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Tips & Tricks for Efficiently Tracking Lean Projects Recently, we wrote about a couple of problems facing many Lean practitioners. These were problems that hindered their learning process and often caused overconfidence. Amongst the advice to help combat these problems arose the need for detailed tracking and note taking with regards to practice and progress. Being able to accurately track not only the effects but also the process of a Lean project is critical to ongoing success, and is a key to stimulating growth amongst not only the receiving end of your project objectives, but also amongst the employees and Lean practitioners themselves. To start off, let's take a look at the current state of Lean project tracking for many Lean practitioners. A recent LinkedIn discussion posed the very question of project tracking, and sought to understand a few different distinct metrics. In addition to measuring the effectiveness of any program when it comes to completion, tracking can also be about measuring the scope of your projects, so that you can accurately project what the effects will be before you actually reach the stage at which you expect them. Part of this "scope" involves tracking exactly who is involved with your project, who is affected, and how they are progressing in their respective tasks. Where we are now First of all, it's important to evaluate the current methods that are prevalent in Lean record keeping. The LinkedIn discussion starter, self-identified as Ian R., mentions in his opening post that, when he last posed the question about a year ago, the consensus was that most practitioners were simply using excel spreadsheets for their tracking needs. While there's nothing wrong with relying on Excel for the basics, other users were quick to offer up some slicker alternatives, signaling a sharp (and welcomed, in our book) departure from some of the more basic methods. Unsurprisingly, there exist several specialist software applications whose n

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is a government body tasked with regulating safety for workers, primarily in physical labor occupations, across the United States. They set the rules for transporting materials and chemicals, operating machinery, and other such guidelines to keep workers safe and to give them a voice when conditions might not otherwise be up to par. OSHA is your friend as a business owner, but there are certain situations in which interaction with OSHA can be a bit nerve-wracking for a company's management. OSHA Investigations OSHA investigations usually stem from serious injuries, fatalities, and large-scale catastrophes that occur in the workplace. Especially in the case of fatalities, OSHA is there for both the worker and for the company. For the employee and their family, and by extension the safety of other employees, OSHA will look into the circumstances surrounding the death or injury and determine if the company or its policies were fully or partially to blame for the incident. On the other hand, as long as you have adhered to OSHA guidelines, the investigation can help protect you from legal action if it is concluded that your company was not at fault. Re-opening OSHA Safety Sign Guide A Guide to OSHA Safety Signs This Guide to OSHA Safety Signs walks you through the recent updates to OSHA and ANSI sign requirements. You'll learn the required components of OSHA safety signs, including tips for formatting and posting your signs. Get Free OSHA Safety Sign Guide However, OSHA does have the right to re-open an investigation, even if it had previously reached a conclusion and closed it. This can be a bit worrying for management who have already been told that they were in the clear. However, the re-opened investigation must be concluded within six months of the original incident, so there is a fairly small statute of limitations on this re-opening period. For example, in June of 2013, a veteran mechanic worki

Employers and OSHA Here we will talk about Employers and their responsibilities and rights within the parameters of OSHA.

How to increase strength and mobility safely If you've ever suffered a painful injury at work, you're not alone. Injuries occurring at the workplace are more common than you might think, and are not restricted to stuntmen and other daredevils. According to data compiled by Safe Work Australia in 2010, 40% of situations where compensation is paid out to employees involve joint pain or strains of joints. Think safety in the workplace top ten violationsExperiencing a workplace injury can be extremely frustrating, especially when your recovery period seems interminable. Many times, you might feel like you're ready to function as you did before only to come to the painful realization that you haven't quite recovered fully. Allowing sufficient time for rest and recovery is absolutely essential. Other than getting regular exercise involving lots of strengthening and stretching that can toughen the injured area without straining it, there are several rules you should observe when trying to heal. Manage your movement plan During your recovery, it is important that you not do anything that can aggravate the injury or strain the injured area. Have a doctor issue a Certificate of Capacity clearly and comprehensively detailing all tasks and movements you should be exempted from doing or that should be restricted upon your return to work. Take things slowly It can be immeasurably frustrating to not be able to do things that you were able to do with ease pre-injury. Instead of harping on what you cannot do, focus on what you can do. Remain positive and perform the tasks you can do as best you can. Seek the support of your co-workers for tasks that your injury makes difficult for you to undertake. Don't push through the pain Other than medication that has been prescribed by the doctor responsible for treating your injuries, avoid any other medication including painkillers or multi-medication. Such medication may have strong side effects, particularly in your vulnerab

