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Supply chain analysts are speculating on the impacts of a possible attack by Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities. One industry expert said that while oil and diesel prices would soar in the short term, how long the prices stay elevated depends on the Iranian response and whether that actually impacts the flow of oil. Wider war breaking out could lead to a closure of the Suez Canal, which would not only impact oil but the flow of goods as well. About 6,000 container ships a year use the canal.

Watch Suzy Loughlin, Firestorm Founder and CAO interviewed by Donna Scimia for the TV series "Taming the Cubicle Jungle", Episode: Safe or Sorry? Creating a Plan to Manage Workplace Vulnerabilities

Business security HEADLINE: Mexico Under Siege SUMMARY: Monterrey, Mexico's business capital and richest city, has become embroiled in the country’s escalating drug war, prompting an outcry from business leaders for more soldiers to stem the violence. Recent incidents include the murder of a suburban mayor, armed gangs blocking city streets and attacks against small businesses on the city's outskirts. U.S. businesses with a major presence in Monterrey include Whirlpool and GE.

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After being confronted with evidence of alleged theft from his workplace, a Connecticut beer distributorship employee went on a shooting rampage, killing eight co-workers and then himself in what became the biggest mass murder in state history. Omar Thornton had just emerged from his meeting with Hartford Distributors management where, Police Chief Marc Montminy said, he had been given the option of resigning or being fired and "was being escorted from the building when the shots rang out."

Torrential downpours last weekend flooded Chicago’s 43 viaducts and caused widespread damage throughout the region. Several cities and towns declared themselves disaster areas to receive additional help from the state. The near-record rainfall forced the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to discharge sewer water into Lake Michigan at the Chicago River locks and the Wilmette pumping station, leading to a swimming ban at Chicago-area beaches.

Is your business ready? Now, it’s easy and affordable to be able to answer “yes.’’ The Preaction Emergency Response Alliance™ is a first-of-its-kind preparedness and disaster response network dedicated to helping your business before, during and after a disaster. Take a look. Join other Members and protect your business and employees. Can you afford not to act? Are you ready? Find out at www.preaction.com.

The Preaction Emergency Response Alliance™ is a first-of-its-kind preparedness and disaster response network dedicated to helping your business before, during and after a disaster.

A child custody dispute spilled over into an Albuquerque workplace this week, as a former Emcore Corp. employee shot his girlfriend, then forced his way inside and killed two employees before turning the gun on himself. Four others were wounded in a rampage police said was motivated by the attacker’s disgust over a domestic violence dispute that the woman told co-workers she was planning to report to authorities. The attacker went through the building, firing shots at several employees and leavi

A Las Vegas Hospital is under heavy criticism and could be fined for a misguided terrorism training exercise. In the scenario, unaware and panicked nurses, doctors and other employees were herded into a break room by an armed intruder, leaving critically ill patients unattended. The hospital’s COO told state investigators that the three employees who cooked up the exercise failed to tell administrators or anyone in the intensive care unit. Two of the employees involved in planning the drill were

A recent survey revealed that nearly half of U.S. small businesses don't have a continuity plan in case of flooding, fire, or other disaster. The Travelers Select "Risk Management on Main Street" report comes amid the forecast of a severe hurricane season and the American Red Cross reiterating its findings that 40 percent of all small businesses won't survive disaster. With many small businesses strapped for cash and simply trying to stay afloat, disaster planning has been neglected in many ca

After years of little solar storm activity, scientists say recent sunspots, flares and prominences indicate a coming period of heightened magnetic activity. A report by the National Academy of Sciences outlined the potential for damage from a major solar storm: "Smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity.’’ A century-class solar storm, the Academy warned, could cause 20 times the economic d

An independent study has shown that more violent crimes are occurring in America's hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities. Since 2004, there have been "significant increases in reports of assault, rape and homicide, with the greatest number of reports in the last three years," the Joint Commission said last week, the latest in a series of alerts on serious adverse events occurring in health care settings. Reasons cited for the increase include drug and alcohol abuse, a lack of adeq

Though statistics are not yet available for the past two years, experts report a surge in workplace suicides in the wake of the economic meltdown in late 2008. One employee assistance program provider said suicides and attempted suicides among the 2,600 organizations and 8 million employees they cover have dramatically increased. “We are seeing such a growing number of violence and danger to self and others (incidents) in the workplace,” he said. “People are so much more stressed out than ever b

Attempted terrorist attacks against the United States in the past nine months have "surpassed the number of attempts during any other previous one-year period," according to a Department of Homeland Security memo reported by CNN. The unclassified memo prepared for law-enforcement agencies urged authorities to "operate under the premise that other operatives are in the country and could advance plotting with little or no warning." Trends indicate plotters are also looking for "smaller, more achie

The event was organized by the American Red Cross to highlight the need for the private sector to lead the way toward effective community resilience.

With record high water temperatures in the Atlantic and the waning of El Nino conditions, forecasters raised their predictions to reflect an "incredibly active" hurricane season, with some estimates as high as 23 named storms and seven major hurricanes. Weather Services International said the coastal region from the Outer Banks of North Carolina northward to Maine was twice as likely as normal to experience a hurricane this year.

The number of children hospitalized with methicillin-resistant staph infections (MRSA) has surged 10-fold in recent years, a study found. Unlike previous findings, most infections were caught in the community, not in the hospital. Almost 30,000 children were hospitalized with MRSA infections at the hospitals studied during the 10-year period. Most had skin or muscle infections, and 374 youngsters with MRSA died, though it isn't clear if MRSA was the sole cause.

The deputy administrator for FEMA recently put the onus on the private sector for national disaster preparedness and recovery. “The private sector is going to be the solution to the majority of the needs of the community,” said Timothy Manning. “The majority of the work -- the preparedness and response work -- happens at the community level. It’s not at the federal level.” With this in mind, FEMA has been pushing private-sector businesses to increase their resiliency and continuity programs thro

As the Cumberland River recedes after widespread flooding this week in and around Nashville, residents and businesses are left to face a long recovery process. At least 27 deaths were blamed on flooding in the Southeast, 18 of them in Tennessee. Many of Nashville's iconic music institutions were hit hard, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. The city is also a trucking hub, with several major freight lines headquartered there.