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Improve Organization and Efficiency with Industrial Labeling Industrial labeling is an essential activity in any facility, and for many different reasons. For example, it can help to improve safety as well as organization and even efficiency. In fact, proper labeling can benefit almost every measurable area of the facility. If you don't already have a proactive labeling policy within your facility, look at the following ten points to see why it is so important. 1. Regulatory Compliance One of the most important reasons why you need to focus on proper industrial labeling is that it is often required by organizations like OSHA. If you are using certain hazardous chemicals, for example, you will need to have the containers labeled using the proper industry standards. In addition, you must put these types of labels on any products that contain these chemicals before you ship them out. There may be other regulations where you need to have proper labeling too. Machines and pipes that use or transport hazardous items will often need to be properly labeled. Even if it is just steam that is being transported, you should likely have it clearly noted so nobody accidently burns themselves while working in the area. 2. Tracking Maintenance Tasks Many facilities will use industrial labeling to distinguish different machines or vehicles within the facility. This is much easier to use than checking the VIN or serial number each time, and it can make scheduling the maintenance of these items much easier. If you have an industrial label maker, you can print off a label that has a bar code or other easily identify mark. This can then be scanned by the maintenance team every time they change the oil or perform any other type of work. This can help them to log all the activities they have done, and even make it so all their activities are tracked through computer programs. However you decide to actually track and store the information, you will find that having each machine ta

If you are planning on purchasing an industrial-grade thermal label printer, you need to weigh several factors. Let's face it, these kind of machines are not cheap-they aren't like the flimsy ones that folks buy to make organizational labels for their home, or for scrapbooking-these are commercial level equipment, and they're designed to hold up to all the rigors of an industrial operation. Pipe Marking Labels So, with that in mind, here are the top 6 factors you should consider before you buy an industrial label maker: 1. Purpose: First off, what do you need to make heavy-duty labels for? Sure, these types of printers can make funny bumper stickers with a catchy slogan on it-but what do you REALLY need it for? Common uses for these are for making lots and lots of pipe markers, arc flash labels, and NFPA 704 "diamond" signs. They're also great for making safety slogans, caution and warning signs, 5S, lean, kaizen, and traffic marking stickers. Depending on how many you need, you might need to use it every day, or for sporadic printings throughout the year. These printers are great, because most of them can print on label tape up to 4 inches wide, and can spit labels out much quicker than those store-bought consumer ones. They can also take the heat and tougher environments of factories and warehouses. 2. Durability: Modern label makers are nearly flawless at their job. They use thermal transfer ribbons and heat seal the text or graphics from the ribbon to a compatible thermal label. This allows for a product that will last for many years before seeing much physical degradation or fading. They are water-resistant and even resist chemical wear. 3. Ease of Use: Many label makers come with their own proprietary software, but I would recommend buying a label maker that can be used with any kind of word processing software or even programs like Photoshop. This way, if you have a change in employees, move offices, or just plain lose the or

If there is one industry where FOD has had devastating effects it is the aviation industry. Anyone working in the airline industry has heard about FOD and the havoc they wreak upon the industry with losses annually running into billions. This debris can come in form of nails, fasteners, wires, loose tools and other implements. Although they may sound simple and harmless they present real hazards that can result to immense injuries and fatalities. When it comes to the aviation industry there are measures put in place to minimize or completely eradicate these FODs. There are lots of training programs to educate the staff on the impact of this debris and on how to use various FOD products to lessen the accumulation of debris. The damage There is no doubt that FOD can result into debilitating impact on an airplane engine. The plane engine is like a mammoth vacuum cleaner that sucks up everything it comes into contact with. If the engine intake is close to the ground it becomes more prone to FOD as with the large engine pieces of rocks, grass, nails, bottles, soda cans or even snow can be taken up into the engine causing huge damages to the internal systems such as the compressor and others. The result of this is a huge outlay of cash in terms of repairs or complete overhaul of the whole engine system.

The Food Industry is a vast, multifaceted group of businesses that produce, market, distribute, and consume food. Companies in the industry cover all aspects of the supply chain, from farming to packaging. The food industry also includes beverage industries, as well.

