Kleen Energy cut corners and now faces OSHA’s third highest fine ever

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

In February, 2010, an explosion at a Kleen Energy construction site in Middletown, CT, killed six workers and injured 50 others.  Three construction companies and fourteen subcontractors were cited for 371 safety violations and are now facing OSHA’s third highest fine ever: $16.6 million.

It was discovered that the company cut corners in order to capitalize on a $19 million incentive if the project was finished ahead of schedule. According to SafetyNewsAlert.com, in the weeks and months leading up to the explosion, employees were working seven-day, 84-hour weeks.

A U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation reported the explosion was most likely caused during a routine practice of cleaning gas fuel piping by using natural gas. The gas found an ignition source, presumably by sparks caused by welding and other work that was being performed nearby.

The explosion at the construction site was felt 40 miles away.

-ms

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Did you know about this OSHA regulation?

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

OSHA requires that your plan-of-action include a way to alert employees – including disabled workers, to evacuate or take action, and how to report emergencies.

Let’s break this down:

1. How do you alert employees including workers who may be hearing impaired? Try a dual Audible and Visual Signal Light that blasts a warning but also blinks brightly enough to catch everyone’s attention.

2. Evacuating and taking action is the easy part! Line your evacuation route with Exit Signs and Glow in the Dark Tape. Do not block fire extinguishers so they are easily visible. Establish a meeting place outside the building and make sure all employees know where it is and to whom to report once they get there.

3. Create an easy and fast way for employees to report emergencies. This procedure works well: in each department, identify an emergency point person and a backup.  The emergency point person is in charge of his/her department roster and ensures all employees from the department have left the building and arrived at the evacuation point. This person should also be the first point of contact for reporting emergencies.  Your emergency point person will contact the other departments to report the emergency and from that point, your company will begin to follow your emergency evacuation plan.

Follow the simple steps above to instantly comply with OSHA regulations.  Avoid fines or worse- injuries and lost time.

-ms.

Filed under: Exit, Fire, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Safety, Glow-in-the-dark, OSHA, Regulations, evacuation | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The importance of glow in the dark material

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Above are a series of photos showing a stairwells and an exit door in light and dark conditions. In each of these photos, you can clearly see the use of Emedco’s Glow-In-The-Dark Tapes and a couple Glow-In-The-Dark Signs.  The difference between the photos in the light and in the dark are striking – the Tapes are so bright, no other light is needed in the darkened stairwell.  During an evacuation, every second is crucial -by choosing products that glow in the dark, you’re making your exit routes safer for every person in your building.

Filed under: Egress, Exit, Fire, Fire Safety, Glow-in-the-dark, evacuation | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Stylish evacuation marking

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Every building is required to mark evacuation routes in case of an emergency – why not do it with style?

Emedco has a line of Interior Decor Signs that not only glow in the dark for safer evacuations, but contain braille for the visually impaired.  Basically you’re getting 3 signs in 1!

Why these signs are great:

  1. Interior Decor signs are Emedco’s upscale sign, perfect for offices or really any place that has a nicer image than the inside of  a warehouse.
  2. Adding Grade II Braille makes these signs compliant with ADA which improves the safety of the visually impaired who work or visit your building.
  3. Glo-Mor glow-in-the-dark material lights these signs up for over 6 hours and they meet 5 safe evacuation regulations.

The Glo-Mor Braille Interior Signs cannot be scratched or defaced, and they are safer in an emergency than standard non-glow signs.

Filed under: Exit, Fire, Fire Safety, NFPA, Regulations, evacuation | Leave a Comment »

Fire safety training is important at any age

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Students at Albany High School were taught how to use fire extinguishers by firefighters themselves for expert training incomparable to videos or handouts. Starting fire safety training at a young age may increase the likelihood that the lessons will become second nature. If you’re looking to train employees, students, residents or anyone else, Emedco has the products you need to have effective training sessions:

Filed under: Fire, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Safety, evacuation, training | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Start preparing now for your next evacuation

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

The 6.9 earthquake this Sunday reminded of the need for a solid evacuation plan.  I live in an area that rarely feels an earthquake (I think there was a 3.0 when I was in seventh grade) so I’m no expert on earthquake protocol.  What I can tell you about is how important it is to have a safe evacuation assembly area for your employees/residents/visitors. The earthquake in Mexico-southern California occurred on Easter Sunday saving most business from being affected from an evacuation standpoint.  However, if it happened on a weekday and employees weren’t current in their emergency training, the outcome of this earthquake could have been extremely devastating.

