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Dust Protection p.61

9 essentials to prevent slips and falls p.54

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News ■ www.ishn.com

Gas detection p.64

January 2012

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Industrial Safety & Hygiene News • www.ishn.com

features

vol.46 no.1

28

ISHN ON THE WEB: Visit www.ishn.com for articles from past issues. Keyword searches make it easy to find what you need.

EHS State of the Nation

26 COMPLIANCE UNDER CONTROL so most EHS programs are cruising into 2012

Cover story

28 ISHN’S POWER 101 It’s 2012 — here are the leaders of the EHS field

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36 OSHA & FR CLOTHING 3 How to minimize arc flash injuries

42 KNOW YOUR LIMITS Counter chlorine with the right respiratory protection

44 FALL PROTECTION FAQS Fall protection equipment used daily is potentially dangerous due to wear, neglect, misuse or age/exposure

50 A PPE PORTFOLIO

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52 ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS Maintenance is not an option; it’s a life-saver

54 FACILITY FLOOR PLANS 9 essentials to prevent slips and falls

60 MINIMIZE PAIN AND SUFFERING Be proactive: Conduct emergency shower drills

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Industrial Safety & Hygiene News • www.ishn.com vol.46 no.1

features ISHN ON THE WEB: Visit www.ishn.com for articles from past issues. Keyword searches make it easy to find what you need.

12

INSTRUMENTS

58 ODORLESS & INVISIBLE Know the risks of radiation

columns 12 EDITORIAL COMMENTS Me and my footprint

18 SYSTEMS THINKING “The jobs are out there”

22 MANAGING BEST PRACTICES How to assess reproductive risks

56 TRAINING STRATEGIES A closer look at e-learning

products 61 DUST PROTECTION 62 PRODUCT NEWS 64 GAS DETECTION

departments 14

NEWS SCANNING Feds want total ban on texting and calls while driving

16

REGS UPDATE Do EHS regs need Congressional approval?

2012 TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES International Glove Association (IGA) 2012 Glove Symposium, March 25-27, Hammock Beach, FL, www.iga-online.com Qualified Safety Sales Professional (QSSP) course, April 16-20 and November 5-9, Durham, NC, www.safetycentral.org/qssp/registration.htm Safety 2012, June 3-5, Denver, CO, American Society of Safety Engineers, (866) 553-2773, www.asse.org

American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference & Exhibition (AIHce), June 16-21, Indianapolis, IN, www.aihce2012.org 28th Annual National Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) Conference, August 20-23, Anaheim, CA, www. vpppa.org/conference

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68 AD INDEX 69 CLASSIFIEDS 70 INDUSTRY BRIEFS / CALENDAR EVENTS

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WEB EXCLUSIVES 2012

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News • www.ishn.com vol.46 no.1

digital highlights at www.ishn.com

Money can’t buy you sustainable safety

The persistent mental health stigma

Stress, it ain’t all bad

What we found was that money decreases intrinsic motivation, effectively replacing it with extrinsic motivation. You get the specific behavior but you do not get it when the extrinsic consequence is absent (like when the supervisor is away).

One by one they disappeared into the dark house. All curtains and blinds were drawn. The house looked like a bulky shadow in the night. They were careful to time their arrivals. No clustering or crowds that would attract attention.

A March 2011 survey by the American Psychological Association on “Stress in the Workplace” saw the glass half (or one-third) empty — emphasizing that 36 percent of workers said they typically feel tense or stressed out during their workday. That leaves more than half of us, more than 60 percent, not feeling particularly tense or stressed out during the day.

A-Z INDEX OF ISHN ARTICLES Click on any of these keywords to access ISHN’s archive of related news and feature articles. Accidents Accident Prevention Associations Careers Case Study Communication Confined Space Culture EPA

Emotions Environment Ergonomics Eye / Face Protection Emergency Response / First Aid Exposures Fall Protection Foot Protection

Government Hand Protection Hazardous Materials Head Protection Health Hearing Protection Incentives Industry-specific Job Stress

Management NIOSH OSHA Operations / Machine Safety Perceptions Protective Clothing Psychological Recovery Respiratory Protection

Safety / Health Sciences Software Stress Reduction Sustainability Transportation Training Values

Construction: D.C. Circuit Court upholds OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy www.ishn.com/construction Compliance: OSHA inspector prevents potentially fatal fall www.ishn.com/compliance Facility Safety: Free webinar to explain EPA NEHSAPS Rule 6X www.ishn.com/facilitysafety Global: Nigerian children dying from families’ gold mining www.ishn.com/global Health: OSHA rolls out new hair salon web page www.ishn.com/health Industrial Hygiene: AIHA launches new website for consumers www.ishn.com/industrialhygiene Leadership/Culture: Let’s see a felony charge for killing American workers www.ishn.com/leadership/culture PPE: How to keep safe in a small space www.ishn.com/PPE Psychology: Mental health problems affecting worker productivity www.ishn.com/psychology Training/Incentive: “Reality traps” can doom teams www.ishn.com/training/incentives Transportation: DOT launches new anti-drunk driving campaign www.ishn.com/transportation

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EDITORIAL

comments

Me and my footprint Behaviors and attitudes about sustainability are hard to change

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rrriinnggg!!! rrriinnggg!!! “Hello? “Who’s calling? What’s that? The Society for a Sustainable Future? “Well god bless you. What can I do for you? “Do I have a few minutes for a poll? How can I say no to a Sustainable Future? Fire away. “What’s that? Do I believe changes in individual behaviors and attitudes will make the biggest impact on a sustainable future? You bet. I love the environment, love it. “Do I recycle? Of course. What could be easier? Trash in the red barrel. Plastic, glass and newspapers in the blue barrel. They teach this in preschool, you know. “What’s that? What is my thermostat set at right now? Wait a minute…. “80 degrees. “That’s right, 80. “Why so high? It’s December, you know. You’re calling north of the Mason-Dixon line. But in the summer it’s air conditioning 24/7 baby. OK. OK. Don’t worry, I’ll turn it down tonight.

Crater Lake

of Smartwater. Can’t beat Smartwater. Oh, and then we have the easy pour three-quart jug of Deer Park for making coffee. “What’s that you say? I’ve got enough plastic to cover an infield during a rain delay? I dunno, I never thought of it that way. C’mon, you gotta give me some points for recycling it all.

Diet and driving

ISHN JANUARY 2012

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Do I recycle? Of course. What could be easier? “To what? I don’t know. Maybe 75. I like to feel toasty. Especially with the electric blanket on. Don’t worry. It’s got dual controls. That’s being energy-efficient, right? “What’s that? What electric appliances do I run most often? “Well, you have to understand, I’m one of those people, soon as I get home, the television goes on. Has to. I can’t stand a quiet house. Freaks me out. So the television is on basically whenever I’m home. At least I don’t sleep with it on. I knew a guy, couldn’t go to sleep at night without the TV on. Strange, huh? “Then I might go in the kitchen and turn on NPR. No, I’m not really listening or watching. The news is too depressing. Have you watched it lately? Then, let’s see. I might pop something in the microwave. “How often do I use the microwave? Ma’am, you know the world we live in. I’m microwaving every night. There’s no time. “How far do I commute to work? Hah. Got ya there. I work at home. How many points do I get for that? “Can I walk to where I shop for food.? What a concept, walk to shop. Just kidding. I could but I don’t. Why? I’d have to carry the stuff home. And those water bottles are heavy. “How many water bottles do I consume in a day? I got to admit, I’m a little obsessive about my water bottles. It’s like I’m addicted. What? How many are in my frig right now? We’re getting a little personal, aren’t we? Just kidding. Wait… “Ah, I guess there are about 20 or 30 in there. Hey, calm down. They’re eight-ounce Deer Parks. Of course, then I’ve got my giant tubular bottles

“You want to talk more about diet? OK. How much beef do I eat? What’s that got to do with anything? What’s that you say? Raising livestock for human consumption creates 51 percent of GHG emissions, and pollutes rives and lakes. Well, I’m good for a couple of burgers a week, that’s about it. I’m not a big beef guy. I get points for that, right? “What? What do I think about the cruelty of factory farming? To who? I know, I know, the farmers got it rough. The cattle? C’mon, they don’t even know where they are. They have pea brains. Just kidding. Alright. Alright. Jeez, I didn’t know this was a sore spot with you. This is where sustainability gets a little touchy feely for me. But don’t deduct any points, OK? “My driving habits? OK. Well, I don’t have any

Am I willing to make meaningful reductions in my lifestyle for a sustainable future? You mean go in reverse? Not exactly the American way… points right now. I’m a good driver. “What’s that? How often do I drive somewhere where I could walk instead? Never. Listen, I live in the suburbs. We have sidewalks that lead to nowhere. Seriously, they just suddenly end, like they ran out of cement. Makes no sense. You know the suburbs, nothing is close to anything. The school’s too far to walk. Church, library, too far. Now did you ever once hear of anyone walking to a McDonald’s? Or Wal-Mart. Imagine someone actually walking to Wal-Mart. You could pull a hammy just crossing the parking lot. “How many cars do I own? Let’s see. Five. What can I say, I like cars. And that’s not including the kids’

cars. When they’re home the front yard looks like a moonshine runners’ convention what with all the cars all over. “Would I consider purchasing a small, more fuel-efficient car, or a hybrid? The hybrid’s a little pricey for me, nice idea and all. You know, the economy isn’t exactly cooking along. We could still be in a recession. Who knows. And ah, small cars, they make me claustrophobic. I don’t need those huge tail fins, we’ve outgrown them at least. And all the chrome. Nice, but you gotta move on…. Still, you know, this is America, not China. We’re a car nation.

Housing “Would I consider downsizing into a smaller, more energy-efficient home? Like in England and Germany? But they’re row homes, aren’t they? Nothing against people who live in row homes. To each their own. But I’ve worked my career for my castle here. I’m kidding. This ain’t no McMansion. Don’t dock me too many points. But this is America, you know. Our homes make a statement. “What’s that you say? Am I willing to make

How often do I use the microwave? You know the world we live in. I’m microwaving every night. There’s no time. meaningful reductions in my lifestyle for a sustainable future? What’s a meaningful reduction? You mean go back to something more simple? You mean go in reverse? Not exactly the American way, but I guess I could go without so many water bottles. I don’t know if the family needs eight computers. But some of ’em are old. I’d love to get rid of the kids’ cell phones, but that train left the station a long time ago. I don’t have an e-book or an iPad; I’ve got to get some points for that, huh? Let’s see, more reductions? Well, I guess I don’t have to use my underground sprinkler system every night on the grass. And to be honest with you, I could probably cut back on my 104-inch flat screen. It kind of takes over the room, you know? “So that’s it? How did I score? What’s that? I’ve got a footprint the size of Crater Lake. You’re putting me on. Now exactly what is a footprint?” — Dave Johnson, Associate Publisher & Chief Editor

Visit www.ishn.com for Dave’s weekly blogs at Random Sampling and ISHN Web-only articles.

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news

SCANNING Check www.ishn.com for daily news updates

Obesity and diabetes on Feds want total ban on texting, emails upswing and calls while driving

I

n an unprecedented move, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending a nationwide ban on the driver use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) while operating a motor vehicle. The action came on the heels of an NTSB investigation into a 2010 multi-vehicle highway accident in Missouri caused by a pickup truck

driver who sent and received 11 text messages in the 11 minutes preceeding the crash. The last text was received moments before his vehicle struck a truck-tractor that had slowed in an active construction zone. The pickup truck, in turn, was struck from behind by a school bus, which was then hit by a second school bus. Two people died and 38 others were injured in the accident.

The NTSB recommendation calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the nonemergency use of PEDs (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers.

Obesity, diabetes and childhood poverty are offsetting improvements in smoking cessation, preventable hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths, according to the United Health Foundation’s 2011 America’s Heath Rankings®.

U.S. starts chemical “library” High-speed robots have begun an ambitious government program: to test 10,000 chemical compounds for potential toxicity. The results will form a “library” of information that will be useful for evaluating if these chemicals have the potential to disrupt processes in the human body to an extent that leads to adverse health effects. The compounds being screened in the program — known

as Tox21 — include consumer products, food additives, chemicals found in industrial processes, and human and veterinary drugs. The testing represents a new phase of an ongoing collaboration between the National Institutes of Health and its partners, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The development of new technologies for evaluating chemical toxicity has the potential to revolutionize the assessment of new environmental chemicals and the development of new drugs for therapeutic use, and to speed up the process of understanding both individual chemicals and mixtures of chemicals.

Abusive boss

ISHN JANUARY 2012

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can follow you home The stress and tension caused by an abusive boss can follow a worker home and affect his relationships with family members, according to a new study. The Baylor University study, published in the winter issue of the journal Personnel Psychology, was based on surveys completed by 280 full-time employees and their partners. Researchers found “supervisor abuse” — which includes tantrums, rudeness, public criticism and inconsiderate action — causes employees to be less motivated or able to engage in positive interactions with their partners and other family members. However, the longer the employee-partner relationship, the less effect the abusive boss had on the family. The study also found that having more children at home meant greater family satisfaction for the employee.

More miles driven, fewer traffic deaths in 2010 Although American motorists are driving more miles, highway deaths last year were at their lowest level since 1949, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). There were 32,885 traffic fatalities in 2010, even as drivers traveled nearly 46 billion more miles during the year — an increase of 1.6% over the 2009 level. Last year also saw the lowest fatality rate ever recorded, with 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2010, down from 1.15 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009. Other key statistics include: Fatalities declined for occupants of passenger cars and light trucks Deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers dropped 4.9 percent in 2010, taking 10,228 lives compared to 10,759 in 2009. Fatalities rose among pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and large truck occupants.

According to the report: • the nation made no progress in improving health in 2011 after three years of gains • there were modest decreases in smoking and preventable hospitalizations • obesity and diabetes increased dramatically • every person that quit smoking in 2011 was offset by a person becoming obese • 2011 is the first year no state had an obesity prevalence under 20 percent For the fifth year in a row, Vermont was the nation’s healthiest state. New York and New Jersey showed the most improvement, largely because of improvements made in smoking cessation. Idaho and Alaska showed the most downward movement.

Visit www.ishn.com daily for late-breaking headline news posted as it happens. Search ISHN’s deep news archives.

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regs

UPDATE Check www.ishn.com for daily news updates

Do EHS regs need Congressional approval? T

he REINS Act passed last week by the U.S. House represents either “an extreme attack” on the safeguards that protect the public or a move toward improving Congressional oversight of the regulatory process, depending on which end of the political spectrum you’re listening to. The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY), would require congressional approval of all new major health, safety and environmental rules. Under the bill, rules not approved by both houses of Congress within 70 legislative days would be tabled. OMB Watch, a non-profit advocacy group, says the bill is a “backdoor” way for some corporations to circumvent consumer protections.

“Conservative politicians know Americans would not stand for the repeal of these critical safeguards for American families, so instead of taking direct action on protective legislation, they keep trying to make enforcement impossible,” said Katherine McFate, OMB Watch President. However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded the House’s action, saying the bill would restore the “historic relationship” between Congress and federal agencies. Bruce Josten, the Chamber’s executive vice president for Government Affairs, said the REINS act would ensure more transparent, cost-effective regulations. The REINS Act now moves to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

Massey owner settles with feds; admits to no guilt An advocacy group is charging that the $209 million settlement in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster reached recently does not serve justice, and that the mine operator should instead face criminal prosecution for the deaths of 29 workers in an explosion on April 5, 2010. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the settlement with Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. represents the largest-ever resolution in a

Multi-employer citation policy upheld In a recent decision, the D.C. Circuit upheld OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy. OSHA cited Summit Contractors Inc. for providing electrical equipment without ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to its subcontractors in violation of section 1926.404(b)(1)(ii) of OSHA’s Electrical Wiring Design and Protection standard. OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy provides that an employer may under specified circumstances be cited for violations even if none of its own employees were exposed to the hazard. Summit contested the citation before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), who affirmed the citation, as did the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), which affirmed the citation on the ground that Summit was a “controlling employer” as well as a “creating employer” (because it obtained and supplied the noncompliant equipment). The Court found substantial evidence that Summit had constructive knowledge of the violation.

criminal investigation of a mine disaster. At the time of the explosion, the mine was owned by Massey Energy Company, whose operations came under Alpha’s control in a June 1, 2011, merger. Public Citizen, a non-profit advocacy organization, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office should have held the corporation criminally liable. “Instead, it opted for a non-prosecution agreement, in which there is no admission or finding of guilt — meaning a corporation can engage in reckless activity that leads to the deaths of 29 people and still escape criminal prosecution,” according to a statement by the group. Public Citizen singled out former Massey CEO Don Blankenship for particular censure, saying he “pursued high profits at the cost of his workers’ lives.” Blankenship received a $33 million dollar “golden parachute” when he left the company. As part of the non-prosecution agreement, Alpha will invest at least $80 million in mine safety improvements at all of its underground mines, including those formerly owned by Massey. The company will pay restitution of $1.5 million to each of the families of the 29 miners who died at UBB and to the two individuals who were injured.