Industrial color codes To minimize workplace injuries and accidents requires the combined input of both the employer and the employees. There are tens of hazards lurking everywhere within the organization and while it is not possible to cover every angle, properly informing the relevant persons of the potential hazards can go a long way towards ensuring safety. Workplace safety is a great concern and immense regulations have been put into place and they are strictly enforced. These regulations have also ensured that the workers clearly understand their responsibilities and their rights. The employer has a huge responsibility of enforcing the set standards and ensuring safety to all. This can be achieved through a number of ways, including using industrial color codes and other appropriate marking and signs. Involving the staff Workers have a major stake in the safety of the organization and they will determine the success of any safety regulations put in place. It is hence important that they be involved right from the start and they be adequately trained to understand the purpose and meaning of each industrial color code and marking used. Sticking to simple and easily understandable colors and signs

OSHA Steps Up Chemical Safety HAZMAT Team Members Discusses Chemical Disaster Unfortunately, thousands of U.S. workers continue to get sick or die from occupational exposures to the many chemicals used in the work place each and every year. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched two new web resources that are directly aimed at reducing these figures by assisting companies with keeping their employees safe. Chemical Safety Gets A Boost The new tools from OSHA are designed to help employers in every industry sector select safer, alternative chemicals to substances they currently use, as well as adopt more protective exposure limits. We know that the most efficient way to protect workers from hazardous chemicals is by eliminating or replacing those chemicals with safer alternatives whenever possible. Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health Administration Chemical safety Both tools were announced during a brief news conference on Oct. 24 by Dr. David Michaels. The first being a toolkit for employers to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. This toolkit will walk employers step-by-step through information, methods, tools and guidance to either eliminate hazardous chemicals, or make informed substitution decisions in the workplace by finding a safer chemical, material, product or process according to OSHA's press release. The new toolkit for identifying safer chemicals can be found here. The other online tool OSHA announced is a resource; the Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits, or annotated PEL tables. This will enable employers to voluntarily adopt newer, more protective workplace exposure limits. The PELs set mandatory limits on the amount or concentration of a substance in the air to protect workers against the health effects of certain hazardous chemicals. Since 1971, when OSHA was first formed, many of their PELs ha

When people think about personal protection equipment, they typically think about hard hats, steel toed boots, and safety goggles. One of the most commonly used types of protective gear, however, is fairly normal looking protective apparel. Protective apparel from KleenGuard is used in many industries ranging from medical labs to manufacturing facilities and offers an excellent first line of defense from a wide range of different hazards that are commonly found in the workplace. Look Like Normal Work Clothing or Uniforms The apparel from KleenGuard is designed with safety first in mind, but it is also made to look and feel nice so employees will be happy to wear it. In fact, many people don't even realize that this type of apparel is a form of protective gear that is keeping them safer while at work. Depending on which apparel is chosen, these items can be buttoned up, zipped up, sealed with tape, or slipped right on to allow easy preparation at the start of a shift. Types of Protection KleenGuard makes a full lineup of protective apparel, so looking at each individual item is the best way to learn about what types of protective features it offers. The following, however, are some of the different ways that KleenGuard protective apparel help to keep those who are wearing it safe: Liquid Barrier - The material is made to stop liquids from soaking through and coming in contact with the skin. This is important when working with biological liquids (body fluids, etc.) or when working with chemicals that could cause skin irritation. Particulate Barrier - Stopping particles of materials from getting through the clothing is an important feature. Tiny particles of wood, metal, fiberglass, or other very small materials are kept away from the skin to avoid irritation or other issues. Antistatic - The material resists the buildup of static, and passes the NFPA 99 criteria for this feature. Avoiding static is important in many industries and can be a key safety featur

