Accuform Signs

OSHA’s final rule to revise the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) has spurred much discussion about new GHS label elements and the new uniform format for safety data sheets (SDS). We’ve talked about those changes in previous posts.

But what you may not have heard yet is that some standard workplace warning signs are getting a facelift. 

Just a little over halfway through the final rule document (323 pages) is a section called Workplace Warning Language on Signs and Labels, which begins this way:

OSHA proposed to update the language for workplace signs and labels to incorporate the GHS hazard statement and the applicable precautionary statement(s), where required. Most OSHA substance-specific health standards require hazard warning signs, usually for regulated areas, and the language required on the signs varies greatly… OSHA proposed to modify the language to be compatible with GHS and consistent throughout the OSHA standards.

Read on, and you’ll find that the proposed changes carried through to the final rule.

In short, OSHA is revising the wording on warning signs to be consistent with the language of GHS hazard and precautionary statements. Let’s find out what that means for facility identification.

Which warning signs are changing?

Specifically, OSHA is referring to warning signs for cancer-causing substances.

The final rule gives the example of three current hazard statements to show the need for consistent wording:

Does one statement imply a higher risk than the others? No, the intent was not to suggest tiers of cancer warnings; however, it's easy to see how someone could misinterpret the different statements to mean different hazard levels.

To prevent confusion and promote clarity, OSHA has settled on the wording “May Cause Cancer,” which will become the standard wording for carcinogen warning signs.

Table XIII-4. Regulated Areas in Substance-Specific Health Hazards summarizes the changes to the warning message for each substance.

When will the old signs be phased out?

Until June 1, 2016, employers may use the current sign language. Existing substance-specific label warnings may be used until June 1, 2015.

But why wait? Now is the time to start updating your facility signage to meet the new warning sign requirements.

Accuform offers signs and labels that reflect the new warning messages as prescribed in the final rule. Visit our Carcinogen Warning Signs section on our website, or contact us to today to learn more. 

The information provided is for general purposes only, and not to be relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, and absolute and complete for the specific facts or circumstances. 

I am confident that you've heard this phrase plenty of times in your customer service career. When the entire management team really believes in empowering employees your customers will be quick to share the good news and your customer base will grow.

Accuform employees are empowered to take swift and decisive action on solving customer issues or manufacturing concerns. How many times have you been on the phone trying to resolve a concern of yours and get bounced from one supervisor or manager to another, finally have someone offer you a satisfactory solution? Our employees are empowered to always work with the customer to resolve the issue. All of the employees know that the supervisor and/or managers are always there to assist should they require a swift resolution or need to consider alternative solutions.

In the manufacturing environment, employees are empowered to stop production of a job if something looks out of line with what the customer order indicates compared to what they're manufacturing. There are multiple links in the manufacturing chain that need to be securely connected to all departments and to all processes to ensure continuous improvement and consistent customer satisfaction.

When you empower your employees, they'll experience a significant growth curve and an increased level of self confidence. The account manager’s level of confidence expands each time they encounter a customer experience and challenge. When you operate with no rules it gives the employee motivation and the flexibility to make a decision on-the-spot for the customer. Customers will love you and your company when you have the full support of a senior leadership team and group of managers, supervisors and coordinators that believe, embrace and practice empowerment daily.

Empowerment is often talked about at many companies but I can honestly tell you that we live it here at Accuform every single day. Doing the right thing for the customer at a moment in time will lead you to enhanced relationships with your customers and distributors.

I would be anxious to hear from you about empowerment within your company because I truly believe it establishes a deeper trust and leaves the customer with a good feeling, a level of trust and satisfaction that will keep them coming back for more, and even increases customer feedback. Send me your thoughts.

Life is hard. Life takes effort. Invariably, we all look for ways to make our life easier. Sometimes we make big changes, like moving closer to work to avoid that 90 minute commute. Other times, it can be something small like moving the shredder closer to where we normally drop the junk mail. I have been in the web business since there was one (1994), and one of the things that I love the most about web development is that it is all about making life easier. I find that our most consistent contributions to making life easier are found within the following three areas: communicating, enabling and automating.

Communicating is the most common value offered by web development. Every web site, page, image, or logo is communicating with you, for better or worse, every time you browse the Internet. It is now possible to get information on any topic on the web easier than it is to open a book (not the right book, but just any book on your shelf - it's that easy).  However, communication on the web is fraught with valueless communication in the forms of mislaid advertising, trolling comments, and outdated information. Our team at Accuform is trying to counteract the flood of noise with comprehensive and valuable communication with its blog, news, and product information. Accuform.com puts the world of facility safety identification within reach to make researching, finding, and specifying easier.

Enabling is where we offer a new way to achieve an existing goal. Though you have always been able to order stock and custom signs, order from quotes, and get the latest price list from Accuform, you couldn't always do them any time of day or night. With Accuform's online distributor tools, you can do all this and much more. For example, you can use our suite of Personalize It! custom product builders where you can create and order your own custom designed sign, tags, and other products online in minutes. You can order from your Accuform quote online with just a few clicks. In addition to the ability to quickly find and research products, you can also email the product to a friend or colleague, view the product in our virtual catalog, and send or print out the catalog page for reference. Accuform.com offers these and other ways to give you the power to get your work done quickly and easily.

