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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

GHS Label Information When it comes to labels, few are better known than the GHS labels (even if people don't always realize that is what they are called). GHS, or the Globally Harmonized System, is an international set of standards that are agreed upon to help ensure people from across many industries and around the world are all using universally recognized standards. This includes standards when it comes to the classification and labeling systems used for dangerous chemicals. The GHS labeling standards are used by regulatory agencies as well, including OSHA. While GHS is not itself a legal regulatory agency, most companies are required to follow their standards in this area because of the fact that their standards are adopted by governmental bodies. Common GHS Terms Whether reading GHS labels or making them, it is important to be aware of some terms that are commonly used. SDS - Safety data sheets are required to go along with most GHS labels. These data sheets can provide more detailed information about chemicals and other potentially hazardous materials. Class - Different types of hazards are broken up into different classes. Gasses that are under pressure would be one class. Acids could be another, just to give some examples. Hazard Groups - Hazardous materials are broken down into three groups, environmental, physical and health. Hazard Statement - Hazard statements are standardized to describe specific hazards. These statements give brief but essential pieces of information about the items being labeled. Precautionary Statement - This is a statement that provides instructions on how to avoid dangers when working with these materials. Signal Words - Signal words are DANGER and WARNING. Danger is to indicate a higher level of risk, while warning is for when there is a potential for harm but it is not quite as serious. Pictogram - Pictograms are the visual representation of specific risks. Typically they will just be a black image that is ea

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

Today construction is synonymous with progress and development and hence it is a very common sight to see a number of construction works going on in different regions around the world. Especially in cities where large numbers of sky rises are seen, a lot of activity in the area surrounding the construction site is evident. But to maintain a safety circle around such areas where constructions take place, it is important to cordon off the area so that the public is not inconvenienced by the work going on there. Moreover, in cities, the roads are usually filled with traffic and such construction sites do cause plenty of problems to the smooth movement of vehicles. This is the reason why there are stringent rules in place regarding cordoning off areas, such as construction sites that can be hazardous to the traffic as well as the public on the road. This is why warning tapes are important in construction sites as they help to maintain the precautions needed for safety and protection to the public as well as the traffic on the road. Moreover, with the right kind of messaged printed on them they can be used as a very effective barricade. A variety of safety equipment should be put in place in any constriction site irrespective of the type and size of construction it is. Some of the equipment is meant for the workers involved in the construction while some of the others are to protect the people in the vicinity of the construction site. One such tool that is of utmost importance and mandatory to any construction site is the warning tapes. These tapes also known as danger tapes help in the protection of trespassers, the people walking nearby and the traffic that passes by the site. High visibility, weather friendly and brightly colored, the warning tapes have helped to alleviate the occurrence of accidents and disasters around the construction sites to a great extent. The warning tapes are made of a variety of materials and are available in a standardized set of colors.

Safety managers know that everyone seems to have their own thoughts about workplace safety. In most cases, everyone seems to think that their opinion on the subject is a fact that everyone should follow. Whether it is the executive that thinks that workplace safety is largely a waste of money, or the front line employee who thinks that their experience means they don't need to wear the proper safety gear, it can be difficult to overcome people's ideas. David Castella, a marketing associate at ProcessMAP Corporation looks at all these myths in the industry in a blog post. In it, he asks for input about which ones but safety professionals the most, and which ones make their jobs most difficult. Common Workplace Safety Myths In the blog post, Mr. Castella touches on a number of myths that can lead to a loss of safety in the workplace. Some of the key myths he covered include: Workplace Safety Isn't Worth the Time - Many people in both management positions and front line employees think that safety is a waste of time. Helping to show them why this is a myth is one of the most difficult parts of a workplace safety manager's job. Slip & Falls Can't be Stopped - People often think of slip and fall accidents as events that can be reduced in frequency, but not eliminated. While it is certainly a hard task to eliminate them, that should always be the goal in every workplace. There is no such thing as a Perfectly Safe Workplace - This one is similar to the previous myth. When people state that it is impossible to have a perfectly safe workplace, it is essentially giving up. When you have a goal of perfection, you'll always be striving to make improvements. It is well worth your time to read through the blog post as he brings up a number of important points, and provides evidence to debunk these and other myths. When Mr. Castella posted this post to the Safety, Health, Environmental, Risk and Community Management group on LinkedIn, it generated some very in

Many entrepreneurs are hard-pressed for time. For this reason, it is important to set a calendar with your appointments and important tasks. It doesn't take much for you to get behind or miss something that is important.