Have you heard the story about the lifeguard in Florida who was fired because he saved a swimmer's life?! Mark Graban writes an interesting post on his Lean Blog about the incident. In his post Lifeguard Saves Swimmer, Gets Fired, Graban compares the shocking response to the lifeguard's laudable action to possible consequences of overly strict rules in the Lean work place: A lifeguard, Tomas Lopez, was "hastily" (and incorrectly) fired by a supervisor after saving a swimmer in distress… because the swimmer was outside of Lopez's assigned zone. Are you kidding me? The lifeguard wasn't fired due to a bad policy… he was fired because a supervisor misinterpreted (or didn't understand) a policy. That's just common sense that Lopez should have saved the swimmer. It sounds like the supervisor didn't even know the proper rules and regulations… firing Lopez because they thought he violated some rule. We can't put rules, procedures, and "standardized work" in the Lean parlance ahead of common sense and judgment. Can you image the uproar of Lopez had just sat there because saving that swimmer "wasn't my job"? We need to be careful that our standardized work, especially in healthcare settings, aren't overly restrictive or violate common sense. Maybe this lifeguard story is a good illustration of what could go wrong…

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

Adult depression has long been associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region that plays an important role in memory and response to stress. Now, the new research has linked participation in team sports to larger hippocampal volumes in children and less depression in boys ages 9 to 11.

Fire extinguisher Maintenance Fire extinguisher servicing or maintenance is required annually as per British Standard BS BS5306:Part 3:2009. This is carried out to ensure that the extinguishers are safe and will always function in the event of a fire. Independent Fire Services will always carry out maintenance to BS5306:Part 3:2017. Ensure your fire extinguishers are supplied and maintained to the highest standards by always using a third party accredited company such as Independent Fire Services Ltd which is accredited with BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment). To gain this accreditation the company had achieve ISO 9001. Our engineers must do extinguisher maintenance re-fresher training every three years and also have an external audit within the same time frame. Fire Extinguisher Supply Independent Fire Services supply extinguishers of the highest standard. All of our fire extinguishers are supplied to BS EN3 standards and are BAFE approved and carry a five year guarantee if maintained by us. The range of fire extinguishers we offer includes: . Water extinguishers . CO2 extinguishers . Foam extinguishers . Powder extinguishers . Wet chemical extinguishers . Specialty Extinguishers Fire Safety Training Current UK legislation requires employers to provide training in the actions to be taken in the event of fire. We can help you meet this requirement by providing a range of comprehensive fire training courses, that include: Basic Fire Safety Fire Safety Awareness Fire WardensMarshall Training Train The Trainer Ensure you comply with government legislation and read more about our fire training courses. Dry Riser Testing and Maintenance In buildings which have Dry Risers these must comply with British Standard BS9990:2015. The annual testing and maintenance of Dry Risers is the responsibility of the property owners or managing agents. British Standard 9990:2015 recommends that the system is visually inspect

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

At the backbone of any successful production operation is worker safety. You know it, I know it, and yet it's still talked and written about thousands of times every single day. Usually in the name of ongoing improvement, these discussions and articles namely touch on the technical aspects of safety programs: Writing procedures, keeping signage up to date and code, the maintaining and use of personal safety equipment, the elimination of hazards in the work space, the list goes on and on. However, one topic seldom touched on is attitude and mindset with regard to safety - and this extends beyond the employees themselves. In fact, as a manager, it is YOUR responsibility to first don a mindset that allows you to think openly and improve your operation with the best interests of all of those involved in mind. In this blog post, we're going to go over a few ways to keep your safety operations positive, effective, and constantly improving.

The term HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard, and is a set of standards created by OSHA. These standards are specifically applicable to five groups of employers/employees according to OSHA, but they can also be used by many other facilities looking to improve their hazardous waste safety.