ISHN JANUARY 2012

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Recycling company cited MSHA levels $10 million+ fines against Massey for baling machine death A Missouri recycling company faces 37 safety and health violations and fines totaling $195,930 after a worker fatality in June sparked an OSHA investigation. The employee of Resource Management Company died after a baling machine he entered in order to clear a jam became energized. The incident occurred at the company’s Earth City facility. Twenty-two serious safety violations have been cited, including failing to lock out and tag out the energy sources of equipment and install adequate machine guarding. They also involve hazards related to fall protection, exits, flammable liquids, fire extinguishers, powered industrial trucks, and welding and electrical equipment. Additionally, eight serious health violations involve inadequate housekeeping, excessive noise, improper personal protective equipment, permit required space program, and bloodborne pathogens hazards. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

In a separate development, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that it has imposed a fine of $10,825,368, the largest in agency history, following its investigation into the Upper Big Branch disaster. MSHA has issued Massey and PCC 369 citations and orders, including for an unprecedented 21 flagrant violations, which carry the most serious civil penalties available under the law. MSHA concluded that the 29 miners died in a massive coal dust explosion that started as a methane ignition. While the investigation found the physical conditions that led to the coal dust explosion were the result of a series of basic safety violations at UBB — which PCC and Massey disregarded — the report cites unlawful policies and practices implemented by PCC and Massey as the root cause of the explosion. These included the intimidation of miners, advance notice of inspections, and keeping two sets of books, with hazards recorded in UBB’s internal production and maintenance book but not in the official examination book. The investigation found that the operator promoted and enforced a workplace culture that valued production over safety, including practices calculated to allow it to conduct mining operations in violation of the law. MSHA issued PCC and Massey 12 citations and orders deemed contributory to the cause of the accident, and nine of those violations were assessed as flagrant, which carry the highest possible penalties.

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systems

THINKING

“The jobs are out there” But EHS soft skills & work ethics can frustrate employers

H

eading into 2012, occupational safety and health (OSH) jobs are available. The problem is the scarcity of potential hires with required job skills and the plethora of graduates who exhibit weak work ethics. This I learned by contacting a dozen mid-career and older practitioners working in five of the top-29 industry sectors. I was told: Œ “We can’t find the EHS professionals we need in North America despite significant recruiting efforts. The résumés we review don’t work for us.” Œ “The candidates we interview have the wrong preferences (euphemism for weak work ethics). New hires are reluctant to do the same things (same pace, same hours, same dirty efforts, etc.) the people they are replacing used to do. Œ “We have the lowest HSE headcount now that I can remember since 1997, primarily due to recruiting difficulties.” Œ “Routine HSE work is now pushed to contractors, most of whom worked for us and retired to become subcontractors or sole proprietors.” Œ “In my industry, employers are doing the least they can when it comes to hiring anybody and, when they are forced to hire, OSH professionals will not be on the top

ten list of occupations to hire. Œ “The jobs are out there, look at EHScareers. com and the Gulf Coast Safety & Training Group’s monthly “Career Opportunity Report;” however, the problem is no one is qualified to do the work.” “After spending six to ten months recruiting an OSH professional and the associated costs to hire and relocate this individual, he quits after five months because the work is too hard.” Œ “Just got an update on our newest external recruit. My bet, he will quit as soon as we run out of weeklong OSH schools to send him to. If a movie were made about him, it would be called “Failure to Engage.” By

Network-Enabled Gas Detection

By James E. Leemann, Ph.D.

the way, this is not a recent graduate; we are his fourth OSH career attempt.” Of course not everyone seeking an OSH position possesses a weak work ethic. But these characteristics surface enough to cause severe frustration among employers looking for new hires. Academic OSH education and training programs are not the starting place for personal “work ethics,” but they certainly can redirect the focus of their programs to meet the competency needs of employers.

Skills being sought According to NIOSH’s recently published National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce,1 employers are satisfied with the nontechnical core competencies of current OSH graduates. But they do expect future safety professional hires to be trained in communicating with workers (59%), leadership (48%), technical writing (40%), local, state or general regulations (30%), and communicating with upper management (29%). For future industrial hygienists hires, employers expect training in communicating with workers (43%), continued on page 20

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leadership (32%), communicating with upper management (31%), technical writing (31%), and understanding workers’ jobs (25%). I find all of these non-technical core competencies, with the exceptions of technical writing and local, state or general regulations, to be skills that evolve over years in the field, post-graduation. Of the top four non-technical core competencies, three relate to communication and one to leadership. Many academic programs expose students to leadership skills and approaches to communication. But until a safety professional or industrial hygienist is actually practicing these skills on a daily basis in a work environment, it is impossible to imagine a new hire meeting these employ-

No hiring frenzy “The jobs are out there,” as one of my contacts said, but clearly, employers are not in any mood to undertake a hiring frenzy. The recession has gone on long enough for them to learn agility in producing more products with less people. That is only one factor. According to the McKinsey Global Institute’s June 2011 report, “An economy that works: Job creation and America’s future”, 40% of fulltime job openings in companies planning to hire have been unfilled for six months or longer because they cannot find qualified applicants. At all levels of postsecondary education, American students are not pursuing “job

ready” skills employers require.2 “There is now a glut of liberal arts majors,” note Doug Hornig and Alex Daley of Casey Research3. “A classic bubble, born of unrealistic expectations that the investment of a hundred grand (or more) must result in a cascade of job offers. Or at least one.” Economic “softness” and uncertainty continue. The U.S. and world economies have been coping with recession since 2008. U.S. unemployment has hovered near 9% since May 2009 and underemployment has been around 19% since January 2010. U.S. Gross Domestic Product has been anemic. Obamacare unsettles employers. And we have failing European economies (i.e., Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain). Plus, according to McKinsey, new business creation has declined 23% since 2007, resulting in as many as 1.8 million fewer jobs; and it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 1.5 million college graduates in the workforce by 2020. NIOSH’s assessment addresses the impact these factors have had on hiring OSH professionals during the past two years. Sixty-four percent of employers interviewed did not try to hire a safety professional and 81% did not try to hire an industrial hygienist.

NIOSH’s numbers Still, NIOSH interviews reveal employers expect to hire 25,078 OSH professionals — including 17,801 safety professionals and 2,310 industrial hygienists — during the next five years (2011 – 2015). The supply will come from new OSH degreed graduates, OSH professionals already in the workforce, and professionals who do not have OSH training. Given the lack of hiring, who in the world is going to be hiring 20,111 safety and industrial hygiene professionals over the next five years? In light of our current economic circumstances, NIOSH is to be commended for undertaking the assessment. The assessment’s projected number of expected new hires over the next five years and its notion that not enough students are pursuing degrees in safety and industrial hygiene is grossly exaggerated. There are not going to be 25,078 new hires and the current number of students, if accurate, is more than adequate to satisfy the demand. In my column next month, I’ll explain how the NIOSH assessment of the job market missed the mark. James E. Leemann, Ph.D., is clinical assistant professor in Tulane University’s Center for Applied Environmental Public Health, and is president of the Leemann Group LLC, Scottsdale, AZ. For more information visit www.leemanngroup.com or email [email protected].

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1 McAdams, M.T., J.J. Kerwin, V. Olivo, and H.A. Goksel. October 3, 2011. National Assessment of the Occupational Health and Safety Workforce. Westat. Rockville, MD. 2 Manyika, J., S. Lund, B. Auguste, L. Mendonca, T. Welsh and S. Ramaswamy. June 2011. An economy that works: Job creation and America’s future. McKinsey & Company, McKinsey Global Institute. 3 Hornig, D. and A. Daley. Not Enough New Scientists – How America’s Obsession with Liberal Arts is Making Us Less Competitive. Retrieved December 1, 2011 from www.caseyresearch.com. CIRCLE 210

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MANAGING BEST

practices

How to assess reproductive risks New standards will revolutionize best practices

I

n 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court in UAW v. Johnson Controls established that employers have the obligation to fully inform a woman of workplace risks to pregnancy. Numerous lower court rulings have upheld this position. Although this obligation exists, no court or segment of the U.S. government has provided specifications for how the risk assessment and communication must be conducted. U.S. employers are free to choose a method that makes sense to them.

EC method One method that may make sense is to follow guidance for risk assessments for pregnant workers established by the European Commission. Figure 1 is an example of a scorecard that may be used to assess and communicate risks. Ref. # aligns with hazards identified by the EC guidance. For the color code: • “NA” indicates that the hazard was not applicable (not present). • Green means that no unusual risks were discovered. • Yellow means there is uncertainty in the risk; harm may be suspected. • Red means exposure may damage fertility or the

REF. # HAZARDS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

RISK SCORE

Mental and physical fatigue Hours of work Postural problems Work at heights Working alone Psychological stress Standing activities Sitting activities Lack of rest facilities Inadequate hygiene facilities Inappropriate nutrition Shocks, vibration Noise Ionizing radiation NA Non-ionizing radiation Extremes of heat or cold Work in hyperbaric atmosphere NA Biological agents Chemical agents Manual handling of loads Body movement Travel inside/outside Underground extractive work NA Work with computer equipment Personal protective equipment Aspects of pregnancy Breastfeeding

By Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

Although the Supreme Court ruled that an employer has an obligation to conduct and communicate risks during pregnancy, the court did not impose an obligation for an employer to reduce risks beyond what is provided in regulations. unborn child. The employee may be informed that for NA and green ranked scores there is no reason to worry about the hazard. The employee should seek counsel with their health care provider(s) for yellow and red scores.

Ranking hazards The risk score, i.e. color code, for hazards is not continued on page 24

Figure 1 — Example of a European Commission Declared Pregnancy Risk Assessment Scorecard

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MANAGING BEST

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continued from page 22

called out in the EC guidance. The risk scores, which may be further broken down quantitatively, will be dependent upon the knowledge and skills of the risk assessor(s).

Work adjustments While some hazards are easier to rank than others, aspects of pregnancy, because of its broad considerations, may pose special challenges. In Table I are the aspects of pregnancy that may require an adjustment to work, as determined by the EC. Table I is not inclusive and other aspects of pregnancy and factors in work should be considered. For example, hormone surges, particularly in the beginning and latter stages of pregnancy, may bring on “mood

Aspects of pregnancy Morning sickness Backache Varicose veins/other circulatory problems/hemorrhoids Rest and welfare Frequent/urgent visits to toilet Comfort Increasing size Dexterity, agility, co-ordination, speed of movement, reach may be impaired because of increasing size Fatigue/stress

Factors in work Early shift work; Exposure to strong or nauseating smells/poor ventilation; Travel/transport Standing/manual handling/posture Prolonged standing/sitting Regular nutrition; Proximity/availability of rest/ washing/eating/drinking facilities; Hygiene Difficulty in leaving job/work site Use of protective clothing/work equipment Work in confined areas/at heights; Postural demands e.g. bending over, reaching Manual handling; Problems of working in restricted spaces Overtime; Evening/night work; Lack of rest breaks Excessive hours; Pace/intensity of work

Table I — Aspects of pregnancy that may require adjustment to work

swings.” For some workplaces these mood swings may be a factor in work.

Accommodations Although the Supreme Court ruled that an employer has an obligation to conduct and communicate risks during pregnancy, the court did not impose an obligation for an employer to reduce risks beyond what is provided in regulations. The court stated, “Decisions about the welfare of future children must be left to the parents who conceive, bear, support, and raise them rather than to employers who hire those parents.”

New EEOC regulations Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Regulations to Implement the Equal Employment Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as Amended 2, effective May 24, 2011, complicates the issue of whether an employer must provide any special accommodations for pregnant workers. The ADA Amendments Act provides that normal pregnancy conditions fall outside of ADA’s scope. Disorders of pregnancy, however, that may not be normal now appear to have coverage.

Conclusion Workplace risks to pregnancy are a complex issue. Given that about 80 percent of women will become pregnant sometime during their work life, OSH pros must be prepared to address concerns. Understanding hazards, risks, and communication to workers must be tempered with realities of regulations such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and ADA Amendments Act. By Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM. Dan is an independent environmental health and safety consultant. He can be reached at (419) 356-3768 or by email at [email protected].

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REFERENCES 1 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do?uri=COM:2000:0466:FIN:EN:PDF 2 - http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/03/25/2011-6056/regulations-to-implementthe-equal-employment-provisions-of-the-americans-withdisabilities-act-as

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ISHN’s annual EHS State of the Nation:

Compliance under control, most EHS programs cruise cy’s homepage in late 2011 was about safe workplace photo contest winners. Contest winners… OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels apparently hasn’t said anything of note since July — that is the last time one of his speeches was posted on the OSHA web site (as of December 9, 2011). Last speech before that was in April. Naturally this “OSHA Inaction” irritates safety activ-

By DAVE JOHNSON, Editor

F

or all the change brought on by the recession and post-recession uncertainty, it’s status quo for most EHS departments in 2012, according to ISHN’s reader survey: ■ 80% will work the same size budgets, or larger budgets; 20% will see budget cuts; Chart 1 — 2012 Expected changes in professional life ■ 89% will work with the same size EHS staff or larger; 28 % Better job satisfaction 12% will endure staff cuts; ■ Only 13% of pros believe 19 % Less EHS resource support their job security will wither in 13% Less job security 2012; 39 % Greater involvement in sustainability activities ■ 28% of pros say their job satisfaction will increase; for 64% 43 % Increased level of personal effectiveness it will remain the same; for 8% it 46 % More job-related stress will decrease. Longer work hours 44 % ■ A mere 4% of pros say the level of their effectiveness as a professional will deteriorate in ists. That is the title of a report issued by Public Citizen 2012; 53% say it will remain the same; and 43% say it in October, 2011. Writes the author: “When it comes to will increase. ■ And that’s with 44% of pros working longer hours this health and safety protections for workers, there has been a regulatory drought.” year and 46% experiencing higher levels of work stress. You can hear safety and health pros saying, “Now don’t go starting any rain dancing.” After the storm According to Public Citizen, OSHA once was able The calm in the EHS field, with high job satisfaction to develop a rule in less than a year; (that was before K and few job security concerns, probably reflects that the Street became a canyon of lobbyists’ offices); the process worst is over in terms of recession-induced layoffs and now exceeds six years on average. budget cuts. Downsizing corporate EHS departments

Delayed regs

Chart 2 — EHS staff levels in 2012 77%

12%

Decrease

11%

Remain same

Increase

began in the early 1990s and after almost two decades seems to have run its course. That OSHA seems to have run out of gas could be another reason for the calm. Says one safety trainer: “Man, there’s just nothing coming out of Washington these days.” Most safety and health pros wouldn’t complain about that. OSHA’s web site says it all: the lead story on the agenChart 3 —EHS budget in 2012

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63%

For the overwhelming majority, workplace safety and health is a non-starter, a non-issue. Employer practices are OK. Not all world class certainly, but acceptable to most workers. Here’s another reason you’re not hearing a hue and cry for more OSHA protections: Most employees feel safe on the job today. It’s not even close to being a significant concern with employees. Only 6 percent according to the APA survey say “unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions” are a very significant source of work stress. 59 percent say work conditions are not at all a significant threat, and 20 percent say they are not very significant.

What, me anxious? Another reason for the calm could relate to the emotional state of work environments today. A March, 2011 survey by the American Psychological Association on “Stress in the Workplace” found 36 percent of workers typically feel tense or stressed out. That leaves more than 60 percent not feeling particularly tense or stressed out during the day. Of course psychologists would be staring at empty waiting rooms in a world without stress, which is why APA places its emphasis where it does in its survey. And imagine a Time cover story: “Why Most Americans Don’t Feel Particularly Anxious About Anything.” Well, here’s some good news for you: ■ 77 percent of employees report having a positive relationship with their boss, according to the APA survey. ■ 85 percent enjoy positive relations with their co-workers. ■ 66 percent say they are motivated to do their very best for their employer.