The first step to mastering a no-makeup look is to change your inner perception of yourself, to accept the way you look, and to show yourself love and appreciation. If you think you are beautiful just the way you are, and accept yourself unconditionally, everyone else will see you and feel the same way about you as you do. And that is when these tricks come in handy, to help you achieve that makeup-free, gorgeous look. Take care of your body to take care of your skin. Eat healthy for glowing skin First things first, you should alter your eating habits and stick to a nutritious diet to achieve healthy skin. Add more fruits and veggies to your meals and include foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (such as flax seeds, walnuts, fish, sweet potatoes, etc.) and high in protein (eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans, chicken, etc.) Drink more water Hydration is very important for the look of your skin and your health in general. If you drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day, it will help you flush out toxin from your body, and as a result, you will have blooming skin, plus you will feel better. Try to carry a bottle of water with you all the time to remind yourself to drink more water throughout the day. Also, a good way to stay hydrated and flush out the toxins is to add cucumbers, lemons, zucchini, mint leaves, etc. and make detox water. Be more active Taking up a sport is essential for your physical and mental health. Exercising benefits your skin because it helps your body get rid of toxins through sweat; it improves your blood circulation, increases the amount of oxygen, and provides a boost of endorphins that all affect your skin. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate Exfoliation is the key to radiant skin, and it should be a vital part of your skincare routine. Give your skin a helping hand to get rid of the dead cells and renew itself with regular exfoliation (twice a week is perfect) because the excess of dead cells can lead to clogged pores, acne, and pimples. Aft

Going on outdoor adventures with your pet is an outstanding joy. But it is important to make sure they are safe during these adventures. Choosing a trustworthy and secure dog belt is one of the most important steps in keeping your dog safe while engaging in outdoor activities. We'll walk you through all the important considerations when choosing the ideal dog belt for your four-legged companion in this comprehensive guide, making sure that every step of the way is safe and enjoyable.

A stroke, also referred to as a "cerebrovascular accident", is a type of brain attack. When a stroke occurs, the blood flow to the brain is interrupted. A stroke is a medical emergency as it can cause brain damage and even death. In India, the stroke rate is high, and it has been noted to be the fourth leading cause of death in the country [1]. Strokes have also been noted to be the fifth leading cause of disability in the country [1]. This makes it important to understand the symptoms and cause of a stroke, so that quick action can be taken during this medical emergency. The recognisable and visible symptoms of a stroke include - A sudden loss of balance and movement. One or both sides of the face begin to droop. Sudden changes in one or both eyes. Speech becomes slurry. Being urgently taken to the hospital and getting medical attention is very important in case someone is having a stroke. In case you notice any of these symptoms in your loved one, call an emergency ambulance service by dialling 108. You can also call MedCab's fast private ambulance service at 18008-908-208. What Causes a Stroke? There are two types of strokes. Ischemic strokes occur due to a blood clot in one of the blood vessels connected to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when there is a rupture in one of the blood vessels of the brain. The causes for Ischemic strokes can include heart problems, blocked arteries, high BP, and diabetes. The causes for Hemorrhagic Strokes can include uncontrolled high BP, aneurysm, and brain tumours. There are several risk factors that can make one vulnerable to a stroke - Heart disease - Irregular heartbeats and other forms of heart conditions can make one vulnerable to a stroke and even cause death. High BP- Any blood pressure over 140/90 is considered high and causes damage to the arteries that supply blood to one's brain. Smoking - The risk for an ischemic stroke increases significantly as a result of smoking. Prev

Industrial Design and its Importance

The quality or the lack thereof can be a huge contributing factor to a fractured and sluggish digital journey where ROI is hard to achieve and results come in short supply. The quality of data has a direct impact on the ability of the enterprise to be aware of relevant events, its reaction time, the decision time and its action time. A clear and concerted effort is required to measure and improve the data quality to drive better decisions and actions. Common Quality Issues The following are the most common quality issues Comprehensiveness Comprehensiveness quality issues refer to key attributes or data points missing from the data collected by the enterprise. This can occur when the data producing systems or the data delivery networks have glitches or malfunction or are incorrectly configured to miss entire rows of data or attributes of the data. Integrity Integrity quality issues refer to the corruption of the values of key attributes to contain unidentifiable or unreadable data. When key attributes are empty or null when they are by design, not allowed to be empty/null or when an attribute contains a value that does not meet the specifications of the type of the attribute for example, a string column contains an integer or a timestamp column contains a string not parse-able into a timestamp. Integrity of data is important before data can be included in the data set to drive analysis, decisions and actions. Sampling Sampling quality issues refer to the inclusion or exclusion of a certain percentage of the records in a data set with the assumption that the remainder records are good, representative sample of the original data set. Bad or inaccurate sampling can lead to a distorted view of reality and that can lead to bad decisions. In addition, sampling itself can make the data set inappropriate for certain types of analysis that require the entire dat set to be utilized for training. Filtering An upstream filtering scheme can end up removing too many or

One of the key milestones on the Digital Journey starting with a Digital Strategy, Digital Transformation and then sustaining on Digital Innovation is the point where the enterprise reaches a point of data maturity powered by a single, organization wide, consistent version of the truth including the state of the customers and the state of the business and the state of the employees. This point is critical as it becomes the launchpad for several, forward looking initiatives including Artificial Intelligence, ChatBots, Blockchain etc. "Complete" A Complete version of the truth ensures that the following criteria is met: Entity Pivot The key entities that need to be tracked to generate a complete, comprehensive version of the truth are the following Employee Employees, regardless of customer facing or not, need to be understood including where they excel vs. struggle and where their struggle impact the customer experience. Key information about employees that should be tracked is what the employees are working on, how productive they are and how often they introduce delay and errors in business processes. Business Business visibility requires that the enterprise be able to track key metrics such as customer lifetime value, customer attribution, customer acquisition cost and customer satisfaction. In addition, the stage of the customer ranging from prospect to commit to paying customer to abandoned needs to be tracked. In addition, the customer's quality of service and experience needs to be tracked and understood. Customer The most critical of the three is the understanding of the customer. Customer KPIs have a direct impact on and are completely impacted by the Business and Employee KPIs. It is extremely important to understand how customers are searching for, discovering, learning, understanding, using and continuing to use the product and services delivered by the enterprise. In addition, it is important to understand what capabilities drive what kin

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It happens to all of us in every day life, from time to time uneven ground, slippery surfaces, or a momentary distraction can send us tumbling. In most cases, we're lucky to walk away relatively unscathed, but slips, trips, and falls can also cause major injuries and complications. This is especially true in the workplace, where heavy equipment, moving vehicles, and other factors can be involved. Let's take a look at some effective methods you can improve your efforts to prevent these common injuries. Why You Should Care While slips and falls can be serious, we witness minor tumbles more often, desensitizing us to the potential for injury, death, and work loss days as a result. To counter this perception, however, the U.S. Department of Labor put out some startling statistics: According to reports filed, slips, trips, and falls are second only to motor vehicle incidents in accidental deaths every single year. Furthermore, one quarter of all injury claims filed in a year will come from slips and falls, and the estimated work days lost per year to related injuries number nearly 100 million in the U.S. alone - accounting for over 60% of all work days lost. Clearly, there are improvements to be made, and a large cumulative consequence when they are not. Decreasing Trip, Slip, and Fall Frequency caution-wet-floor-signMinimize slippery areas: Depending on the type of business you're in, the areas that become greasy or slippery in your workplace, and the root causes behind them, are going to be different. In a restaurant kitchen or food-related establishment, kitchen floors may become slippery with water or greasy from food scraps. In a production facility, a material spill might leave a floor dangerously slick. In a supply yard, sawdust, dust, or machine grease and grime might account for your most dangerous slipping hazards. While slippery areas are sometimes unavoidable, the length of time areas are slippery can be controlled and minimized. Make it employee pr

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

Safety - An Issue worth Taking Seriously! Safety is of great importance no matter if it is for the work place or home. If we are talking about home, we might discuss how kids who are messing around the house and playing games could be exposing themselves to dangers, resulting in injury or in worst case scenario, even accidental death. However, there are many safety products available in the market specifically designed to prevent injury in and around the home. It is in this frame of mind that we will occasionally be introducing some safety products for home use, in order to help parents and their children avoid any accidents, where possible. two workers discussing safety planAs well, when it comes to workplace safety measures, ignorance or lack of proper safety measures, can also lead to considerable financial loss for a company, or even the greatest of losses - someone's life. It is therefore very important that an employer take great care in installing and using safety measures, which includes proper safety training, materials, supplies or products. While there is no denying of the fact that it can be difficult for an employer to fully provide adequate safety products and measures to prevent any mishap, it is a task that must be accomplished. The task of safety management may prove even more complex for a team leader who must engage in managing safety at a construction site or workplace, as seen in this set of videos from OSHA. For those of you who have not yet researched the market, there is a huge range of safety supplies available for you to choose from. It pays to shop and compare, but even then, just when you think that you found the right solution, someone else comes up with a product even better and more efficient. That is why we have created this blog and review site. We hope that with our help as safety product experts we can help you or your firm to select the proper, most helpful safety supplies. You can find solutions and insight by reading ou

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

One of the most common injuries plaguing nearly any industrial business is the eye injury. The human eye is susceptible to damage from a variety of different sources, however, most eye injuries stem from exposure to chemicals, paints, solvents, allergens, sawdust, laboratory materials, etc. However, it is important to remember that nearly ninety percent of all eye injuries are preventable when proper procedures are followed and adequate eye protection is used. The right type of goggles, depending upon the job, can protect the eyes from coming into contact with nearly any eye irritating contaminant. Nonetheless, eye injuries still seem to occur and businesses need to be ready and prepared just in case an eye injury does happen. One of the best ways to provide immediate support to an injured eye is to utilize the help of an eyewash station. Guidelines for Eyewash Stations When it comes to the safety standards related to primary eyewash stations, OSHA sets the overall requirements. However, it is ANSI (American National Standards Institute) that is the entity who provides the necessary guidelines that employers must follow regarding the design, type, performance, location, and details specific to any eyewash station. Even though the ANSI z358.1-2009 covers the guidelines for all types of eyewash equipment such as emergency showers, eyewash stations, face washes, and combination units, we are going to focus on guidelines related to eyewash stations. Tips for Compliance with ANSI's Eyewash Standard Every Second Counts! - When an eye injury occurs every second really does count. An eye injury can go from bad to catastrophic in mere seconds if the eye is not properly flushed. ANSI mandates that all eyewash be located just a short 10 second walk from any eye hazard. The path to the eyewash station must well lit and remain clear and free of debris. The eyewash station must also be properly identified with an eyewash station sign. Yes, the Water Does Matter - there

Your facility probably has many written safety procedures-hazard communication or emergency response, for example-but do you have a comprehensive health and safety management system (HSMS)? OSHA mandates many kinds of safety plans, but there is no federal mandate regarding a health and safety system that covers all other safety plans (though some states do require one). This system governs how safety works in your facility and gets everyone involved. If OSHA doesn't require an HSMS system in your state, then why bother implementing one? While a safety system does require a lot of work, the benefits are numerous. Not only will employee morale improve, the number and severity of injuries will be reduced and production may actually increase. Safety, it turns out, is good for business. OSHA also recognizes businesses that have used effective HSMS to achieve lower-than-average injury and illness rates through their Voluntary Protection Programs. Data suggests companies that have developed these kinds of safety systems have seen positive results. According to OSHA: "Companies in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, VPP, all of whom have implemented comprehensive safety and health management systems, experience lost workday incidence rates that are 60% to 80% lower than their industry counterparts. They also experience reduced absenteeism and turnover, improved productivity, and lower Workers' Compensation costs. Safety and health management works and adds to the company's bottom line profits." Getting a health and safety system started at your workplace takes a lot of legwork, so let's take a look at how to begin and how to get everyone from management to employees on the work floor involved. Management Leadership Business-Meeting-1 For a health and safety system to be effective, it can't just be left entirely up to a safety manager. Management needs to set the tone for the program and demonstrate their commitment to it by providing necessary polic

The GHS and You - 5 Big Changes April 10, 2014 by Tony Ferraro If your workplace handles chemicals, particularly as the initial producer or as a distributor to clients, it's time to familiarize yourself with the global harmonization system (GHS) of classification and labeling chemicals, or the GHS, for short. What is the GHS? The GHS, first proposed to the United Nations in 1992, is an attempt at bringing some uniformity to the chemical labeling procedures of the developed world. Member nations, based upon their own time-frames, signed on to promise to convert to the GHS method of labeling chemical substances by a certain date. The idea was and still remains to make international business and production easier by having chemical labeling procedures that wouldn't slow down import and export, and would be easy for everyone involved to understand. This also greatly reduces transport costs as materials aren't having to be re-labeled or re-inspected as they cross borders. Last, but certainly not least, the GHS protects workers by ensuring the risks of handling any given material are clearly stated in an easy to understand manner from the beginning. According the UN's publishing of a GHS guide, the following are succinct statements of the GHS' most important goals: Defining health, physical and environmental hazards of chemicals: Creating classification processes that use available data on chemicals for comparison with the defined hazard criteria; and Communicating hazard information, as well as protective measures, on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). OSHA.gov - GHS What does this mean for me? In the United States, the time-frame for adoption is staggered over several stages. On March 2012, the final rule for how workplaces should adopt their policies was published, and employees were required to be trained on these new procedures by December 1, 2013. Interestingly enough, the adoption of the standard by product manufacturers is not required until Ju