VPN, i.e., Virtual Private Network, establishes a secure connection to public and private networks over the Internet. VPN helps to protect your identity and provides a secure network for accessing data. Initially, the VPN connects business networks securely over the Internet. It also allows you to access a business network from home. What is a VPN? How does it work? Why should you use it? These are some common questions that come in the mind of every person who wants to use a VPN. So, let's find out the answer to all these questions. Contents [show] How Does a VPN Work? How Does a VPN Work It is not rocket science to understand how a VPN works. We can simply learn the process of VPN by reading the following steps. Step 1: At first, you need a reliable VPN provider (ExpressVPN Recommended). Then download and install the software. Now select the preferred security settings and set up a safe connection with your desired VPN server. Step 2: After the connection is established; VPN software encrypts your data traffic on your computer and sends it to the VPN server through a secure connection. Step 3: The VPN server decrypts the encrypted data from your computer. Step 4: Your data is being sent on the Internet by the VPN server and receive a reply, which is meant for you. Step 5: This traffic is again encrypted by VPN-server and is sent back to you. Step 6: VPN software will decrypt the data on your device so you can understand and use it. Why ExpressVPN is the Best? The best thing I like about ExpressVPN is that it has a no-logging policy. Apart, from this ExpressVPN is fast, secure, and keeps your IP hidden. ExpressVPN allows you Torrenting/P2P and even works with Tor for the maximum level of privacy. It has a user-friendly interface and a great design that is easy to operate. ExpressVPN uses the government-grade encryption method as default. You can even try doing it manually. ExpressVPN is the best excellent premium VPN service to trust and work.

Project Managers or executives have huge responsibility when it comes to Project Planning. From figuring out the type of the project he/she will be undertaking to its execution, a project manager has to control everything. The role of the managers comprises of many activities and to minimize the uncertainty, we have come up with a full-fledged Project Planning Complete deck to control the risks associated with the project.

Pandemic & Natural Flu Prevention with Simple Daily Habits The current Coronavirus Pandemic sweeping the world is causing all of us to look at our daily habits. Most of the focus has been on hand sanitation, covering your mouth if you cough or sneeze, and keeping your distance from people who may be at risk of spreading the virus. However, a more prudent action to take would be to look at the daily habits you have in place which could protect you long term from being in the high risk group of most likely to suffer severe consequences from contracting a virus such as COVID-19. Rather than resort to waiting for an immunization to emerge, you could start now to adopt daily habits that support natural pandemic and flu prevention. This high risk group comprises people over the age of 60 who are immune compromised and/or have an underlying health condition that makes them more susceptible to disease and death from that disease. Unfortunately, the health of our population as a whole has been declining for many years now. Have a look at some of the statistics: From 1990 to 2013 there was a 141% increase in deaths from Heart Disease. From 1996 to 2009 there was a 145% increase n people suffering from Asthma From 1999 to 2015 there was a 150% increase in Inflammatory Bowel Disease From 1990 to 2015 there was a 250% increase in Epilepsy From 1999 to 2010 there was a 300% increase in Diabetes From 1996 to 2018 300% more births required fertility treatments. From 1991 to 2015 there were 783% more deaths from Alzheimer's Disease From 1990 to 2018 there was a 4,200% increase in Autism Common diseases are now increasing at epidemic rates, but none of this is hitting the headlines of our mainstream media! What could be causing this massive decline in our population's health, and therefore making us more vulnerable to pandemics like COVID-19 and seasonal flu viruses? Nutrient Deficiency Diseasesmineral-defiency-deseases-and nutrient deficiencyDr Wallach has been saying for man

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It's Hallow-scream guys! It's that time of the year where marketers plan their marketing campaigns keeping the seasonal effects in mind. Halloween is considered to be one of the spookiest seasons garnished with ghostly creatures and sweets to nail the season. A lot of brands crave for spooky strategies to grab a better response from the users online and generate revenue.

Web design and development is an umbrella term, unfolding a lot of job roles beneath it. You would be amazed to see that web design and development somehow related to web designers, web developers, marketers, and quality assurance engineers responsible for taking the project from initial to start smoothly!

The process to verify YouTube account is indeed a time-consuming process, but the hassle is worth the time! On YouTube, the verification process enables the users to upload videos that are longer than 15 minutes and customize the video thumbnails for your channel. YouTube Manager is responsible for managing the video content

Dog safety in winter is a high-priority responsibility of pet owners. By understanding the challenges dogs face during the winter and recognizing the role winter jackets can play in protecting them, we can ensure their comfort, safety and overall well-being. Choosing the right winter jacket, along with implementing other safety measures, will help your furry friend enjoy the winter weather to the fullest while staying warm and safe.