It is true delayed regulations cause continuing harm to certain target populations of workers: those exposed to silica dust, beryllium, diacetyl, for instance, would benefit from stricter protections. Public Citizen cites OSHA estimates that a rule protecting workers on scaffolding, ladders and towers with fall protection equipment, if issued in 1990 when Chart 4 — Steps to improve safety cultures 2012 first proposed, already 8 Apply to OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program would have prevented 320 deaths and 104,026 23 Implement/continue a formal EHS management system injuries. There is still no 27 Conduct an employee perception survey final rule. OSHA also has failed 42 Use a behavior-based safety program miserably (with the help 47 Develop new performance metrics of K Street trade associa63 Get leaders more involved tion attorneys) to keep toxic chemical exposure Engage employees more 76 limits up-to-date for hundreds of substances. This seems to describe the work environment for most And Public Citizen protests that the agency has failed to EHS professionals, according to ISHN’s State of the EHS regulate homicides, a leading cause of workplace deaths, Nation White Paper, based on a survey of readers in and also failed to regulate heat stress protection. October, 2011. The country has let down these at-risk employees. Get this: 92 percent of EHS pros say they expect their Safety and health professionals who consider their job a job satisfaction to remain the same or increase in 2012. calling should see that such a calling goes beyond their Only 8 percent say the level own worksite to ensure that every employee everywhere of satisfaction with their job goes home safe and healthy at night. Chart 5 will deteriorate. Now it’s true 46 percent Most employees feel safe mean annual salary of those we surveyed expect But here is why the country is quiet now, and has been of an EHS pro their personal work-related for some years, when it comes to workplace safety and stress to increase in 2012. health issues: But given the overall high job satisfaction, it seems proAccording to a March, 2011 survey of workers by the fessionals are saying, “job stress, well sure, what else is American Psychological Association, less than one in ten new? Comes with the job.” workers say they are dissatisfied or strongly dissatisfied In other words, it is challenge stress, not distress. with the health and safety practices of their employer.

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PieterJan Bots - Owner of EHSQ Elite and its 21,567 members worldwide, one the best LinkedIn discussion groups. David Carroll – VP, environment and public affairs for LaFarge issued report on Corporate Ecosystems Service Valuation Business Guide.

It’s 2012 — here are the leaders of the environmental health and safety world

Tom Cecich – one-time pharma industry EHS director is a prime mover behind the new Center for Safety and Health Sustainability. (5)

Mike Connors – OSHA region V boss headquartered in Chicago, one of the class acts in the agency, with the likes of Marthe Kent (Region I honcho), Bob Kulick (acting Region II head) and Cindy Coe (Region IV administrator). Political regimes come and they go; these folks are the spine of the agency.

Two co Two Tw comm common mmon lleadership mm mmon ead ea ders der de rshi rshi hip ip tr ttraits rai ait its ts w we e no not note te iin te n al allll the the di th d diff different iff ffer fer eren ent so sorts rts rt ts of of p perersonalities listed: 1) Everyone here is a competitor, and everyone has ambitions. Some are quiet, some combative, but all are competitive and ambitious; 2) They know more, oftentimes much more, than they will tell you. Supports the adage: “Those who talk don’t know, and those who know don’t talk.” Another leadership trait: discipline.

Chuck Adkins – OSHA region VII administrator based in Kansas City, a CIH and a Class A regulator. True professional. Jordan Barab – OSHA officials come and go, Jordan’s been in DC pushing and blogging about job safety proposals for decades. He rotates from inside and outside the agency and Capitol Hill. (1) (2) Mark Bly – as executive VP for safety and operational risk at BP, he occupies the hottest seat in safety; started at BP in 1984 and now must make good on BP’s vow to set a new standard for safety excellence. Liz Borkowski – lively blogger on The Pump Handle. Research associate at George Washington University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. (3) Bill Borwegen – Service Employees International Union safety and health director never misses a moment to advocate for safety, especially now in the healthcare sector. Robert Brady – an attorney and CEO since 1977 of Business & Legal Reports, a subscription-based safety, enviro and HR interactive community and management services delivering daily, weekly and monthly compliance and professional info across multiple media platforms.

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Garrett Brown – Cal/OSHA officer is one of the top experts on globalization and the too-often attendant degradation of safety. (4) SELECTION CRITERIA To be one of the 101, individuals were evaluated on: 1. Ability to reach a national and/or international audience; 2. Ability to create a community of pros with shared interests (via conferences, seminars, associations & special interest groups; branded media products; websites, web forums, etc.) 3. Current, active participant and contributor as subject matter expert 4. Ability to draw and/or generate national media coverage 5. Personal access to corporate management executives; ability to create, manage and/or change large corporate EHS cultures 6. Personal access to Washington federal safety and health policy makers 7. Ability to influence federal safety and health policy; corporate policy; professional society policy; labor union policy; international policy 8. Ability to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between safety and health stakeholders at the national and/or international level

Andrew Cutz – he’s all over the Internet promoting and discussing global EHS issues you’d otherwise never know about. Aubrey Daniels – safety books rarely get mainstream media attention, but Aubrey has authored several on the human side of why we do what we do that have attracted notice. John Drebinger – one of the most-traveled and bestmarketed of the safety motivational speakers. Funny, emotional and very successful. Colin Duncan – fast-flying CEO of BST epitomizes the new era of market-driven global safety. As the behavior-based safety movement proved 20 years ago, who needs regs? Thea Dunmire – authority and blogger on OHSAS 18001, the most popular EHS management system in the world. Fay Feeney – extremely well-connected consultant at the forefront of bringing safety into the 21st century world of operational excellence and business risk. Now that’s talking management’s language. Fred Fortman – for years as executive director of ASSE he and his leadership team have presided over the booming growth of ASSE’s national conference and multi-media brand extensions. 9. Longevity in the public eye — years of service; media coverage; development of audience following 10. Ability to start up and/or manage a successful safety-related business; volunteer organization; display of commitment and management acumen 11. Followership — size of legacy; respect of peers; 12. Innovation and creativity — development of EHS-related research, theories; models; performance measures; communications products; best practices The editors looked for key contributors to the growth and dynamics of the environmental health and safety field in 2012. These areas include: ✓ research ✓ communications ✓ multinational corporate cultures ✓ healthcare safety ✓ globalization of safety

Jim Frederick – assistant director HSE for the United Steelworkers and on the staff of the Tony Mazzocchi Center for health, safety and environmental education. The late fiery, formidable Mazzocchi, one of the alltime hell-raisers in job health and safety, was pivotal in the creation of OSHA. (6) Janet Froetscher – president and CEO of the mothership, the National Safety Council. Richard Fulwiler – former EHS Global VP seems to be known by everyone; has schooled a generation of sales reps and product managers in how to quit relying on OSHA to sell and instead make a business case for safety via the Qualified Safety Sales Professional course; Rick has written and lectured extensively when not motoring on his Harley. Scott Geller – how many ebullient, charismatic humanistic behaviorists do you know? His loyal following stretches back decades. The psychology of safety and a generation of Ph.D. grads are Scott’s legacy. Randy Green – successor to Ivan Weinstock as the hardest-working magazine publisher in the safety business; has made ISHN the premier safety publication in the U.S. Bill Grana – tech savvy CEO of PureSafety survived the Internet bubble burst of 2000 and continues with his team to push and prod the safety profession into a higher level of technology acceptance: enterprise-wide software for managing safety training, programs, occupational health, medical records, cases and claims. Mike Gromacki – VP of operations and chief tech officer at Dixie Chemicals, Houston, responsible for sustainable development, green chemistry, energy efficiency and alternative energy. Look for more professional titles to include these key issues. Tom Grumbles, former AIHA president, CIH at Entrix in Houston, is a leading authority on what every IH should know about stewardship and sustainability. Samuel Gualardo, MA, CSP – director of PA OSHA consultation at Indiana University of PA (IUP) and present of National Safety Consultants, Inc. Past ASSE president is expert speaker and author on safety management. Mary Margaret Hamilton – Social investment specialist, Shell Upstream Americas, Houston. Mark Hansen – past ASSE president and one of the early proponents of “you have to make the business case for safety,” on which he has authored articles and books. continued on page 30

✓ use of social media ✓ training & education ✓ federal regulation and enforcement ✓ professional society activity ✓ management systems ✓ the business case for safety ✓ performance measurement ✓ technological innovations ✓ data management ✓ sustainability ✓ corporate social responsibility ✓ grassroots activism ✓ product stewardship ✓ labor advocacy Email me at [email protected] with any comments or questions. — Dave Johnson, Editor

WHAT DO THESE LEADERS HAVE IN COMMON?

Ame

They are all members of the

ric an S o

Tom Cecich Aubrey Daniels John Drebinger Colin Duncan Thea Dunmire Fay Feeney Shawn Galloway Scott Geller Samuel Gualardo Mark Hansen

c i e t y of S a f e t y

David Heidorn John Henshaw Darryl C. Hill Hugh Hoagland Diane Hurns Karl Jacobson Skipper Kendrick Tom Krause Jim Leemann Alan Leibowitz

Dan Markiewicz Terry McSween John Mulhausen Terrie S. Norris Robert Pater Chuck Pettinger Corrie Pitzer Rick Pollock Elizabeth Pullen Charles Redinger

s r e e En gi n

Deborah Roy Kathy A. Seabrook Sandy Smith Linda Tapp Joel Tietjens Mike Wallace Dewey Whitmire Barbara Wisniewski

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Ted Ingalls – A peer of the late, great Dan Petersen who continues to share his and Dan’s philosophy on the hard but simple facts of what it really takes to manage safety. Karl Jacobson – Sr. VP of Liberty Mutual’s Loss Prevention Dept. is an authority on the ANSI/AIHA Z10 management system standard and safety and health performance metrics and research. Dave Johnson – chief editor of ISHN magazine since 1980. continued from page 28

Ron Hayes – Mother Jones magazine called him a “hellraiser.” Ronnie has driven across the country for nearly 20 years since the workplace death of his son, counseling families of victims and conducting safety training classes, always for free. Has poked, prodded and threatened OSHA to be more empathic with victim’s kin. David Heidorn – manager, government affairs & policy, ASSE. John Henshaw – MPH, CIH, Sr. VP, managing principal, ChemRisk LLC, Sanibel, FL. The former AIHA president and OSHA chief never ages. Polished proponent of making the business case for safety. Darryl C. Hill – most recent past president of ASSE. Hugh Hoagland – Sr. partner, e-Hazard. com and President, ArcWear.com, Louisville, KY, has conducted 100 electrical incident investigations, 60,000+ arc flash tests and is an expert in arc flash testing and electrical safety. Hugh drives arc testing methods that feed the NFPA 70E standard and is a member of ASTM, ASSE, NFPA, IEEE, CSA Z462 and IEC representing the U.S. as an expert in arc flash for ISO standards. Dr. John Howard – NIOSH director is the most visionary EHS professional of his generation. Diane Hurns – ASSE’s PR/Media Relations maven is the best PR person in the field.

Mark Katchen – Founder of the Phylmar consultancy, Mark was an early adopter of the market-driven global safety economy, and also the consulting model based on collective alliances with private contractors. Is an AIHA global ambassador for EHS. Skipper Kendrick – former ASSE president has more than 500 LinkedIn connections; one of the most wired-in professionals. As a consultant Skip does it all, from leadership and culture assessments to innovative safety apps for tablet devices. Nancy Kondas – DuPont Training Solutions’ creative product development director for quality safety training programs across multiple media platforms that have been translated into 33 languages. Kenneth Korach, president and CEO of TRA, safety and security management consultants, has 30+ years managing operational and safety assessment projects; now introducing version 4.5 of safety management software to track incidents, investigations, corrective actions, training, claims, performance metrics, industrial hygiene, BBS and activity scheduling. Marne Keller-Krikava – J.J. Keller VP of strategy and business planning. Keller has grown its online safety management “toolkit” platform and community network to 19,000 paid subscribers. Tom Krause – co-founder and chairman of BST mixes business acumen with a passion for safety thought leadership expressed in scores of articles, speeches and several books.

Phil LaDuke –blogger who wants to knock safety upside the head to quit feeling like a corporate orphan. Takes on all comers. Chris Laszcz-Davis – principal and founder, The Environmental Quality Organization, authority on all things green chemistry. Jerry Laws – respected chronicler of safety news and issues for 15+ years. There ain’t many of ’em. Jim Leemann – from his outpost in Arizona Jim pushes and pulls safety pros to adopt a systems thinking mindset to see the whole picture, not just the OSHA regs. Alan Leibowitz, MS, CSP, CIH, executive director of environment, safety, health and security at ITT Corporation. Recently presented on “Management System Zen.” An authority on ANSI Z10, ISO 140001, and OHSAS 18001. Nancy Lessin — program coordinator, United Steelworkers’ Tony Mazzocchi Center, Boston; along with now-retired Jim Howe of the United Autoworkers, Nancy helped shift the focus of behavior-based safety (BBS) from employees-only behavior to organizational behavior. Myron Levin – founder of FairWarning, a non-profit that investigates and publishes reports on safety, health and corporate conduct. Myron had a 20-year career as a reporter for the LA Times. Haven’t heard of FairWarning? Go to www.fairwarning.org. Tim Ludwig – protégé of Dr. E. Scott Geller, Tim is a professor at Appalachian State and is making a name for himself as a BBS blogger, writer and speaker. J. Davitt McAteer – first person you want to talk to about mine safety. Former head of MSHA in the Clinton years, widely respected and quoted as a mine safety scholar and researcher. Andrew Mangan – executive director of the U.S. continued on page 32

FOOTNOTES

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1 You’ll notice missing from this list are OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Washington, at this bitterly partisan point and time, can accomplish nothing. 2 For the same reason, no U.S. Senator or Congressman is on the list. If not for some associations and consultancies based in DC, plus Dr. John Howard and a few bloggers, Washington would not have a place on this list. Right now it is a power and decisionmaking black hole. 3 Women are well-represented on the list, occupying 23 spots. Several head professional societies; others are successful entrepreneur consultants and corporate execs. The presidents of ASSE and AIHA are both women. 4 Individuals – subject matter experts – on globalization’s impact on worker safety score high on this list. 5 Individuals – subject matter experts – on sustainability score high on this list. Doesn’t matter if you see sustainability as a PR tactic or an ecological survival tactic, it’s not going away as a business tactic. 6 Tony Mazzocchi is a historical figure who changed the course of events in workplace safety and health by instigating for the creation of OSHA. He’s up there with Dr. Alice Hamilton and Jennifer Silk, author of the hazard communication standard, as one of the few who put their hands on the arc of EHS history and shaped it. 7 Investment in technology has come about slowly in job safety and health. Individuals pushing tech on a field that can certainly make more use of it score high on this list. 8 Individuals pushing for safety and health performance metrics far more insightful and actionable than good old OSHA numbers score high on this list. 9 Consultants are a force to be reckoned with in EHS. At least 33 people on this list making their living as a consulant. Some were pushed out, opted out, cashed out from corporate seats. Others, like Peter Sandman, realized early on they just didn’t want to manage people. 10 Management systems experts score high on this list; in the post-OSHA age marked by scant federal safety rulemaking, many brand-dependent multinationals will attend to voluntary EHS management systems to harmonize and standardize their global supply chain EHS practices. 11 There really should be more corporate EHS executives on this list. But they log so many hours in their jobs it leaves little time to write, lecture or otherwise affect public policy. Also, they prefer to talk candidly with their peers behind closed doors.

AIHA

®

would like to recognize the following exceptional OEHS leaders on the Power 101 list: Chuck Adkins

John Henshaw

Terrie S. Norris

Jordan Barab

Daryl C. Hill

Peter O’Neil

Bill Borwegen

Dr. John Howard

Elizabeth Pullen

Garrett Brown

Dave Johnson

Charles Redinger

Tom Cecich

Mark Katchen

Gary Rosenblum

Mike Connors

Tom Krause

Peg Seminario

Andrew Cutz

Chris Laszcz-Davis

Dan Shipp

Aubrey Daniels

Jerry Laws

Joel Shufro

Thea Dunmire

Jim Leemann

Jas Singh

Jim Frederick

Alan Leibowitz

Sandy Smith

Richard Fulwiler

Dan Markiewicz

Aaron Trippler

Scott Geller

Celeste Monforton

Frank White

Tom Grumbles

John Mulhausen

Barbara Wisniewski

Ron Hayes

Carol Singer Neuvelt

Michael Wright

AIHA members and staff are proud to be represented on this

Congratulations AIHA Members and Staff!

list honoring exceptional individuals for their contributions to the health and safety industry. To all who strive to eliminate occupational illness and injury: we share your goals and deeply appreciate your contributions to protecting worker health.

