s $5 trillion commercial real estate sector. It is worth noting that building security measures are only as good as the public infrastructure that complements them, so it’s probably not so surprising that building owners and managers are still trying to meet 9/11 security challenges. Future adjustments, however, may not include high-tech security measures. With regard to 9/11, building managers have identified that technology will have little or no benefit in deterring a terrorist event. Hence, there is reluctance to invest in equipment that will have nominal effects. Cosmetics also play a role, as some businesses fear that their workplaces will resemble fortified bunkers with the addition of these systems. But some owners and managers are still in the market for security technology, and vendors keep rolling out more sophisticated products to serve this market. According to the Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA), spending on all types of security in private buildings climbed from 49 cents per sq. ft. in 2002 to 63 cents in 2007. Among the vendors seeking to capitalize on that additional spending are Tensor Time Systems Inc of Dayton, Ohio. Tensor offer an array of commercial security technology, such as the Access Lite door access control system, which has seen demand for these products rise substantially since 9/11. Buildings in Eastern and Northern cities have adopted security technology more readily that those in Southern and Western cities have. The stragglers, have more of an attitude that the problems will hit New York before reaching them. Whether you’re in New York or New Mexico, relying too heavily on technology as a “silver bullet” to ward off terrorists is the wrong approach. The best approach is to layer technical, physical and operational security as part of an overall security program to deter, delay or possibly detect the event before it occurs.

The U.S. Department of Labor reminds employers and employees that the federal minimum wage will increase to $5.85 on July 24. With this change, workers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be entitled to be paid no less than $5.85 per hour. The law also requires that workers be paid on their regular paydays for all hours worked during a pay period. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 amended the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. A separate provision of the bill will bring about phased increases to the minimum wage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa, with the goal of bringing the minimum wage in those locations up to the general federal minimum wage over a number of years. The department’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces the FLSA, has posted updated compliance assistance information on its Web site at www.wagehour.dol.gov. A revised minimum wage poster, reflecting the increases, is available for viewing, free downloading and posting. Alternatively, the public may order the poster through the publications order form available at the bottom of the site’s home page. Every employer subject to the FLSA minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the FLSA’s provisions in all of its establishments so that employees are readily able to read it. A revised FLSA Handy Reference Guide is also available electronically on the agency’s Web site. This document provides guidance on related FLSA provisions, such as the payment of less than the full minimum wage to certain workers with disabilities, full-time students, and student learners who are employed under a special certificate. Additionally, the guide provides information on provisions relating to the payment of wages to tipped employees and workers under the age of 20. Employers and employees seeking more compliance information on the new federal minimum wage rate may call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free number at (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243). Fact sheets, minimum wage posters for the CNMI and American Samoa, and further guidance are available on the division’s Web site. Many states have minimum wage laws with provisions that differ from the federal law. When an employer is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employer must comply with the provisions of each law. With changes in state regulation an inevitable part of the future, you may wish to consider investing in a time and attendance system, which automates the process of recording and paying wages to your employees.

More than a third of the businesses using RFID are doing so to improve the cost, safety and reliability of managing work-in-process (WIP), according to a recent study. But most companies are finding it difficult to quantify, or even estimate, a return on investment from their RFID deployments. Nonetheless, for manufacturers and other process-intensive companies that follow “best-in-class” practices, RFID technology can reduce labor costs and improve production throughput. The study included an online survey and follow-up phone interviews with CIOs or other chief officers (29 percent), VPs or directors (27 percent), managers (22 percent) and staff members or consultants (22 percent) from 220 companies in a diverse set of industries. These firms are using, or planning to use, RFID to manage assets with a focus on WIP. The greatest number of respondents (28 percent) worked for manufacturing and assembly companies, with supply-chain companies accounting for 21 percent. Nine percent worked for health-care, automotive, energy or utilities firms, and the remaining 5 percent included retail, construction/engineering, aerospace and entertainment companies. The expectation that RFID will help improve a company’s bottom line is high: 93 percent of survey respondents said they expect the technology to help reduce the costs of doing business. And 72 percent said the first order of business in optimizing work-in-process is to determine how many items involved in the WIP are on hand. RFID can help them collect that information. The ways in which companies have used RFID to reduce failures vary, depending on the specific business process and industry. In some cases, for instance, the firms have leveraged RFID to ensure they’ve set up their production machinery correctly, to avoid costly mistakes. A large majority (81 percent) of companies that have implemented this technology to its strengths reported that RFID has saved them at least 15% in labor used to manage work-in-process. That said, some organizations are still struggling to quantify their return on investment (ROI) from RFID. Only a few respondents indicated their companies had already attained a positive ROI from their deployments, with just 43 percent of firms able to estimate the time it would take to achieve a positive ROI. Furthermore, only 27 percent of industry-average companies, and 9 percent of laggards, could estimate the time to attaining a positive ROI. Several factors make it difficult to achieve and measure an ROI. Most significantly, it can take a long time to integrate RFID with enterprise systems, which is critical to maximizing the payback from an RFID deployment. Additionally, it is often difficult to quantify the improvements RFID makes, and many companies do not have any pre-RFID benchmarks against which they can measure their returns. If you are looking at implementing RFID technology within your organization, Tensor manufacture smart card clocking systems, which enable you to keep track of work-in-process and job costing tasks.