Lean has been helping companies streamline their production, eliminate waste, and generally improve the way things are done for many years. Initially, the concepts behind lean were primarily used only in companies and facilities that were directly involved with physical product creation, such as manufacturing plants, factory floors and things of this nature. However, over time the lean methodologies have been adapted and implemented in almost every other type of business, ranging from health care to information technology, and many more. When done properly, lean can help improve virtually any work environment to help eliminate waste, improve communication, and to help ensure that the products or services being developed are indeed something customers will be interested in. For instance, when working in an information technology environment, it is important to be able to understand how lean strategies can be implemented, and why they are so important. The following are some of the most significant reasons why lean IT strategies should be taken seriously by any company that uses technology in their business (which is almost all of them!). Lean Promotes Ownership One of the things about lean strategies in an IT environment is that virtually every task completed is owned by an individual. Even if a person does not do all the work for a particular project, he or she will be directly responsible for overseeing it. This creates a sense of ownership, which can help in a variety of ways. It will give other teams a single point of contact for obtaining updates, providing feedback, or requesting changes. This will also allow the owner of a specific project to drive the progress directly, rather than having to rely on large committees or other types of groups to receive pertinent information. It is important to note that just because one person owns a process or project does not mean that he or she can simply dictate things to other groups. Instead, that person is there to

It is the legal duty of any factory's management to make sure that it protects its employees from the dangers of arc flash. Most importantly, they need to comply with the OSHA industry standards which among other things, require that the management conducts a proper assessment of the arc flash hazards within and around the workplace. Have you heard about the arc flash analysis software? You need to consider it as you deal with the dangers of arc flash when working with high voltage equipment. Arc flash analysis is theoretically quite straightforward. It involves collection of data from the power distribution system. You also look at the dimensions of the electrical cables; the cross-section area and length. Once management has sourced this and other relevant information, they use the arc flash analysis software to conduct the short-circuit analysis of the system. The data realized is then used to get comparisons with the standards. With resultant data, the management is able to decide on the best PPE equipment for the employees. After using the arc flash analysis software, the resulting PPE requirement is in most cases too expensive. What can the management do to avoid paying the high costs? One way of doing this is upgrading the equipment to newer and more efficient versions. You may have noticed how easy it is for old circuit breakers to trip. This is simply because these breakers have low reaction times. The arc flash analysis software helps management to conduct sensitivity study, and the results of such a study might suggest an overhaul of the existing circuit breakers. You might be wondering whether arc flash analysis software is that important. In the industry setting, the primary concern for the manager should be the safety of employees. Arc faults are very dangerous and can cause burns, serious health complications and in some instances, death. It is important for the management to take arc flash analysis and warn of such hazards and so as to curb the

Make Construction Safety a Priority Everyone knows that construction sites can be very dangerous. The more you know about the types of danger you will face, however, will help you to take steps toward keeping everyone safe. Look over the following 10 safety facts and see what you can learn about how to improve the overall safety of your facility. In addition to using this information to help you to make safety improvements, you can also show these items to the workers at any site so they can be more aware. Some of these facts may surprise people, and cause them to be more aware of their surroundings. According to OSHA, "Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries." 10 Tips to Improve Construction Safety Fact #1 - Losing your Load On construction sites people use machines to lift and move all sorts of things on a regular basis. Whether it is lifting wood or metal beams, or you are digging out dirt to prepare to lay a foundation, this is an essential part of most jobs. The vast majority of times this type of activity goes very smoothly and the jobs are completed without incident. The fact is, however, that having loads come loose while in transit is actually a leading cause of injury on construction sites. You need to keep in mind that even if you don't lose the entire load, people can be severely injured from even one thing falling out of a crane or back hoe. With this in mind, people working on site need to know to stay well away from this machinery, and the machine operators need to know to avoid moving items when people are nearby. Fact #2 - Entering and Leaving Heavy Machinery Another safety issue related to working with heavy machinery is related to operators getting on and off of the rigs that they will be working on. While this is something that they of

How to Create Bumper Stickers for Your Sticker campaigns For everything from political campaigns to social causes and beyond, cars adorned with bumper stickers are a regular sight across the country. Regular stickers, even more common, are a staple of our world from a young age, and an easily recognizable object for even children. Have you ever wondered how they're made? Sure, there are many companies that print stickers and the like in bulk for a third party, but there are also countless custom sticker campaigns floating about with highly customized messaging, some of which sprang up nearly instantaneously from their creative parties. These aren't cheap, flimsy creations either, some of them are the backbones of grass roots organizations that have changed the way we think and live our lives. Whatever your idea or needs, you're reading this because you want to create your own stickers, labels, or some other similar creative piece with professionalism and reliability. Let's take a look at exactly how you might get that done. Step One - Get Your Printer Especially if you're going to be producing large quantities of whatever you're making, it will be important that you have a reliable printer that isn't going to break down on you. For this reason, I'd suggest a thermal printer. Thermal printers have relatively few moving parts compared to traditional printers. Thermal Printers 101: The primary way in which thermal printers differ from traditional inkjet type models is that they use heat to transfer or even produce text and images. There are two subtypes: thermal transfer and direct thermal. Thermal transfer printers heat an inked ribbon which is then rolled over a paper or high-graded vinyl, transferring an image. Direct thermal printers work with thermal-chromatic paper, but do not require any ink. A heating element is pressed against the paper in the pattern of the text or imagery desired, and the paper responds by changing color in those places.