Learn more about how AIHA can help you advance in every stage of your career. With industry-acclaimed resources, an award-winning

®

magazine, premier conferences and leading education, AIHA is where OEHS leaders turn first for their professional development needs.

www.aiha.org

Protecting Worker Health

32

Charlie Morecraft – horrifically burned in a workplace accident, Charlie has chalked up more frequent flier miles than any safety motivational speaker. Everyone knows Charlie’s story. John Mulhausen – director, corporate safety and industrial hygiene for 3M.

continued from page 30

Business Council for Sustainable Development; part of a network of 60 national councils worldwide, and is a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. Has 60 big-time corporate members, from P&G to DuPont and GM. Dan Markiewicz – few in the country know more about reproductive health issues than this Toldeo-based CIH and CSP. Also one of the few to publish and speak on integrating community public health with workplace safety and health. Peter McCausland – CEO of Airgas for 22 years, during which time Airgas has become a major safety products distributor nationwide, with 500 safety specialists in 800+ locations. Airgas’s website contains a library of MSDSs. Katherine McFate – President and CEO of OMB Watch, which has been closely tracking, analyzing and publicizing the secretive world of DC standardssetting since 1983. Terry McSween – founder of the Behavior Safety Now conference more than 15 years ago. BSN is a unique annual reunion of BBS experts and users. Shawn Galloway – pioneer in safety podcasting. You’ve heard of safety podcasting, haven’t you? One day you will. (7) Celeste Monforton – prolific Pump Handle blogger; professor at GWU’s Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health. Often quoted in mainstream media.

Carol Singer Neuvelt – executive director, NAEM, an elite networking forum for corporate EHS executives now making a strong effort to harmonize corporate sustainability reporting, which ranges from spin to substance. Steve Newell – Mr. Metrics. Mercer/ORC consultant who in another life authored the vaunted OSHA “Blue Book” of recordkeeping guidelines; for years now has pressed the need for a much broader dashboard of safety performance measures. (8) Terrie S. Norris – current president of ASSE. Peter O’Neil – executive director of AIHA, whose leadership team has aggressively extended the AIHA brand globally. Valerie Overheul – president, CEO and founder of Summit Training with 30+ years experience. Valerie was awarded the ASSE Foundation’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award for her fundraising work on the board 2003-2008 and her company’s ongoing fundraising activity. Robert Pater – management consultant who applies martial arts to prevent injuries and, oh, by the way, also advises execs on culture and performance issues. (9) Chuck Pettinger – another grad of the Geller school of safety popping up on the speaking circuit more and more, discussing predictive analytics, the use of observations and other safety data to predict and prevent injuries.

Corrie Pitzer – no-nonsense international consultant, an Aussie who makes much sense dissecting causes of accidents, specializing in at-risk behaviors, organizational error, and safety culture. Rick Pollock – high-energy safety professional and savvy businessman (founder and president of CLMI Training), soon to be ASSE president, one of the first to take a systems/modular approach to training programs vs. the one-off OSHA video. Elizabeth Pullen – current AIHA president. Charles Redinger – zen master of management systems; has his fingerprints on much of the research on EHS management systems for the past 20 years. (10) Gary Rosenblum – cerebral CIH has pushed long and hard for greater transparency in workplace safety performance; also a pro who has no difficulty blending risk management with safety and health management. James Roughton – one of the most tech-savvy safety pros you’ll find, and you’ll find him all over the Net. Expert on job hazard analysis. Deborah Roy – director of health, safety and wellness at L.L. Bean. BS in Nursing, MPH in occupational health and safety, authority on reducing corporate eco-footprints and employee health promotion. (11) Jim Ryan – chairman, president and CEO of W.W. Grainger, $7.2 billion global MRO distributor leading the charge of mammoth MRO distribs like Airgas, Fastenal and MSC into safety gear sales. Grainger offers free safety training and 33,294 safety products. Peter Sandman – not only one of the great risk communication experts, but one of the best thinkers and writers on the nature of corporate management, what makes bosses tick, why managers do what they do, or don’t do. continued on page 34

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Sandy Smith – another longtime chronicler of safety news and issues who puts passion into her editorials. Martine Stolk – environmental health and safety director at The Dow Chemical Company, responsible for reducing Dow’s enviro footprint. Linda Tapp – innovative nationwide safety trainer who is plugged into the ASSE influencer network. Joel Tietjens –well-traveled, well-respected safety consultant, writer, speaker, wit.

continued from page 32

David Sarkus – logging many miles under the radar as an increasingly popular motivational speaker and leadership/culture consultant. Known as The Safety Coach®. Wish we could get him to write more. Peg Seminario – AFL-CIO’s longtime go-to person for all things job safety and health. Always was at the table in closed-door DC policy discussions. We say “was” because substantial safety and health policy negotiations no longer exist in DC, replaced by piethrowing contests. Kathy Seabrook – global consultant very much at home in the post-OSHA era of market-driven EHS decision-making. Also one of the EHS pros comfortable discussing sustainability issues. Joel Shufro – executive director of NYCOSH, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, with a membership of 300 individuals and 200 local unions. The most visible grassroots job safety advocacy group. Dan Shipp – president of the International Safety Equipment Association pushes for recognition that global safety and health standards are coming to America. Michael Silverstein – chair of OSHA’s national advisory board; model for the intelligent, disciplined professional, articulate with tempered passion. Jas Singh – global EHS traveler at the forefront of educating a corps of EHS techs in emerging nations.

Rex Tillerson – chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil since 2006, ultimately accountable for the company’s world class safety and health operating management system. Aaron Trippler – Mr. Inside, government affairs guru at AIHA for years, should be a blogger but takes in too many meetings and publishes his Happenings On The Hill every month instead. Pat Tyson – managing partner, Constangy, Brooks and Smith LLP, Atlanta. Former OSHA chief, an attorney; few people know where the bodies are buried in the OSHA sub-culture like Pat. Mike Wallace – director of the Global Reporting Initiative’s Focal Point USA; a key player in the upcoming G4 guidelines for voluntary corporate sustainability reporting that could for the first time include safety metrics beyond simplistic injury rates. Sabrina Watkins – head of sustainable development for ConocoPhillips with global responsibility for implementing ConocoPhillips’ corporate sustainability policies. Robert Weissman – President of Public Citizen, founded by Ralph Nader, which has forced OSHA’s hand more than once to lower toxic exposure limits; also focuses on mine safety, needle stick injuries, strengthening OSHA, hazardous substances, and medical resident hours.

Frank White - Global Director, Mercer ORC HSE Networks. Former OSHA top lieutenant, labor law attorney, is a DC honest broker, respected by just about everyone. With a team of top consultants, has worked with multinationals in building EHS bridges to the EU and Asia Pacific since there are no longer EHS issues to be brokered in DC. Dewey Whitmire – ASSE’s director of professional development, along with Trudy Goldman and others, runs a tight ship at ASSE’s growing national conference, the annual winter SeminarFest, and everevolving slate of topical, popular symposiums. Mike Williamsen – management consultant, blogger, writer and speaker working for Caterpillar Safety Services came up through the operations side and specializes in integrating safety, particularly some of the sage of safety Dan Petersen’s work, with Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and culture change. Barbara Wisniewski – VP of Safety and Health at McWane, Inc. Case study in how a professional can turn around a safety program when backed by ownership. Michael Wright – hard-nosed director of HSE for the United Steelworkers International has been one of the most visible and quoted job safety advocates for decades.

Search www.ishn.com for thousands of archived feature articles — and articles exclusively posted online. Search using ISHN’s 11 key topic categories, and our A-Z index of of keywords.

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PPE P

How to minimize arc flash injuries By MAUREEN PARAVENTI, Assistant Editor

N

ylon, polyester and acetate may sound like innocuous fabrics, but wearing them might actually increase the severity of arc flash-caused injuries, because they tend to burn longer than other textiles and can even melt on the skin, according to OSHA1. The agency’s information on FR clothing, available at www.

The required PPE can be determined by comparing the calculated incident energy to the ratings for specific combinations of PPE.

osha.gov, underscores a critical part of arc flash safety: knowing what not to wear is as important as determining the best FR (flame resistant) clothing for particular heat exposures. Additionally, taking the proper care of FR clothing ensures that it will continue to provide protection despite repeated use.

trative controls, including work practices, according to OSHA. These may include decreasing the arcing current by using protective devices designed to limit current, increasing the working distance with the use of remote devices and extension tools and reducing the clearing time.2

Counting calories The FR clothing industry has developed an Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV) rating system

Hotter than the sun An arc flash is the sudden release of electrical energy through the air following a phase-to-phase or phase-to-ground fault. It can expose workers — in brief bursts — to temperatures hotter than those found on the surface of the sun, as well as to hot gases, intense pressure waves that have the same effect as a hand grenade going off nearby, and shrapnel from vaporized and molten metal particles. Arc-related injuries can be horrific: severe burns, blindness, hearing, memory loss, broken bones or death.1 Limiting the potential for arc flash exposure should begin with engineering design changes and adminis-

Wearing flammable fabrics under other layers of clothing does not lessen their danger.

based on heat energy exposure (which determines whether or not a specific fabric will ignite). ATPV is measured in calories per square centimeter (cal/cm2). Employers are expected to make their best estimate

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of heat energy exposure based on currently available information. According to an OSHA letter of interpretation of standards, what constitutes a reasonable estimate of actual exposure conditions will vary with the electrical system, with the methods used to work on energized equipment, and with the work practices used to limit the exposure to flames or electric arcs.5 Appendix D of NFPA 70E provides a detailed sample calculation of a flash protection boundary.3 The revision of its electric power generation, transmission and distribution standards (1919, 1926) OSHA proposed in 20054 contains other methods of estimating incident energy from an electric arc. Various software packages and mathematical formulas are available to help with heat energy calculations.2

What not to wear According to an OSHA letter of interpretation of Apparel Standard, 29 CFR 1910.269(l)(6), of the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard5, in environments where arc

NIOSH recommends leaving clothing soiled with hazardous chemicals at work, to be laundered by the employer

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worn by workers, the employer is responsible for ensuring that the flame resistance or flame-retardanttreated conditions of that apparel are maintained, according to OSHA.5 Laundering FR clothing correctly is vital to keeping its protective qualities intact, but even following the proper procedures won’t salvage garments that have been contaminated with grease, oil, solvents and other flammable substances. These must be discarded and replaced.2 FR garments can be cleaned by a commercial laundry or washed at home, although NIOSH recommends leaving clothing soiled with hazardous chemicals at work, to be laundered by the employer6. It is important that the processes and materials used to launder flame resistant garments are compatible with the FR materials to ensure that the FR protection of the garment is not compromised during the laundering process. The manufacturer’s instructions should serve as the primary guide to laundering FR garments. ASTM F1449-08 Standard Guide for Industrial Laundering of Flame, Thermal, and Arc Resistant Clothing covers the key components of a program for the care and maintenance of flame, thermal and arc resistant clothing.6 FR clothing that is damaged often requires special repair techniques. For example, sewing a tear with common nylon thread may reduce the item’s FR protection.2 References 1 Personal Protective Equipment - Flame-Resistant (FR) Clothing osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electric_power/ppe_flameresistantclothing.html 2 Best Practices for Arc Exposures and Use of FR Clothing osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electric_power/ppe_bestpracticesforarc. html 3 NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the

Workplace, 2004 Edition, National Fire Protection Association www. nfpa.org/catalog 4 OSHA Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment; Proposed Rule osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp. show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_ REGISTER&p_id=18361 5 OSHA Standard Interpretation by James W. Stanley, Deputy Assistant Secretary 8/10/95 osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_ table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=21878 6 ASTM F1449 - 08 Standard Guide for Industrial Laundering of Flame, Thermal, and Arc Resistant Clothing www.astm.org/Standards/F1449.htm

ISHN AUGUST 2011 www.ishn.com

flash exposure is possible, clothing made from acetate, nylon, polyester, rayon — either alone or in blends — is prohibited, because those fabrics could increase the severity of the injury sustained by the employee. They are permissible if the employer can demonstrate that the fabric has been treated (i.e., made flame resistant or flame-retardant).5 Wearing flammable fabrics under other layers of clothing does not lessen their danger. If sufficient heat passes through the outer layers, these garments can ignite and cause burn injuries — particularly if they melt in contact with the skin.5 The standard does not prohibit short sleeve FR shirts — per the letter of interpretation — but their use is strongly discouraged. FR clothing that covers the arms, in addition to the body and legs, provides the best protection.5 Additionally, employers must ensure that workers remove or cover all exposed conductive articles such as key or watch chains, rings, or wrist watches or bands, unless such articles do not increase the hazards associated with contact with the energized parts.5

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i industrialhygiene h Expose your gas detector to test gas before each day’s use Performing a functional “bump test” by exposing the instrument to known concentration test gas takes only a few moments to perform.

F

ailure to periodically test and document the performance of your atmospheric monitors can leave you open to regulatory citations or fines, as well as increased liability exposure in the event that a worker is injured in an accident. The safest and most conservative approach is to verify the performance of the instrument by exposing it to known concentration test gas before each day’s use. This functional “bump test” is very simple and takes only a few seconds to accomplish. The definition of “bump test” has always been a little slippery. Some manufacturers differentiate between a “bump test” that provides a more qualitative evaluation of the instrument’s ability to detect gas and a “calibration check” that verifies that the response of the sensor(s) when exposed to known concentration test gas is within the manufacturer’s requirements for accuracy. All manufacturers agree that instruments that fail either a “bump test” or “calibration check” should be put through a “full calibration” before further use.

Photo courtesy of GfG Instrumentation

By ROBERT HENDERSON

manufacturers of safety and health equipment. In 2002 the ISEA (then known as the Industrial Safety Equipment Association) published a protocol to clarify the minimum conditions for lengthening the interval between calibration checks for direct-reading portable gas monitors used in confined spaces. In March 2010 the ISEA released a revised version of the statement to extend it to all direct-reading portable atmospheric monitors, and to provide additional guidance concerning the definitions of “bump test,” “calibration check,” and “full calibration;” and to expand the list of conditions and circumstances that should trigger a re-verification of the instrument’s performance before further use.

Validation of operability What do the regulations say?

ISEA Statement The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is the leading international organization of

atmosphere shall be tested, with a calibrated directreading instrument”. OSHA Compliance Directive CPL 2.100, “Application of the Permit-Required Confined Spaces (PRCS) Standards, 29 CFR 1910.146” explains what is meant by “calibrated”: “A testing instrument calibrated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations meets this requirement. The best way for an employer to verify calibration is through documentation.” In other words, instrument users are held accountable to calibrating and/or testing the performance of their instruments in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual. OSHA expects instrument users to be able to document that their procedures match the requirements listed. The instructions, cautions and warnings listed in the owner’s manual are governed not by OSHA, but by the standards to which the instrument is Classified, Listed or Marked by Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories® or the Canadian Standards Association® (CSA®).

OSHA 1910.146 “permit-required confined spaces” paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(C) explicitly states (in part) that, “Before an employee enters the space, the internal

The complete text of the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) Statement on Validation of Operation For Direct Reading Portable Gas continued on page 40

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continued from page 38

Monitors can be downloaded from the ISEA website at: www.safetyequipment.org. The ISEA statement begins by clarifying the differences between a “bump test”, a “calibration check” and a “full calibration”: a. A “bump test” (function check) is defined as a qualitative check in which the sensors are exposed to challenge gas for a time and at a concentration to activate all of the alarms to at least the lower alarm settings. The test confirms that the gas is capable of reaching the sensors, that when they are exposed to gas the sensors respond, the response time (time to alarm) after gas is applied, and that the alarms are activated and function properly. However, a qualitative function

test does not verify the accuracy of the readings or output of the sensors when exposed to gas. b. A “calibration check” is a quantitative test using a traceable source of known concentration test gas to verify that the response of the sensors is within the manufacturer’s acceptable limits. The pass/fail criteria are manufacturer guidelines. c. A “full calibration” is defined as the adjustment of an instrument's response to match a desired value compared to a known traceable concentration of test gas. The statement goes on to recommend the frequency for validation of the instrument’s operability: a. A “bump test”(functional test) or “calibration check” of direct-reading portable gas monitors should be made before each day’s use in accordance with the

manufacturer’s instructions using an appropriate test gas. b. Any instrument that fails the test must be adjusted by means of a “full calibration” procedure before further use, or taken out of service. If environmental conditions that could affect instrument performance are suspected to be present, such as sensor poisons, then verification of calibration should be made on a more frequent basis. c. A “full calibration” should be conducted as required by the manufacturer, or whenever testing indicates that adjustment is required. Even if the instrument is not yet “due” for a “full calibration”, if the instrument fails a “bump test” or “calibration check” it must be calibration adjusted before further use.

Lengthening the interval Testing instruments less frequently should only be considered, per OSHA, if the following criteria are met: a. During a period of initial use of at least 10 days in the intended atmosphere, calibration is verified daily to be sure there is nothing in the atmosphere which is poisoning the Docking Stations are designed to automatically sensor(s). The period perform functional bump of initial use must be tests and calibrations, and of sufficient duration automatically store test to ensure that the results. Photo courtesy of GfG Instrumentation sensors are exposed to all conditions that might have an adverse effect on the sensors. b. If the tests demonstrate that it is not necessary to make adjustments, then the time interval between checks may be lengthened but should not exceed 30 days. c. The history of the instrument since last verification can be determined by assigning one instrument to one worker, or by establishing a user tracking system such as an equipment use log. d. Any conditions, incidents, experiences, or exposure to contaminants that might adversely affect the calibration should trigger immediate verification of calibration before further use. Most importantly, if there is any doubt about the calibration of the sensors, expose them to known concentration test gas before further use.

