SAFETYCAL NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

What’s New!

Our new Website, that’s what.   We are happy to report that our new website is up and running with ease.  A fresh new look, easier to navigate and more upcoming features on the way, make this Safetycal’s best website ever.  We hope you will log-on and sign up for our monthly emails, keep an eye out for our soon to be launched FAQ page, and send us your comments and questions.

Do you need to get started on GHS Signage?  Would you like a cost effective way to make your own signs on site? We can help.  As always, Safetycal is here to help.  Check out the new site at www.safetycal.com

Transformer Labeling

As we come to a close of another winter season,  the time of year when outages are at their highest, we need to take a look around and see where time cold have been saved.  Likely the maintenance of substations, transformers, lines (above and below ground) all will be taken into consideration.  We need to look at the system of repairs during a time when fatigue and stretched resources can all add up to a safety risk.  With every resource thin, were there any areas that could have been improved prior to the winter season?  How are the poles, the tree branches, the access around neighborhood transformers.  Was there clear space around the pad-mounts?  Were labels legible?   Was voltage marked?  Were the phase designations noted inside the boxes?  How about safety precautions?  Were your workers reminded on a continual basis to where their safety equipment?

Quality labels are a simple yet imperative  part of your program.  Having the proper information, a cleared work space and accurate notations will speed up repair time.    

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 156 people died in 2012 from exposure to high voltage.  We can all agree that one is too many.    Whatever can be done to ease the stress and improve productivity will make a difference in having a safe outage season. 

As you look around this spring/summer, notice if our markers need updating.  Add a lockout procedure to your power pole maintenance program and get those underground lines marked.

At SAFETYCAL, we have many innovative options to keep your employees safe and your consumers informed.  Give us a call today for more information, or visit us at www.safetycal.com

GHS…And there is more!

Yes, it is true!  There is much more to the new HCS rule than just the GHS changes!

Over the past year we have all been focused on the new GHS portion of the revised HCS rule.  However, there are many additional changes that need to be discussed.

Beginning next year (June 2015) there are several wording changes on the horizon for ASBESTOS, CADMIUM, LEAD and METHYLENEDIANILINE (MDA).   

In addition, there are changes to Flammable Liquid Storage limits.

Suffice it to say, SAFETYCAL is on the job!  We have solutions for all of your labeling needs.  Check into this Blog regularly for updates regarding new wording requirements.

Lockout In Four Easy Steps

*During 1982-2006, NIOSH investigated 185 fatalities related to installation, maintenance, service, or repair tasks on or near machines, equipment, processes or systems. 

We all know by now how important Lockout or Tag-Out is.  But what are the solutions? First and foremost, having a written Lockout program that ALL employees are properly trained in, is paramount.   If you are in doubt about how to put one together, contact a consulting company, search for basic program on line or call your local OSHA office for help.

Secondly, you will need to invest in some Lockout products.  Your Lockout product needs will depend on your facility, the number of employees and types of equipment that you have.  You will need to think about locks, Hasps and Lockout Tags.  You might even need to consider Lockout Point Identification or Group Lockout Boxes or a Lockout Station.  Remember an energy device must Locked Out at the energy source, and it must protect the worker.   There is a rare circumstance that actually allows for Tag-Out these days so keep that in mind when shopping.  Using durable products is a must.  Be careful of low grade Lockout Hasps that can break and Tags that easily tear.  

The rule states: 

1.       Mandate yearly Lockout/Tagout trainings. Review your program annually and update as needed.  Plan annual trainings for your crews to insure every employee remembers exactly how to remain safe in the field. 

2.     Choose your Lock Hasps.   Choosing the proper Lockout Hasp is equally important.  Low grade pot metal lockout hasps can be bent or can break.  Yes breaking a hasp is against the law, but you would be amazed at the stories we hear. More than once we’ve heard of employees ending their shift and proceeding to retrieve their locks only to find them on the ground next to a broken hasp.  NOT a safe feeling!

3.     Consider Industrial-Grade locks.  When it comes to Locks, there are three companies that are worth discussing: Master Lock, American  or Abus. These are trusted brand names that we have seen hold the test of time, Master and American are the most popular, but Abus makes a quality lock and has really started to make some headway in the market share. All of these locks can be engraved with an employee name, number, and company info. And all three have the ability to make them individual keyed or keyed alike. 

4.     Think through your Lockout Tagging.   Lockout Tags identify who is working on the machine.  There are so many kinds; LockoutTags, Lockwraps™,   with a picture, with employee ID#, first and last name, barcode, or equipment name. And there are a host of material choices as well.  Industrial facilities have some nasty gritty dirty environments and often times a paper tag really does not hold up, so be sure to take the environment into consideration when choosing your end product.    And remember, it you ARE choosing for a Tag-Out application, the tag MUST meet a 50 lb pull test.

Give us a call for many more suggestions to improve your Lockout program.  For instance, we have a great product called EZMAKE® SIGN SYSTEM that can help you stream-line your lockout point identification.  Our helpful staff is eager to help you.  Call 800-446-3525

*http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2011-156/pdfs/2011-156.pdf

SAFETYCAL PRODUCT FACTS

Did you know. . .

                * SAFETYCAL® has been in business since 1974. 

  * We specialize in OSHA compliance and difficult environments.

  * We create every product we make with careful consideration to your end uses.

  * SAFETYCAL® has the perfect solution to all of your labeling issues.

  * The new  EZMAKE® SIGN SYSTEM is ready to launch you into compliance!

  * We received our patent on The EVERCLEAR® FLAP TAG – would you like sample?

  * Coming soon….a handy way to address your Chemical Unloading Stations.  

  *Check out our Nite-Bright™ Lighted Safety Vest, it has many improvements!  

  STAY TUNED FOR MORE NEW PRODUCT & EVENT NEWS!

EMPLOYEE SAFETY TRAINING SOLUTIONS

Employee Training Identification

Tracking your employee safety training can be cumbersome, especially in a large facility. The old options of a database search are not a good use of time.   And time is money!

What is the most cost effective way while keeping track? Without a doubt….Safety Trained Hard HatDecals are your best option. From a simple “Safety Trained” to a more specific type; such as “Contractor North Mill Night Shift,”  OR "GHS TRAINED" you can easily clarify compliance at a glance.   Or color-code your Safety Trained sticker program depending on the year, the shift or the department.  What a great use of time and resources! 

So the next time you are considering a fast cost effective way to identify who has gone through your company’s annual safety training consider the following: Do your current decals stand out?  Are they  easily indefinable? Are you changing colors every year for quick identification?  Do they hold up?  

It is also important to use a quality hard hat decal that will hold up to the grueling abuse that a hard hat is subjected to. 

Choosing Safetycal for your Safety Trained or Contractor Trained Hat stickers is an excellent choice.  We put the PRO in Professional when it comes to Hat Stickers, Labels, Safety Signs and Tags.

Give us a call!