The process of pipe labeling is essential to minimize hazards within an industrial work environment. Pipes may contain a variety of different substances such flammable liquids, pressurized liquids, acids, wastes, water, etc. Pipes can extend for miles within industrial work settings and even though some pipes may not contain hazardous substances, it is still imperative to identify the contents within the pipes as well as the directional flow and pressure within the pipes. What is ANSI Color Coding? ANSI or American National Standards Institute is a privately owned, non-profit organization that is involved with creating consensus standards regarding workplace safety. In order to help ensure safety and the proper labeling of pipes, ANSI along with ASME (American Society of Testing and Materials) have developed a color coding system so the contents of pipes can be quickly and easily identified. The newest version of the ANSI Color Coding guide from 2007 features the use of six colors, versus the old version which focused primarily upon the use of four colors. The related hazards and colors are as follows: Hazard Colors Fire Quenching Fluids Red Background with White Lettering Corrosive & Toxic Fluids Orange Background with Black Lettering Flammable Liquids Yellow Background with Black Lettering Combustible Liquids Brown Background with White Lettering Potable, Cooling, Boiler, Water Green Background with White Lettering Compressed Air Blue Background with White Lettering In addition to the above six color codes, ANSI has also identified four other colors that may be utilized at the discretion of the user for other fluids that do not meet the specifications of the above content colors. The other colors are as follows: User Discretion Purple Background with White Lettering User Discretion White Background with Black Lettering User Discretion Gray Background with White Lettering User Discretion Black Background with White Lettering Pipe Label Placement In addition

Transforming into a tech company has become top of mind for executives in all major industries. It is clear that modern technology will fundamentally alter what and how business is done in every domain, sector, and industry. This has led to a call to arms in every enterprise to understand how they can transform into a tech company. The Tech Company Magic Tech companies have fine-tuned the art of bring new digital products and services to the market, quickly, efficiently and effectively and understanding customer feedback to iterate and improve. This capability makes them incredibly agile and leads to faster experimentation that is cheaper and involves less risk. In turn, this enables them to bring new capabilities to the market and even if all do not succeed or get traction, a few do and that drives innovation, customer satisfaction, and growth. From the outside, tech companies appear to be massive juggernauts that are unstoppable and able to crush everything in their path. The 'Non-Tech' Technology has been leveraged in every sector and industry, however, it has almost always been treated as a means to an end, something that is required but never the real value driver for the customer. This has led to the typical organizational structure in enterprises into "Business", "Operations" and "Information Technology". The "Business" arm generates value for customers, the "Operations" team carries out the requirements of the Business team and the "Information Technology" team provides the systems (databases, network and compute) required to "keep the lights on" for the Operations and Business Teams" This structure served enterprises well in the last decades as customers did not have an alternative to directly working with the enterprise and this fortified the value supply chain and also established a hierarchy of sorts within the enterprise where the business looked down upon operations who looked down upon technology. The purpose of

