Headlines May
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Escaping cow causes chemical reaction on farm in Wapenveld
An escaping cow caused a chemical reaction at a dairy farm in Wapenveld, Gelderland, on Tuesday. The animal kicked several kegs in the technical room, causing two cleaning agents to come into contact and release fumes. An employee of the farm who came to the aid of the animal was taken to the hospital for a check-up. He was just conscious when it happened, says a spokesman for Safety Region North and East Gelderland. The reaction between the cleaners lasted only a short time and is now under control. The cow was still trapped in the technical area. According to the spokesperson, the animal was stuck between the wall and a milk tank. "The cow has to get out of there backwards, but she only wants to go forward." Around 20:30, the safety region reported that "the unfortunate cow" had been freed from the technical area.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6202711/uitgebroken-koe-veroorzaakt-chemische-reactie-op-boerderij-in-wapenveld.html
Schiphol once again the scene of 'very dangerous' chaos
Brawls, hours of waiting, unwellness and a closed escape route
With the summer vacations ever closer on the horizon, the problems at Schiphol are still far from resolved. Sunday saw scuffles, Monday saw hours of queuing. To make matters worse, Schiphol can no longer handle the requests for Privium, an extremely expensive emergency door, either. It was rush hour again at Schiphol on Monday, where people sometimes stood in line for five hours before they got through all the checks.It was rush hour again at Schiphol on Monday, where people sometimes stood in line for five hours before they got through all the checks. Schiphol, meanwhile, is issuing an unequivocal warning that it could end up with hour-long lines in the coming weeks. This also happened on Monday, according to a spokesperson. At times there were queues of five hours. "There was less staff than planned and it was a very busy day. In the coming period it will be about as busy as during the May vacations. However, the number of passengers is still below the 2019 level, but because there are not enough hands at the baggage check, not all checkpoints are manned. As a result, it's jamming up in the terminals, and all the way to outside. He continues: "Every day it's a matter of supply and demand, which we respond to as best we can. But at peak times there can be longer waiting times."
Crowded departure lounges
Photos are circulating on social media of crowded departure halls, and sources report to De Telegraaf that some flights departed with a three-hour delay. "Still there were passengers standing at the baggage check," reports a person directly involved. Airlines KLM confirmed the hours-long lines. For weeks the airlines have been in talks to find a solution, but KLM says there is no outcome yet. To make matters worse, an expensive escape route is now also under lock and key. Schiphol received numerous requests for Privium, a subscription service that allows you to largely avoid the long lines. "Many people want to reactivate after corona and we also have very many new applications. Due to staff shortages, we can only process a limited number of applications per day. That's a whole process, so there are waiting times." Whether that is a matter of weeks or months, the spokesperson cannot say. For travelers who want to go on vacation in the coming period, however, it is a bitter pill. The May vacation degenerated into an unprecedented mess at the airport over a month ago. Despite timely warnings from the travel industry, aviation and trade unions, Schiphol had failed to attract enough staff. Especially at security, things went completely wrong, causing people to miss their flights, see their vacations ruined or even become unwell.
Chaos and 'grim circumstances
The latter happened again on Monday, the Royal Military Police acknowledges. "We had to deal with some unwellnesses," said a spokesperson. A letter from security company CTSN Group on Monday reported "a very dangerous situation" on Sunday, creating a risk of "mass walk-throughs. Security staff managed to control the chaos and 'grim conditions', general manager Adan Morik reported, in the letter seen by De Telegraaf. CTSN could not be reached for comment despite multiple requests. According to the Netherlands Military Police, no one was arrested, but security guards felt so unsafe that all 'gates' had to be closed for a while. This happened when some of the gates had to be closed and people reacted angrily and started pushing. The summoned Marechaussee managed to calm things down.
Precisely when things are going so wrong again, Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop is not at his post. While he was invisible for a week and a half during the May vacation chaos due to a corona infection, this time he is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the annual meeting of the global business and political elite. A spokesman reported late Monday night that Benschop was returning from Switzerland to the Netherlands earlier on Tuesday due to "circumstances" at the airport. According to the spokesman, Benschop did remotely participate in a consultation on the situation at Schiphol on Monday. On Monday evening, a number of politicians expressed their concern on Twitter. Upper House member Henk Otten wonders when Schiphol's supervisory board will intervene in the 'mess'. "When will the incompetent ceo Benschop be replaced," he states. The airport is a state-owned company. VVD MP Koerhuis calls it "unbelievable" that there are problems again, while the summer vacations have not yet started. Last week there were supposed to be talks about the chaos by the Lower House with Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure), but that could not take place because the minister was ill.