Automating is the key to saving you time. The most common example of automation on the Internet is the search box. By telling the site or search engine what you are looking for, it automates the laborious process of reading everything on the site/web to find the information for which you are looking. It then returns an organized list of the things you would have found if you had spent hours, years, or life times browsing manually. That is some heavy-duty automation, but its ubiquitous nature allows us to ignore its obvious benefit. Some other tools that Accuform provides include the quick order system for repeat customers, and the YourQuote system. Quick order is a feature that becomes available once you have completed an order on Accuform.com which compiles the checkout process into a single page and pre-fills the form with the information you recently used. This can tremendously reduce the amount of time it takes to get from cart to completed order, and for those who order often, it can save a lot of time. Another automation example is YourQuote. When a distributor requests a quote from Accuform, it is invariably connected to an RFQ from an end-user. That means that upon receipt of the Accuform quote, the distributor then has to re-create the quote with their company name, contact information, pricing, etc. With YourQuote, Accuform distributors can simply send the Accuform quote (rebranded as their own with their company name and information). You have the flexibility to customize the content of the quote and the pricing, and you can send the quote along to your customer in no time. Accuform.com streamlines processes to minimize the time it takes you to get where you need to go.

Our goal is to make your life easier. If that is done by communicating important information, enabling you to do more, or by saving you precious time by automating repetitive tasks, we are happy and proud to do it. If you know of a way that we can help make your life easier, let me know in the comments below. It just may be the next distributor tool on Accuform.com.
 

Several years ago, I was honored when my beginner’s social media course was accepted to the schedule, and I became a presenter at the EXHIBITOR Conference and Expo, held annually at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It’s sponsored by EXHIBITOR Media Group, the parent company of EXHIBITOR magazine, EXHIBITORFastTrak, EXHIBITOR eTrak, ExhibitorOnline and CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer), the exhibit marketing industry's only university-affiliated professional certification program. Founded in 1982, the key objective of Exhibitor Media Group is to be the indispensable source of expert education on trade show and corporate event marketing, through the delivery of high value and demonstrably superior solutions via seminars, conferences, publications and the Internet.

It’s been a fascinating opportunity for me. Each year, when I think that they aren’t going I to invite me back because there’s no need for a beginners social media course, because (at least in my perception it’s so run of the mill now), I’m severely mistaken. I probably learn more about my subject than my audience by teaching them what I know and listening to what they hear and understand about it; usually 25-50 marketers wearing multiple hats wanting to gain some insight to what this whole social thing is about. My course description is based on pitching the idea to your boss or executive committee, so there’s a reasonable expectation that there’s nothing really going on as far as a social media campaign or strategy in that company. It’s incredible, and also incredibly rewarding, when I think I can slice a year or two off of someone’s learning curve by helping them grasp some key ideas or terminology, by showing their boss that they can actually save money (or at least break even by starting a blog) or how they can manage the tools of the trade just a little easier.

It’s remarkable that, year after year, I get this extremely bright audience who seem to have the same problems. We, who are in social media regularly, don’t realize (or find it hard to realize) there is still a whole strange world out there. Did you know that there are still some companies that don’t have a website? Did you know there are still some IT guys that think if you let someone on Facebook at work they are going to destroy servers with viruses, and still some executives who think that forcing their pitch on people in the old established ways is still the only effective means of marketing? We in social just aren’t playing in those areas that often anymore. But don’t get me wrong – it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be on my end either. If one more person introduces me as the guy who plays on Facebook all day, well I oughta… but thankfully, that doesn’t happen anymore (that often).

The old adage goes, and it’s true in many aspects of social media, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Social media is here to stay; the tools may, and will change, but the idea remains the same. It’s relatively cheap and if handled even semi-decently, will do nothing but good for you, your service, your product or your company… over the long haul.

So, see you at EXHIBITOR2013?

Bernie Borges is the Founder and CEO of Find and Convert, an Inbound Marketing agency serving mid-size clients nationwide, located in Tampa, Florida. Bernie is an author, speaker, trainer, podcaster, blogger and social media evangelist. He hangs out at the intersection of search and social media, and helps develop personal and corporate brands (and he won't be happy I called him a social media guru either - that's the type of guy he is).

Bernie speaks to business audiences eager to learn how to apply inbound marketing strategies and tactics to day-to-day business practice. And his book, Marketing 2.0, show how social media can "bridge the gap" between buyers and sellers. "Bernie is one of a new breed of marketing professionals who is blazing the path for how the internet is powering this new paradigm in marketing," Mike Volpe, Hubspot. 

I met Bernie Borges late last year. Turns out our CEO, Wayne Johnson, heard Bernie speak about blogging and social media in general. Bernie’s down-to-earth communication style is well received by his audience and they appreciate his ability to connect dots and provide actionable content delivered in his workshops and presentations. Accuform had a blog for almost two years at the time, and Wayne knew that blogging was a necessary part of our overall marketing mix. It was time to ramp up the program Accuform-style.

We first decided to form a larger blog team across many different departments. Then we had Bernie come in to train the team - to essentially give us a 35,000 foot view of what we were doing and why we were doing it. Needless to say, it was a fantastic time and we all learned a lot! Bernie showed all of us, even those internet-challenged, nose to the grindstone managers, the positive effects that a blog and social media program can have on a company.

Bernie's Internet marketing speaker presentations concentrate on practical topics of interest to marketers who seek to learn tips and best practices in search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Web 2.0/Social Media Marketing and web analytics topics.

Complaints are a necessary part of doing business, and you can expect even MORE complaints in today's market. Customers are becoming increasingly choosy about how they spend their limited available cash. When they make a decision to purchase a product or service, they expect excellent customer service to accompany that purchase.

Some people who complain will be difficult to please, but if your company can develop a consistent procedure employees can use for resolving complaints, you are one important step closer to assuring that you deal with the emotional and practical aspects of customer service. These seven steps should form the core of your customer complaint resolution process.

1. Greet

Always answer the phone or greet people in person as though you are happy to hear from them. Begin in a friendly way. This first step can be more difficult than it sounds. You need to be able to separate previous negative customer service and daily life experiences from your present customer contact.

2. Listen

In customer service, you often hear the same kinds of complaints, so it can be challenging to give each customer's complaint your full attention. If you can truly listen, however, and give each customer an opportunity to vent some frustration, your customer will appreciate the special attention. Be empathetic. Listen for facts and feelings. Show signs of active listening.

