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Workers sound alarm on major industrial disaster risk as ‘near misses’ increase, new research finds

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Half of workers report rising risk of major industrial disaster’Near misses’ on the rise, driven by worker stress and fatigueHalf of UK workers are too afraid to speak up on safety in the current climateSix in ten workers say leaders are out of touch with frontline safety risksRising drug and alcohol misuse is emerging as a major workplace safety threat

BLYTH, England, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research published today as part of the annual Dräger Safety & Health at Work Report has outlined a rising risk of a major industrial disaster, with more than half (53%) of respondents suggesting that the risk of such an event in their sector is higher today than it was ten years ago.

The report, which is now in its sixth year and based on independent research commissioned by Draeger Safety UK, part of The Dräger Group, an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology, also explores the rise of ‘near misses’ in workplace safety, with half (51%) reporting that such events have increased in the last two years.

When it comes to the reasons behind the concerning findings, global volatility and uncertainty appear at least partly to blame, with almost three-quarters (72%) saying that supply chain disruptions have made it harder to obtain parts, materials, or support, and a further 69% reporting that global uncertainty has increased stress and fatigue, contributing to workplace errors or unsafe behaviours.

Frequent organisational changes or strategy shifts, driven by external volatility, are also making safety harder to manage, according to 61% of those taking part in the research, with global uncertainty increasing operational pressure, making it harder for people to focus on safety-critical tasks.

Respondents also report that staff fatigue, pressure to do more with less, as well as rising stress levels among workers and a reluctance among employees to speak up, are also to blame for the rise in near misses.

Perhaps most concerningly, almost two-thirds (63%) of ‘front line’ workers say that their employers don’t understand just how bad things have become ‘on the ground’ when it comes to workplace safety.

Matthew Bedford, Managing Director, Draeger Safety UK, said: “Over the past six years, the landscape of workplace health and safety has continued to shift, shaped by the immediate disruption of the pandemic, ongoing financial pressures, global instability, and changing workforce expectations as new generations enter employment.

“The findings of the 2026 report reflect a wider environment of ongoing global uncertainty and volatility, and concerningly, suggest that the ‘perfect storm’ of factors affecting workplace safety and health, as highlighted in last year’s report, may be closer to becoming reality than is comfortable.

“If there is one clear message for health and safety professionals, it is that the warning signs are now unmistakable. It is imperative that organisations listen and act.”

Other key findings of The Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2026 include:

Psychological safety:  Encouragingly, more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) believe that their organisation is making efforts to actively engage and involve staff in health and safety matters. However, this positive picture is tempered by concerns about how able people feel to speak up in reality.More than half of respondents (53%) say that the current economic climate makes them less willing to raise health and safety issues or to challenge leadership decisions.Over half of Gen Z respondents (54%), and 51% overall, believe that individuals who raise health and safety concerns are viewed as troublemakers and are perceived negatively by their employer.Trust and the rise of individualism: The research highlights an overwhelming 91% of respondents who say they place the greatest trust in themselves when it comes to their own safety.This is followed by trust in safety technology (84%) and employers (76%). Confidence drops sharply beyond this core circle, with only 25% expressing trust in the Government and just 23% in AI to keep them safe.Although this trend might ordinarily be viewed as positive, reflecting individuals taking greater ownership of their own personal safety, the current climate indicates a different story. With workers facing ever-increasing pressure, alongside higher levels of stress and growing fatigue, this emphasis on individual responsibility risks becoming a dangerous combination, undermining collective vigilance and shared accountability for safety.Drug and alcohol misuse: The research suggests that this is a growing and multifaceted safety challenge, and one that demands not only clear policy and proportionate controls, but also generationally sensitive approaches to awareness, engagement and intervention.Younger workers (aged 18–29) were most likely to report noticing an increase in colleagues’ use of drugs and alcohol, with 54% identifying this trend, compared with just 22% of respondents in the oldest age group.Overall, there is strong recognition that drugs and alcohol can compromise workplace safety, but this is most pronounced among older workers: 96% of Baby Boomers (over 62) agree that substance misuse has the potential to negatively impact safety, compared with 78% of Gen Z (18-29) respondents.

Notes to Editors

Dräger. Technology for Life® 

Dräger is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Our products protect, support, and save lives. Founded in 1889, Dräger generated revenues of around € 3,5 billion in 2025. The Dräger Group is currently present in over 190 countries and has more than 16,000 employees worldwide. Please visit http://www.draeger.com for more information.