Sentiment, Sentiment Analysis, Sentiment Tracking have become a hot topic with multiple 'AI' startups focussing on providing sentiment driven insights to enterprises. The number of such startups points to the potential that enterprises see in Sentiment analysis and the impact it has on how the enterprise plans, operates, executes and delivers value. Sentiment Analysis is process of extracting sentiment (emotion or feelings) captured in signals that are embedded in various types of media such as print, text, audio, video, images etc. For example, if a reporter submits a report on a particular enterprise, the sentiment embedded in the article can point to how excited, worried, upbeat or impassive they might are about the enterprise. This sentiment can be then used by the enterprise to understand the perception about the enterprise that the external market carries and whether that perception is improving, degrading or staying unchanged. This insight can be used by the enterprise to improve their go to market plans, change their PR strategy or even go deeper and change their product strategy. Sentiment Analysis Is Not New The tracking, measurement and use of Sentiment is not a new scenario. Enterprises have been leveraging the output of sentiment analysis for a long time. User surveys, focus groups, market research, customer interviews etc. are all examples of generating data to perform and track sentiment. Similarly, influencer marketing through association with influencers or events or organizations with a certain perception or sentiment associated with them is a common technique to improve the enterprise's own sentiment. Sentiment Analysis and strategizing based on the analysis is a common and required function for any enterprise. Sentiment Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), enterprises now have another technique in their kitty to understand how they are perceived in the market and how that perception i

Does your facility have pipes? If so, those pipes need labels. While pipe labeling may seem like a confusing process with many requirements, it doesn't have to be difficult. Starting with a plan will make your pipe-labeling project easier and more organized. Then once your facility's pipes are labeled, you'll see communication about pipes improve. Using visuals like labels makes communication direct and simple, and it reduces the need for asking questions about pipe contents. Before you begin marking pipes, you should understand the basics of pipe marking. Take a look at these seven things you should know before you begin the pipe-marking process. 1. Workers Need to See Pipe Labels, and So Do Emergency Personnel Labeling pipes will primarily help your workers and any maintenance personnel who may need to service pipes. Therefore, you'll want to keep this main audience in mind when you establish your pipe labeling system. It's possible you'll have additional people who enter your facility and need to know what's in your pipes, though. In an emergency situation like a fire, emergency responders may need to know which pipes contain fire-quenching liquids. If an accident involving a pipe containing chemicals occurs, an emergency response team would quickly need to know what chemicals it's dealing with. Because these additional members of the community may be reading your pipe labels, it's important to follow industry standards for pipe labeling instead of having an internal system that only your workers understand. 2. Colors Should Be Standardized Pipe Marking, Pipe Labels To make it easy for workers, emergency responders and other pertinent personnel to read and understand pipe labels, the labels should be color-coded according to the ANSI/AMSE 13.1 standard. The standard assigns six main colors for pipe contents: Yellow Background with Black Text - Flammable Fluids & Gasses Red Background with White Text - Fire-Quenching Fluids Orange

According to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), hot work accidents are among the most frequently reported accidents to that agency. Between 1990 and 2010, fires and explosions near flammable storage tanks caused by hot work accounted for more than 60 fatalities. Unfortunately, these accidents continue to take place. This past July, an explosion occurred during hot work near a storage tank at Omega Protein in Mississippi, killing one worker and injuring another. The tank contained eight inches of water and fish matter, which unknown to workers created flammable gases that led to the accident. When incidents like this happen, oftentimes the people and companies involved haven't sufficiently assessed hazards and properly isolated everything in the vicinity that could be flammable. These types of hot work accidents may not seem as obvious as other hazards associated with hot work such as UV light or welding fumes, but they can be even more deadly. The oil and gas industry often faces these hot work hazards, but so do the food production, paper and wastewater treatment industries, according to a video about the dangers of hot work made by the CSB. WHAT IS HOT WORK? OSHA defines hot work as "any work that involves burning, welding, using fire- or spark-producing tools, or that produces a source of ignition." Welding and cutting occur frequently at many industrial worksites, so it's important for workers involved in these operations to understand the potential unseen dangers associated with these tasks. Flammable gases and vapors can be present near storage tanks, fuel tanks and other confined spaces. PREVENT HOT WORK FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS In 2010, the CSB published a bulletin offering advice for how employers can prevent these types of hot work accidents. In the wake of recent accidents involving hot work and storage tanks filled with organic matter that might not seem hazardous (as was the case at Omega Protein), the organization has reemphasized the im