3. Question

Ask questions to clarify your customer's concerns. Again, you need to resist responding until you understand your customer and their issues -- even if you're familiar with that type of concern. Use these three types of questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of your customer's issue.

• Elementary questions capture the basic facts of the problem. These questions give you an opportunity to take some of the emotion out of the customer's experience and complaint.
• Elaborate questions gather more details. These questions give the customer a chance to expand on their issues and feelings. These questions should be relatively short but inquisitive to encourage the customer to talk more about their concerns.
• Evaluative questions help you determine how severely this issue affects the customer. This is also where you evaluate what you can do to satisfy the customer.

4. Empathize

Find a point of agreement with the customer. This does not necessarily mean that you agree with the complaint, but only that you are able to find a common ground. This is where you show the customer that you heard and understood their concern and that you recognize that this issue is important to them.

5. Address the Issue

Now that you have addressed and helped diffuse some of the complaint's emotional issues, do everything in your power to resolve the practical aspects. Take responsibility for your organization's role in the customer's dissatisfaction. This is your opportunity to turn a lemon into lemonade. People who have their problems successfully resolved tend to choose to do business with those companies again.

6. Test Questions

Ask questions to test how well you have resolved the emotional and practical sides of the complaint. If the customer is satisfied with the resolution, this will make it easier to end the experience on a positive note.

7. Follow Through

Often, complaints cannot be resolved completely on the first point of contact. If you need to get back to the customer, do so quickly and be thorough in your response. Even if the complaint has been resolved, create a reason to contact the customer again. For example, find a way to offer added value to the customer's experience with the company. Also, look for ways to solve the root cause of problems within your organization. If you can solve some root causes of common complaints, you will experience fewer complaints. 

This article and post is reprinted with written permission from (jeff.shimer@dalecarnegie.com) Jeff Shimer, Vice President Instruction for Tampa Bay Region of Dale Carnegie Training.

You may see these signs on buildings when you are out shopping, going to work, or picking up your children from school. In Florida, the signs are in the shape of a Maltese cross, while in other states, they are shaped as a circle or triangle. The question is: What are these signs, and what do they mean?

Truss signs are specific to states (or cities) and serve to identify buildings that have a light-frame, truss-type construction. What that means is repetitive wood or light steel framing comprises the primary elements of the structure.

Appearances are deceiving

Buildings that use trusses pose a greater hazard for collapse during a fire than traditional roof and floor construction. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes the potential hazard posed by truss signs, describing it as a “hazard to the fire service” in the publication Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems. The publication states:

“Trusses are widely used in construction to span wide areas without the need for vertical supports, reducing both material and construction costs. Under ordinary conditions, trusses work well and building codes have permitted this type of construction for many years. However, trusses often fail suddenly and totally during a fire … It is impossible for crews operating at a fire to predict the time or extent of a collapse since they cannot see how many trusses are affected, which components, and to what extent.”

Thus, a building’s exterior offers no indication to firefighters as to whether or not trusses were used in the construction, and that is why truss signs are important. They provide a visual identifier to warn firefighters about the increased potential for collapse and help them determine whether or not they can safely enter the structure. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an alert on Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters Due to Truss System Failures, recommending that building owners “should consider posting building construction information outside a building to advise fire fighters of the conditions they may encounter.”

No national standard

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed voluntary standards that address fire fighter safety related to roof and floor trusses, including NFPA 1620, NFPA 1521, NFPA 1001, and NFPA 921. Some states, such as Florida in rule 69A-3.012, have incorporated NFPA standards into their truss sign laws.

However, there is no national standard for truss signs. Some states and cities have adopted truss sign laws, and although the requirements for truss signs often vary in shape and size, the signs generally share some key elements:

• The letters F, R and F/R appear in the center of the truss sign and indicate whether the Floor, Roof, or Floor and Roof use light-frame truss structures.
• The sign is required to be a bright, reflective color and/or made of a reflective material.

Accuform currently offers truss signs for Florida; New Jersey; New York; Vermont; Mississippi; San Francisco, Calif.; and Acushnet, Mass. If your state or city has truss sign regulations and you need a sign made, contact us today to find out how we can help.

The information provided is for general purposes only, and not to be relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, and absolute and complete for the specific facts or circumstances. 

No doubt you’ve seen the scoreboards counting up the number of safe-days worked at a facility. Some of the scoreboards refer to it as “days without an OSHA recordable injury”. But have you ever wondered what that means exactly?

Per OSHA’s standard 29 CFR 1904, employers are required to “record and report work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses.” That’s a broad statement that begs so many questions. Let’s break it down and look at some of the basics of OSHA injury reporting and recordkeeping.

What does “work-related” mean?

Section 1904.5(a) “…an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness…”

The basic stance by OSHA is that unless noted as an exception in 1904.5(b)(2), it is work-related.

What types of incidents do I have to record and report?

Any work-related incident that results in (a) death; (b) loss of consciousness; (c) days away from work; (d) restricted work activity or job transfer; or (e) medical treatment beyond first aid. Additional requirements exist for needlestick or sharps injuries, tuberculosis, hearing loss, medical removal and musculoskeletal disorder cases. See sections 1904.8 – 1904.12..

How do I “record and report”?

Record: Work-related incidents should be entered on the OSHA 300 (Log) and 301 (Incident Report) forms. And each year, a summary should be filled out on the OSHA 300-A form. OSHA provides the forms along with explanation on how to complete them in a printable booklet. Note that other equivalent forms may be used if it has the same information and is completed in the same manner as the OSHA forms. Records must be kept for five years.

Report: Within 8 hours of a work-related death or an incident that involves three or more employees being hospitalized, employers must report the incident to the nearest OSHA office or the OSHA hotline (1-800-321-OSHA).

Who do I send my records to?

