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Introduction to Operational Excellence For most of us, Lean is a common concept by now. By extension, we're also familiar with the idea of continuous improvement; the way we run our business should ultimately be reflective of a chain of efforts to change for the better and reach more perfect efficiency. That's all well and good, but we've seen more and more businesses shying away from simply relying on "continuous improvement" in recent years and instead throwing around the term "operational excellence." While the two terms do ultimately work in tandem, and even though there's some overlap, it's important to understand where the two differ. A good way to think about operational excellence is as the answer or endgame to your continuous improvement actions, it's a state you want to attain through your workplace improvement endeavors. Unlike continuous improvement, however, where you're simply trying to 'always get better', operational excellence has a more clearly defined point where it can be said you've reached your goals. One of the biggest criteria for operational excellence is a horizontal and vertical (so throughout all levels and teams of a company) understanding of how workflow should look and how to correct problems when something isn't flowing correctly. This creates operational excellence because employees are now able to solve their own problems without relying on specialists or management, drastically decreasing downtime and putting them into a preventative rather than a reactive mode when solving problems. Furthermore, operational excellence then frees up your management and executives to focus on advertising and brand/market expansion planning and projects. In short, operational excellence allows a company to achieve continual improvement while still having the resources to put an emphasis on bottom line and market share growth. Operational Excellence Question Posed Sounds pretty awesome, right?! We think so, but you

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.

Every time you step onto a construction site, there are countless hazards that you can come across in just a matter of seconds. That is why construction safety is not something that should be taken without serious diligence and precaution. Whether you are working on a commercial or residential site, or if you are working on a road, demolition, excavation or any other type of construction workplace, taking safety into consideration must be your first priority. Here is a comprehensive look into construction safety and why it can mean the difference between life and death if not given proper attention. Causes of Injury In 2012, 4,383 people were killed on construction sites. The math on that shows that nearly 12 deaths occur every single day around the nation. That number is incredibly high, especially when you consider the prevention that you can take to avoid death or serious injury. Of that number of people who were fatally injured in 2012, their deaths most commonly fell into one of four categories. This includes falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions, or being caught in between two objects. Falls made up for nearly 36% of all deaths, which is the most of the four categories. Second was being struck by an object, 10%, followed by electrocution and caught in between objects, 9% and 2% respectively. You will notice that that doesn't add up to quite 100%, but keep in mind that the remaining injuries that result in death are caused by other factors. But nearly 56% of all total injuries come from one of these four construction incidents. It is estimated that by being more prepared and cautious in the workplace, over 400 construction workers could prevent injury on an annual basis. While some workplace issues are still likely to occur, there is no denying that the potential of these four categories should be the first thing considered on a construction site. Importance Of Prevention The reasons that construction sites should be concerned with their safety

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

In the video below, we take a GoPro camera ride along with a tower climber as he scales to the top of a 1768 foot tall antenna. The worker slowly climbs on increasingly smaller and precarious looking ladder rungs, all while toting a 30 pound tool bag behind him, occasionally assisted by his climbing partner. The video, aptly titled "The most dangerous job in the world," is stirring up a lot of controversy, especially because it has simply shed light on a profession most people didn't even know existed. Tower climbers are often hired by cell phone companies to adjust antennas and mechanisms located at the top of their cell towers; they are often required to climb thousands of feet into the air. However, the even scarier part is that in many cases, they do not even use any sort of safety cable. In the video, a voice over remarks that OSHA regulations allow for this type of "free climbing" method. As it turns out, most experts are confused as to where the video makers got that idea, as there's nothing to be found in the OSHA guidelines that condones such procedure. In fact, to the contrary, OSHA has published findings highlighting the lethality of this particular profession and method, noting that AT&T alone has had 15 cell tower workers die from falls since data started being collected in 2003. What's even worse is that sanctions against cell companies have been nearly non-existent, and not once has OSHA gone after the larger providers, despite their high mortality rates. Part of this may be due to a loophole (indeed perhaps the very same one that the video cites as "allowing" for such a dangerous climb) that won't hold companies liable for the unsafe behavior of independent contractors if they don't have knowledge of it. In short, a contractor, knowing full well their workers will be free climbing, can simply not communicate to a cell company as such which in turn gives them plausible deniability. Why Should You Care As A Business Owner? ​No