Source: https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/961907939/schiphol-opnieuw-toneel-van-zeer-gevaarlijke-chaos
Minister Harbers about closing Kethel tunnel: 'Limiting the consequences of sick reports'
Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) wants to know from Rijkswaterstaat how problems for road users can be limited as much as possible, should something like the Kethel tunnel happen again. The tunnel in the A4 near Schiedam was closed for a few hours this morning because two supervising operators called in sick. They could not be replaced immediately. Harbers speaks of an exceptional situation with very unpleasant consequences for road users. But he contradicts that the closure of the tunnel was the result of a structural personnel shortage, such as on the railways and at Schiphol. "I do ask Rijkswaterstaat to limit the consequences of sick reports for road users as much as possible, should such a situation arise again. This work requires specific knowledge and safety comes first." Rijkswaterstaat closed the Ketheltunnel in both directions around 06.45 this morning. Traffic was diverted via the A13 and A20. The tunnel reopened in both directions around 08.45 and the traffic jams gradually resolved.
Close after accident
The tunnel operator who would be working today had called in sick. And the replacement was also sick. Keeping the tunnel open was therefore not safe, said Rijkswaterstaat. "We always want to monitor what happens in the tunnel," a spokesman told NOS Radio 1 Journaal. " If there's no one in the traffic control center to supervise and close the tunnel quickly in the event of an accident, that means we have to close the tunnel." Tunnels are monitored 24 hours a day from the traffic control centers with cameras and detection systems. "For example, road traffic controllers can close the tunnel in the event of incidents, alert emergency services and operate installations in the tunnels," Rijkswaterstaat reports. Rijkswaterstaat has sought a replacement. "It is always a puzzle. We hope to open it again soon," said the spokesperson. Rijkswaterstaat expected earlier this morning that the tunnel would reopen around 8 a.m., but that did not work out. Later, Rijkswaterstaat adjusted that expectation to 09:00. A busy morning rush was expected because the May holiday has now ended everywhere. Traffic between The Hague and Rotterdam can detour via the A13 and A20. As far as the spokesman knows, it is the first time that a tunnel has been closed for this reason. She says there is no structural problem. "It's just bad luck."
'Not well organised'
Industry organization Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) calls the system vulnerable and does not understand why it is not organized differently. "I think we live in a very strange country if our country is stuck due to the illness of two people. Then we have not organized it well together," TLN chairman Elisabeth Post said to NOS Radio 1 Journaal. Closing off the Kethel tunnel is problematic for countless transport companies. "Standing still costs money by definition. They also have to make a detour and things arrive later. And if you drive to Hoek van Holland to take the boat to Great Britain, there is a risk that you will miss the departure."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2429009-harbers-over-sluiten-ketheltunnel-gevolgen-van-ziekmeldingen-beperken
An NCOI master is not always a real master, says inspection
Educational Institute NCOI has been giving students a master's degree in recent years that is not an official master's degree, thereby breaking the law. The Education Inspectorate has therefore reprimanded the private school. Five hundred students have received an illegal diploma in the past four years, according to a report from the inspectorate. Students have not been properly informed by the NCOI about the value of their diploma. NCOI is the largest private educator in the Netherlands. This includes the LOI course institute, secretary trainer Schoevers and the Luzac secondary school. NCOI also offers officially recognized HBO courses, but the offer mainly consists of short courses that are not officially recognised. The courses and the official courses are mixed up on the NCOI website and that is confusing, says the Education Inspectorate.
Problems applying for a job
The wrongly awarded diplomas belong to 'executive masters' and 'professional masters'. The NCOI diplomas bear the word 'master', but they are not officially recognized as such. Five different NCOI trainers have awarded diplomas that were not real masters in recent years. Students can run into problems applying for jobs if it turns out that their diploma is not officially recognised.
Investigation after complaints
The Inspectorate began an investigation in 2020 after several complaints were received about NCOI's working methods. These included a lack of clarity for students and there were also reports that NCOI was presenting itself as a university. The Education Inspectorate requested information from NCOI and now concludes that students have received an illegal diploma.