Employers are not required to submit records on a set basis. You may receive an OSHA injury and illness survey form or a BLS survey in any given year which you are required to fill out.

However, records should be made available upon request to authorized government representatives within 4 hours. Employees, former employees and employee representatives also have the right to access records.

By reporting or recording, am I admitting fault?

No, there is no admission of fault, violation, or liability from recordkeeping and reporting. A note to section 1904.0 states that “Recording or reporting a work-related injury, illness, or fatality does not mean that the employer or employee was at fault, that an OSHA rule has been violated, or that the employee is eligible for workers' compensation or other benefits.”

As with any OSHA standard, there are a multitude of exceptions. The information provided here is for general information only. Consult the full text to determine the appropriate actions for your specific circumstance. OSHA’s online recordkeeping handbook can help guide you through the standard in plain English with decision trees and easy-to-understand question/answer formats.

Now that you understand what “days without and OSHA recordable injury” means, start counting your safe-days with a Digi-Day® Electronic Scoreboards from Accuform Signs!

From the start, Accuform Signs was built on custom signs. In fact, there were no stock sign messages, only custom. Accuform took the pain out of custom, and delivered quickly and inexpensively. But custom capabilities were rather limited to messages, headers, and the occasional logo.

Now with digital technologies, so much more is available, like unlimited colors, unlimited photos, and unlimited logos. But most of what we manufactured was still like what we made, “Back in the day."

Even though Burger King told us you could, "Have it your way," Starbucks widely introduced the, “Personalized” offering / cup of coffee.  One could specify size, flavors, temperature, strength; “Red Eye” (one shot of espresso), “Black Eye” (two shots), “Skinny”, and a variety of dairy / non-dairy toppings (whip / no whip). Coffee became, “All about me."  No more did you have take what was served.

That concept has carried over to our business. I like to say that our only limitation is our customers’ imagination. I see that every day at Accuform. We even post a “Cool Custom Sign of the Day." Companies now design signs (some 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide), banners, posters, and scoreboards with photos. That, is often coupled with powerful messages like, “Safety is a Family Value” and, “Who Is Depending on You to Come Home Safely?” - all with the goal of changing a safety culture and getting home to what’s really important to each associate. I’ve seen photos of husbands, wives, children, dogs, cats, and even a motorcycle. Talk about Personalized!

I think Starbucks has been one of the most instrumental companies to develop a Personalized message, and it has impacted thousands of companies, including Accuform Signs.

Practice…Huh, who me?

Ok, so you're selling for a living. A question I often ask sales professionals is, "How much (often) do you practice?" Before we address the answer, let’s define "professional." Merriam-Webster defines it as, "engaged in by persons receiving financial return." So that means if you're getting paid to sell, then you're a professional, right? Of course. Now let’s get back to the question, "How much do you practice?" The real answer is that sales professionals RARELY practice, if at all. Why should we, we're not rookies, we're seasoned professionals. Practice is beneath us.

Well, check this out. Jorge Posada entered Major League Baseball in 1997 with the New York Yankees at a starting annual salary of $158,500 per year. In 2011, his annual salary was $13,100,000 (without endorsements). By the way, he earned that wage each of the last four years. His total base salary over the last 16 years totals $110,408,500. I think that would quality him as a professional, wouldn’t you?  So, what does Posada do almost every day? 

Check this out. Here's a video of Jorge Posada digging balls out of the dirt thrown from a pitching machine at spring training, 2010. Yes, he's practicing a very basic fundamental of catching - keeping the ball in front of him so that, in game conditions, it'll prevent a base runner from advancing. Why would a "professional" like Jorge Posada do this? He's a seasoned pro, right?

That’s the point! How many times have you…

• taken a product or service, actually researched it, then wrote out a sales presentation?
• presented in front of a mirror to see what your customer sees while you're selling - your body language?
• recorded your presentation to hear how it flows and what your voice inflection sounds like?
• presented to a fellow associate and have them critique you?

If Jorge Posada waited until game time to practice his skills, do you think he would have driven that line of income, let alone even make the major leagues? 

Do you want to be a top producer - top 3%? Well then step up and PRACTICE!

Handwashing seems like such a simple practice, but it can make all the difference in reducing the spread of infection, which is especially important in healthcare settings.

In fact, handwashing is so important that OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR § 1910.1030 outlines several requirements for it.

1910.1030(d)(2)(iii). Employers shall provide handwashing facilities which are readily accessible to employees.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital patients in the United States contract nearly 2 million infections per year or approximately 1 infection per 20 patients. The CDC has a dedicated page on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings that underscores handwashing as one of the most important precautions to prevent infections from spreading.

1910.1030(d)(2)(iv). When provision of handwashing facilities is not feasible, the employer shall provide either an appropriate antiseptic hand cleanser in conjunction with clean cloth/paper towels or antiseptic towelettes. When antiseptic hand cleansers or towelettes are used, hands shall be washed with soap and running water as soon as feasible.

The bottom line is that using soap and water is the most effective method for reducing the spread of infection. However, alcohol-based antiseptics provide an alternative solution when soap and water aren’t available. The CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol but warns that hand sanitizers do not remove all types of germs.

1910.1030(d)(2)(v). Employers shall ensure that employees wash their hands immediately or as soon as feasible after removal of gloves or other personal protective equipment.

Gloves can help reduce the spread of infection but are not an alternative to handwashing. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a document called WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare (2009). They conducted several studies regarding the role of gloves in preventing the spread of infection and concluded that “gloves reduce hand contamination, but do not fully protect from acquisition of bacteria during patient care.”

1910.1030(d)(2)(vi). Employers shall ensure that employees wash hands and any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Is there a right way to wash your hands? The CDC web page Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives outlines the proper steps for handwashing:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
• Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Post visual reminders

Yet for all the awareness and evident need to wash hands regularly, OSHA’s Hospital eTool  on Healthcare Wide Hazards reports that “compliance with hand washing by healthcare providers is poor.”