Docking stations

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Docking stations that include fully automatic calibration are redefining the way that users with large numbers of instruments deal with maintenance and calibration issues. Instrument users simply drop the gas detector into the docking station. The docking station automatically bump tests or calibrates the instrument, then updates and stores the test results. The prices for automatic calibration stations are beginning to drop in the same way that prices for instruments have been dropping. Verifying the proper performance of your gas detectors is a mandatory part of every program that requires their use. But more importantly, it’s an essential part of keeping your workers safe. To see the entire unedited version of this article, visit www.ishn.com. Robert Henderson is president of GfG Instrumentation, Inc., www.gfg-inc.com, (800) 959-0329; [email protected]. CIRCLE 254

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Counter chlorine with the right respiratory protection rrespiratory protection program required by OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard [29 CFR 1910.134], R which also includes regular training, fit-testing, fitw cchecking, maintenance and cleaning, and periodic eenvironmental monitoring, among other elements.3

Lots of options L Respiratory protection devices for chlorine and cchlorine dioxide exposures are similar, and range ffrom chemical cartridge respirators to supplied air rrespirators (SAR) operating in continuous-flow mode to the kind of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) used in emergency situations. All respirators selected must be, at minimum, approved by NIOSH under the provisions of 42 CFR 84.4 According to OSHA, respirators may be used before engineering controls have been installed; dur-

By MARTY LORKOWSKI and MAUREEN PARAVENTI

greenish-yellow gas with a pungent, irritating odor, chlorine is used effectively for reducing the toxicity of wastewater and treating drinking water. Chlorine and its chemical cousin chlorine dioxide are used extensively as disinfectants in wastewater treatment plans and for water purification, among other applications. Exposure to chlorine — which may occur when changing chlorine tanks or working in chlorine rooms, among other activities — can cause a host of respiratory problems1 if inhaled. Mild to moderate exposure may produce eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing spasms, a restriction of the upper airway and an accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) that leads to a choking sensation. More severe exposure can narrow the upper airway so significantly that it causes sudden death. Respiratory failure accounts for the majority of deaths caused by chlorine exposure.2 Choosing proper respiratory protection and conducting a thorough hazard assessment are critical to ensuring worker safety. Respirator selection must be done by a knowledgeable person. Respirator use is only one part of the

It is important that the wearer be trained and fitted for the respirator. ing work operations such as maintenance or repair activities that involve unknown exposures; during operations that require entry into tanks or closed vessels and during emergencies. Choosing effective respiratory protection requires knowing the Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) levels to which workers may potentially be exposed. Routine exposures call for a different type of protective device than that used with an uncontrolled release, where the concentration may be unknown. It is also important that the wearer be trained and fitted for the respirator.

Start with exposure limits Chlorine (Cl2):  NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL: C 0.5 parts per million (pm) (1.45 mg/m3) [15-minute].  OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): †: C 1 ppm (3 mg/m3)5. Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2):  NIOSH REL: TWA 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/m3) ST 0.3 ppm (0.9 mg/m3)6.  OSHA PEL: †: TWA 0.1 ppm (0.3 mg/m3)5.

Detection technologies Chlorine and chlorine dioxide are detected using the same technologies: Electrochemical (E-Chem) Sensors and Photo Ionization Detection technology (PID). E-Chem gas sensors measure the concentration of a target gas by oxidizing or reducing the target gas at an electrode and measuring the resulting current. E-Chem monitors have advantages: they’re available in small sizes, require less power than other types and can target specific gases. They may fail, however, in extreme situations, where gas is present in high concentrations. Furthermore, they are not designed for process control, and some are consumptive. Sensors may give false readings due to drift; choosing a more stable sensor results in less drift and increased accuracy. PID sensors measure volatile organic compounds and other gases, producing instantaneous readings. Photo ionization occurs when an atom or molecule absorbs light of sufficient energy to cause an electron to leave and create a positive ion. The accuracy of the PID may be affected by high levels of humidity or the presence of a compound like methane in high concentrations.

Fixed or portable? There are two main types of gas detection devices: fixed and portable. Fixed devices allow for continu-

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ous monitoring and often contain better sensoring technology. They may connect to a computer control system that will enable the activation of alarms or fans when a certain level of gas is detected. Portable devices are ideal for personal protection and for remote areas. The area of coverage will depend both on the physical properties of the gas (density, temperature, reactivity) and environmental conditions (temperature, wind, rain/fog). For Cl2 and ClO2 the detection devices will measure gas in parts per million (PPM) and can be cor-

Portable devices are ideal for personal protection and for remote areas.

related to the following exposure limits enabling the user to select the proper respiratory protection based on assessment.  PELs  RELs  Time Weighted Average (TWA)  Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL)  Immediately Dangerous To Life & Health (IDLH)  Threshold Limit Values (TLV’s)  Maximum Use Concentration (MUC)

The APFs of respirator recommendations

Respirator features to consider Beyond specific exposures, careful consideration of other factors will help determine the best type of respirator to use in a given situation. Some respirators are better suited for longer duration protection. Some can be used with various lengths of air hose, to give the user a greater range of movement. Certain supplied-air respirators have automatic, hands-free transfer capabilities, causing the air source to be instantly switched to a portable air cylinder if the continuous air supply is interrupted. Supplied air respirators should also be comfortable to wear. Respirators used in confined spaces should have a profile that allows for ease of entry into or escape from confined spaces. For situations where person-to-person communication is important, respirators with two-way radio interface or voice projection devices are available. Marty Lorkowski is manager of vertical markets and product portfolio, global marketing, for Scott Safety, www.ScottSafety.com. Maureen Paraventi is assistant editor, ISHN. FOOTNOTES 1 Contact with the skin or eyes is also hazardous, but is

beyond the scope of this article. 2 NIOSH Emergency Response Safety and CIRCLE 227 FOR FREE INFO Health Database www. cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/ EmergencyResponseCard_29750024. html 3 For details on the 29 CFR 1910.134, see the NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards: www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/pgintrod.html#mustread 4 DHHS (NIOSH) Publication #96-101: Guide to the Selection and Use of Particulate Respirators www. cdc.gov/niosh/docs/96-101/ 5 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards/Chlorine www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0115.html 6 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards/Chlorine dioxide www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0116.html

ISHN AUGUST 2011 www.ishn.com

Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) are defined in OSHA 1910.134 Table 1. Respirators are designated an APF based on the protection they will provide when a trained user is properly wearing and using the device. The APF, along with the defined exposure level (e.g. PEL or REL), will determine the atmospheric levels of hazardous gas in which a respirator can be worn. A full face air purifying respirator (APR) has an APF of 50. This APR — equipped with a chemical cartridge providing protection against the hazard of concern — can provide protection for the wearer up to 50 times the REL or as high as the defined IDLH, whichever is lower. Chlorine, for example, has an REL of 0.5ppm. Therefore, the full face APR described above will provide protection up to 25ppm, unless the IDLH is lower. The IDLH of ClO2 is 10ppm, for which a full face APR is insufficient protection. Any exposure greater than 10ppm of ClO2 would require an air supplied respirator operated in positive pressure mode. In emergency situations, where the concentrations of gas are unknown or where IDLH conditions may be present, NIOSH calls for a respirator with a 10,000 APF respirator. This solution could be any combina-

tionSAR or any SCBA operated in a positive pressure mode. In the escape category, NIOSH requires an air-purifying, full-facepiece respirator (gas mask) with an APF of 50, a chin-style, front- or back-mounted canister providing protection against the compound of concern, or any appropriate escapetype, self-contained breathing apparatus. There are open circuit and closed circuit, air-supplied emergency escape breathing devices (EEBD) available. EEBDs are, relatively small, lightweight solutions with specific duration of escape time from toxic, IDLH environments (see manufacturer specifications).

PPE

Fall protection Fall protection equipment used daily is potentially dangerous due to wear, neglect, misuse or age/exposure. Information for this article provided by Miller Fall Protection / Honeywell Safety Products.

Why has the number of injuries and deaths associated with falls from heights increased? Several factors have contributed to these alarming and disturbing statistics: • All fall protection equipment deteriorates with use and exposure over time, regardless of brand and/or manufacturer. • Equipment is not inspected often enough for wear and damage. • Proper training is not provided — often, the wrong equipment is selected for a particular situation, and equipment is not worn properly. Those specifying or using fall protection equipment know these factors to be valid (at least at some subliminal level). Yet, it is very likely that a high percentage of equipment used on job sites throughout North America today would fail to meet safety standards if exposed to a fall. On any given day, a visit to any job site in the country will unveil fall protection equipment being used that is potentially dangerous because of wear, neglect, misuse or age/exposure. In one study, shock-absorbing lanyards from a variety of manufacturers were voluntarily removed from job sites for safety qualification, and 85% of the product samples failed standard safety tests (in accordance with ANSI Standards). The test program focused on shock-absorbing lanyards from eight manufacturers and showed a variety of performance failures (lanyard test, 220 lbs. [100 kg] at 6 ft. [1.8 m] free fall):

• 100% did not pass visual inspection criteria [weld splatter, webbing cuts/abrasions, broken stitching, frayed/burned webbing, chemical damage, discoloration, deformed hardware (cracks/rough or sharp edges) and/or loose, distorted or broken grommets, etc. • 6% had webbing that actually broke • 24% elongated over the 42 inch (1.1 m) standard • 83% had fall arrest forces over 900 lbs. (4 kN) (ANSI), with 9% over 1,800 lbs. (8 kN) (OSHA) • 6% were previously deployed, but still in active service when removed from the job site • 42% had hardware with visible defects • 9% had snap hooks that opened during testing • 9% had webbing that was knotted The safety community must recognize these facts and take a proactive approach. Workers are being seriously injured in falls with equipment that initially passed industry safety standards. More troubling, worn and damaged equipment is still accessible even though it will not perform as designed in the event of a fall. Safety directors and supervisors need to make a concerted effort to keep unsafe and potentially lifethreatening equipment out of the hands of those working at heights. Workers, through proper training and attentive daily inspection, will be safer and injury free. Taking equipment out of service too early is a better alternative than explaining to a worker’s family that there has been a serious accident ... adopt a Smart Policy — when in doubt, throw it out!

What are key considerations to provide maximum fall protection safety? Warnings – Always read all instructions and warnings contained on the product and packaging before using any fall protection equipment.

Inspection – All fall protection equipment must be inspected prior to each use. Training – All workers should be trained by a Competent Person in the proper use of fall protection products. Regulations – Understand all Federal, State, Local and Provincial regulations pertaining to fall protection before selecting and using the equipment. Rescue planning – Minimizing the time between a fall occurrence and medical attention of the worker is vitally important. A thorough rescue program should be established prior to using fall protection equipment. System components – Only components that are fully compatible with one another should be

Photo courtesy of Miller Fall Protection

44 4

Inspecting hardware thimbles of lanyards.

used. Fall arrest systems are designed and tested as complete systems and should be used in this way. After a fall – After a fall occurs, all components of the fall arrest system should be removed from service.

Can I wash my harness/lanyard? Basic care of all safety equipment will prolong the durable life of the unit and will contribute toward the performance of its vital safety function. Proper storage and maintenance after use are as important as cleansing the equipment of dirt, corrosives or contaminants. Storage areas should be clean, dry and free of exposure to fumes or corrosive elements. Nylon or polyester: Remove all surface dirt with a sponge dampened in plain water. Squeeze the sponge dry. Dip the sponge in a mild solution of water and commercial soap or detergent. Work up a thick lather with a vigorous back and forth motion; then wipe with a clean cloth. Drying: Hang freely to dry and dry thoroughly. Keep away from excessive heat and without close exposure to steam or long periods of sunlight. continued on page 46

Benzene detection?

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reveal any cuts, snags or breaks. Swelling, discoloration, cracks and charring are obvious signs of chemical or heat damage. Observe closely for any breaks in stitching. Inspect lanyard warning flag for signs of activation.

continued from page 44

What are the best practices for lanyard inspection? Hardware A) Snaps: Inspect closely for hook and eye distortions, cracks, corrosion or pitted surfaces. The keeper (latch) should seat into the nose without binding and should not be distorted or obstructed. The keeper spring should exert sufficient force to firmly close the keeper. Keeper locks must prevent the keeper from opening when the keeper closes. B) Thimbles: The thimble must be firmly seat-

Photo courtesy of Miller Fall Protection

Fall protection ed in the eye of the splice, and the splice should have no loose or cut strands. The edges of the thimble must be free of sharp edges, distortion or cracks. Wire rope lanyard Always wear gloves when inspecting a wire rope lanyard; broken strands can cause injury. While rotating the wire rope lanyard, watch for cuts, frayed areas or unusual wearing patterns on the wire. Broken strands will separate from the body of the lanyard. Web lanyard While bending webbing over a pipe or mandrel, observe each side of the webbed lanyard. This will

Inspecting the braking mechanism of a self-retracting lifeline.

Rope lanyard Rotate the rope lanyard while inspecting from end-to-end for any fuzzy, worn, broken or cut fibers. Weakened areas from extreme loads will appear as a noticeable change in original diameter. The rope diameter should be uniform throughout, following a short break-in period. Shock absorber pack The outer portion of the pack should be examined for burn holes and tears. Stitching on areas where the pack is sewn to D-rings, belts or lanyards should be examined for loose strands, rips, deterioration or other signs of activation. Shock-absorbing lanyard Shock-absorbing lanyards should be examined as a web lanyard (as described above). However, also look for the warning flag or signs of deployment. If the flag has been activated, remove this shock-absorbing lanyard from service.

Only one quantitative respirator fit tester family can deliver all the features you need for respirator training and fit testing. The real-time fit factor technology, only found in the TSI PORTACOUNT® Pro and Pro+ Fit Testers, transforms them from the #1 quantitative respirator fit testers into the ultimate training tool for your entire respiratory protection program.

What are best practices for selfretracting lifeline inspection?

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Check housing Before every use, inspect the unit’s housing for loose fasteners and bent, cracked, distorted, worn, malfunctioning or damaged parts. Lifeline Test the lifeline retraction and tension by pulling out several feet of the lifeline and allow it to retract back into the unit. Always maintain a light tension on the lifeline as it retracts. The lifeline should pull out freely and retract all the way back into the unit. Do not use the unit if the lifeline does not retract. The lifeline must be checked regularly for signs of damage. Inspect for cuts, burns, corrosion, kinks, frays or worn areas. Inspect any sewing (web lifelines) for loose, broken or damaged stitching. Braking mechanism The braking mechanism can be tested by grasping the lifeline above the load indicator and applying a sharp steady pull downward which will engage the brakes. There should be no slippage of the lifeline while the brakes are engaged. Once tension is released, the brakes will disengage and the unit will return to the retractable mode. Do not use the unit if the brakes do not engage. Check the hardware. The snap hook load indicator is located in the swivel of the snap hook. The swivel eye will elongate and expose a red area when subjected to fall arresting forces. Do not use the unit if the load impact indicator has been activated. Snap hook Check the snap hook to be sure that it operates freely, locks, and the swivel operates smoothly. Inspect the snap hook for any signs of damage to the keepers and any bent, cracked or distorted components. Anchorage connection Make sure the carabiner is properly seated and in the locked position between the attachment swivel/ point on the device and the anchor point.

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facilitysafety

Select flexible customized solutions By DOUG INGRAM

A

ccess and fall protection equipment is critical for any application where a liquid or dry material is brought into or carried out of a facility, as well as when workers are required to work more than six feet above ground, such as on roofs or tanks. For loading, unloading and sampling processes alike, solutions must allow the necessary access so workers can perform the required tasks. Equally important, the solution must provide necessary fall protection equipment to meet industry standards and ensure worker safety. The first step to selecting the ideal solution for both fall protection and access is to choose from several available equipment types, including safety bridges, safety stairs, loading racks and platforms. The second: ensuring the selected solution is flexible and customizable.