'Inspectorate invents own standards'
NCOI tells Trouw that the inspection's conclusions are "unjustified, lack legal grounds and even conflict with the law". The legislation on diplomas is unclear, says the educational institute. NCOI also says that the inspectorate has made up its own standards.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2428314-een-master-van-ncoi-is-niet-altijd-een-echte-master-zegt-inspectie
Overloaded power grid affects businesses and residential construction
Due to the energy transition and the desire for independence from Russian gas, the demand for electricity is growing. That means extra pressure on the electricity grid. Many companies, but also a planned residential area, are experiencing the consequences of this. Companies that want to establish or expand, often cannot meet their energy needs. This applies, for example, to Royal Smilde Bakery in Edam, a retail company in bake-off products. The company cannot run at full capacity. "And that means we are not at the production capacity that the market demands," says Andries Tuinenga. The grid operator has imposed a maximum on the company that may not be exceeded. And then the peak months are yet to come.
Billions
The electricity grid has been under pressure for some time. More and more regions are experiencing capacity problems. The grid cannot keep up with the transition to sustainable energy and electrification - whereby factories switch to techniques that run on electricity. Despite the billions that will be invested in the coming years. On the contrary: grid operator Liander says that the power shortage will affect even more companies and citizens. Within the municipality of Amsterdam, a large number of investment plans do not get off the ground due to a shortage of electricity. For example, a large housing project near Sloterdijk is being delayed because there is only electricity for the houses, but not for the facilities in the new residential area. "If we can't make a complete neighborhood, then we really can't build those houses," says Alderman for Spatial Development and Sustainability, Marieke van Doorninck. The residential area had the misfortune that an application for a data center had previously been submitted to Liander. Liander is legally obliged to maintain the order of the applications.
Priority
The key question is how grid operators should deal with the power shortage in the coming years. Alderman Van Doorninck is committed to setting priorities. "It cannot be the case that the person who has previously submitted an application always has priority over, for example, a social priority such as housing," she says. But the VEMW, the association of large energy consumers, sees this so-called 'prioritisation' as legally impossible. "The principle of non-discrimination is important, which makes it very difficult to distinguish between data centers and other users," says VEMW director Hans Grünfeld. Nevertheless, network operators are looking at certain forms of priority. A trial is being conducted with this in Friesland. The province has drawn up criteria that help Liander to decide who goes first. "We have advised that housing construction and employment come first," says deputy Sietske Poepjes.
Diesel generator
Liander is happy with it, but it does not solve all problems. "Of course, prioritization does not accelerate grid expansion. But we do think it is wise to make political choices, so that social ambitions are not put under pressure," says Daan Schut, Chief Transition Officer of Liander. Until political choices are made, Royal Smilde Bakery is not exactly considering environmentally friendly measures to secure the company's power supply. Tuinenga: "A solution could be that we compensate the peak moments with a diesel generator. But that of course goes against your gut feeling. We have an energy-neutral office, a gas-free building, 800 solar panels on the roof and then a diesel generator is running."
Source: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2427174-overbelast-stroomnet-raakt-bedrijven-en-woningbouw
Data breach University of Twente due to incorrectly assigned roles and rights
The University of Twente (UT) has been confronted with a data breach in which several hundred staff members were temporarily able to view the personal data of all 3,500 UT employees. This included dates of birth, bank account numbers, e-mail addresses, dates of employment, employee type and position. The data breach was caused by the rollout of new financial administration software, where roles and user rights were incorrectly assigned. "In addition, one tick too many was checked or unchecked, as a result of which many more people than intended had insight into that data," finance director Dennis van Zijl told Tubantia . "In this way, many roles were opened simultaneously, where that was not intended. That has not so much to do with the software, this could have happened with any system." In the period that the roles and rights were incorrectly assigned, a maximum of 116 UT employees logged in to the system. It is unknown how many of these have viewed data from other employees. The university has reported the data breach to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, reports U-Today , a magazine about the UT.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/752666/Datalek+Universiteit+Twente+door+verkeerd+toegewezen+rollen+en+rechten?channel=twitter
Hospitals often ill-prepared for power failure
Hospitals often fail to check that their equipment continues to run in the event of a power outage. That's what two companies specialize in emergency power solutions and technical risk analyses. Hospitals usually only have a check to see if the diesel emergency generator starts if the electricity goes out. It is not tested whether the equipment continues to run and thus hospital care can be maintained. Omroep Flevoland spoke with the companies SIM Holland and Smits van Burgst in response to the major power failure at St Jansdal in Harderwijk, last December. This created chaos in the hospital for about an hour and a half, because computers and ventilators, among other things, failed. The St Jansdal branch in Lelystad also encountered problems, as did the outpatient clinics in Dronten and Zeewolde. Because computer systems did not work, all appointments had to be cancelled.