Accuform Signs offers several stock handwashing signs, as well as a hand hygiene poster, and custom solutions to create your own unique reminders. Visit our website, or contact us to learn about how we can help you create visual identification solutions for your facility to encourage proper hand washing.

Are you feeling like a couch potato? With the summer right around the corner, some of us may be feeling a little uneasy about getting into our swimsuits and heading to the beach. Have you been thinking about losing weight to look fit in that new swimsuit? 

Well, have you ever heard of the Couch-to-5K® running program? The program has a 9 week schedule to get you up off that couch and moving in no time. Never ran before? That’s OK. The program is designed to gradually move an individual along by alternating segments of walking and jogging. It focuses on getting you stronger and healthier by having you exercise 3 times a week. You can either choose to follow the program measuring your success by time or distance. Either way works well.

First things first. Ease your way into the program by trying to walk/jog a 5k (3.1 miles) using a pedometer and/or app on your phone or iPod. Using any pedometer to measure distance will help you easily keep track of your progress. There's a really neat running app by Nike. This app tracks your progress for you and gives you the ability to compete against your best time and distances. You can listen to your favorite music and even create playlists.

Next, stay determined. Don’t feel impatient if you aren't progressing as much as you'd like. Stick with it and do your best. Sometimes athletes can hit a plateau if they are trying to do too much, too fast. Be sure to keep a well balanced diet filled with protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. Also, remember to and stretch before and after your runs. A runner’s body is their instrument, so you need to make sure to keep it finely tuned.

Lastly, never give up. Seek motivation from anyone and everyone you can. Accuform even has uniquely designed motivational products that could help you focus on meeting your goal.

• What athlete do you admire? You can use them as a motivational tool.
• Set both short-term and long-terms goals and reward yourself along the way.
• Try running on different terrains to improve your stamina.
• Weight training is also a good option to help build muscle.
• Try running hills or doing sprints at the park once a week.  

At the end of the 9 week schedule, you should be up and running like a pro and can challenge yourself further.

I hope this blog helps you cross the finish line with a smile on your face and motivates you to keep moving. Feel free to watch my WorkHealthy™ success story.

Be sure to check out the The Couch-to-5K® Running Plan.

And remember to consult a doctor or physician if you’ve been inactive for several years before starting this program.

If you’re in social or marketing, I’m sure you’ve heard of Seth Godin go to his bio page. Seth is an author of 13 books, the latest called Poke the Box and he writes mostly about “changing everything,” about marketing, about leadership, and about how failing is good. He’s a speaker, and a publisher partnered with Amazon in The Domino Project. And oh yeah, in 1998, he came up with the idea of what he calls “permission based marketing” – what we call these days, among other things, the email opt-in.

Godin introduced the concept of "permission marketing" where the business provides something "anticipated, personal, and relevant" (Wikipedia).The Amazon book description reads like this: “By reaching out only to those individuals who have signaled an interest in learning more about a product, Permission Marketing enables companies to develop long-term relationships with customers, create trust, build brand awareness -- and greatly improve the chances of making a sale.”

He sends me his very a-typical blog post each morning – short, concise and to the point (just like his books). But his stuff has a way of sticking with you, and I think that’s his whole point; do marketing in a way so that it works, not how it’s always been done. And that’s changing everything.

So I’ve compiled some of the quotes that have resounded with me along with a hyperlink so you can read further. I think you’ll understand why once you get into it.

”…but what really blew me away...”

My hope is that during business as usual, you're aggressively over-delivering.

We repeatedly underestimate how important a story is to help us make sense of the world.

Isn't it amazing that we'd rather call ourselves stupid than lazy? At least laziness is easy to fix.

When a change in form comes to your industry, the first thing to discover is how it will change the function.

You can't buy earned media.

When you increase your discernment, maximize your awareness of the available options and then go ahead and ship work that scares others... that's when you succeed.

More time on the problem isn't the way. More guts is. When you expose yourself to the opportunities that scare you, you create something scarce, something others won't do.

Just about every great new project couples a brilliant strategy with impossible logistics that somehow get handled.

Perhaps the most critical thing you can say of a typical institution: "That place is pre-digital."

One at a time is a little anticlimactic and difficult to get in a froth over, but one at a time is how we win and how we lose.

Do you read Seth Godin? If not, I suggest that you do. Here's a link to his blog.

Out of the Frying Pan and Into R&D…

At Accuform, we pride ourselves on our ability to make continuous advancements in the areas of innovation and technology. Our value statement reads, “We pursue the innovations and ideas that can change the world”. This isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s our conviction that the following math makes sense:

Innovation creates new products, new products mean higher sales, and higher sales means more jobs and ultimately, a brighter future for Accuform. That said, I am proud to announce that for the first time in our company’s history, we will actually have somebody committed full-time to the endeavor of exploring and creating new products and new markets. My title is the “Director of New Product Development”, and I am the newest addition to the Research and Development department.  I am really amped about this new position.  First of all, I will get to spend a good amount of time learning about new equipment, attending industry trade shows, and staying current on all the latest market and technology trends. This is a great learning experience for me, and as a self-professed geek, I admit that its right up my alley!

Furthermore, I will be taking these new ideas and working with multiple departments to see if we can successfully design, manufacture, and market these new products. This gives me a chance to work with many people within our company who I have not yet had the pleasure of working with yet. You may see me out on the production floor more often, and I might be rushing orders through from time to time (well, I guess that’s not much different from Marketing). I look forward to the months and years ahead – it’s an exciting time to be a part of the Accuform family!