About the research

This research was conducted across 1000 respondents in UK organisations with 50+ employees during March 2026. The research was commissioned and funded by Drager Safety UK and conducted independently by Insight Avenue UK.

Press Contacts
Gillian Gibbons
gillian@wychwoodcommunications.com 

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SOURCE Draeger Safety UK

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Halfpricesoft.com’s ezPaycheck Simplifies Qualified Tips & Overtime for service industries

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Affordable payroll software helps service-industry employers accurately manage qualified tips, overtime, and tax reporting with ease.

REDMOND, Wash., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Halfpricesoft.com empowers service-based businesses, including restaurants, hotels, salons, and spas with the newest 2026 ezPaycheck Payroll software. This application will eliminate challenges, particularly when managing tipped employees and intricate overtime calculations. 

 

For business owners seeking to simplify their payroll operations, a free trial is available for download here.

Dr. Ge, Founder of Halfpricesoft.com, stated, “Payroll for tipped employees can become complicated for business owners. ezPaycheck gives service industry businesses a practical payroll solution that helps simplify qualified tip reporting and overtime calculations.”

ezPaycheck continues to provide unlimited payroll processing for multiple businesses at one affordable flat rate, making it a suitable choice for accountants, hospitality businesses, and growing service companies.

The 2026 ezPaycheck payroll software release introduces several key features to further enhance payroll management:

E-file Capabilities: Securely e-file 941, 940, and other 94x forms directly through the software using the IRS-authorized e-file system (add-on service). Flexible Payroll Schedules: Supports daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, and monthly payroll schedules. Automated Tax Calculations: Automatically calculates federal withholding tax, Social Security, Medicare, and employer unemployment taxes. Simplified Overtime: Simplifies qualified overtime and differential pay calculations. Check Printing: Prints payroll checks on blank or preprinted check stock, and prints miscellaneous business and vendor checks. Multi-Company Support: Creates and maintains payroll data for multiple companies simultaneously, and supports multiple accounts within a single installation at no additional charge.Tax Form Generation: Prints important tax forms including W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943 forms.Network Access: Optional network access available for multi-user environments.

ezPaycheck payroll software is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 systems, with a separate Mac-compatible version also available. Trusted by thousands of businesses since 2005, ezPaycheck remains a flexible, user-friendly, and affordable in-house payroll solution for accountants and small business owners. The software is priced at $169 per calendar year and includes state and federal tax tables along with support for W-2, W-3, 940, 941, and 943 forms.

Halfpricesoft.com is dedicated to providing robust and accessible payroll software that empowers small to midsize businesses to manage their finances efficiently. Business owners interested in learning more about ezPaycheck Payroll and its specialized tip-handling features can download the free trial and explore available payroll solutions.

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SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

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NEO Battery to Showcase Drone Battery Portfolio at Baltic SSD Expo 2026 and Partners with Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association

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TORONTO, June 10, 2026 /CNW/ – NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (“NEO” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost, silicon-enhanced battery developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging batteries for drones, robotics, and physical AI, is pleased to showcase the Company’s strike and surveillance drone battery portfolio at the Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 in Estonia. NEO is further pleased to announce a new partnership with the Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association to advance drone and counter-unmanned aerial system (cUAS) technologies.

Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 – Tallinn, Estonia
The Company will be exhibiting and presenting June 10-11, 2026, at the Baltic region’s leading defense, security, and supply chain event. Supply, Security & Defense Expo 2026 (“SSD Expo 2026”) convenes defense contractors, dual-use technology innovators, EU defense funds, and Baltic military organizations and ministries of defense. For more information on SSD Expo 2026, please visit: https://2026.supplysecurity.eu/.

With the launch of NEO’s high-power and energy strike drone battery portfolio (see news release dated June 4, 2026), the participation in SSD Expo 2026 supports the Company’s planned entry into the European defense market. NEO intends to actively market various drone and robotics battery products within Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – Baltic Sea countries focused on allocating defense spending on unmanned cUAS and surveillance systems1,2. At the event, the Company aims to connect with potential customers, suppliers, and strategic partners and will deliver a keynote presentation on supply chain resiliency for advanced energy storage.

Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association Partnership
NEO is also pleased to partner with the Korea Anti-Drone Industry Association (“KADIA”) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). KADIA is a leading national organization with a mission to strengthen South Korea’s national resilience against drone threats and advance cUAS innovation and cooperation between domestic and international markets.