Emergency generator works, but the equipment does not
On the day in question, when the power went out, the emergency generator in Harderwijk started immediately. But due to an activated security in the system, the generated power could not be supplied to the hospital, a spokesperson for St Jansdal reported. Help from outside the hospital had to be brought in to solve the problems. There is a guideline for hospitals to test, in addition to the aggregate, whether the other links in hospital care continue to function in the event of a power failure, say SIM Holland and Smits van Burgst. This is called a so-called Power Down test. But in practice, according to them, such a test is rarely carried out at all hospitals in the country. The companies say it is very unwise to deviate from the guideline because then you do not know what will happen to you in the event of a power failure. According to Smits van Burgst, it happens on average once a year that a hospital's safety system does not work in the event of a power failure.
False safety
"It is as if you never use your car, start the engine every now and then and then conclude that it does. That is a kind of false safety, because then you do not know at all whether the other parts are also working and you really can drive the car," says Jan de Vries. He works for Smits van Burgst and was previously responsible for electrical engineering at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam for twenty years. According to the expert, large academic hospitals do a Power Down test, but the smaller, regular hospitals do not, with a few exceptions. Smaller hospitals would find a complete check too extensive and risky.
Power Down tests in other hospitals
The St Jansdal in Harderwijk does not want to answer the question of Omroep Flevoland whether the so-called Power Down tests will be performed. The hospital will not answer questions until the independent report into the cause of the power outage has been published. The two agencies TNO and DNV have been researching this for months. The Flevoziekenhuis in Almere does, however, provide openness about the controls. In Almere, the Power Down test was last performed in September 2020 with a positive result. Similar tests are also performed at the Antonius Hospital in Sneek. The power supply there was completely renewed this spring and thoroughly tested, with positive results as a result.
Source: https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/286065/ziekenhuizen-vaak-slecht-voorbereid-op-stroomstoringen
An escaping cow caused a chemical reaction at a dairy farm in Wapenveld, Gelderland, on Tuesday. The animal kicked several kegs in the technical room, causing two cleaning agents to come into contact and release fumes. An employee of the farm who came to the aid of the animal was taken to the hospital for a check-up. He was just conscious when it happened, says a spokesman for Safety Region North and East Gelderland. The reaction between the cleaners lasted only a short time and is now under control. The cow was still trapped in the technical area. According to the spokesperson, the animal was stuck between the wall and a milk tank. "The cow has to get out of there backwards, but she only wants to go forward." Around 20:30, the safety region reported that "the unfortunate cow" had been freed from the technical area.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6202711/uitgebroken-koe-veroorzaakt-chemische-reactie-op-boerderij-in-wapenveld.html
Schiphol once again the scene of 'very dangerous' chaos
Brawls, hours of waiting, unwellness and a closed escape route
With the summer vacations ever closer on the horizon, the problems at Schiphol are still far from resolved. Sunday saw scuffles, Monday saw hours of queuing. To make matters worse, Schiphol can no longer handle the requests for Privium, an extremely expensive emergency door, either. It was rush hour again at Schiphol on Monday, where people sometimes stood in line for five hours before they got through all the checks.It was rush hour again at Schiphol on Monday, where people sometimes stood in line for five hours before they got through all the checks. Schiphol, meanwhile, is issuing an unequivocal warning that it could end up with hour-long lines in the coming weeks. This also happened on Monday, according to a spokesperson. At times there were queues of five hours. "There was less staff than planned and it was a very busy day. In the coming period it will be about as busy as during the May vacations. However, the number of passengers is still below the 2019 level, but because there are not enough hands at the baggage check, not all checkpoints are manned. As a result, it's jamming up in the terminals, and all the way to outside. He continues: "Every day it's a matter of supply and demand, which we respond to as best we can. But at peak times there can be longer waiting times."