Introducing Angelo Manto, Senior Designer

Over the past five years, I have had the privilege of working under the tutelage of Kevin Bosman and Brad Montgomery. I have learned so many things, and I believe I have truly grown as a professional. I’ve worked with Kevin to establish the Accuform brand, and to see it flourish in virtually every medium. Over the years we’ve done trade show booths, magazine ads, website pages, emails, catalog pages, signage, literature, and logos… (Just to name a few)! I feel like we are in a good position with our brand, and we’ve set the bar higher than ever.

With expectations for further growth in this area, we have carefully recruited and hired somebody to fill my position. As the new Senior Marketing Designer, Angelo Manto is ready for the challenge of the Marketing Department’s fast-paced world.

Angelo comes to us all the way from Janesville, Wisconsin. He worked for the past six years as a graphic designer for Lab Safety Supply (now Grainger) – an Accuform distributor partner. I asked Angelo about his first week on-the-job, and why he accepted the position. He said,

“My first week here at Accuform has been great. The reason I joined the team is because I greatly admire and wanted to be a part of a company that has strong core values and character. Also the people have shown nothing but kindness and respect not only to me, but also to each other. Everyone I have met made me feel welcomed, and I feel truly blessed to be a member of the Accuform family.”

From that response, I feel very confident that we made the right choice in Angelo, and vice versa. Angelo is a big time hockey fan, and even plays hockey for fun. He also enjoys photography and spending time outdoors. Get to know Angelo, and please be sure to welcome him to the Accuform team if you see him around.

Imagine showing up to work every day and being faced with the constant danger of speeding, distracted motorists whizzing by only mere feet from you while also being surrounded by a bustle of heavy equipment, materials and machinery. This is “the office” for workers building and improving our American roadways.

This week (April 23-27) is the 13^th annual National Work Zone Awareness Week. Started in 1999, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in coordination with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), sponsor the week-long event that strives to spread awareness of the myriad of dangers in highway work zones. Many states are also now hosting their own Work Zone Awareness events.

This year’s national kick-off event will be hosted by the Missouri Department of Transportation on Route 141 where a relocation project is underway near St. Louis to upgrade the three-lane road to a six-lane freeway. Missouri was chosen because of their level of commitment to work zone awareness. The theme chosen for this year’s awareness week is “Don’t Barrel Through Work Zones! Drive Smart to Arrive Alive”.

In 2010, there were 576 work zone fatalities that resulted from 514 fatal motor vehicle crashes, with 80% being the vehicle operators and passengers and 20% workers, pedestrians and cyclists. On the up-side, those numbers are down and have been decreasing steadily over the years. Work zone fatalities are actually decreasing at a faster rate than overall highway fatalities - proof of the national and state-level commitment to safer roads and programs like the National Work Zone Awareness Week. Let's give our support to continuing to reduce fatalities and injuries on our nation's roadways. Consider participating in awareness week at your place of business and even in your home.

So, as you drive through any of the thousands of work zones across our country today, remember to slow down - for you, for your family, for workers, for the families who could lose a parent, a child, a sibling, a friend. As we here at Accuform Signs say, "Safety is a Family Value".

 For more information about the National Work Zone Awareness Week and for more resources visit:

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm
• American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA): http://www.atssa.com/NewsPR/NationalWorkZoneAwarenessWeek.aspx

 For information on national regulations and policies governing work zone safety, visit: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/policy.htm

Work Zone Fatalities Charts Source: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and US DOT Federal Highway Administration

Two years ago, when it was “in”, everyone considered and called themselves a social media guru. You didn’t really have to be an innovator, just an early adopter, and you could write and teach others what you were stumbling through. These days, it’s just not that cool to call yourself that – you have to let others call you that for it to carry any weight, then blush, and then act all humble and say things like, “Oh, you’re too kind.”

It’s not a title that many have given to me (unless they’re poking fun) because in the circles I run in, they're not as interested in social media as I am, or the next cool tool, or my social media strategy, or how many followers, friends, listeners, viewers Accuform touches. Heck, most of the people I know personally don’t usually read my content simply because when you’re in B2B, you're typically not relevant to their purchasing decisions. So if you’re like me, a marketer who manages a social media strategy or campaign for a living, you’ve inevitably heard someone refer to you as, “The guy who plays on Facebook all day.” Which is not true, I only play on Facebook ½ an hour a day.

When I’m starting anything new, I typically search out the people who I think know what they’re doing, gauge their sincerity and try to mimic their actions. So I spent quite some time just listening and wading through all of the self-purported gurus trying to figure out who actually knew what they were doing and could help me get going through various social media platforms.

So, that being said, there are some people I do consider social media gurus. These were the people I started watching in the beginning; attending their webinars, reading their blogs, following them on different platforms, and ultimately, trying to emulate their daily activities – and even meeting them at conferences.

Christopher Penn

Not only did I get to meet @cspenn at Social Fresh East in Tampa this year, but I got to talk a little about his podcast Marketing over Coffee. He and John J. Wall do a great job each week talking about the latest in social media including tips, tricks and the newest tools out there. They’ve even got a killer LinkedIn group and they’ve incorporated questions from that space into their regular podcast. Chris blogs at Awaken Your Superhero and is currently employed as the Director of Inbound Marketing, at Whatcounts – an enterprise email marketing service that helps find email marketing ROI. I’m also reading his book Marketing White Belt – Basics for the Digital Marketer, available at Amazon for the Kindle platform. He maintains that he’s semi-cynical, but he was very forthcoming when I met him, even though I said some rather star-struck and stupid things – like, “Wow, Chris, I expected you to be taller.” To which he replied, “So did I.”

Which social media gurus do you follow?

What do the U.S. Military and the Revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012) have in common?

Uniformity requirements. Uniforms identify a soldier’s class or division and send a clear message about required protocol. Similarly, the uniformity requirements of OSHA’s Revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012) set defined expectations for Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Published in the Federal Register on March 26, 2012, the final rule aligns HCS 1910.1200 with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). One of the many changes is the move from a performance-oriented to a uniformity-oriented approach or standardized format for Safety Data Sheets (SDS), previously called Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

New Provisions

Under HCS 2012, SDS must be in a uniform format that includes at least the required section numbers*, headings and associated information. This format basically follows the ANSI standard format, which includes the following (taken from pages 449-450 of the final rule).

Section 1. Identification.
Section 2. Hazard(s) identification.
Section 3. Composition/Information on ingredients.
Section 4. First-aid measures.
Section 5. Fire-fighting measures.
Section 6. Accidental release measures.
Section 7. Handling and storage.
Section 8. Exposure controls/personal protection.
Section 9. Physical and chemical properties.
Section 10. Stability and reactivity.
Section 11. Toxicological information.
Section 12. Ecological information*
Section 13. Disposal considerations*
Section 14. Transport information*
Section 15. Regulatory information*
Section 16. Other information, including date of preparation of the last revision.
 

*Sections 12-15 are considered non-mandatory, meaning that they fall outside of OSHA’s jurisdiction and will not be enforced. However, OSHA includes them in Appendix D to 1910.1200 – Safety Data Sheets to show what sections a fully GHS-compliant SDS would have to include.

Retained Requirements

Many provisions remain the same from HCS 1994 but have been re-numbered in HCS 2012. These include the following:

• Employers must have an SDS in the workplace for each hazardous chemical used (1910.1200(g)(1),(g)(8)).
• SDS must be readily available to employers in their work areas and during their shifts (1910.1200(g)(8)).
• SDS must be in English (1910.1200(g)(2)).

For a full list of SDS requirements, refer to the Safety Data Sheets section of OSHA’s side-by-side comparison of HCS 1994 with HCS 2012.

Compliance Dates

The phase-in dates for compliance with the revised SDS requirements are as follows:

• By December 1, 2013, employers must train employees on new safety data sheets.
• By June 1, 2015, all SDSs must be in the uniform format as prescribed in HCS 2012.

In the meantime, OSHA has established a “Transition Period” where chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers may comply with either 29 CFR 1910.1200 (the final standard) or the existing HCS 1994 or both.

The information provided is for general purposes only, and not to be relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, and absolute and complete for the specific facts or circumstances. 

Did you know that family-owned businesses comprise approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500, generate half of the U.S. gross domestic product, and employ half the workforce (Gersick 2)?

Behind the brands we love (like Accuform), are real-life family dynamics. The most successful family-owned businesses are comprised of healthy, unified families, and the strongest families have made a business of developing future leaders from within. So maybe you're thinking about joining the family business. Maybe you're thinking about joining this family business.

The experience of working for a family-owned company fosters familial pride, develops a sense of purpose, and serves as the transitional medium for family leadership and values. However, even if you're not part of a family-owned company, chances are good you do business with one. So, here's some insider information...

Not Just an Employee

At first glance, working for the family business may seem like a legit way of getting a paycheck without having to do any actual work. That couldn’t be further from the truth, at least at Accuform. From the moment they enter the company, family members face several unique obstacles. They must face added pressure from family and non-family members alike. Some non-family peers will be a source of encouragement and guidance. Others may be perceivably envious, cold and critical. The truth is that even if you're smarter and work hard than most, the critics will always be there. It's a battle for respect that can only be won over time... lots of time!

Other conflicts can hit closer to home. Inter-family dynamics can be sensitive within the context of a business. Family members entering the company are exposed to aunts who are aloof, fathers who double as bosses, and siblings who can be very competitive. You thought that game of Monopoly was intense? Wait until you are competing with real money! Try walking into your dad's office and asking for a raise – that’s no walk in the park. Unconditional love is great, but that can’t be how you run your business. Rewards must be based on performance, not entitlement. A fine line must be traversed between love and business, and I’m not going to tell you it’s always easy.

The family business is not for everyone. Never say I didn't warn you! Because of the politics involved, many people never get started. Only 10% of family-owned companies make it to the third generation. Despite the challenges that face family members in the business, the advantages are well worth the perseverance needed to succeed.

It's Bigger Than You 

Working in a family business can foster pride (the good kind) in a family’s heritage. For companies that have had multiple generations in leadership, the sense of historical significance can become a meaningful aspect of an individual’s identity. Family-owned companies have a unique opportunity to build relationships within a community. Providing jobs and contributing to local charitable causes help build a family’s reputation and heritage. In the case of Accuform, we have been fortunate enough to not only provide for our own family, but to be able to have helped many other families do the same is a great honor and a privilege. We understand that with great blessings, come great responsibilities, and we have made it a point to reach out to our community in tangible, heartfelt ways. Often, in family owned companies, a culture of generosity, excellence, and integrity define significance. That's something that's bigger than any individual, and it's something for which everyone, family and non-family alike, can be very proud.

Opportunity - Not Entitlement

One of the great benefits of being part of a family owned company is the myriad of opportunities for growth and success. Birthright affords an individual an opportunity to succeed, but it is up to the individual to decide where that opportunity takes them. This standard of excellence can help an individual makes sense of their career track and allows them to better understand the steps needed to succeed. Regardless of the talent level, we believe that family members must earn the right to become leaders within the organization. It’s only natural to offer them the opportunity to succeed, but their success is ultimately determined by the effort they put forth, the skill of their work, and the attitude they bring to their job, day-in and day-out.

Safety is a Family Value

A couple weeks ago, I brought my 7-year-old son, Kamryn, into work for the afternoon. I showed him around some areas of production that he has never seen before. I explained the different products we make and how they are used in facilities all over the country. As I was describing our STOPOUT line of lockout/tagout products, I noticed his eyes light up with excitement. I told him that on the other end of that valve, or breaker, or switch, was a man with a family who needs that valve to remain “locked out” so that he doesn’t get hurt. He made the connection and suddenly it dawned on him, “Dad, it’s a good thing we make these things!” He’s right of course, that’s why we do this. At the end of the day, we want people to get home safe. Now that was a special moment, and I knew that we had some family values transaction take place.

