Research + Tech

ARMA releases 2024 edition of modified bitumen guide

The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association has released the 2024 edition of its Modified Bitumen Design Guide for Building Owners. The guide provides an overview of the materials used in polymer-modified bitumen roof systems and serves as a resource for roofing professionals involved in the installation and maintenance of asphalt roof systems.

The guide addresses relevant aspects, issues and concerns of polymer- modified bitumen roof systems, including associated components, substrates, construction techniques and innovative uses. It also emphasizes the importance of adhering to local building codes and manufacturer specifications to ensure correct installation and usage.

The manual is available at asphaltroofing.org/arma-publications.

Why cybersecurity awareness is crucial

Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report shows 74% of data breaches were caused by human error, including social engineering attacks, errors and misuse by employees, according to Total IT, a Dallas-based company providing IT solutions and services.

An employee’s lack of cybersecurity awareness can lead to significant financial and reputational damage for a company, so it is vital to educate employees regarding the importance of cybersecurity and their role in protecting company information.

Total IT shares the following reasons to prioritize cybersecurity awareness among your employees.

• Protection against phishing attacks and insider threats. Phishing scams are a common form of cyberattack where attackers trick employees into sharing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data. Educating your employees regarding how to identify and report phishing attempts can help prevent these attacks from succeeding.
• Safeguarding sensitive data. Employees often handle sensitive data such as customer information and financial records, so you can prevent accidental exposure by educating them regarding proper data handling.
• Ensuring regulatory compliance. Regulatory bodies require organizations to implement proper security measures to protect sensitive data. When employees are educated regarding compliance, you can avoid costly penalties and maintain your customers’ trust.
• Encouraging a culture of security. By promoting cyber security awareness among employees and creating a culture of security within your company, you give employees a sense of responsibility and accountability and help prevent cyberattacks.
• Reducing security incidents and downtime. A successful cyberattack can cause significant downtime for your business, so having employees who will not fall prey to scams reduces the likelihood of potential downtime and its effects.

As you consider how to raise cybersecurity awareness among your employees, be sure you conduct regular training sessions; provide simulated phishing attacks; create a security policy; encourage reporting of suspicious activity; and lead by example to ensure you and upper management also are educated regarding cybersecurity protocols.

NRCA has partnered with BPM Insurance Services and Acrisure to create NRCA’s Cyber Liability Insurance Program. More information is available at nrca.net/insurance/nrca-endorsed-insurance/nrca-cyber-security.

Virginia Tech study will rate construction helmets

Blackburn, Va.-based Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab has been studying and providing safety ratings for athletic helmets for nearly two decades and now will begin developing a grading system for construction helmets, according to Construction Dive.

The 18-month study aims to better understand the types of head impacts workers experience on job sites and which helmets best protect them.

Researchers will record information about head trauma on job sites from injury reports and studies from groups such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Then, they will attempt to recreate those collisions in the lab before analyzing which helmets best protect against the most common types of head injury.

Barry Miller, director of outreach and business development for the Helmet Lab, says data collected by researchers from sensors in Virginia Tech athletes have helped the lab understand how they hit their heads and develop ratings for which helmets best protect athletes from those collisions.

The Virginia Tech research is concerned with the head trauma someone can encounter daily and the best ways to protect a worker from multiple types of head injuries. Miller says the lab is working to collect data about head collisions on the job, but the type of information—or lack thereof—in the available data can be a challenge.

“Injury reports say: ‘I fell and hit my head.’ Well, where? How hard? Did you hit your back first?” Miller says.

Miller adds the best type of information the lab can use to recreate head injuries is video. Contractors can help by supplying visual aids to indicate how workers fell and hit their heads, which can inform researchers regarding how to better test helmets in the lab.

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