Access and equipment

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The most difficult transition during the loading and unloading process occurs when the worker moves from

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climbing up a ladder to get to the top of a vehicle. Equipment is designed to, first, safely maneuver workers to the proper height A full canopy with safety enclosures and a slide track allows loading and unloading across the whole length of the truck. Photo courtesy of Benko Products, Inc. of the vehicle and, second, provide access and fall protection while are available to protect against wind and precipitation, they work on the equipment. depending on whether loading and unloading takes place on either both or just one side of the rack. Safety bridges (gangways) Single pedestal platform racks, equipped with an Railcar and tank truck safety bridges, also called access stairway and equipment, are available for fast gangways, are designed for various industries and applications that require access to the top of a vehicle, access and fall protection to the top of a single-dome tank/bulk trucks, tank cars and hopper cars. Removable specifically where the working range is within 15 models eliminate the need for costly foundations. degrees above or below the platform height. They Installed with counterweights positioned on supports provide safe access from the loading rack or dock to on the unit, these models provide an ideal solution for an elevated manway during loading and unloading companies with temporary loading stations. Featuring processes. The safety bridge is maneuvered by hand, no underground anchors, racks can be easily removed, with a slight push or pull positioning the bridge for loaded on a truck and moved to another facility. safe access, and it can be paired with a safety enclosure for operator fall protection. Safety bridges feature carbon steel, aluminum, fiberPlatforms glass or combination construction, and Portable platforms are another option for applicashould be selected according to envitions that require limited use of access and fall proronmental requirements. To ensure tection equipment, or where the environment doesn’t optimal protection, purchasers should support permanent truck loading platforms and founchoose a safety bridge designed with dations. Offering an adjustable height range, portable non-skid grip strut walking surfaces. platforms provide operators with a rugged loading Other desired features may include area and can be used as a maintenance work platform. folding tubular handrails with midrails Providing a push-button operated, self-supporting on each side of the stair for increased platform, elevated platforms allow access to tank/bulk operator safety, as well as neoprene trucks without the need to rest on top of the vehicle bumpers to eliminate damage to the during loading and unloading. Paired with railing fall serviced vehicles. protection for all typical ports on a tanker truck and optional canopies, elevated platforms offer robust steel construction for weather and corrosion resistance. Safety stairs When the working range involves angles greater than 15 degrees Customization options above or below the platform height, Manufacturing and chemical processing plants that safety stairs can provide safe access require access and fall protection equipment vary from the loading rack or dock to an greatly, and few companies load and unload just a sinelevated walkway. Stairs may also gle type of vehicle for all their operations. Due to this, be partnered with a safety enclosure, flexibility and customization are key. Adjustable reach which can be easily attached to gangways can be selected to allow operators to simthe access equipment for enhanced ply and safely access vehicles of different heights and operator protection. lengths. Further, the safety stairs with a slide-rack can Operation and material options be implemented, moving to the left and right to ensure for safety stairs are similar to that operators reach mis-spotted rail cars and trucks. of safety bridges. Optional features When a plant regularly requires solutions beyond staninclude adjustable chain stops that dard, many cost-effective customization options are availallow access equipment to be selfable — from oversized walkways to extended canopies. supporting and a slide-track with Further, customizations can be planned to work carriages for adjustable access. around existing equipment. For example, a company may have an issue with loading and unloading due to existing piping and loading arms. A custom solution Loading racks can make sure the required fall protection exists, and Loading racks are designed to it does not come into contact with existing equipment facilitate access to vehicles such when being lowered and raised. By selecting a flexas isotainers and tanker trucks that ible and customized solution, sufficient fall protection may need to be loaded in harsh can be achieved without restricting access, suiting a outdoor environments. Featuring broad range of application requirements. heavy-duty construction and engineered for operator safety, loading racks may be equipped with safety Doug Ingram is general manager, GREEN bridges, safety stairs or another Access & Fall Protection for Benko Products, Inc., access option. Full or half canopies www.benkoproducts.com.

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50 0

PPE P

By PHIL JOHNSON

Identifying hazards

Photos courtesy of Honeywell Safety Products

Preferable to relying on one safety eyewear style

takes, chronic complaints caused by constant eye strain, and possible injuries. Low-cost eyewear also tends to lack even basic comfort features. When eyewear is uncomfortable or ill-fitting, employees are less likely to wear it and are therefore more vulnerable to injury. Finally, low quality lenses are easily damaged. Scratches and pits compromise the entire lens, requiring frequent replacement of the eyewear to combat reduced visual clarity.

Meeting essential standards

W

hen a golfer selects his clubs, does he fill his bag with only putters? Does a maintenance worker head to a job with only hammers? Of course not; these individuals face a variety of challenges in a variety of environments, so they come prepared with a wide range of tools. Using only one piece of equipment to tackle various tasks is undoubtedly ineffective. Yet, the selection of safety eyewear is often treated this way: one style for everyone. In an effort to reduce the cost and complexity of supplying personal protective equipment, some companies simply purchase a large volume of one type of eyewear and distribute it to every employee, perhaps missing whether it is designed to protect individuals from the specific hazards they confront on the job. Safety officers who want to keep injuries down and costs low should beware of this practice. They know better than anyone that worker safety is vital to every company’s success, and that something as important as PPE deserves a more comprehensive selection method. Safety officers should employ a portfolio approach when selecting eyewear; that is, they should evaluate their PPE portfolio as a whole, taking into account all of the hazards each worker faces, and purchase a spectrum of PPE to ensure that each worker has the appropriate equipment for his or her job.

Purchase a spectrum of PPE to ensure that each worker has the appropriate equipment for his or her job.

Unfortunately, some low-cost eyewear may fail to meet this standard. Although it may be marketed as “impact resistant,” any eyewear that lacks ANSI Z87.1 performance and markings can deliver inferior protection against impact and is simply not worth the risk or investment. Another less obvious but equally important shortcoming of low-quality eyewear is poor optical clarity. This can lead to on-the-job mis-

Impact, dust and chemical splash The most obvious concern when identifying hazards is impact. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 70 percent of workplace injuries are caused by flying or falling particles striking the eye. On your walkthrough, look and listen for sparks, chips or particulate that could present an impact hazard, as well as stationary objects that employees

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Most companies require a range of safety eyewear, and every piece should meet certain safety standards. First and foremost, all safety eyewear should comply with the American National Standards Institute’s ANSI Z87.1 standard for impact protection regardless of its cost or how durable it may otherwise appear. This is an OSHA requirement.

Now the question becomes, “How do I determine who needs what?” Providing each worker with the appropriate level and type of eye protection is the foundation of the portfolio approach, and a physical walkthrough to identify hazards is vital to any audit of a safety program. If different types of work take place within one environment, the same space may require a variety of eyewear. For example, on a single factory floor, those working closely with dangerous machines may need heavy-duty goggles, while inspectors or guests may need only lighter duty spectacles known as plano eyewear. Even workers with the same job description may face different hazards based on their location within the workspace. Depending on the complexity and variety of your work environment, the walkthrough process can require time and effort, but the main goal is clear: to assess the hazards faced by each employee so you can provide them with the PPE they need to do their work safely.

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could encounter. Safety directors looking for assurance beyond the ANSI Z87.1 standard for impact protection should consider eyewear that passes the ballistic impact requirements of the military eyewear standard, Mil V0. Eyewear that passes the Mil V0 ballistic test can withstand impact energies seven times higher than that required by ANSI testing. Plano eyewear — usually augmented with sideshields, or with a wraparound design to increase angular impact protection — will often suffice, but some workers may require additional coverage and the 360-degree impact protection of goggles. In impact-heavy environments, eyewear with antiscratch coatings will resist minor damage and require less frequent replacement. Goggles, which fit flush on the face, are ideal for workers in high-dust environments and for those who face exposure to hazardous chemicals. During your walkthrough, be on the lookout for containers of chemicals that could splash on an employee, and for high levels of dust or particulate in the air; if either is present, goggles that seal tightly to the face are a must. Low quality goggles can be cumbersome, making employees reluctant to wear them, so finding goggles with highly adjustable fit and comfort features are important in supporting compliance.

Glare and fogging Not all hazards are as readily visible as sparks, dust and chemicals. Chances are a portion of your PPE portfolio will need to provide protection against less obvious hazards such as radiation and fogging.

Glare hazards are among the most commonly overlooked in safety audits. Outdoor glare, generated by either direct sunlight or reflection from open water, snow and ice, can be reduced with mirrored or darkly tinted eyewear, preferably in wraparound style frames designed to provide angular coverage. Indoor glare, often caused by specialized lighting, can be counteracted with specialized tints: yellow or sodium vapor

continue working with limited visibility and risk causing an accident, or he can remove his eye protection in a dangerous environment and open himself up to injury. To minimize this situation, special lens coatings have been developed that maintain lens clarity and keep eye protection where it belongs, on the employee’s face.

The right tool for the job

Low quality lenses are easily damaged. light can be cut by a light blue lens filter, while pinkcolored lenses can solve glare problems involving fluorescent or halogen lighting. Tasks such as welding or work with special light sources or furnaces will call for lens filters that block hazardous ultraviolet and infrared radiation which are both invisible to the eye. Finally, always be aware of the temperature and humidity conditions of each work environment, the transitions each employee must make between different environments, and the fogging that can result. Very hot or humid environments or sudden changes in conditions — between refrigerated storage and a temperate work floor, for example, or between a heated warehouse and a frigid loading dock — can cause tiny droplets of water to condense on the lenses of eye protection and therefore obscure vision. A worker with fogged goggles has two options, neither of them very appealing to a safety manager: he can

The portfolio approach is not necessarily the lowest cost or the easiest method of supplying PPE. It requires more attention and effort on the part of the safety officer, and a greater investment of time and money on the part of upper management. It can be very tempting to simply purchase a large volume of the same low-cost product and consider it “good enough.” But as experience shows, this approach leads to more injuries and lower productivity. The winning strategy is a sophisticated approach that accounts for the company’s entire range of environments and potential job hazards. When safety eyewear is purchased as a coordinated portfolio, every employee will have the protection he or she needs to be safe, and the company will meet its PPE obligations while avoiding lost time due to worker injury. That’s clearly a win-win situation and a great way to establish and promote a company-wide culture of safety. Phil Johnson is director of technology for Honeywell Safety Products.

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Electrical power systems Maintenance is not an option; it’s a life-saver By JIM WHITE

B

Photos courtesy of Shermco Industries

y any measure, NFPA 70E is an electrical safety document, but how can a maintenance standard be related to safety? NFPA 70E specifically calls out two maintenance-related standards, as well as having a chapter on safetyrelated maintenance requirements (Chapter 2). Those two standards are the NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance and ANSI/NETA Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Distribution Equipment and Systems or MTS-2011. (See Figures 1a and 1b.)

Figure 1a

Figure 1b

NFPA 70B was first published in 1968 and the MTS in 1975. I have used both standards through the years and would refer to each on occasion for maintenance-related questions, but I never considered them safety documents until I considered the effect that the lack of maintenance has on system protective devices. Lack of proper maintenance, as required by these two standards, was such a concern that in the 2009 edition of NFPA 70E several sections and Fine Print Notes (now Informational Notes in the 2012 70E) were added: • Section 130.5 Informational Note No. 1 – “Improper or inadequate maintenance can result in increased operating time of the overcurrent protective device, thus increasing operating time.”

• Section 200.1(3) NFPA 70E states, “Informational Note: Refer to NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, and ANSI/NETA MTS-2007, Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Distribution Equipment and Systems, for guidance on maintenance frequency, methods, and tests.” The current edition of ANSI/NETA MTS is 2011. This edition was published too late to be included in the 2012 NFPA 70E, which still refers to the 2007 edition. • In Section 205.3 General Maintenance Requirements, “Electrical equipment shall be maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions or industry consensus standards to reduce the risk of failure and the subsequent exposure of employees to electrical hazards.” This requirement is new to the 2012 edition of NFPA 70E. • Section 205.4 Overcurrent Protective Devices (OCPD) states, “Overcurrent protective devices shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions or industry consensus standards. Maintenance, tests, and inspections shall be documented.” These requirements are aimed at protecting personnel from the arc flash hazard. When an Arc Flash Hazard Analysis is performed, the expected exposure to incident energy from an arc flash is based on calculations performed with the assumption that the electrical power system is properly engineered, installed and maintained and that all protective devices are functioning to and calibrated to the manufacturer’s specifications.

The problem As a facility manager or supervisor, I may be tempted to delay the regularly scheduled maintenance for a couple years or just skip a cycle or two. After all, everything’s going along just fine. Fine unless you consider that many electrical power systems in the U.S. were installed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Many have been expanded, so there’s some

newer equipment, but large parts of these electrical power systems are now 20 years old or older. I’ve seen power systems still in operation using equipment installed in 1911. An arc flash study bases its incident energy calculations on the voltage, available short circuit current and maximum total clearing (operating) time of the OCPD. If the expected operating time of the OCPD instantaneous function is four cycles (0.07 seconds), as is typical for a 480-volt draw out circuit breaker, the incident energy is based on that operating time. Consider a scenario where the upstream OCPD does not operate properly (due to lack of maintenance), does not see the fault as a short circuit (because of its settings) or the OCPD has a shorttime delay (STD) function. If the OCPD sees the fault as a large overcurrent, the device could take one or two seconds to operate, instead of operating instantaneously. This would be fairly disastrous, subjecting the worker to much higher incident energies than expected. Incident energy is proportional to time, so any increase in the operating time of the OCPD translates into a proportional increase in incident energy received by the worker. If the device has a STD function, there could be up to a half-second delay in operation, even under short circuit conditions. This could cause multiples of its instantaneous operating time and multiples of the incident energy expected. And if the next device upstream also fails to operate, the situation becomes even grimmer. If one circuit breaker fails due to lack of maintenance, there’s an increased probability that the upstream OCPD in the system could fail as well. Figure 2 shows a power system circuit breaker that suffered a restrike. A “restrike” is where a circuit breaker could not clear a fault and the next circuit breaker upstream must clear it. In this situation, six breakers failed consecutively when an underground 15kV cable faulted. This company was out of production for six days and had to replace the equipment at premium prices and pay overtime to

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Figure 2: Circuit breaker after a restrike event

contracted workers. Figure 3 shows the only alternative for switchgear that has gone through an arc event such as the one depicted in Figure 2 — you tie a cable around it, drag it into the parking lot, and cut it up for scrap. Nothing could be salvaged from the original installation, and all cabling and control circuits had to be reinstalled. This customer paid more than $500,000 just for the equipment and installation.

culture, we have come a long way since the bad days of the 70s and 80s. We have more tools available and employees and employers are becoming more educated about what their responsibilities are and how what we do (or don’t do) can affect safety. One important missing component has been the proper maintenance and calibration of electrical power systems and their protective devices. Poorly engineered, poorly installed or poorly maintained electrical power systems are a hazard to anyone who works on or near them. An arc flash can injure or kill personnel several feet from the equipment, and as power systems age and are operated to their maximum tolerances, the probability of failure increases. Maintenance is not an overhead item — it is a safety item. NFPA 70B and ANSI/NETA MTS-2011 provide the informa-

tion you need to make your power system safe to operate or to work on. James R. White is the training director for Shermco Industries, a NETA-certified electrical test and maintenance company that offers training at its Irving, Texas, offices and at its customers’ sites. Jim is a Senior IEEE member, is currently on the NFPA 70E Committee as the alternate representative for the interNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA), the Primary representative for the NFPA 70B Committee for Shermco Industries, serves on NETA’s Safety Committee, Training Committee and CTD Committee. Jim is also the NETA representative on ASTM F18. Jim can be contacted at (972) 793-5523 or [email protected].

Figure 3: No repair possible

How maintenance standards can help

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For maintenance departments or companies that want to start or improve electrical power system maintenance programs, NFPA 70B is a single-source document that explains it all. It covers such topics as maintenance philosophies; developing an effective maintenance program; personnel safety, which contains excerpts from NFPA 70E; and specific recommendations for all common types of electrical equipment. A section on testing and test methods includes several recommended forms, as well as inspection and testing procedures. NFPA 70B also contains chapters discussing the maintenance of equipment subject to long intervals between shutdowns, UPS systems, engineering studies, power quality, vibration and grounding. These chapters go into detail about what the issues are and how to evaluate and correct any problems found. In the Annexes, there are sections on recommended maintenance intervals, equipment storage inspection checklists, and equipment maintenance and storage during construction. ANSI/NETA MTS-2011 works hand-in-hand with NFPA 70B. ANSI/NETA MTS-2011 covers the inspection, maintenance and testing of each component in the electrical power system, as well as the acceptable requirements (both for visual/mechanical inspections and electrical tests) for each component. As a bonus, ANSI/ NETA MTS-2011 provides guidance on frequency of maintenance in Annex B in an easyto-use matrix format.

Electrical safety is no accident. It takes hard work and constant diligence to have a safe work environment. As an electrical working

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9 essentials to prevent slips and falls By KAREN D. HAMEL

S

lips and falls can happen in any facility. In fact, they are the third leading cause of worker injury and lost work time each year, according to the National Safety Council. Costs associated with slip and fall injuries collectively total over $7.7 billion and cause over 104 million lost workdays per year. Although a written floor safety plan is not required by OSHA, with such a large potential for injuries, creating a specific floor safety plan makes sense.