Crowded departure lounges
Photos are circulating on social media of crowded departure halls, and sources report to De Telegraaf that some flights departed with a three-hour delay. "Still there were passengers standing at the baggage check," reports a person directly involved. Airlines KLM confirmed the hours-long lines. For weeks the airlines have been in talks to find a solution, but KLM says there is no outcome yet. To make matters worse, an expensive escape route is now also under lock and key. Schiphol received numerous requests for Privium, a subscription service that allows you to largely avoid the long lines. "Many people want to reactivate after corona and we also have very many new applications. Due to staff shortages, we can only process a limited number of applications per day. That's a whole process, so there are waiting times." Whether that is a matter of weeks or months, the spokesperson cannot say. For travelers who want to go on vacation in the coming period, however, it is a bitter pill. The May vacation degenerated into an unprecedented mess at the airport over a month ago. Despite timely warnings from the travel industry, aviation and trade unions, Schiphol had failed to attract enough staff. Especially at security, things went completely wrong, causing people to miss their flights, see their vacations ruined or even become unwell.
Chaos and 'grim circumstances
The latter happened again on Monday, the Royal Military Police acknowledges. "We had to deal with some unwellnesses," said a spokesperson. A letter from security company CTSN Group on Monday reported "a very dangerous situation" on Sunday, creating a risk of "mass walk-throughs. Security staff managed to control the chaos and 'grim conditions', general manager Adan Morik reported, in the letter seen by De Telegraaf. CTSN could not be reached for comment despite multiple requests. According to the Netherlands Military Police, no one was arrested, but security guards felt so unsafe that all 'gates' had to be closed for a while. This happened when some of the gates had to be closed and people reacted angrily and started pushing. The summoned Marechaussee managed to calm things down.
Precisely when things are going so wrong again, Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop is not at his post. While he was invisible for a week and a half during the May vacation chaos due to a corona infection, this time he is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the annual meeting of the global business and political elite. A spokesman reported late Monday night that Benschop was returning from Switzerland to the Netherlands earlier on Tuesday due to "circumstances" at the airport. According to the spokesman, Benschop did remotely participate in a consultation on the situation at Schiphol on Monday. On Monday evening, a number of politicians expressed their concern on Twitter. Upper House member Henk Otten wonders when Schiphol's supervisory board will intervene in the 'mess'. "When will the incompetent ceo Benschop be replaced," he states. The airport is a state-owned company. VVD MP Koerhuis calls it "unbelievable" that there are problems again, while the summer vacations have not yet started. Last week there were supposed to be talks about the chaos by the Lower House with Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure), but that could not take place because the minister was ill.
Source: https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/961907939/schiphol-opnieuw-toneel-van-zeer-gevaarlijke-chaos
Minister Harbers about closing Kethel tunnel: 'Limiting the consequences of sick reports'
Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) wants to know from Rijkswaterstaat how problems for road users can be limited as much as possible, should something like the Kethel tunnel happen again. The tunnel in the A4 near Schiedam was closed for a few hours this morning because two supervising operators called in sick. They could not be replaced immediately. Harbers speaks of an exceptional situation with very unpleasant consequences for road users. But he contradicts that the closure of the tunnel was the result of a structural personnel shortage, such as on the railways and at Schiphol. "I do ask Rijkswaterstaat to limit the consequences of sick reports for road users as much as possible, should such a situation arise again. This work requires specific knowledge and safety comes first." Rijkswaterstaat closed the Ketheltunnel in both directions around 06.45 this morning. Traffic was diverted via the A13 and A20. The tunnel reopened in both directions around 08.45 and the traffic jams gradually resolved.
Close after accident
The tunnel operator who would be working today had called in sick. And the replacement was also sick. Keeping the tunnel open was therefore not safe, said Rijkswaterstaat. "We always want to monitor what happens in the tunnel," a spokesman told NOS Radio 1 Journaal. " If there's no one in the traffic control center to supervise and close the tunnel quickly in the event of an accident, that means we have to close the tunnel." Tunnels are monitored 24 hours a day from the traffic control centers with cameras and detection systems. "For example, road traffic controllers can close the tunnel in the event of incidents, alert emergency services and operate installations in the tunnels," Rijkswaterstaat reports. Rijkswaterstaat has sought a replacement. "It is always a puzzle. We hope to open it again soon," said the spokesperson. Rijkswaterstaat expected earlier this morning that the tunnel would reopen around 8 a.m., but that did not work out. Later, Rijkswaterstaat adjusted that expectation to 09:00. A busy morning rush was expected because the May holiday has now ended everywhere. Traffic between The Hague and Rotterdam can detour via the A13 and A20. As far as the spokesman knows, it is the first time that a tunnel has been closed for this reason. She says there is no structural problem. "It's just bad luck."