The pertinent use of safety stickers and labels is a must within any industrial work environment. Safety stickers and labels serve many functions, first and foremost, they help to warn or inform employees and visitors of any specific safety concerns. Additionally, they also serve as handy informational reminders from identifying the contents within certain pipes, to showing where recycling may be located, all the way to highlighting the location of a safety eye wash station. Since the need for safety stickers is so important, yet so diverse depending upon the type of business, it may be difficult to locate all the specific stickers and labels needed. One way to easily combat the rising costs of utilizing outside retailers for safety stickers is to simply make your own. Believe it or not, printing your own safety stickers is generally faster, easier, and more cost efficient. Printing Safety Stickers If you've never considered the option of printing your own safety stickers, right now is the time to start. With advances in technology, some label printers are able to efficiently print bright and colorful, commercial grade stickers and labels. One label printing product currently on the market that rivals most others in price, quality, and ease of use is the LabelTac 4 PRO. This printer has proven time and time again to produce high-quality, dependable, colorfast labels that outperform most other safety stickers available on the market, and the best part is they can be printed in-house right from your own office. The LabelTac 4 PRO is capable of creating indoor and outdoor labels that are both weather and fade resistant. Furthermore, the ease of use with the LabelTac 4 PRO is simply impressive to say the least. It is compatible with nearly any Windows-based programs including well-known products such as Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, and Excel. However, even if you don't utilize Windows-based software the LabelTac 4 PRO comes equipped with its own easy-to-use Barte

The piping in many facilities can get quite elaborate, with different pipes going in virtually every direction. The fact that each pipe is used to transport different solutions, makes it is absolutely essential that you follow pipe marking best practices in order to keep everyone safe. It is not enough to simply have the pipe labeled right at the spout or faucet, though that is certainly a good start. You also need to make sure the rest of the pipe is clearly labeled so that people who are performing maintenance or other work on them will not have any issues knowing exactly what is contained within the pipes. With that in mind, take some time to review the following 10 best practices for pipe marking, and double check to make sure your facility is up to speed. 10 Best Practices for Pipe Marking Best Practice #1 - High Quality Labels Labeling pipes is not an easy task. In most cases, these pipes are located quite high in the facility, so working on them comes with its own set of hazards. In addition, it can be time consuming and disruptive since you will need to use a ladder or lift to gain access to all the pipes. With this in mind, you always need to make sure you are labeling your pipes with the highest quality label stock possible. Vinyl labels, for example, will stick well to the pipes and can last for years. If you are labeling a pipe that carries steam or hot liquids, you will want to make sure to choose pipe marking labels that are specifically designed for high temperature. When you use the highest quality labels, you won't have to replace them again for many years, which can help keep your facility safe and running smoothly. Best Practice #2 - Standard Color Labels It is always a good idea to follow the industry established guidelines for the color of the labels you use. ANSI has a color scheme that is largely used across all industries, which effectively makes it a best practice. Even if you are not legally required to follow this set of standa

Industrial Design and its Importance

Improving Hazard Communication in the Workplace Hazard CommunicationIf you're looking for ways to improve the overall safety of your facility, one of the best places to start is with an evaluation of your current hazard communication standards. According to OSHA, hazard communication violations are the second most commonly cited violations, as of 2012. In 2012 there were 4696 citations given in this one area alone. Sadly, very little has been done to change this problem over the past several years. Understanding how your facility communicates any type of hazard, and working on ways that can be improved, is an important part of keeping everyone safe. One of the best places to start is to review the OSHA regulation on this topic, which is titled, "Hazard Communication - 1910.1200." This will give you all the requirements that you will need to follow in order to keep people safe, and avoid any citations. Key Points in Section 1910.1200 After reviewing the entire section on this topic, you will want to go back and really focus on a few key points. These are some of the areas where most of the citations were given out, and also where some of the biggest risks exist. The following key points will be great places to start when it comes to improving the way your facility handles hazard communication: 1910.1200 (b)(2) - This is the section that covers how you need to communicate hazards that apply to any chemical that exists in a way that employees could become exposed to it. This applies to both normal exposure, and exposure during a foreseeable emergency. 1910.1200(b)(3)(i) - In this section, it details the requirements a facility has concerning the labeling of chemicals that come into the facility. Specifically stating that the labels may not be removed or defaced. 1910.1200(b)(4)(iii) - This area explains in detail that employers need to provide employees with sufficient training on how to react to a potential chemical spill. This includes how to