Mr. Byeong Hui Yang, Chairman of KADIA, commented, “Onshoring the production of advanced energy storage solutions is considered a national security concern for South Korea. With this partnership, KADIA will provide several distribution channels for NEO to engage with various cUAS manufacturers, system integrators, and research institutions. We are committed to working closely together to deliver substantive, meaningful results.”

Under the MOU framework, NEO and KADIA aim to (i) collaborate on research and development across drone and cUAS technologies; (ii) coordinate policy and procurement responses for evolving standards/requirements of domestic and international cUAS markets; and (iii) achieve commercial deployment by shared analysis of emerging technology trends. The collaboration is intended to align NEO’s battery technology expertise with the operational requirements of cUAS platforms and to advocate for Korea-manufactured battery solutions (i.e. establishment of regional non-Chinese battery supply chains) within the domestic defense and security markets.

1AeroTime: Estonia drops €500 million CV90 order, shifts funds to drones, air defense (https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/estonia-halts-cv90-buy-shifts-funds-drones-air-defense)

2Central European Times: Baltic states ramp up air, missile defences (https://centraleuropeantimes.com/baltic-states-ramp-up-air-missile-defences/)

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian-South Korean battery technology company focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, robotics, physical AI, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost silicon manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging properties and provides end-to-end battery solutions from materials selection, cell architecture, and process optimization. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of high-performance lithium-ion batteries and materials, building a secure, robust battery supply chain for Western manufacturers. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Spencer Huh
Director, President, and CEO
T: +1 (437) 451-7678

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified notably by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: volatile stock prices; the general global markets and economic conditions; the possibility of write-downs and impairments; the risk associated with the research and development of battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of battery material, electrode, and cell technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale or under real-world operating conditions; the risks associated with battery-related manufacturing process scale-up, including maintaining consistent material, component, and cell quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot, semi-commercial, or commercial scale; the risks associated with compatibility of existing battery chemistries, formulations, components, or designs; unforeseen risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships, or commercial contracts with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery and downstream end-user supply chain; the risks associated with the failure to develop and produce commercially viable battery-related products or that technical goals may not be achieved within expected timelines or budgets under a joint development or collaboration; the risks associated with the Company’s technologies and products not meeting performance requirements or customer specifications; the risks that prototype and pilot-scale products do not advance into commercially produced products or translate into commercial orders; the risk associated with battery components and cell purchase orders and offtake supply that may not be fulfilled in full, on time, or at all as actual revenue realization depends on delivery schedules, achievement of technical milestones, and customer acceptance and validation; the risk associated with losing official vendor registration or status with existing customers; counterparty risk upon delivery of prototype and commercial products; the risks associated with constructing, completing, securing, and financing pilot, semi-commercial, and commercial battery materials, components, and cell manufacturing facilities including the Canadian and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with potential delays or increased costs with site preparation, equipment procurement and installation, and facility commissioning; the risks associated with integrating silicon anode material production, electrode manufacturing, and cell assembly within a single operational cluster or the Company’s business portfolio; the risks associated with supply chain disruptions or cost fluctuations in raw materials, processing chemicals, and additive prices, impacting production costs and commercial viability; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of research, development and production; competition faced by the Company in securing experienced personnel, contracts and sales, and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials, components, and cell research and development activities; the risks associated with changes in the technology regulatory regime governing the Company; the risks associated with the timely execution of the Company’s strategies and business plans; the risks associated with the lithium-ion battery industry and end-users’ demand and adoption of the Company’s silicon anode technology and battery products; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes and silicon battery products within battery manufacturers and OEMs’ systems; the risks associated with the various environmental and political regulations the Company is subject to; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; the reliance on key personnel; liquidity risks; the risk of litigation; risk management; and other risk factors as identified in the Company’s recent Financial Statements and MD&A and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available on www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued R&D and commercialization activities, no material adverse change in precursor, raw material, equipment, and relevant cost prices, development and commercialization plans to proceed in accordance with plans and such plans to achieve their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s business, operations, research and development, and commercialization plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this presentation, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

 

SOURCE NEO Battery Materials Ltd.

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CHAI AI: Post Training to Achieve SOTA MoE

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CHAI AI has continued its efforts to improve its social AI platform through the integration of state-of-the-art (SOTA) open-source models and the application of advanced reinforcement learning methodologies. The company’s AI research team recently tested its own variants of DeepSeek-V4, Kimi-K2, GLM-5, and Gemma-4 on the platform against key metrics such as user engagement and retention. Today, CHAI AI announced that its latest in-house model achieved a 4% increase in Day-30 user retention using the GSPO reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm.