Developing an effective, safe evacuation plan needs to happen before the emergency.  Here are some steps to get you started:

  1. Do your due diligence: Investigate your facility – mark exit routes, block off a spot in your parking lot for your evacuation assembly area, create an evacuation policy.
  2. Update your emergency equipment and marking products: Get what you don’t have! Refer to my blogs “Create a complete exit, fire & evacuation guidance system” and “Create a safe haven with Evacuation Assembly Area products” for essential products and tips.
  3. Put Evacuation Leads in place: Choose one individual from every department to be the Evacuation Lead for that department.  This person must complete your training and be ready to lead and keep track of his/her department in an emergency situation.
  4. Train the rest of your staff: Go over your policy with all employees in the building. Ensure they know evacuation routes and correct procedure when exiting the building and entering the evacuation assembly area.
  5. Practice! Choose days for drills and enforce your evacuation policy. Go one step further and block an exit door with a “fake fire”, forcing your employees to use their knowledge of other exit routes in your facility.
  6. Debrief after each drill: Learn from problems and mistakes, adjust your policy and procedures as needed.

The goal of every evacuation plan is to get all employees to the evacuation assembly area safely and quickly.  Follow these steps to get your business on the right track.  Bad situations don’t give notice – be ready for anything!

Filed under: Egress, Exit, evacuation, training | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Mark your Truss-type construction and protect firefighters

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Trusses are fabricated components (constructed with diagonal members) made of wood and steel.  Although Truss structures are very safe and the smart choice when spanning a large open area, they collapse with less stress from a fire, thus putting firefighters in greater danger.  Marking Truss-type buildings with labels on entrances will allow firefighters to be prepared while fighting a fire in that structure. Trusses are covered by roof or floor systems so if a fire goes undetected for even a short time, these structures will be extremely damaged before help arrives.  New York State, New Jersey, Florida, Vermont and various cities across the country have developed truss codes for primarily new construction.  Other states and more cities are expected to follow suit.

Filed under: Fire, Fire Safety, Regulations, Truss | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

NFPA released new edition of NFPA 1600® available for free on nfpa.org

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

NFPA 1600® Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs

“NFPA 1600 establishes a common, high level set of criteria for disaster and emergency management and business continuity programs to develop, implement, assess, and maintain these programs. The programs address management, planning, prevention, mitigation, implementation, response, recovery, testing and improvement.”

A major difference between the 2010 version and the 2007 version is omission of one chapter: Program Elements, and the creation of new chapters: Planning, Implementation, Testing and Exercise, and Program Improvement.  The contents of 2007′s Program Elements chapter was broken down and added to these new chapters, then expanded upon.

Chapter 4 – Program Management, has been elaborated to create specific guidelines for individuals who are leaders for their company’s disaster and emergency plans. Leadership and commitment has been added to this chapter along with performance objectives, finance and administration, and records management.

Chapter 5 – Planning, includes planning process, risk assessment (carried over from the former chapter 5), business impact analysis, mitigation, and more.

Chapter 6 – Implementation, includes much of what was Chapter 5 in 2007 along with new additions: employee assistance and support, Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), training and education.

Chapter 7 – Testing and Exercises reminds Emergency Leaders that practice makes perfect when it comes to implementing an evacuation plan.

Chapter 8 – Program Improvement has been added in order to recognize that emergency plans are “working” documents. As regulations and recommendations are updated by NFPA or there are changes in personnel at your facility, your emergency policy must be updated accordingly.   This chapter also calls for reviews after each incident to reevaluate your program and learn from lessons.