An arc flash is a dangerous situation in which an electrical current leaves its intended path and leaps through the air from one conducting source to another, or even sometimes the ground. Many times the transfer of electrical energy resembles and arc, hence the term arc flash. However, it is important to never underestimate the power behind an arc flash. An arc flash can vaporize metals, plastics, and even flesh. Many times arc flashes cause irreversible damage and harm to people and surrounding objects. In fact, most people injured in arc flash situations often never return to the same quality of life due to severe injury stemming from heat and burns. The heat of an arc flash has been calculated to be near 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit which is four times as hot as the sun's surface! What Causes an Arc Flash? There are many possible contributors towards an arc flash, which makes it difficult to really fully stop one from occurring. Some common culprits that may add towards the probability of an arc flash include dust, condensation, corrosion, material failure, faulty construction, dropping a tool, or simply accidental touching. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Boundaries In an attempt to help protect employees and visitors from electrically charged equipment possible of creating arch flashes, certain safety boundaries have been put into place by the NFPA. The boundary resembles a target and in the middle is the energized equipment, and then there are four outer rings around the center with each ring labeled and specified for safety. The first ring, closest to the center (energized equipment) is called the prohibited approach boundary, then the next ring further out is called the restricted approach boundary, the next ring is called the limited approach boundary, and the furthest ring out from the center is called the flash protection boundary. Let's quickly describe each boundary. Prohibited Approach: Being within this boundary during an arc flash

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

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 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

so Follow below ways to make your own christmas decorations. Whether your main concern is time, labor or money, you must first decide whether your ornaments are worth refurbishing and revamping, or if it would simply be easier-and perhaps more economical-to just buy new Christmas decorations.

One of the most common misconceptions out there is the belief that technology equates innovation. Innovation is the creation of new value through a better solution for a problem that either does a better job in solving the problem or does so in a manner that the solution is accessible in a larger set of circumstances by a larger number of people. On the other hand, technology is simply the tooling that holds the promise of new solutions but by itself, is meaningless. Enterprises can become enamored by the promise and hype about technology and go down long, complex journeys, invest millions in upgrading technology and still come out empty on the other side because they built technology for technology's sake. Even in well intention boards and C-suite, industry peer pressure and hype around technologies can force action that ultimately leads to massive investments in people, software, technology, and vendors but does not yield the ROI promised by the technology. Leadership The problem can be accentuated when not enough due diligence is done on the applicability of the technology to the enterprise given the current state i.e. the point in time when the technology is being introduced, the customer's propensity to accept the technology-driven solution i.e. are the users ready to embrace, adopt, learn and utilize new solutions and burning problems that necessitate the adoption of new technology to better solve the problem. When the timing of new technology introduction is gotten wrong, it almost always fails to deliver on its promised ROI. Leaders need to rise above the hype and peer pressure and ensure that they understand, first and foremost, the burning problems that plague their customers or make the bedrock of their future strategy. Next, leaders need to ensure and validate that the technology in mind can actually be used to solve the problem through rapid prototyping and minimal investment. Once customer feedback on the prototype has been validated, then only

Ten Tips to Help You with Your Kaizen Continuous Improvement Strategy The Kaizen methodology encourages ongoing efforts to ensure continuous improvement throughout a facility. This improvement can come in many forms including waste elimination, improved efficiency, safer work environments and much more. To simply say that a facility is employing Kaizen strategies, is essentially meaningless if you don't have any concrete action items you are following. Whether you're just getting started or you are looking for ways to reinvigorate a Kaizen strategy that is not effective, the following ten tips will be very helpful. Each one can give you ideas on what you can do encourage improvement and allow that improvement to grow and expand long into the future. Tip #1 - Harness the PDCA Strategy One of the key concepts used in Kaizen is the "Plan-Do-Check-Act" strategy. This is a quality model that can be used when implementing any type of improvement in the facility. As you might expect, the PDCA strategy is a cycle of ongoing improvement that should never end. The steps are as follows: Plan - This step is where you identify an area where improvement is possible and make an initial strategy on what chance should be made to realize the desired improvements. Do - Implement the change, but only on a small scale. This may mean having one department make the change in some situations or for larger corporations, having one facility make the update. During this step it is also very important to be gathering as much data regarding the change so it can be properly evaluated. Check - Review the results of the change including the data that was collected. Looking to see if they had the desired impact or not is critical to know whether you should move forward with rolling the change out to other areas. Act - IF the data in the check step points to a success, it is time to push the change out on a wider scale. Once the change has been successfully implemented you wi

There are many areas in life in which we employ little tactics to help improve safety. For instance, we wear our seat belts to help stay safe while traveling in a vehicle and we also make sure our shoes are tied so we don't trip and fall while out and about. These safety actions are almost automatic as many people don't even have to think about doing them, they just happen out of pure habit. Not only do these little safety practices help to keep us safe, but they also add to the safety as others as well. For instance, if a person working in a warehouse is walking around with untied shoes, he or she could slip and fall and essentially bump into and take down another employee as well. Safety practices when done correctly really have an impact on almost everyone, especially in the workplace. There are many different small safety practices or items that can be done or utilized to help greatly improve the safety for everyone. It is important to remember that safety isn't always expensive. Sometimes safety is just about keeping a shoe tied, or hair pulled back. Here are some safety tips that won't break the safety bank: · Training - This one is my favorite. The truth is, we can add all the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) we want but it won't really mean much unless the employees have been properly trained about safety. Employee training should always be the first line of defense against workplace hazards. Furthermore, training is cheap and can often times be 100% handled right in house. · Add Some Gloves - It is estimated that nearly 25% of workplace injuries involve the hands and fingers. Avoid this type of injury through the utilization of proper safety gloves. Gloves are effective as they provide a barrier between the hand and harmful elements such as chemicals, high temperatures, and items which may cause cuts or lacerations. Gloves are very cost-effective and are often an easy practice to implement. · Goggles aren't just for Swimming - I

According to the Insurance Information Institute, 40% of businesses affected by a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen. When disaster strikes, consumers can only wait so long before moving on to another supplier or service provider if you are not able to get operational in time. Insurance might help to recover some of your loses, but it will do little to replace your customers. More importantly, the safety and well-being of your employees as they cope with disaster is a hefty task in itself to take on. In light of recent events, many organizations are left wondering, are they ready and prepared when disaster strikes? So just what does it mean to be ready? Investing in a preparedness program can make all the difference in the world when disaster strikes and promote an internal belief that your company is ready for disaster when it strikes. This policy should reflect the mission and values of your organization that can be implemented seamlessly throughout the company. Focal points of your preparedness program should detail specific goals including: The overall safety and protection of your employees, visitors, and any other persons that may be at your facility when a disaster occurs. Don't forget to account for persons with disabilities and special needs. Keeping customer service operations functional Protection of assets, both in the physical and electronic form Environmental protection and contamination prevention Companies image and reputation Having a team to help continue the improvement and implementation of your program is vital to its success when needed. Your team should meet regularly to continue the development and focus of the program. Each individual will have their own role and responsibilities when disaster strikes, a proper preparedness program will identify these, insuring an accountable team to help in the recovery process. How do you know what to plan for? It's impossible to predict what the next disaster will be, but accounting f