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CHAI AI has continued its efforts to improve its social AI platform through the integration of state-of-the-art (SOTA) open-source models and the application of advanced reinforcement learning methodologies. The company’s AI research team recently tested its own variants of DeepSeek-V4, Kimi-K2, GLM-5, and Gemma-4 on the platform against key metrics such as user engagement and retention. Today, CHAI AI announced that its latest in-house model achieved a 4% increase in Day-30 user retention using the GSPO reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm.

The company transitioned its AI research from dense models to Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) models in early 2026 and has seen improvements in several key metrics using this architecture. Its AI researchers are also exploring novel RL strategies such as DPOGRPO, and GSPO to improve the quality of their in-house models in a conventional setting. In their recent A/B tests, models trained with GSPO achieved better performance than models trained with GRPO across the board, aligning with Qwen’s publication.

CHAI’s AI Research

2022 – First Mover Advantage in Social AI

CHAI became one of the first dedicated social AI platforms to reach one million users, launching AI-powered character creation experiences before conversational AI became mainstream.

2023 – AI-Assisted Creation Breakthrough

The introduction of AI-assisted character creation tools led to a 56% increase in prompt quality and a 33% increase in user-generated AI creation.

2024 – User Generated AI Training

CHAI launched the first phase of user-controlled supervised fine-tuning (SFT), enabling power users to train AI systems that achieved engagement rates approaching twice those of internally developed agents.

2025 – The Future of Personalized AI

The company began development of User-Generated AI (UGAI), a framework designed to place advanced AI customization and alignment capabilities directly in the hands of users.

2026 – Mixture-of-Experts Training Begins

CHAI began incorporating large MoE models into its RLHF research. Its latest model is serving approximately 1 billion messages per day.

What is the mission of CHAI AI? People want to create their own AI and share it with others, and they want to discover and interact with AI built by people they follow. Just as social media platforms emerged when video creation and consumption became ubiquitous, social AI platforms are now emerging to meet an equivalent wave of consumer demand for generative AI creation, sharing, and interaction.

What is the growth rate and traction? In the last three consecutive years, CHAI AI has sustained a 3x growth rate with ARR crossing $80 million by the end of Q1 2026 and a projection to surpass $200 million.

What is the valuation of CHAI AI? CHAI AI is estimated to have a valuation of $2.4 billion as of Q1 2026, based on $80 million in ARR and its sustained growth rate.

Who are the major investors in CHAI AI? AMD and CoreWeave are the primary, strategic investors in CHAI AI, bringing its total investment to date to over $55 million.

What is the culture like at CHAI AI? Our fast-growing company is supported by a talented engineering team that thrives on fast iteration cycles and takes on the most challenging problems in the field. CHAI AI operates with a high-bar, high-reward culture where engineers own entire product segments end-to-end, from prototyping to production.

What is the compensation? CHAI AI competes with top-paying companies such as Jane Street, OpenAI, Meta, and Citadel. We pay 100% cash salaries and are known for generous compensation offers, with the option to trade a portion of cash for stock options. The founding team’s background is in quantitative trading, and they have maintained a compensation philosophy consistent with that culture.

How do promotions and performance reviews work? Performance is reviewed on a daily basis, and engineers are expected to work hard and drive impact. At the beginning of each year, there is a performance-based salary increase.

What is the management structure? The structure is flat, with a team of 15 to 20 engineers.

What are the typical working hours? Engineers at CHAI AI typically work from 9 AM to 5 PM during weekdays, as well as Saturday morning.

Is there vacation or PTO? CHAI AI does not have a set number of vacation days on the calendar, but we respect that employees need time to recharge. In practice, most engineers take 14 – 20 days off per year.

Is the role fully in-person in Palo Alto, hybrid, or remote-friendly? All CHAI employees are expected to work in person in Palo Alto. As a startup that moves fast, we want to ensure the team stays in sync.

What’s the onboarding experience like for new engineers? New hires follow a structured 3-month onboarding plan. Each new hire is paired with an experienced hire and ramped up quickly. You will be assigned high-impact tasks from day one, with clear evaluation metrics and direct mentorship from peers.

Press Contact:

CHAI AI Press
+1 (626) 594-8966

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SOURCE Chai AI

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