'Not well organised'
Industry organization Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) calls the system vulnerable and does not understand why it is not organized differently. "I think we live in a very strange country if our country is stuck due to the illness of two people. Then we have not organized it well together," TLN chairman Elisabeth Post said to NOS Radio 1 Journaal. Closing off the Kethel tunnel is problematic for countless transport companies. "Standing still costs money by definition. They also have to make a detour and things arrive later. And if you drive to Hoek van Holland to take the boat to Great Britain, there is a risk that you will miss the departure."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2429009-harbers-over-sluiten-ketheltunnel-gevolgen-van-ziekmeldingen-beperken
An NCOI master is not always a real master, says inspection
Educational Institute NCOI has been giving students a master's degree in recent years that is not an official master's degree, thereby breaking the law. The Education Inspectorate has therefore reprimanded the private school. Five hundred students have received an illegal diploma in the past four years, according to a report from the inspectorate. Students have not been properly informed by the NCOI about the value of their diploma. NCOI is the largest private educator in the Netherlands. This includes the LOI course institute, secretary trainer Schoevers and the Luzac secondary school. NCOI also offers officially recognized HBO courses, but the offer mainly consists of short courses that are not officially recognised. The courses and the official courses are mixed up on the NCOI website and that is confusing, says the Education Inspectorate.
Problems applying for a job
The wrongly awarded diplomas belong to 'executive masters' and 'professional masters'. The NCOI diplomas bear the word 'master', but they are not officially recognized as such. Five different NCOI trainers have awarded diplomas that were not real masters in recent years. Students can run into problems applying for jobs if it turns out that their diploma is not officially recognised.
Investigation after complaints
The Inspectorate began an investigation in 2020 after several complaints were received about NCOI's working methods. These included a lack of clarity for students and there were also reports that NCOI was presenting itself as a university. The Education Inspectorate requested information from NCOI and now concludes that students have received an illegal diploma.
'Inspectorate invents own standards'
NCOI tells Trouw that the inspection's conclusions are "unjustified, lack legal grounds and even conflict with the law". The legislation on diplomas is unclear, says the educational institute. NCOI also says that the inspectorate has made up its own standards.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2428314-een-master-van-ncoi-is-niet-altijd-een-echte-master-zegt-inspectie
Overloaded power grid affects businesses and residential construction
Due to the energy transition and the desire for independence from Russian gas, the demand for electricity is growing. That means extra pressure on the electricity grid. Many companies, but also a planned residential area, are experiencing the consequences of this. Companies that want to establish or expand, often cannot meet their energy needs. This applies, for example, to Royal Smilde Bakery in Edam, a retail company in bake-off products. The company cannot run at full capacity. "And that means we are not at the production capacity that the market demands," says Andries Tuinenga. The grid operator has imposed a maximum on the company that may not be exceeded. And then the peak months are yet to come.
Billions
The electricity grid has been under pressure for some time. More and more regions are experiencing capacity problems. The grid cannot keep up with the transition to sustainable energy and electrification - whereby factories switch to techniques that run on electricity. Despite the billions that will be invested in the coming years. On the contrary: grid operator Liander says that the power shortage will affect even more companies and citizens. Within the municipality of Amsterdam, a large number of investment plans do not get off the ground due to a shortage of electricity. For example, a large housing project near Sloterdijk is being delayed because there is only electricity for the houses, but not for the facilities in the new residential area. "If we can't make a complete neighborhood, then we really can't build those houses," says Alderman for Spatial Development and Sustainability, Marieke van Doorninck. The residential area had the misfortune that an application for a data center had previously been submitted to Liander. Liander is legally obliged to maintain the order of the applications.
Priority
The key question is how grid operators should deal with the power shortage in the coming years. Alderman Van Doorninck is committed to setting priorities. "It cannot be the case that the person who has previously submitted an application always has priority over, for example, a social priority such as housing," she says. But the VEMW, the association of large energy consumers, sees this so-called 'prioritisation' as legally impossible. "The principle of non-discrimination is important, which makes it very difficult to distinguish between data centers and other users," says VEMW director Hans Grünfeld. Nevertheless, network operators are looking at certain forms of priority. A trial is being conducted with this in Friesland. The province has drawn up criteria that help Liander to decide who goes first. "We have advised that housing construction and employment come first," says deputy Sietske Poepjes.