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

People today work 40+ hours per week, meaning they are spending about half of their waking hours at work. Given the total number of hours employees are spending at work, it is inevitable that some of them will experience serious medical problems while at the facility. When this happens, employers have a responsibility to be able to contact the paramedics right away, and to provide the initial care until professionals can arrive. In the event of respiratory or cardiac arrest, it may be necessary to perform CPR or even use an AED. Providing instruction to employees on how to use an AED, and how to properly perform CPR is essential. Some companies will offer the training to everyone in the facility, and others will only train a select few. The important thing is that there is someone who can respond to emergencies, and help keep the person alive until the paramedics can arrive. What is CPR? CPR, or Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is one of the most commonly seen emergency procedures. It is performed on television all the time, and even in real life it is far more common than most people might think. While it might look easy to perform on TV, the fact is, it needs to be done with proper technique or it can cause a lot of damage. Fortunately, training people to properly perform CPR is fairly simple, and doesn't take very long. In many cases a full CPR class can be given in a half of a day, and the employees in the class can become certified to perform this life saving procedure. During the training classes, employees will learn when they should attempt CPR, and how it should be performed. Some interesting things that employees will learn include: CPR is done to help push the blood through the body when the heart is not beating. Keeping the blood circulating will prevent damage to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Rescue breathes are actually optional. While most people surveyed believe that breathing into the mouth of the victim is the most important part of

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

Eliminating Awkward Postures For most companies, the work that employees perform on a daily basis can be quite physical. This type of physical labor can lead to a wide range of injuries. Of course, to improve on workplace safety it is important to do all you can to help reduce the amount and severity of these types of injuries. One easy place where you can start is with the different postures that employees take while performing their day to day activities. In many cases, they put themselves in awkward postures, which increase the risk of injuries to the back, neck and other parts of the body. Fortunately, there are typically alternative ways to do things or even tools that can do those tasks for them so they can avoid injury. According to OSHA: Working in awkward postures increases the exertion and muscle force an employee must apply to complete a task and compresses tendons, nerves and blood vessels. In general, the more extreme the postures the more force is needed to complete the task. Examples of awkward postures include performing overhead work, bending or twisting to lift an object, typing with bent wrists, and squatting. The important thing is helping to identify the awkward postures, and help find alternatives for the employees. The following five positions should be removed from the workplace as much as possible so that employees can complete their work with as little risk for injury as possible. 5 Awkward Postures that Should be Avoided 1. Working with Arms above the Head The first awkward posture that is commonly seen in workplaces is trying to complete tasks with your arms above the head. There are many examples of this, some of which could include holding up a board while it is secured in place, or even painting a ceiling. Any time you are working with your arms over your head, you are putting added strain on your back. In addition, your arms are going to fatigue much more quickly than they would in a more natural position. This can put you at r

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

Signs are everywhere! Whether you are shopping in a large mall, visiting a zoo, or simply driving in your car, there are signs helping to guide you along your visit or journey. However, one place that signs are highly utilized is within the workplace, especially within industrial work environments. With all the safety hazards possible in different types of jobsites, appropriate workplace signs are a must to help ensure safety. View our "10 Tips For Safety Signage Part 1" Slideshare Presentation Common Signs in the Workplace Signs can convey all sorts of messages from helpful directional arrows guiding employees and visitors to a specific location all the way to urgent, danger zone messages that require people to stop and use extreme caution. Let's discuss some of the most common types of workplace signage. Restriction Signs - These signs often refer to restricted areas or zones, restricted speeds for forklifts, or restricted weight amounts. When a restricted sign is used there are often certain limits in place. Danger Signs - Signs that warn employees of danger are often high-contrast and feature the colors of black, white, and red. These signs can warn of electrical shocks, toxic materials, or any other dangerous situation. Fire Signs - This type of signage is usually white and red and can either warn employees about fire hazards or provide information on where fire safety equipment can be found. Mandatory Signs - Mandatory signs are signs requiring that certain precautions be taken before entering or utilizing an area or piece of equipment. Some mandatory signs may require employees to wear certain protective clothing before entering. Hazard Signs - Often times these signs feature the colors yellow and black. Hazard signs warn employees and visitors of potential hazards in the area. Hazard signs may warn about forklift traffic, slippery floors, or radiation risks, among many other things. Guide Signs - This type of signage is often used