2010′s 1600 seems like a more thought-out version than the 2007 1600. Please make your safety officers aware of these updated changes.  Well-practiced emergency procedures keep employees safe from injury or even death – do not take these recommendations lightly.

Source: nfpa.org

Filed under: Egress, Exit, Fire, NFPA, evacuation | 2 Comments »

What do the metric system and European pictorial Exit Signs have in common?

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Green "running man" Exit Sign

…neither will likely be used by the United States although they’re used by most of the world. In an article by Julia Turner, the US is nearly alone in its use of red-lettered Exit signs, just as we’re alone in using miles instead of kilometers.

The rest of the world uses the “running man”, a pictorial sign showing a man running through a door – in green – the international color meaning “go”, and in this case GO NOW! Tuner says, “In most places in the United States, its safe to assume people speak English…our sign systems have typically communicated in text. Europe, by contrast, developed symbolic road signs…On a continent where you can’t drive more than a few hours before encountering a new language, the pictorial approach made sense.”

The red Exit sign was developed in 1911 after a fire in a garment warehouse killed 146 workers because exit doors were bolted shut but also not clearly marked. Although the US began adopting pictograms on a smaller scale in 1974, the Exit sign remained in text. The current “running man” sign was created by a Japanese designer named Yukio Ota, whose design beat out a very similar design by a Soviet designer. Neither knew the other design was a man running through a door, meaning the rest of the world was already thinking in pictorials.

Turner interviewed a prominent member of the NFPA who says the National Fire Protection Association sees no need to change the red lettered Exit sign used in the United States. Although we may never switch from text to pictogram exclusively, some areas are requiring both signs to be posted. New York City changed its building codes for high rises in 2006 to include the “running man” on all fire doors.

Luckily for Emedco customers, we offer both the standard, familiar text Exit Sign, and the widely accepted “running man” pictogram sign. It’s my opinion that until the green “running man” is more widely accepted in the United States, you should stick to NFPA’s guidelines and place red-lettered text Exit signs in your facility. But, who knows – maybe labeling your exit doors with the green man will start the trend that gets him racing across our country.

Filed under: Exit, Fire, evacuation | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Create a complete exit, fire & evacuation guidance system

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Emedco's Safety Information Department

Exit, fire & evacuation policies are mandated by OSHA, thus necessary for every business.  Emedco helps you to create an exit, fire & evacuation system above and beyond what is expected by OSHA, giving you an edge on safety in any emergency situation. First and foremost, you must place Exit Signs above exit doors.  For a money-saving “green” option, choose Emedco’s SuperGlo signs, the safest glow-in-the-dark material on the market – it glows for 30 hours without electricity. More essential items are fire extinguishers.  Choose the extinguisher that could best extinguish a fire that may start at your facility, for example, don’t buy a fire extinguisher for oil/grease fires when you’re in an office with electrical cords and paper. Remember to mark your fire extinguishers or equipment with bold signs or labels so they will be easily found in an emergency. Other products that will help your employees evacuate the building safely are emergency lighting units, glow markers – including anti-slip glow markers, emergency procedure centers, and flashlights. Emergency lighting units light up when electricity goes out while flashlights can be placed near stairwells or emergency procedure centers. Glow markers can guide employees along your pre-determined evacuation routes and anti-slip glow markers add safety to slippery areas along the route. The main point to remember when building your emergency system is to ensure all employees are familiar with the system and have practiced it. Emedco fills in gaps in existing exit, fire & evacuation systems to make your facility as safe as possible for effective emergency planning.

Filed under: Exit, Fire, evacuation | 1 Comment »

Next Page »

  • Exit Sign

    Exit Sign

    Starting at $16.09

  • Fire Extinguisher Sign

    Fire Extinguisher Sign

    Starting at $18.29

  • Fire Extinguisher Label

    Fire Extinguisher Label

    Starting at $22.59

  • Fire Extinguisher Tags

    Fire Extinguisher Tags

    Starting at $3.80

  • Automotive Fire Extinguisher

    Automotive Fire Extinguisher

    Starting at $30.19