It is important to understand the specific hazards in the facility, and know the workforce well enough to know what will work to correct and prevent future problems.

Evaluating hazards Begin with a diagram of the entire facility and evaluate the variety of hazards present. Torn carpeting, cracked sidewalks, poor lighting and wet floors should be fairly easy to spot. Polished entrances, reception areas and offices will likely have fewer slip

Slip and fall dynamics Slips and falls to the same level occur when there is a loss of friction between a person’s feet and the walking surface. The causes of slip and fall injuries are numerous. Rain, improper footwear, dust, curled rugs, poor lighting and uneven surfaces are just a few common causes. Factors such as a person’s gait and level of coordination cannot be controlled by a floor safety program. However, many external factors can be more easily controlled — from the types of shoes that are permissible in a facility to the coefficient of friction that is maintained on a floor’s surface.

Signage can be used throughout the facility to reinforce slip and fall safety. hazards than a production area with constant overspray from machines. Parking lots and sidewalks will have different hazards and maintenance needs than the cafeteria. Office employees may wear drastically different footwear than employees on a production

line or in the warehouse area. Consider renting or purchasing a tribometer and training someone on how to use it properly. This instrument measures the static and/or dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) on a surface. OSHA recommends that walking surfaces have a COF of at least 0.5. For facilities that are open to the public, the ADA recommends a COF of at least 0.6. The higher the COF, the more traction a surface has, and the less likely it will be for a slip and fall incident to occur. When sourcing a tribometer, be sure that it is designed to measure the type of surfaces present at the facility. Some meters are designed for both wet and dry surfaces; others will only provide accurate results for either wet or dry surfaces. If a tribometer will be rented, ensure that it is correctly calibrated. When purchasing a tribometer, plan for re-calibration at least once a year. Knowing the COF of walking surfaces in each area of the facility is an important step toward knowing where “unseen” problems may lie, so solutions can be found to correct them. The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) maintains a list of “walkway safety auditors” who are certified to perform walkway audits. These individuals can measure the COF of all walking surfaces and help facilities consider solutions in areas where improvements are needed. Two ANSI standards: ANSI/ASSE 1264.2: Standard for the Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces, and ANSI/NFSI B101-1: Test Method for Measuring Wet SCOF of Common Hard-Surface Floor Materials can also be referenced to help planning coordinators minimize slip and fall potentials.

Essentials of a facility floor plan Your facility’s floor safety plan should address: 1 Specific hazards found in each area of the facility during a wall-to-wall inspection; 2 Documented corrective steps that will be taken to minimize or eliminate those hazards; 3 Employee participation in each area to find solutions and determine whether or not they are realistic. Purchasing an expensive vacuum that is capable of collecting every spec of dust on the production line may sound like a good idea, but if it is very cumber-

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Diligence

OPTIONS IN ANTI-SLIP FOOTWEAR Many options are available in slip-resistant footwear, so choose carefully. Not all shoes are created equal and factors such as style, construction, sole compounds and tread patterns can help determine which shoes are best for a specific application. Styles can range from work boots, athletic or dress style shoes to best match a particular work environment. Non-slip overshoes and boots are also available to wear over existing footwear. For added traction on ice and snow, various types of shoe attachments and overshoes are offered with a range of anti-slip mechanisms such as spikes, studs and chains.

some to use and takes up a lot of space, it may not be received as well as simply having a broom, dustpan and trashcan readily available and allowing five minutes at the end of each shift for cleanup. 4 Signage can be used throughout the facility to reinforce slip and fall safety. For example, if office employees enter production areas that could be slippery, a sign near the doorway to the production area could remind them of the need to change or check their footwear. Signs labeling the location of spill kits can be helpful on the loading dock, in the cafeteria and on the production line. 5 Floor mats can help provide a surer footing for areas that are constantly wet and slip-

incidental spills quickly and safely. Consider stocking small kits in all areas where fluids are transferred — don’t forget the coffee bar — and in areas where leaks and drips are the most likely. Having a spill kit readily available will encourage employees to clean up a spill as it happens.

Floor safety plans, like many other safety plans, are living documents. A slip and fall incident should not be the only time that the plan is reviewed. By having a floor safety program and incorporating it into everyone’s job description, slip and fall incidents can be minimized or eliminated. Karen D. Hamel is the technical education manager for New Pig Corp. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and has years of experience helping EHS professionals find solutions to their environmental, health and safety issues. She is HAZWOPER technician level certified and serves in the Blair County, PA LEPC. She can be reached at 1-800-HOT-HOGS® (468-4647) or by email [email protected].

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Why Integrating Measurements is Important Variable noise levels can make it difficult to assess the risk to employees throughout their day. This series helps to solve this problem by measuring the average sound pressure level (L EQ /L AVG) over the run-time. L Max, L Min and L Pk (peak) levels are also computed. For more information, please contact your local 3M Representative at 262.567.9157 or visit our website at 3M.com/detection.

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pery. In building entrances, properly sized mats that have a bi-level surface and wells around the edge to keep water from leaking onto the floor can help minimize slip and falls. In production aisle ways with light overspray, adhesive-backed absorbent mats will stay in place — providing traction and absorption, while minimizing trip hazards caused by curling edges. For production areas more prone to constant wetness, drainage mats may be more appropriate. Consider the composition of the mat for these areas. Different polymers will hold up better to different chemicals. A mat that works well with water may not fare well with oil or other chemicals. 6 Cones and barricades in bright colors are a handy staple for maintenance crews, and for use in areas where leaks and spills are highly likely. 7 Surface cleaners, polishes, finishes and other cleaning chemicals should be evaluated to determine if they are a help or a hindrance to the floor safety program. Even more important is to be sure that each is being used correctly. It is not uncommon to find that a cleaning product is the correct one for the application, but because too much or too little is used, it is not effective and is actually increasing the potential for a slip and fall injury. 8 Review the types of footwear worn in each area of the facility. In areas that would benefit from anti-slip footwear, determine if the best type has been chosen. Like floor mats, the soles of work shoes are often best suited for a specific application. Shoes designed for restaurant workers have a different tread pattern and are made of different polymers than shoes made for industrial settings that use cutting oils and have different traction needs. 9 Keep spill response materials and supplies handy and train workers how to respond to

56

training

STRATEGIES

A closer look at e-learning Expert advice on why technology-based training works

C

all it what you will — online training, distance learning, web-based training or e-learning — but the practice of training employees via technology-based methods such as the Internet, intranet, CD-ROM and more has continued to grow in popularity as more and more workplaces discover the value that this type of training has to offer. Experts cite benefits that range from decreased costs, greater convenience and flexibility to improved retention rates and a positive environmental impact. Tom Kuhlmann, who has more than 15 years experience in the training industry and hosts The Rapid E-Learning Blog (www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning) shares the following reasons on why e-learning is so effective:

material, and hopefully improved (and more efficient) performance. • Decreased material costs. Setting up a real environment for hands-on training can be costly. Even setting up a fake environment has material costs E-learning supports the organizaand labor. By creating the environment online and letting tion’s goals: the learner practice, you never have to worry about the • Improved training costs. Producing costs associated with set up, use and cleanup. learning content is time-consuming whether it’s online or not. With e-learning, each time the course is accessed, • Increased productivity. Because your return on investment improves because you are e-learning is not bound by geography or time, you can dividing the fixed production costs by number of uses. control training’s impact on production by training You also have savings through decreased travel, reduced people during down times. In addition, with the current economy, you’re asking people to do more with less. So e-learning is a great way to give them the tools and skills needed to enhance their performance. DuPont™ eLearning Suite • Standardization. You • AAward-winning wardd win i ning i g LMS LMS may have a great facilitator, but • Authoring Tool that’s no guarantee that the courses DVDs are presented the same across ses• Ch Chapterized Content Chap • Electronic Leader’s Guide sions. E-learning allows you to create a standardized process and consistency in the delivery of content. It also compresses delivery time. Available in up to 33 languages E-learning courses can be combined • Safety with facilitated sessions. E-learning • DuPont™ STOP™ delivers consistent content, while • Ethics and Compliance • Industrial Skills live sessions offer interactive case • Custom Course Development studies that apply the information.

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• Real-time access. Live learning events require that those who participate align their schedules to the training calendar. E-learning eliminates this because the course can be accessed anytime, anywhere. This can also happen without Internet access. “I saw a Red Cross demo where the learners accessed the content on a PC out in the field and uploaded their results when they were back online,” says Kuhlmann. • Freedom to fail. Let’s face it, real learning requires some failure. But no one likes to fail in a classroom full of other people. E-learning lets you fail without fear. This encourages exploration and testing of ideas. With the right feedback you create a great learn-

ing environment. Worst case, you can always start over. Something you can’t always do in class. • Improved retention. The combination of multimedia and instructional design can produce a very rich learning experience that is repeatable. Throw in some good practice activities with feedback and you have a learning environment that’s going to help your learners retain the course content which will produce results. • Personalized learning. All cars do the same thing, yet we have personal opinions about what we want to drive. The same goes for learning. Learners want control. E-learning allows you to offer control to the learners in a way that classroom learning doesn’t.

E-learning nurtures a learning organization & community: • Ongoing access to resources. If you take a class in the real world and need a refresher, you better hope that you took good notes. Otherwise, you’re out of luck. That’s not the case with e-learning. Ideally, you continue to have access to the online content and resources to brush up on what you learned. • Knowledge management. Many people see e-learning as only the authored courses. But e-learning includes all sort of online technologies. If you incorporate some of the tools that allow collaboration and conversation, you can capture organizational knowledge that is available for future learners. • Encourage sharing. The foundation of a learning community is built on sharing what you know with others. This is where incorporating a forum or wiki really adds value to your e-learning. Depending on how the course is structured, you can encourage sharing of resources and insight gained from the course. • Employer of choice. People want opportunities to grow. A catalog with all sorts of e-learning courses allows workers to explore other opportunities in the organization. During downtime, it would be great to spend 15 minutes learning to better manage meetings or improve working with peers. Offering these opportunities to learn makes your company a place people want to stay. • E-learning is good for the environment. Britain’s Open University’s “study found that producing and providing distance learning courses consumes an average of 90 percent less energy and produces 85 percent fewer CO2 emissions per student than conventional face-to-face courses.”

E-learning may not be for everyone. Those who are not technology savvy may have a more difficult time navigating programs or might be intimidated or turned off by electronics-based learning and prefer to be taught face to face by a live human being. While one can make the case for the value of classroom-based, instructor-led training, in these tough economic times where companies are pinching pennies and workers are bearing the load of a leaner workforce, e-learning merits a closer look.

Visit www.ishn.com for complete archives of Systems Thinking, Best Practices, and Positive Cultures columns.

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INSTRUMENTS Radiation protection and detection Radiation is part of daily life on our planet. Ionizing radiation is all around us. There’s naturally occurring cosmic radiation from space as well as radioactive material in the ground. Ionizing radiation represents one of two forms of radiation and the one known to damage cell structures and increase the risk of cancer. Exposure to elevated levels of radiation for extended periods of time can be life threatening. The fundamental principle of radiation safety is to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation and its source. The goal is to maintain exposure to As Low As Reasonably Achievable, or ALARA. The three factors influencing radiation dose are time, distance and shielding, so the best ways to protect yourself are to limit your time near the radiation source; put distance between you and the source; and/or increase the amount of shielding material between you and the source.

Types of detection equipment

Know the risks of radiation By BOBBY SHEIKHAN

R

adiation has added a new dimension to the industrial hygienist’s role — a dimension that includes extreme time pressure in response, identification, isolation and protection. Exposure to high levels of radiation can be dangerous. Because radiation is odorless and invisible,

those who must work with radioactive materials need special equipment to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them. Therefore, speed, accuracy and reliability are more important than ever in radiation detection instruments used to assess radioactive threats and to guide life-saving decisions. All personnel who work with radioisotopes need different detection and measurement devices. Knowing more about radiation and how to detect it can help keep industrial hygienists, first responders and the public safe from overexposure.

For those who need to work with radioactive materials, deploying specialized radiation-detection equipment is key to ensuring safety. There are four main types of radiation-detection instruments: 1. Personal radiation detectors A personal radiation detector is a small pager-like device. Its main purpose is to alert the wearer to the presence of radiation as quickly as possible. Detectors typically sense gamma radiation or gamma and neutron radiation. Personal radiation detectors typically cost between $600 and $1,200 and last many years. 2. Dosimeters A dosimeter accurately measures the accumulated

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Detection, prevention and safety The proper use of appropriate radiation detection can help protect the industrial hygienist and the public. New technologies have been developed to organize, simplify and better meet the challenges that face you on a daily basis. Selecting the right equipment can be challenging. Things to consider when selecting a radiation-detection instrument include: • How important is speed-of-response for your application? • Will the device be used in a rugged or harsh environment? • How important is portability? • How important is ease of use?

• Do you want readings on radiation levels? • Do you want to track exposure over time? • Are you interested in identifying specific radioisotope types? Bobby Sheikhan is director of product management for RAE Systems, Inc. He is experienced in providing training in air-monitoring and emergency-response planning for a wide range of industries. Mr. Sheikhan led the RAE Systems team that worked directly with HazMat first responders in the Gulf Oil Crisis and has assisted civil defense, high-profile public event safety, major metropolitan first responder and Hazmat teams, multinational oil & gas corporations and major industrial sites measure, track and evaluate real time data from RAE Systems gas and radiation monitors. RAE Systems develops a full range of radiation detection meters and dosimeters.

radiation dose that the wearer has received. Dosimeters can measure gamma, alpha, beta and neutron radiation doses, but most electronic personal dosimeters measure only gamma radiation because it is the most likely type of radiation exposure. Electronic personal dosimeters are less expensive than personal radiation detectors and range from $200 to $500 per unit. 3. Identifiers An identifier uses the differences in radiation emission energies to determine which radioisotope is present. Identifiers are mainly used to identify an unknown radioactive source or contamination. Identifiers are expensive, and a single unit can cost more than $10,000. 4. Survey Meters Survey meters measure radiation levels using the same radiation sensors employed in detectors and dosimeters. These have a probe that’s held in one hand, while the meter box is held in the other. Each probe is specifically tailored to a particular type of radiation, and can measure gamma, neutron, alpha or beta radiation levels. Cost of a survey meter can range from $1,000 to $20,000.

Selecting appropriate detection equipment

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Most people only need one or two types of devices, which, when used properly, can make their jobs easier and safer. Workers in industrial facilities with radioactive materials Personnel entering areas where the radioactive material is stored should wear a personal radiation detector to alert them of any leaking sources and high dose rate areas. Workers at refineries and chemical plants must wear intrinsically safe equipment, especially during plant turnarounds. Radiation workers Each radiation worker should wear a dosimeter when entering a radiation area. Dosimeters are used because it is known that there is radiation in the area, and by law the dose to each worker must be carefully tracked. First responders First responders need the most rugged and fastest responding equipment possible that includes intrinsic safety, water, shock and EMI resistance, ease of operation while wearing several layers of gloves, and illuminated, easy-to-read displays. Since HazMat responders may be exposed to more significant amounts of radiation, a detector-dosimeter combination instrument is ideal. A survey meter or detector should be used to determine a safe distance from the source.

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facilitysafety

Be proactive: Conduct emergency shower drills By CASEY HAYES

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o one plans on being involved in an industrial accident, it just happens. In Al’s case, it was simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the right time. While returning to his work area from the tool crib, a drum of caustic material slipped off of a fork lift. The drum hit the side of an inventory rack and split open. Al was splashed across his left side, soaking his clothing from head to toe. A significant amount of the hazardous material struck his exposed face and hands. In the sometimes matter-of-fact world of OSHA and ANSI requirements, this would be a cut and dried situation. There should be a combination eye/face wash and drench shower within ten seconds of the location of the accident, on the same level, without obstacles in the pathway, etc. Most significant-sized operations have a solid handle on the specifics of the regulatory requirements for dealing with Al’s incident. But, what about the most important part of all… what about Al? What about his state of mind and psychological condition from the instant the splash contacted him forward? ANSI doesn’t mandate compassion and care about the comfort and well-being of the victim from the first moment on. That’s the unwritten responsibility of Al’s employer and their associated managers.

Care and comfort The first step in attending to the personal needs of accident victims is recognizing those needs. Most of the immediate needs are common-sense. Accident victims have suffered a trauma, which brings the possibility of pain, nervous agitation and accompanying shock, along with possible embarrassment over the accident occurring at all. So, proper planning becomes a function of answering those needs and alleviating the concerns as much as possible. Selection of the proper equipment, reasonable placement and training will go a long way toward mitigating victim concerns. Having the proper procedures in place to provide immediate first aid assistance, while also reassuring and comforting the

victim is equally critical. And, as with all areas of safety and emergency response, training on the risks and dangers present, as well as the emergency response equipment available — including locations and use instructions — is an obvious necessity.