Diesel generator
Liander is happy with it, but it does not solve all problems. "Of course, prioritization does not accelerate grid expansion. But we do think it is wise to make political choices, so that social ambitions are not put under pressure," says Daan Schut, Chief Transition Officer of Liander. Until political choices are made, Royal Smilde Bakery is not exactly considering environmentally friendly measures to secure the company's power supply. Tuinenga: "A solution could be that we compensate the peak moments with a diesel generator. But that of course goes against your gut feeling. We have an energy-neutral office, a gas-free building, 800 solar panels on the roof and then a diesel generator is running."
Source: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2427174-overbelast-stroomnet-raakt-bedrijven-en-woningbouw
Data breach University of Twente due to incorrectly assigned roles and rights
The University of Twente (UT) has been confronted with a data breach in which several hundred staff members were temporarily able to view the personal data of all 3,500 UT employees. This included dates of birth, bank account numbers, e-mail addresses, dates of employment, employee type and position. The data breach was caused by the rollout of new financial administration software, where roles and user rights were incorrectly assigned. "In addition, one tick too many was checked or unchecked, as a result of which many more people than intended had insight into that data," finance director Dennis van Zijl told Tubantia . "In this way, many roles were opened simultaneously, where that was not intended. That has not so much to do with the software, this could have happened with any system." In the period that the roles and rights were incorrectly assigned, a maximum of 116 UT employees logged in to the system. It is unknown how many of these have viewed data from other employees. The university has reported the data breach to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, reports U-Today , a magazine about the UT.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/752666/Datalek+Universiteit+Twente+door+verkeerd+toegewezen+rollen+en+rechten?channel=twitter
Hospitals often ill-prepared for power failure
Hospitals often fail to check that their equipment continues to run in the event of a power outage. That's what two companies specialize in emergency power solutions and technical risk analyses. Hospitals usually only have a check to see if the diesel emergency generator starts if the electricity goes out. It is not tested whether the equipment continues to run and thus hospital care can be maintained. Omroep Flevoland spoke with the companies SIM Holland and Smits van Burgst in response to the major power failure at St Jansdal in Harderwijk, last December. This created chaos in the hospital for about an hour and a half, because computers and ventilators, among other things, failed. The St Jansdal branch in Lelystad also encountered problems, as did the outpatient clinics in Dronten and Zeewolde. Because computer systems did not work, all appointments had to be cancelled.
Emergency generator works, but the equipment does not
On the day in question, when the power went out, the emergency generator in Harderwijk started immediately. But due to an activated security in the system, the generated power could not be supplied to the hospital, a spokesperson for St Jansdal reported. Help from outside the hospital had to be brought in to solve the problems. There is a guideline for hospitals to test, in addition to the aggregate, whether the other links in hospital care continue to function in the event of a power failure, say SIM Holland and Smits van Burgst. This is called a so-called Power Down test. But in practice, according to them, such a test is rarely carried out at all hospitals in the country. The companies say it is very unwise to deviate from the guideline because then you do not know what will happen to you in the event of a power failure. According to Smits van Burgst, it happens on average once a year that a hospital's safety system does not work in the event of a power failure.
False safety
"It is as if you never use your car, start the engine every now and then and then conclude that it does. That is a kind of false safety, because then you do not know at all whether the other parts are also working and you really can drive the car," says Jan de Vries. He works for Smits van Burgst and was previously responsible for electrical engineering at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam for twenty years. According to the expert, large academic hospitals do a Power Down test, but the smaller, regular hospitals do not, with a few exceptions. Smaller hospitals would find a complete check too extensive and risky.
Power Down tests in other hospitals
The St Jansdal in Harderwijk does not want to answer the question of Omroep Flevoland whether the so-called Power Down tests will be performed. The hospital will not answer questions until the independent report into the cause of the power outage has been published. The two agencies TNO and DNV have been researching this for months. The Flevoziekenhuis in Almere does, however, provide openness about the controls. In Almere, the Power Down test was last performed in September 2020 with a positive result. Similar tests are also performed at the Antonius Hospital in Sneek. The power supply there was completely renewed this spring and thoroughly tested, with positive results as a result.
Source: https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/286065/ziekenhuizen-vaak-slecht-voorbereid-op-stroomstoringen
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate