Working Safely

On April 23, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the final rule requiring demolition and underground construction to follow the same requirements established by the final rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction, published in August 2010.

Previously, OSHA had separate standards for underground and demolition work involving cranes and derricks.

Now, those standards have been eliminated, and the same rules applying to other crane and derrick construction sectors are now the same for underground construction and demolition.

Common Hazards and Signage Solutions

The hazards associated with cranes and derricks in construction can range from tipping caused by unstable loads to encountering buried electrical cables. Both the operators as well as the ground workers nearby can be affected by these risks.

• For ground workers, Crane Overhead and Swing Radius signs can help remind them to stay clear and be alert that cranes and derricks are operating nearby.
• For operators, High Voltage signs and markings alerting them to stay at least 20 feet away from power lines can help them adhere to regulations and operate at a safe working distance.
• For both ground workers and operators, Crane Hand Signal wallet cards can provide immediate reminders for standard communication signals.

For More Information

If you want to learn more about cranes and derricks, associated hazards and solutions, and OSHA regulations, please visit the following:

• OSHA's web page on Crane, Derrick, and Hoist Safety
• The OSHA Construction eTool on Cranes and Derricks
• The August 2010 Final Rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction
• The OSHA news release announcing the latest ruling
• The final rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Underground Construction and Demolition

The final rule takes effect May 23, 2013.

About Accuform Signs

 Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

Are we addicted to information?

Back in January, I wrote a post called The Downside to the “Instant Everything” Culture of Our Day. Yesterday, I was out shopping and pulled out my phone only to discover that my email connection had stopped working. I found myself frustrated by the inconvenience.

Really?

Mobile devices not only go everywhere with us, but they also let us take everything with us. In doing so, they blur the boundaries between work and leisure, business and family time, common sense and safety.

Yes, common sense and safety. The words texting and driving do not belong in the same sentence, and yet, texting at the wheel is becoming a problem perhaps more pervasive than drinking and driving.

Clifford Nass is a communication professor at Stanford, and he made this observation. “We’ve got a large and growing group of people who think the slightest hint that something interesting might be going on is like catnip. They can’t ignore it.”

We have to retrain our thinking.

Some campaigns are trying to help.

AT&T encourages drivers to take their pledge to never text and drive. The company launched its “It Can Wait” campaign in 2009 and encourages customers to download their free DriveMode® app. When you are driving faster than 25 mph, this app will send an automatic reply to incoming texts to notify your friends that you are driving and won’t reply until you can safely do so. Check out the “It Can Wait” YouTube video on this campaign.

Allstate launched their X the TXT program as a national movement to stop texting and driving. The program encourages drivers to take the pledge to X the TXT and like the campaign on Facebook.

Perhaps the most recent campaign is one launched by CBS Radio’s AMP 97.1 on April 23. It’s a zombie-themed campaign called DriveAlive which asks drivers to sign an online Facebook pledge in exchange for contest giveaways.  

We have to take ownership.

Campaigns are fine, but ultimately, each of us has to make the decision …

… to leave our phone alone or turn it off when driving

… to ignore the simple notification that teases our curiosity

… to keep our eyes on the road and off our screens

Self-restraint is all that's required. But if you don’t trust yourself, try locking your phone in your trunk or glove compartment where it’s out of sight and out of mind.

We certainly can’t blame the bad choice to text and drive on a lack of information. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) keeps an updated list of Distracted Driving Laws by state on their website.  

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) offers a wealth of information, including a Distracted Driving Information Clearinghouse webpage that lists firms and organizations that are committed to consumer education and outreach.

Texting and driving... It can wait. This shouldn't just be an AT&T slogan. It should be something we tell ourselves every time we are tempted to take our eyes off the road.

About Accuform Signs

Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

Twenty-five percent of forklift-related deaths result from forklift overturns, according to OSHA. Other forklift injuries occur when:

1. Operators inadvertently drive forklifts off loading docks
2. Lifts fall between docks and unsecured trailers
3. Lift trucks strike pedestrians
4. Workers fall from elevated pallets and tines

So what are some procedures and housekeeping rules employers can implement to create a safer workplace?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an alert on Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Workers Who Operate or Work Near Forklifts. In it, NIOSH offers some suggestions for controlling this occupational hazard from several angles which include the following.

For the work environment:

• Do regular safety inspections to identify potential hazards
• Distance workstations and equipment as far away from aisles as possible, and keep aisles clear
• Enforce safe facility traffic rules, such as speed limits and stop signs
• Keep loading docks, aisles and operating surfaces well maintained

For workers on foot:

• Where possible, keep forklift traffic and foot workers separate
• Designate some aisles for foot workers or forklifts only
• Keep employee high traffic areas – such as time clocks and break rooms – off limits to forklifts
• Identify blind corners and intersections where mirrors might improve visibility
• Use horns, alarms and flashing lights to alert workers when forklifts are present

For forklift operators:

• Only operate a forklift if you are trained and licensed to do so
• Use your seatbelt if available
• If your forklift is damaged, report it immediately
• Never jump from an overturning forklift, but hold on firmly, leaning in the opposite direction of the overturn
• Always use extreme caution on ramps and inclines
• Visit NIOSH’s website for more information

More resources are also available on OSHA’s Powered Industrial Trucks page. In conjunction with the Industrial Trucking Association (ITA), OSHA has published Sample Daily Checklists for Powered Industrial Trucks to help with training and maintenance.

What are some ways your facility promotes forklift safety?

About Accuform Signs

Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

Step into most industrial facilities, and you will see signage, floor signs and even banners that alert you to the presence of forklift traffic. Additional warnings are posted for forklift operators to be on the alert for pedestrian traffic.

Why is this signage so important? Surely pedestrians will see – or at least hear – when forklifts are coming. And surely forklift drivers will know pedestrians are present, right?

Not necessarily.

OSHA has published case studies that report on fatal occupational injuries associated with forklifts. A few are listed below.

• Fatal Accident Summary Report: Struck and Crushed By a Backing Forklift…
• Press Operator Dies After Forklift Rams Scrap Bin…
• Supply Motorman Killed by Load Falling from a Forklift

Clearly, forklift operation demands safe work practices. In 29 CFR 1910.178, OSHA outlines general requirements for powered industrial trucks. Additional standards by industry group are listed in Frequently Cited OSHA Standards.

OSHA has also published a Safety and Health Information Bulletin that discusses the issue of young workers and forklift operation. Protecting Young Workers: Prohibition Against Young Workers Operating Forklifts is designed to help employers ensure a safe workplace. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees under 18 years of age are prohibited from operating forklifts in most circumstances. For more information, review the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #43 which outlines youth employment provisions.

Regardless of age, workers must be trained and certified. 29 CFR 1910.178(I)1)(i) states:

“The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation…”

The right people with the right training make the difference in busy industrial facilities where pedestrians move about and forklifts operate.

When you see forklift or pedestrian signage in your facility, pay attention. It’s there for a reason, and that reason may be you.

Next time, we’ll look into the potential hazards associated with forklifts in work environments and what employers and employees can do to help ensure a safe workplace.

About Accuform Signs

Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

It's taken a couple of years, but Accuform Signs finally hit the 500 "Like" mark for our Facebook page! I think that's something to celebrate!

On March 11th, Missy Paddock Martin Wyzykowski became our 500th lucky permanent guest, and the momentum is going strong!

We've had 12 more "Likes" in 10 days, which led me to wondering, did we reach the tipping point? Are we at critical mass?

Many "social media gurus" would argue we've only just begun, and the "Like" is not the end game, but just the beginning game.

They'd argue that 90% of "Likers" never return to the page; that there's little to no engagement; that the "WOW" factor has seemingly gone; unless you make them keep coming back for more.

What does it take to engage fans (am I allowed to still call them fans)?

Dan Zarella, The Social Media Scientist, has a great article and [Infographic] on How to Get More Likes, Comments and Shares on Facebook. Among other things, he says:

• photos rule the roost (or post)
• short posts are better than longer posts are better than medium posts
• have an opinion - don't be milk-toast
• post around 8 pm for "Likes"
• And surprisingly, on Saturday and Sunday (maybe people are more relaxed).

Others say you have to have a contest, give away coupons or run sale items. they say you have to have content that engages the reader and keeps them coming back for more.

Maybe they're right, but I say, "Do what you do, do it consistently, and you'll find your audience."

But hey, a contest may be really fun after all.

So here's the game - 1,000 "Likes" Safely.

• "Like" our page - get a chance to win $250 VISA gift card.
• Send in a photo of an Accuform safety sign where you work - get a chance to win a $250 VISA gift card.
• If you've already "Liked" our page, you're automatically entered to win. But you could increase your chances of winning by sending in a photo.
• So a "Like" and an image gives you double the chance of winning!
• "Like" our page as an individual. The winner won't be a company or corporation, nor will it be an Accuform employee or family member.

So engage. Send in a photo. We love to see our safety signs in action.

So share. The quicker we reach 1,000 "Likes" the quicker you might be $250 richer.

Keep coming back and checking on our progress.

Not getting there quick enough? Share with your friends and colleagues again.  

It's a win-win situation :) https://www.facebook.com/accuformfans

About Accuform Signs

Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

Over the years, Accuform Signs has also worked very hard on taking the concept of workers returning safely home to loved ones from the abstract to the specific and personal. We call it personalization.

Personalization heightens the awareness and visibility of facility identification products and safety signs help workers keep track of safety protocols and everyday personal protection equipment (PPE) automatically.

Accuform Signs believes that personalization programs utilizing our brands help companies go beyond compliance to a pro-active mode of active encouragement and advocacy for safe practices and safe workspaces. We understand about pride in one’s work as well as pride in one’s workplace.

Accuform has innovative products and imaginative programs that help implement specific procedures and protocols. A Really Big Sign welcomes workers and visitors and maps traffic patterns; Visual Edge signs proudly display your companies dedication to safety and its employees; A Safety Signal Scoreboard can be mounted near the plant entrance or close to a time-clock; posters hang in the lunchroom; a Custom LED-LITE™ Signal Scoreboards displays the number of days without a loss-of-time accident; a motivational banner is tied at the shipping dock.

The scoreboard shown above is situated near the receiving department at Accuform Signs. On a monthly basis, different production team members and front office employees have the opportunity to post their reasons why they work safely. It's a matter of pride for workers and a great daily reminder.

Personalized Changeable Face Magnetic Digi-Day® Scoreboards grab attention with a bright LED display, and by highlighting the specific people and the specific places affected by safe operations. Facility identification and safety signs help prevent injuries on a daily basis, and are often your last line of defense. Changing the face helps a sign not to blend in to its surroundings, which usually happens within 30 days.

Personalization is more than a concept; it’s ownership from the minute you drive toward the entrance of the site to the minute you leave. Its pride in that ownership, excitement about coming to work, doing the job right as a team and getting home safely. It’s about being a part of an industry where safety for lives of loved-ones matters. It’s about the people who build this country and the families they do it for.

Today, Accuform Signs remains a family-owned company, and the founding focus set-forth decades ago continues. Since the first safety signs rolled off of the production line, Accuform has worked hard to establish a reputation built on quality, flexibility, convenience, industry knowledge and customer service. With that reputation, Accuform Signs is now considered the leading Facility Safety Identification supplier in North America and beyond.

These are just some of the ways Accuform Signs makes it easy, with their selection of materials and color options for custom work – and their world-class customer service is there to help you through the mechanics to assure prompt delivery and accuracy. Custom orders can be for as few as one or two pieces - because safety is that important to us.

So, why change the face of a safety sign? Because to us, safety matters.

About Accuform Signs

Accuform Signs, located in Brooksville, FL, is the leading manufacturer of facility safety identification products. Founded in 1976, Accuform Signs sells products to a network of distributors throughout North America, South America and Asia. From personalized safety signs, safety tags and labels, to traffic safety and lockout/tag out products, Accuform Signs provides the products and sales support for the distributors that define the safety industry.

Here at Accuform Signs, we partner with industry-leading distributors who supply safety products that work hand in hand with our facility identification solutions.

Why is this so important? Let's discuss an example. Many of our safety distributors offer PPE (personal protective equipment) such as earmuffs and earplugs to protect workers from noise exposure, while Accuform provides the warning signage to identify and alert employees of high noise environments where PPE is required.

You can’t have one without the other.

OSHA on Hearing PPE

Noise, or unwanted sound, is a pervasive occupational health problem, a by-product of many industrial processes. According to OSHA, hazardous noise affects 30 million people each year.

Exposure to high levels of noise causes hearing loss and may cause other harmful health effects as well. The extent of damage depends primarily on the intensity of the noise and the duration of the exposure.

OSHA 29 § 1910.95 requires employers to have a hearing conservation program and provide hearing protectors to employees when noise hazards are present.

“The employer shall administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation program … whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A scale (slow response) or, equivalently, a dose of fifty percent.”

For more information, visit www.osha.gov and the page on Occupational Noise Exposure.

Through hearing conservation programs, employers provide the training and tools to help create safe workplaces. Not surprisingly, these programs include provisions for the identification of noise sources.

OSHA on Warning Signage

Everyone needs reminders. The best-trained worker may be running late and leave behind his earmuffs. The work environment may be hot and stuffy, and a worker may be tempted to remove hearing protection.

In these situations, what provides the reminder to retrieve - or the warning not to remove - hearing protection?

The answer is facility signage.

OSHA provides a Sample Hearing Conservation Program that includes “Identification of Noise Sources” as part of the plan. The sample program states:

“Equipment or areas with noise levels equal to or exceeding 85 dBA will be identified with labels or signs, which will be posted on the individual pieces of equipment (whether owned and leased) or at the entrance to noisy areas.

“The sign or label will state either “Hearing Protection Is Required While the Equipment Is Operating” or “Hearing Protection Is Required While Working in the Area” or similar wording, as appropriate.”

Noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Temporary hearing loss results from short-term exposures to noise, with normal hearing returning after period of rest. Generally, prolonged exposure to high noise levels over a period of time gradually causes permanent damage.

Together, Accuform Signs and our distributor partners provide the PPE and signage to help employers inform and protect workers - and comply with regulations.

Pictured from left to right: Jerry Poulin, AJ Van Ness, Ted Hogan, Josephine Hendrickson, Terri Iglesias, Teresa Powell, Anthony Miara, Christine Brockel, Fred Bohinski.

This blog was written by Michelle Margotta, Accuform Training Manager.

While planning our newest training presentation, I was faced with a material choice for displaying the creative participation portion of the working safely program.

I had it all planned out  - the ice-breaking game for employee motivation, the Power Point presentation and two related excerpts chosen from a great book!

I needed one more thing… a very large tree, with bare branches, and over 200 leaves! You see, this program is ‘all about’ Personal Accountability, focusing mostly on eliminating blame and working together. The background of the Power Point presentation featured branches with leaves.

 I had come up with the idea of creating an Accuform Accountabilitree...my version (sorry Webster) of a tree that would hold our pledges for working safely.

For participation in the program:

We all agree to make ONE ‘Leave it to Me’ commitment to help eliminate blame within our workforce family. After all, safety is a family value.

We commit to working together (on and off the production floor) and helping team members and the various departments understand what we need and open up the lines of communication.

We write our commitment and name onto the leaf. 

We agree to hold ourselves accountable by speaking it, writing it, and posting it where all can see.

While deciding on which of our substrates would work best, the choice was obvious! Our Wall Wrap™ graphics material fit the bill! Not only could we easily mount this onto the wall in the center of the facility, we could also very easily print 200+ leaves and cut to shape to be individually applied to the various branches.

As you can see in the photo, it was a true success. Pictured is the first group of participants, proudly standing in front of the Wall Wrap™ Accuform Accountabilitree. Our vision is to progress throughout 2013 to display over 200 commitments, one from each employee. Wall Wrap™ Graphics are a great choice for many safety and custom facility applications.

The tree might look like ‘winter’ now, but it will soon be in ‘full-bloom’.

What kind of safety programs do you have in your facility?

Last weekend, I ran into an acquaintance who was dressed as a reenactor for the Brooksville Raid. I couldn’t help but smile as she pulled a cell phone out of her dress pocket.

“That doesn’t quite go with the time period,” I remarked.

“Oh, all the reenactors have them hidden somewhere in their costumes,” she replied.

Her comment reminded me just how dependent our culture has become on technology – and not just technology, but instant access to information and really anything we need or want.

Think about it. We drive on expressways. We eat fast food. We have social media for instant updates. We can’t go anywhere without our smartphones.

Warning Signs

Don’t think you’ve fallen for the “instant everything” mindset? Ask yourself these questions:

• How many times do you check Facebook each day?
• Have you ever panicked when you get home and realize you left your cell phone at the office?
• Have you ever risked your safety – and the safety of your passengers – by talking or texting while driving?
• Do you speed? And do you rationalize it?
• Are you annoyed when you get someone’s voicemail instead of an immediate answer?

We have fast cars, become frustrated when the drive-through backs up, and can’t imagine a world without high-speed internet. (We shudder at the memory of dial-up.)

Common Casualties

There is nothing “wrong” with speed/efficiency and technology – but there is a problem when its consequence is an egocentric mentality (“It’s all about me and getting what I want now”). In the name of instant information and continuous improvement, we’ve sacrificed some things that are irreplaceable.

• Patience – It is a dying virtue. We don’t want to wait for anything or anyone.
• Safety – There is nothing remotely safe about texting and driving – and yet how often are we tempted to send a quick text while driving?
• Meaningful communication – As a communicator and writer, I cringe every time someone says, “I don’t really care what the copy says. I just look at the pictures.”
• Life is not about me – It’s really not.

Here at Accuform, our values include putting customers (others) first, promoting safety as a priority, and encouraging family values.

But these priorities shouldn’t be limited to the professional world. They should overflow into our personal lives as well.

What can you do to counterbalance the “instant everything” culture – at work and at home?

At times, keeping a keen eye on employee safety can be a challenge. As workers become more familiar with their surroundings and processes, sometimes complacency can set in and guards can be let down. The message of working safely needs to remain fresh and connected to daily work activities.

One way to keep employees focused on safety is to make a personal connection to the message. Here at Accuform Signs we’re known for our customization and personalization. Personalization for us extends to all realms. An impactful way to connect to employees and motivate them to work safely is by personalizing the message through words, concepts and images.

It is our human nature to feel as though accidents happen to others and not us, leading us to sometimes take unnecessary risks. Making that personal connection is vital to staying vigilant about working safely. It can be a message to parents that their children depend on them to make it home safely. Or perhaps photos of your employees, real people, familiar faces, coupled with a safety message, like on our personalized lockout tags, SiteTags®.

At Accuform Signs, I often hear the phrase, “Asking me to overlook a safety violation is asking me to compromise my feelings on the value of your life.” It’s made a point that we enforce safety because we care, because we want our employees to go home to their families safe each and every day. We have a culture of safety that represents caring. No one is looking over my shoulder to shout, “gotcha”. I know when I’m reminded to wear my safety glasses on the production floor that it’s out of genuine concern for my well-being.

Personalizing safety messages reinforces a caring culture. Not sure where to start? Accuform Signs’ personalization specialists can help you design a motivating message.

How to you motivate your employees to work safely every day?

The holidays have come and gone, and I find myself reminiscing about that joyful time when everyone is focused on family and the promise of the new year and new possibilities. It was refreshing; a good time to unplug, unwind, fuel the soul and especially leave my work at the office. But looking back, maybe we shouldn’t leave everything at the office.

On a productive Saturday morning a few weeks ago I decided to put up my Christmas lights. I pulled out the 12 foot folding ladder and started lining the roof with twinkling red lights. As I moved across the face of the house, I had to put the ladder half in the flower bed and half in the yard. The unleveled ground left me teetering back and forth precariously as I moved further up the rungs. As I got to the highest point of the roof, I stepped up to the highest rung of the ladder still barely reaching my hook. A vehicle in the driveway blocked me from moving the ladder into a better position, so I craned backwards and reached desperately over my head, getting a little dizzy, to get just one more light up.

In the short hour it took me to hang those lights, I broke multiple ladder safety rules and could have taken a serious fall. And that would be the end of the holiday merriment. But I'm lucky; I’m familiar with proper ladder safety; I work for a safety company; I’ve written articles on ladder regulations and helped develop products to aid in compliance and prevent accidents. Still, I failed to implement my knowledge at home. I should have taken the time to level the ladder. I should have gotten my taller ladder to reach the highest eaves. I should have had someone holding the bottom of the ladder.

When we're at home, we tend to take more risks. Perhaps we're comfortable at home and have false sense of security; perhaps we're in a hurry or lazy; perhaps we're just less focused on these things when we're away from the workplace. It’s a frightening moment when you feel dizzy at the top of a ladder. You can be sure I remembered proper ladder safety when the lights came down.

We should all start bringing work home when it comes to safety. So throughout the New Year, while building swing sets and playhouses, frying turkeys and igniting every candle in your home, (or when you bring down the lights and decorations next Christmas), please make sure to climb safely, wear eye protection and safety gloves, and read up on how to safely fry that turkey. And don’t leave candles unattended!

Safety shouldn’t just be part of our work culture but a way of life. Leave the spreadsheets and reports at work, but always bring home the workplace commitment to safety!

How will you work safely at home?

Check out these informative safety articles!

Fire Safety Tips - Part One

Fire Safety for the Holidays - Part Two

How to Properly Deep Fry a Turkey

OSHA Portable Ladder Safety

Accuform Signs Recognized for Exemplary Safety by OSHA, USF SafetyFlorida

Brooksville, FL – January 15, 2013 -- OSHA and USF SafetyFlorida officially recognize Accuform Signs as a leader in workplace safety. 

Accuform Signs, itself a supplier of workplace safety solutions, received OSHA's SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) award, which is given to private sector, small businesses with exemplary safety and health management programs. Fewer than 100 companies in Florida are SHARP-certified. 

Wayne Johnson, CEO of Accuform Signs stated that “we are extremely honored to have successfully achieved our SHARP certification. I would strongly recommend participation in the SHARP program to other businesses because the process really helped to strengthen our internal health and safety program, and it is great to receive recognition for our continued effort. As a manufacturer of safety solutions this also uniquely identifies Accuform as being serious about safety.”

Charlene Sitterly, program director of USF SafetyFlorida, says that earning a SHARP award is a badge of honor. “Businesses dedicated to workplace safety and health that earn this award work tremendously hard every day to keep their people safe. I commend Accuform Signs for its commitment to their employees’ safety and well-being.”

USF SafetyFlorida recommends employers to OSHA for a SHARP award. To qualify, an employer must request a consultation from USF Safety Florida that involves a complete hazard identification assessment and engages employees in the consultation process. The company agrees to correct hazards identified during the consultation, implement and maintain a safety and health management system that addresses OSHA’s Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines, reduce its Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate and Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate below national average, and agree to notify its state Consultation Project Office prior to making changes to working conditions or introducing new hazards into the workplace. 

To learn more about the SHARP Program, leave me a comment or call 800.237.1001.

Click here to read part 1 of Fred's account of Hurricane Sandy.

As we listened to the news on the radio and received text messages from people out of state who were able to view the pictures of the storm damage, we began to realize how badly Sandy had brutalized the coast line. Countless properties were flooded by the storm surge and devastating winds destroyed what the water hadn't.

The somewhat good start to the day was going south fast. All day, the radio news reports told of total devastation and destruction, flooding, property loss and loss of life. You listened to interviews with those affected most by the storm and their stories of loss.

It would have been nice to see what others outside of the storm area were able to see; but then perhaps, it was better to not see. From what we heard, towns  that I grew up near including Sandy Hook, Asbury Park, Seaside Heights, Pt. Pleasant, Mantoloking, Belmar, Brielle, Manasquan, Toms River, Barnegat, LBI, Atlantic City, Ocean City and Cape May, and all along the Jersey shore; every heavily populated city along the water to the north with Jersey City and Hoboken, had taken major hits and potentially would never be the same again.

Day 1 - After the storm, and with no personal issues to life, home or property, dealing with the inconvenience of no power was a non-issue in comparison to the many who had lost everything; who had no place to sleep that night and didn't know when they would; who had no place to cook something hot to eat, or put on dry clothes. Yes, the emergency services were helping out, but they were vastly over-whelmed. The downed power lines were also wreaking havoc; you couldn’t safely move after dark with no street lights and not knowing where there may be a live wire. Little by little, as the day went on, the news of help came in. Other states were coming to assist with tree crews, power crews and search and rescue teams. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, California, Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire and Texas are just a few states that I can recall hearing that had promised our Governor, Chris Christie, they'd send help. Speaking of Chris Christie, that man was a rock in all that took place. He was decisive, quick to react to problems, issues, and worked tirelessly with officials on both the state and federal levels to get his state back on the road to recovery. Hearing his voice on the radio with his "take charge manner" gave you a feeling that things, at least in New Jersey, were in good hands. As the light of that first day dimmed, there was some good news; power was being restored to some areas.

Day 2 - The more we heard on the radio, the more we knew this was going to be a long, hard effort to get all of these people and all of these places back to some degree of normalcy. Good news for us arrived at 8:10 PM; we once again had power. What a great feeling! TV and Internet service was now on our minds so we could finally see what the rest of the world was seeing, to finally see pictures of what hell Sandy had wrought, and I could hopefully get back to work. The realization that maybe this was not as great an idea as we thought came quickly. The pictures from the news broadcasts, and those on various internet news sites were unbelievable and disheartening. We were truly saddened by what we saw. It was so hard to think that all these areas that your parents took you to, and you in turn took your children, and grandchildren, now looked like this. Places remembered for certain milestones of my life would never be the same, or even cease to exist. These images of the destruction and devastation have become etched in my mind to an area I call home.

It's now about a week since Sandy struck and on a daily basis things are beginning to return to normal in most areas. For other areas, many people are still having issues. The power is still out for over 1,000,000 homes and businesses and they may be looking at 10 additional days until it's back. Finding gas to get to work or to run your generator (if you can find a gas station that has power) has become a daily game. Public transportation is returning to some areas, but many face the daily monumental task to commute any distance. Road closures due to lack of power to operate traffic signals, or those now unsafe to travel due to damage from the storm surge remain prominent. Then there are still many people that have lost everything; their homes that provided safety, heat, hot food and good memories. Their businesses, that provided not only their livelihood, but the jobs provided for many are gone. Some are still in shelters, in make shift places, or staying with family and with friends. They have the clothes on their backs and are working daily to get warm food. Our hearts and prayers go out to these people; they're struggling, and don’t really know what tomorrow will bring. I am sure, if asked, most will tell you it’s OK, at least we're still alive. I am still truly saddened by what I see.

The East Coast particularly the New Jersey shore, the entire New York metro area and the coastal areas of Connecticut will return to whatever the new normal will be for their future. This will be a long hard road to navigate because when you see the destruction and devastation that took place; when you see the mountains of debris that were homes and personal belongings; when you see the homes, businesses, schools and roads that have to be fixed or will be demolished, you know it will not happen in short time. Hard decisions will have to be made by many as to where and how to rebuild in many of these areas. These decisions may not be the most popular, but hopefully they will make the area better. It will take determination, dedication and teamwork by both the public and private sectors, and patience is not always a virtue in this region. These people, as they have always done, will do their part to make it better.

Hopefully, a storm of this magnitude will never materialize again.

Here at Accuform, we provide safety industrial product solutions that Inform, Protect and Motivate™ the workplace. Our upcoming catalog, at over 1,000 pages, will be packed full of products designed to do just that.

No one would ever question the need for employers to inform employees about hazards and take the steps to protect them; yet the element of motivation is just as important to foster a successful, productive and safe workplace.   

Motivated employees understand not only why the job needs to get done, but also why they need to do it safely.

Ah hah moments

Think back to your childhood. We all had our “epiphany” moments. For some, it was getting burned on the stove when mom’s back was turned – even though she’d warned you a hundred times not to touch the burner.

For others, maybe it was edging the lawn and getting something in your eye after not wearing safety glasses like your dad told you.

Regardless, some of us have learned the hard way that safety is not just someone being overly cautious. Safety has our best interest at heart.

Why work safely?

Sometimes, grown-ups forget the fundamentals. They think, “I’m steady on my feet; I don’t need to wear a harness,” or “There’s no reason I need to wear safety glasses on the production floor.”

Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe you won’t get hurt.

But what if you did? What is your motivation to take the precautions and work safely?

Because others are depending on you.

You probably wouldn't have to think too long before jotting down a list of people who depend on you and care about you. Your own name should also be on that list; after all, you are accountable to yourself as well.

Motivational products ultimately show employees that you care about them – not just about a sales figure. Employees must understand the reason why they should work safely, and that ultimately, it serves to promote their company’s – and their own – success.

Contact us today to learn about our facility identification solutions that not only inform and protect – but also motivate.

If you’re the administrator for a Facebook page, you understand what an Insights are, and what they can tell you and what they can’t. With metrics and ROI, as we’ve stated before, it’s all how you look at the numbers.

But let’s hit refresh and get back to the fundamentals, are remember what we’re here for – talking about, learning about, utilizing and predicting what social media was/is/and will be – and what it can do for you and your company.

See, a couple of years ago, most companies had a tough time pulling the trigger on a program without the hard and fast numbers to support the time and material needed to achieve the not so predictable goal. But social media has really dealt the hard and fast numbers a blow, because there were little to no numbers – even case studies - to go by.

I recently heard that 90% of small companies are using social media in one way or another which I find rather hard to believe because I was under the impression that just a year ago nearly 50% of companies didn’t even have a website. But I’m sure, based upon the definitions you use, those numbers work in either case. 

Funny thing is, back just a short couple of years ago, CEO’s and executive teams were forced with a tough decision to make:

• Embrace technology, web 2.0, and the social media world (as we then knew it) on a hunch or gut feeling and put money and resources towards something they weren’t sure of
• Deny it, call it a fad and naysay because there was no proof or its worthiness (a good way to avoid spending time and material on something that may never pan out)
• Or maybe wait a couple of years to see if all this Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn stuff is all that it’s cracked up to be

Now, we’ve learned to forgive those purveyors of the status-quo, who only saw the cons and were happy with ‘old’ marketing techniques; they were xenophobes not understanding what the new horizon would bring.

And those social and business conservatives, who, like the release of an iPhone, chose to wait around until the next generation came out and all the bugs were fixed – they’re forgiven too - and gently ushered forth into this era.

But those who embraced the technology and the possibilities, those who were progressive and forward-thinking  - those early adopters – they have a jump on the rest of the crowd, and hopefully have moved into the third tier, the new realm of taking the information they’re gathering through social media and making it work for their business today.

Heck, it took me several years of work in social to finally get it – to realize what social was to me and my business, and what it was ultimately useful for:  Creating!

1. Creating content
2. Creating an experience
3. Creating educated customers
4. Creating potential customers
5. Creating traffic
6. Creating leads
7. Creating sales
8. Creating loyalty

Lucky for me, my company, Accuform Signs, was already creating great products for our customers with innovative and intuitive solutions and full-line brands that inform, protect and motivate the global workforce. And we’d been building 30 years’ worth of brand loyalty before the term web 2.0 ever came into existence.

We were also creating some great marketing and literature pieces - especially our annual catalog (and this January we’ll release our biggest and best ever catalog BEC13, up almost 100 pages from last year’s BEC12 catalog) now topping the 1,000-page mark.

We were already creating a WOW experience in customer service with a Yes We Can! attitude, and bringing the personal buying experience to a whole new level.

And we were already creating a work environment that focused on safety first – with a ‘Safety is a family value’ creed that extended to all our employees and their families.

I look at it this way. The creation of the social media channels not only can, but will enhance your brand and experience, ultimately helping to create a better business model. With all areas of the company adding value by creating content and externalizing what it means to achieve a goal, create a solution, provide a service (like facility identification) and then get home safely, you’ll inherently achieve what those social media channels allow you to, an experience for existing and potential customers who keep coming back for more and then want to tell their friends where they got it.

According to Let’s Move!, the childhood obesity rate in America has tripled over the past three decades. With this increase comes more obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure and asthma.

In today’s busy world, making healthy food choices isn’t always easy. Many adults are pressed for time due to busy work schedules, school schedules, doctor's appointments, home repairs and spending quality time with your spouse. Parents are overwhelmed with parent-teacher conferences, soccer practice, ballet class and homework and can quickly become more stressful than years before. These never ending days can sometimes force us to become too busy to worry about the nutritional value of your child’s food. That quick stop at Burger King sure seems like the cheap and easy way to feed your kids lunch but, is that what we really want?

Today, children experience a very different lifestyle. Walks to and from school have been replaced by car and bus rides. Gym class and after-school sports have been cut and afternoons are now spent watching TV, playing video games and surfing the internet. Snacking between meals is more common now than years ago and those added calories are just one of the many reasons why kids today are more overweight. It’s up to us as parents, health care professionals, teachers and government officials to make sure our kids are eating healthy and getting enough exercise. I'm sure most of you have heard of "practice what you preach" before, and in this case, I encourage you to do so. Kids look up to you as an adult and like to copy everything you do. If you eat healthy and exercise regularly, your kids will want to do the same.

Accuform offers low-priced healthy snack and lunch choices in our Fresh and Tasty Café, and encourages employees to exercise regularly with an in-house fitness center, to try to ensure there health is being maintained properly. A healthy employee is just as important as a safe employee so we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure a safe environment. Our WorkHealthy™ products are used in our café to remind employees to eat right and to give them new ideas on ways to exercise.

Pre-planning your meals and bringing your lunch with you each day is a more cost effective approach for employees on a budget, since most American’s use some form of budgeting when purchasing groceries for themselves and their families. I came across a great website that offers parents and caregivers the resources they need to help make sure you can eat healthy even if you are on a budget. Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative focused on helping American’s solve the problem of childhood obesity. According to Let’s Move!, the 3 P’s of eating healthy on a budget are: PLAN, PURCHASE , & PREPARE!

Download the PDF of the 3 P’s here.

As social media manager for Accuform Signs, I use web tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn group accounts, and I’m am privy to some metrics that these platforms provide as well as most third party apps utilized to make life a little easier for social media managers.

But out of all, our content marketing (blog) account, powered by Compendium, sends us a rather comprehensive weekly report on traffic at Accuform.com, traffic types, most viewed categories, call-to-action or CTA clicks, visits, page views and average time on site.

This information can be very useful in determining what CTA’s are working, where to place them, what categories are driving the most traffic (5S, working safely, eating healthy, lockout/tagout, employee motivation) and what authors are building an audience. Compendium also lists the top referring sites and keywords for SEO purposes, and tells us what percentage of the weekly visits is actually new.

And this week it’s at 71%!

But be wary of the numbers, because the week prior, 90% of our traffic was new visitors and we had almost 100 fewer overall visits. As with everything, you can spin these stats several different ways:

1. It’s great all of these unique visitors are coming to our site
2. There weren’t many returning from the previous week
3. Visitors are clicking around (page views)
4. Average time on site seems to be right at 2 minutes

So what do these metrics tell us? Well, worse case, in our first year with a blog team we know:

1. We’re creating awareness
2. We’re driving traffic
3. We can always do better

See, benchmark numbers are exactly that – a baseline, or beginning, that can and will direct our focus for 2013. Who’s articles garnered the most comments? Who’s getting the most Facebook likes or share on LinkedIn? Is that CTA better at the top of the page or the bottom?

One thing I do know is that it’s very exciting to realize that what we’re doing is working (at least to some degree). Now, if I only knew where we go from here? Drop me comment and let me know how you took your corporate (or personal blog) to the next level.

I recently read an interesting article written by Delores Ginthner, an Associate professor for the University of Minnesota on lighting and how it affects people and the spaces around them. The article spoke about the importance of lights in a room, how it affects a person’s mood and behavior, and explains how and why lighting differs from workplace to workplace.

Although the profession of “Lighting Designer” is very rare, many have crossed-over from a variety of fields such as engineering, architecture, interior decorating and urban planning. Each design should be specific to the type of room or area that is being illuminated. For instance, a medical exam room would not have the same lighting design as a school cafeteria.

There are many factors that should be considered when it comes to lighting but the 3 most important factors are:

1. People (those that will be affected by the lighting)
2. Aesthetics (how pleasing the lighting is to the eye)
3. Technical body of knowledge (factoring in the environment around the area)

The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) has the basic body of knowledge on lighting in the IESNA handbook. It summarizes the recommended practice based on research and consensus of previously successful lighting applications. The process of lighting design has quite a few layers that need to be considered but first need to be prioritized in order for the space to be utilized effectively. Let’s use a medical exam room as an example. When prioritizing the layers, we want to make sure the room has the adequate amount of lighting to examine patients but a designer may also want to consider the medical staff’s visual comfort and glare/shadow control in the room as well. All the layers are important, but it’s up to the designer to consider the importance of each and determine which layers are most critical.

Here at Accuform Signs, we encourage our employees to exercise regularly and to seek healthier alternatives for their food choices, as well as encourage them to practice proper safety procedures daily. Why not make sure they are getting the most out of their workspace? Accuform offers the WorkHealthy line of products in addition to our popular Danger sign, to ensure that anyone can apply a healthy attitude in your office or plant. Don’t be afraid to want to be healthy as well as safe - it’s natural!

This article really opened up my eyes to see the importance of a simple light bulb. I had no idea how much planning goes into designing places like restaurants, hospitals, and schools. The lights around us affect our mood and behavior and with that said, I definitely notice the difference when I walk into buildings now. Impressions are important and a good designer can manipulate the lighting conditions to get the desired result. The next time you walk into an office or plant, try and see if you can find the desired effect the designer was looking for.

Click here to read the entire article.

When you look at today’s work environment, and the companies that are considered as “The Place To Be," you have to ask yourself “Why is that? Who decided that?"

I work for Accuform Signs. Is Accuform Signs a cool place to work? Absolutely, but not only for the temperature-controlled environment that the chosen few that are employed here enjoy on a daily basis. As cool as it is on the inside, it is as warm, friendly and caring a company you could want. That's probably one of the reasons - along with many others - that Accuform has been voted "One of the Best Places to Work" in the Tampa, Florida, area three years running. As an employee of Accuform Signs, I consider my opinion on this matter second to none. After all, I know because I work here.

It's a company that is a technologically-advanced industry leader, one that places the customer and their needs first. In today’s business world, many say that, but few do that.

It's a company that is progressive, positive, always looking for new innovative ideas, equipment and people to provide the growth necessary to serve our customers with products that promote and provide safety at a cost effective price to meet their needs.

It's a company that encourages and promotes employee personal growth, fosters the idea by example to mentor, interacts for career direction, and allows one the opportunity to work within the team for the success of all. Your limitations are only set by your own personal boundaries.

It's a company that believes in, and promotes the principal of work hard while you have fun. Enjoy your time off with family and friends; relax-recharge.

It's a company that provides a safe, clean, fun and positive work environment; a family-oriented work environment where all work as a team, have opportunities to have fun as a team, and can get involved in work/community related activities.

It's a company where the owners and management interact with all. People do care about each other. You're not just a face and a clock number. You're cared about and this has been exemplified many times over.

It's a company that promotes healthy living and lifestyles through food choices in the cafeteria, a company provided fitness room, a company sponsored smoking cessation program, employee walks at lunch time, and a very good affordable insurance plan that also encourages healthy living.

It's a company that does not stand pat on its past, but has a vision. A vision of continual growth - positive, productive growth - that will give additional employees the opportunity to come inside and know what it is to “BE Cool” the Accuform way.

The spots are few, but the opportunities endless. I am thankful. I have a front row seat.

Introducing the Changeable Magnetic Face Digi-Day® Electronic Scoreboard from Accuform Signs.
 

Keeping track of days without a lost-time incident is easy with the Digi-Day® Electronic Scoreboard. And we've just made it easier to keep your Digi-Day® noticed by employees, visitors and contractors with the new Magnetic Changeable Face Digi-Day®.
 

The Changeable Magnetic Face Digi-Day® combines the attention-getting quality of the Visual Edge™ design with the ability to change the face on a regular basis incorporating your logo, message or tagline and high-quality imagery.

You can create a safety awareness campaign (like we did) with images of employees' husbands, wives, kids, cats and dogs - even a motorcycle! Allow them to show their fellow co-workers the reasons why they work safely, then give the changeable face to them as a gift when it's time to change it out to a new one (we also carry a large selection of stock faces to choose from). By changing the culture of safety and making it personal, this keeps employees working safely. Talk about employee motivation! Change out once a month or quarter to raise awareness and give people something to talk about.
 

Set the clock, the number of days you've already worked safely, and the time you want it to change with the easy-to-use remote control. Just set it and your done! If theres a power failure, the scoreboard will keep your days in memory.

The magnetic faces can be easily rolled up for storing, not taking up much space, and you can keep up to three faces on the backboard at a time. Backboards come in four different styles including brushed metal, black or white gloss and diamond plate. They're constructed with a durable, sturdy .040" aluminum and the safety message wraps around sides for added depth and visibility. There's a brightly-lit, red LED numbers display and the board operates on 120 VAC, 60 Hz with 6-ft power cord and adapter plug end.
 

Keep track of days without a lost-time incident with style and ease with the Changeable Magnetic Face Digi-Day® Electronic Scoreboard from Accuform Signs.