He gets it. How about you?

A patient unexpectedly jerks, and the needle dislodges, puncturing the nurse’s finger. It was just a prick. But the patient might be HIV positive. The nurse feels his blood go cold.

This scenario is far too close to home for many healthcare professionals.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that between 600,000 and 800,000 occupational needlestick injuries occur annually, leading to serious or potentially fatal bloodborne pathogen infections.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates 5.6 million healthcare workers risk exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

In 2001, OSHA updated its Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR §1910.1030 to include the requirements for safer needle device selection as mandated by the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA). The revision established requirements for employers to identify and effectively use safer medical devices, and understand in greater detail the need for engineering controls to help eliminate worker exposure.

According to a study by The New England Journal of Medicine, sharps injuries fell by about 38% in 2001 after NSPA legislation took effect and have remained lower since then, based on information to date. Legislation has helped pave the way for safer healthcare practices, but certainly even one needlestick injury is still one too many.

Finding out more

There is a wealth of resources available to healthcare professionals, and my research barely scratches the surface. However, if you’re looking for available healthcare tools and standards information, you might find the sources below helpful.

• OSHA’s page on the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard Revision provides a summary of the revision requirements, including engineering controls, exposure control plan, documentation, and much more.
• OSHA also has a Hospital eTool page that provides information on Needlestick/Sharps Injuries.
• The International Sharps Injury Prevention Society (ISIPS) website focuses on reducing needlestick and sharps injuries around the globe. Their Sharps Injury Resources page contains helpful links for more information.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a NIOSH Alert on Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings. This document talks about the risk of needlestick injuries and transmitted bloodborne infections that healthcare professionals face.
• The CDC also has an Emergency Needlestick Information page on how to respond to a needlestick incident.
• The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN), a scholarly journal of the American Nurses Association (ANA), has a publication that discusses Needlestick and Sharps Injury Prevention.

According to the CDC/NIOSH, “The emotional impact of a needlestick injury can be severe and long lasting, even when a serious infection is not transmitted.” Preventing needlestick injuries through proper engineering controls, safe medical devices and proper handling/disposal procedures is critical to the safety of healthcare employees.

How we can help

This month, Accuform Signs released its first Prospect Catalog with a Healthcare Industry focus. The product focus includes a selection of items designed to help meet the unique needs of healthcare facilities.

If you’re in charge of safety at your location and would like to learn more about our product solutions geared toward healthcare settings, visit Accuform.com/health.

You know, people ask me continually….”how do I start a blog?”, “what is your blog about?”, “does it generate sales for you?”, “Brad, why are you so forward thinking?” And I reply, “ask Jim”, “everything”, “yes” and “I give credit to our CEO”. By the way, you can read our CEO’s blog right here.

We recently heard from someone in a high-up place that our blog is pretty good - among the best in the corporate blogging world. And when I say “our blog” I mean all 15 of us combined who blog here at Accuform Signs. Sure makes you feel good, and solidifies that we are headed down the right path with our blog. So I thought I’d try and answer some of those questions I frequently get.

So how do you get started? Start with a goal, and a plan to achieve that goal. Your goal should be simple, just like ours is. Drive people to Accuform.com. A goal of less than five words is all we have.

Don’t over think your strategy. Ours is to drive people to Accuform.com by creating unique and relevant content. And we do this by employing people from all across the company to speak about their area of subject-matter expertise. Our hope is that the Accuform Signs blog eventually becomes a source, as valuable as any other, when people hit the web in search of information related to our specific topical areas. If their need is regulatory based, we have a blog for that. If their need is high-level sales or business related, we have a blog for that. Nearly every facet of a company’s success is addressed by an area on our blog.

When you dig below our goal and strategy you will see that a lot of thought went into it. You won’t see me blogging about workplace safety regulations….let’s just be honest, I don’t have time to study and memorize an OSHA regulation (though I do recite a mean 1910.147). I leave that up to Kristen and Ashley to blog about. And, since we’re a regulatory driven business, I wanted two people talking about regulations. But I asked them to make it simple…to become a resource that people could rely on for simplified key regulatory points, minus the legal-speak we’re inundated with on a daily basis. It’s worth noting that Kristen and Ashley have their blogs read by more people than anyone else on our team (no offense to everyone else). Samantha doesn’t do so badly either.

Our blog is about telling you what we do best, and giving you actual, useable information to help you grow your business. If your business grows, so does ours. We want you to know about regulations and how to comply. We want you to have a great website. We want you to be social media and marketing savvy. We want you be great sellers (or buyers). We want you to deliver great customer service. We want you to be successful.

As a percentage of our overall marketing budget, our blog isn’t inexpensive. So, at the end of the day, it needs to elevate Accuform’s overall corporate profile. And we think it does. The more time a customer is on Accuform.com, the more likely it is they will realize the solutions we offer, and the more likely it is that they will see exactly what differentiates Accuform from a crowded field of competitors. And, you might ask, why reveal your strategy for blogging success so that your competitors can copy you? Simple. Just like everyone says they provide “world-class customer service”, reality often rules the day. You can say or try anything, but being successful at it takes a lot of hard work.

And as for “forward thinking”…that starts squarely at the top. Do I view our blog as a success? Yes. But it would not be successful had we not thought outside of the box from the beginning. Had we created a blog that talked about the latest sale price, what good deed we did for the community, what trade show we’re going to, or what the molecular composition of a material is, our blog would be dead on arrival. Instead our CEO, Wayne Johnson wanted to do something grander. He wanted a blog targeted at you…someone who could benefit from the information we provided. If you want product information? Well, that’s what a catalog is for. True leadership is a primary reason for our blog’s success.

Now, about that Exit sign you need…