What you need Now, let’s consider some specific needs: Easily-accessed, operational equipment is a given — The requirement for quality emergency showers and eyewashes is fundamental to a quality response. Emergency equipment that doesn’t operate properly, hasn’t been adequately maintained or does not provide the required capabilities will exacerbate the victim’s anxiety. High quality emergency equipment, in the proper numbers and locations should be assumed. This is not a place to skimp! Features like high visibility signage, easyto-operate actuation, flow controls to assure smooth operation and diffused spray eyewash and shower heads are good investments. Remember, the products that you choose can have an impact on the degree of anxiety experienced by accident victims. Privacy during use — Imagine an injured employee needing to disrobe under an emergency shower flow and stand there for the required 15-minute use cycle. While it has to be done and few would hesitate, consider the state-of-mind of that employee a few minutes into the cycle. Consider that the victim is probably embarrassed that the accident even occurred anyway — if you add in the embarrassment Figure 1 of an exposed 15-minute shower, you get some sense of their state of mind. There are a number of products on the market that address the privacy needs of victims using emergency equipment. Figure 1 shows a plumbed-in drench shower with a privacy curtain attached.

This low cost option provides a modicum of privacy, making shower use far less stressful.

ISHN JANUARY 2012

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Many specifiers are moving toward the ultimate in visibility and privacy by specifying Figure 2 enclosed emergency equipment products. An example of these products is shown in Figure 2. These emergency shower and eyewash booths offer superior visibility to accident victims, as well as privacy during use. And, they provide the added benefit of a turn-key response system that is tailored to each user’s specific needs. In larger sizes, they also can provide space inside for safety personnel to assist the victim during use. Encourage full-cycle use — In addition to providing operable emergency equipment, with CIRCLE 246

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victim-oriented features that offer as much comfort and privacy as possible, it is imperative that your emergency response program encourage full cycle use. ANSI Z358.1-2009 stipulates that emergency showers and eyewashes should be used for a full 15-minute drench or irrigation cycle in all instances. Adhering to the required timeframe assures that all hazardous materials have been adequately flushed from the body, mitigating any potential further injury. In many geographic areas, municipally supplied water can become cold enough to make a 15-minute use cycle a torture test, let alone a comforting experience. Likewise, there are geographic areas and hot ambient temperature industrial processes that can heat municipal water to dangerously warm levels, again possibly resulting in a shortened use cycle. It is imperative that emergency response assets reconcile these situations with either tempering or reverse tempering to assure that the water used is within a safe and comfortable range. Per the ANSI Z358.1 standard, the range should be between 60°F and below 100°F for both emergency showers and eye/face washes. A disciplined maintenance program means no embarrassing surprises — Consider your emergency response maintenance and use procedures: ANSI requires that all emergency showers and eyewashes should be physically tested every week and thoroughly inspected every year. This not only assures proper operation, but it also flushes out debris in the system. It is also important that your operating procedures include the specific responsibilities of all of those people involved in emergency response, including otherwise not involved employees who could be potential victims. Written procedures assure that everyone knows his or her role and also provides valuable documentation in the event of a serious accident. Train and drill the team — Once the equipment and safety/emergency procedures are in place, it’s time to make sure that response is second nature to everyone. One would hope that Al knew exactly where to go for emergency aid and what to do once he got there. And, likewise, the other people involved in assisting with the response also swung into action automatically. Training employees and management regarding the locations of your emergency equipment and how to operate the various response assets completes your overall preparation and response plan. You can’t overtrain personnel on using emergency equipment. These days “war gaming” is a popular way of both testing preparedness and training for reflexive response. The old grammar school “fire drill” approach will give you a realistic look at what you can expect if and when the real thing occurs. As the title of this article implies, providing a supportive environment that encourages understanding of the risks and the procedures to follow in the event of an accident will, hopefully, minimize pain and suffering of employees and their families. There is more at stake than a deviation from a regulation. Every incident involves a very anxious human being. For more information on the full range of emergency shower and eye/face wash products visit www. hawsco.com. Casey Hayes is the director of engineered solutions at Haws Corporation, located in Sparks, Nevada. He can be reached at (775) 353-8320 or [email protected]. Haws Corporation designs, manufactures and distributes drinking fountains and emergency equipment.

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protection

PRODUCT UPDATE

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1 Low-profile system Prevent injury from dust and debris with U.S. Safety’s Low Profile System. Combine U.S. Safety’s Double Matrix Faceshield™, The Hornet DX™ dust goggle, and Comfort-Air™ respirator for comfortable, compatible and complete protection. U.S. Safety, www.ussafety.com, (800) 821-5218, Opt.2. Circle 263

2 Continuous-duty vacuum The VAC-U-MAX Model 1020 Continuous Duty Industrial Vacuum features a powerful positive displacement pump designed specifically for high volume recovery of up to 5 tons per hour. It is also used in the recovery of heavy materials including steel shot, foundry sand, metal powders, sludges and other materials of similar nature. VAC-U-MAX, www.vac-u-max. com/vacuum, (800) VAC-U-MAX. Circle 262

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3 Pulse-cleaned industrial vacuum Camfil Farr Air Pollution Control (APC) has introduced a pulsecleaned industrial vacuum with dual-stage HEPA filtration that drastically minimizes clogs, preventing the problems that result from loss of suction during cleaning. Called the FarrVac Junior, it uses a patented pulse-cleaning technology that works without compressed air. Filters are cleaned every 10 seconds. Camfil Farr APC, www.farrapc.com, (800) 479-6801. Circle 260

4 Explosion-proof vacuum The Nilfisk CFM CD 3507 EXP explosion-proof vacuum is ideal for larger combustible dust jobs, including process-integration to collect dust at the source or as part of a central vacuum system used throughout the plant. It is CSA-approved for use in Class I, Group D and Class II, Groups E, F, and G environments and constructed of non-sparking stainless steel. Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums, www.explosion-proofvacuum.com, (800) 645-3475. Circle 264

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5 Aerosol monitor TSI aerosol monitoring equipment provides real-time, immediate access to data that moves you past the problem and onto critical decisions and solutions. From continuous active sampling to trending analysis, the DUSTTRAK™ Aerosol Monitors and intrinsically safe SIDEPAK™ Personal Aerosol Monitors have what you need for challenging exposure monitoring applications. TSI, www.tsi.com, (800) 874-2811. Circle 261

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product Circle 272

NEWS

SELF-RETRACTING LIFELINE

5S SHADOWBOARD

New DBI-SALA Nano-Lok™ Self-Retracting Lifelines (SRLs) can be used in place of lanyards and can be directly attached to any harness, reducing fall clearances. At only 1.6 lbs., the SRLs are compact and lightweight. The lightweight design provides comfort and productivity, while still being able to protect workers up to 420 lbs. Capital Safety, www.capitalsafety.com, (800) 328-6146. Circle 272

Store-Boards™ are a vital aspect of the visual workplace. They eliminate wasted time searching for tools and are specifically designed for use in rugged, industrial environments. Store-Boards™ are perfect for noisy production lines, where regular equipment changeovers or shift work takes place, and particularly in food processing, where wash-downs of equipment are a requirement. Accuform Signs, www.accuform. com/storeboards, (800) 237-1001. Circle 271

ACOUSTIC CALIBRATOR Circle 273

Measuring just 75.5mm x 54.0mm x 37.0mm, the new CEL-120 acoustic calibrator helps users achieve highly accurate calibration of sound level meters in the field. Fully compliant with IEC 60942:2003 and ANSI S1.40:2006 standards, the new CEL-120 incorporates the latest digital technology for exceptionally stable acoustic performance, as well as dual calibration level (Class 1 version) of 94dB and 114dB at 1kHz. Casella CEL Inc., www.casellausa.com,(800) 366-2966. Circle 273

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DuPont Sustainable Solutions has introduced Distracted Driving: Game Over, a new safety training program on DVD that stresses the dangers of distracted driving and urges drivers to stay focused on the road. The program features a sinister “game master” who taunts a driver with a virtual ride called “Stay Alive.” Following their journey, this program identifies types of distractions and the consequences of focusing on non-essential tasks. DuPont Sustainable Solutions, www.training.dupont.com, (800) 861-7668. Circle 275

HEADPHONES

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DRIVER SAFETY TRAINING

PhoneBuddy™ headphones from Custom Protect Ear are compatible to dB Blockers and work with many smart phones. PhoneBuddy™ I is a single version headphone for monaural use (phone calls and to hear the phone ring in noise). PhoneBuddy™ II is the stereo version, allowing the user to listen to music and answer calls. Both units work with virtually any smart phone and feature an inline microphone and flash button. Custom Protect Ear, www.protectear.com, (800) 520-0220. Circle 274

ELECTRICAL HEATING MATS

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EasyHeat’s Sno*Melter® electrical heating mats automatically melt snow and ice, plus eliminate the hassle and expense of shoveling, salting and plowing. The Sno*Melter system uses highly efficient, low temperature heating cables formed into flexible mats that install quickly and economically. Available in widths of 18 or 36 inches and up to 30 feet in length, Sno*Melter mats are placed below the surface of asphalt, pavers or concrete. EasyHeat, www.easyheat.com, (800) 537-4732. Circle 276

WINTER LINERS WITH LIGHTING

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Ergodyne’s N-Ferno® Warming Product Line now includes the new 6850LED and 6852LED 2-Layer Winter Liners with LED Lighted Brim. Exclusive to Ergodyne, these new liners with state-of-the-art LEDs offer hands-free lighting while keeping the worker comfortable, warm and productive on the job. They feature a two-layer cotton/fleece liner, a hook and loop chin strap and hard hat suspension attachments for a secure, comfortable fit. Ergodyne, www.ergodyne.com, (800) 225-8238. Circle 277

FOAMING HAND CLEANER

ISHN JANUARY 2012

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Featuring £ 1-3 minute respirator fit testing £ On-board data storage (more than 1000 tests) £ USB keyboard and printer connection £ So easy to use that the subject can self-test £ USB thumb-drive storage and data transfer £ Increased automation during testing £ USB Computer interface £ Updated easy-to-read display £ Smaller and lighter instrument

£ Firmware upgrades and improvements may be downloaded from the internet £ Quieter operation £ Sleek new look with improved on-board software £ Optical knob for easier menu navigation £ World-wide universal power connection £ More audio feedback during testing £ And more!

SMALLER EARPLUG

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Designed from the ear up, the MAX® Small earplug offers a reduced size providing people with smaller ear canals a more comfortable fit and high attenuation. This version of the flagship Howard Leight MAX earplug is 20 percent smaller, ideal for smaller ear canals. The bell shape delivers maximum in-ear comfort. Howard Leight by Honeywell, www.howardleight.com/earplugs/max-small, (800) 430-5490. Circle 279

ADDED TRACTION

Toll Free: (888) 464-3872 • [email protected] CIRCLE 253

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GOJO® ECO SOY™ Foaming Hand Cleaner is a foam-style, soy-based formulation that gently and effectively removes moderate soils from hands. The dermatologist-tested product can be used with or without water. The grit-free foam is formulated to remove dirt from hands without the use of aggressive solvents or abrasives. GOJO Industries, Inc., www.gojo.com/ manufacturing, (800) 321-9647. Circle 278

FOR FREE INFO

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New from Yaktrax, Traction 360° provides traction on wet and greasy floors. The unique design will ensure a secure fit on any type of footwear. Wear your favorite footwear with the added “Good Year” traction that provides slip resistance comparable to any slip-resistant footwear on the market. Implus Footcare, www.implus.com, (800) 446-7587. Circle 280

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NEWS

INTELLIGENT EVACUATION SYSTEM

FLAME-RESISTANT BALACLAVA

Lightstep Technologies offers an intelligent evacuation system. In a building equipped with Lightstep, escape routes are automatically illuminated and automatically rerouted as necessary depending on the type of emergency and location of the damage and/or fire. Not only is the safe escape route illuminated clearly in green, the unsafe routes are clearly crossed out with a red “X” so that occupants of the building can be evacuated more quickly without mistakes that cause injuries and cost lives. The lights remain clearly visible in smoke-filled environments. Lightstep Technologies, www.lightsteptechnologies.com, +44 28 9043 2650. Circle 282

Talus Outdoor Technologies, LLC®, maker of the ColdAvenger line of cold weather protective gear, offers a new, American-made FRC Expedition Balaclava (flame resistant certified) model. The soft, flexible plastic ventilator is made with proprietary FRC resin blend (meets UL 94 V-O flame resistant standards), and the Polartec® Thermal FR® fabric combines the performance benefits of fleece with the protection of permanent flame and arc resistance. Talus Outdoor Technologies, LLC, www.talusoutdoortech.com, (406) 493-0507. Circle 285

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NARCOTICS LOCKER WITH WIFI The MedVault 2 with WiFi provides the same high security for handling controlled substances as the original but with a more efficient and convenient adminisCircle 281 tration program. It allows a department to perform all managerial functions with less time and resources. Utilizing the WiFi option, the Knox administrator can update firmware, download the audit trail or update PIN Codes without having to physically connect to each unit. Knox Company, www.knoxbox.com, (800) 552-5669. Circle 281

DISPOSABLE RESPIRATORS 4200N95 Series AirWave™ disposable Circle valve-free respirator 283 from Moldex features a patent-pending, wave design technology that allows more airflow in and out of the respirator for cool comfort and easier breathing. Unique waves double the filter surface area of a comparable respirator, and the Dura-Mesh® shell provides bidirectional protection from dirt on the outside and moisture on the inside. Moldex, www.moldex. com, (800) 421-0668. Circle 283

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ISHN JANUARY 2012

RollAStep C Series mobile cantilever work platform gets operators above and on (or over) railcars, tank trucks and Circle 275 other tall industrial machinery. Its steel base provides exceptional counter balance, while the lightweight aluminum upper provides single user operability. A large, six-square-foot work platform provides ample room for an operator as well as parts and tools. RollAStep, www.rollastep.com, (888) 948-0005. Circle 275 FOR FREE INFO

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PRODUCT UPDATE

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detection 1 Multi-gas detector The Ventis multi-gas detector is a lightweight, highly configurable instrument that is capable of detecting one to four gases. Ideal for both confined space monitoring and continuous personal monitoring in potentially hazardous environments, the instrument is designed to keep workers in a variety of industries safe. Industrial Scientific, www.indsci.com/ventis, (800) DETECTS. Circle 266

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2 Personal monitor The Protégé is a personal multi-gas monitor designed to monitor potentially hazardous levels of combustible gases, oxygen enrichment or depletion, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. Simple, intuitive user operation enables operators to focus on the situation rather than equipment. Scott Safety, www.scottsafety. com, (800) 247-7257. Circle 269

3 Wireless solution RAE Systems’ new EchoView Host Mini-Controller and ToxiRAE Pro family of wireless single-gas instruments delivers a self-contained closed-loop wireless solution that provides a live real-time connection to toxic gas data. This new wireless solution gives safety officers real-time remote access to the gas-monitor readings and alarm status of workers and responders at the scene and is an optimal choice for fire service, hazardous materials response, refinery turnarounds and shutdowns, and other industrial applications. RAE Systems, www.raesystems.com, (408) 9528200. Circle 268

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4 Compact instrument The G460 multi-gas detector from GfG Instrumentation is a rugged, compact instrument for simultaneous detection of up to 7 gases. O2, LEL, CO and H2S sensors are warranted for three full years. Additional sensor choices include a wide selection of toxic as well as infrared (NDIR) sensors for combustible gas and PID for toxic VOCs. GfG Instrumentation, Inc., www.gfg-inc.com, (800) 959-0329. Circle 265

5 Monitoring systems

ISHN JANUARY 2012 www.ishn.com

The Z Gard® DS Sensor is a reliable, high-performance gas sensor designed to detect the presence of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide gases in a variety of applications. Z Gard Controllers are economical monitoring systems developed to solve a variety of alarm and control applications that have been designed to interface with remote MSA Z Gard® Sensors. MSA, www.msanorthamerica.com, (800) MSA-INST. Circle 267

6 Two-wire oxygen detector Sierra Monitor’s 4501-03, 2-Wire Oxygen Deficiency Gas Detector, a two-wire, loop-powered gas detector, provides the user with lower cost easy installation and maintenance by eliminating the need for separate power runs and associated power distribution and circuit protection for each device. Oxygen deficiency is a dangerous workplace hazard in many industrial plant environments. Sierra Monitor Corp., www.sierramonitor.com, (408) 262-6611. Circle 270 CIRCLE 244

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corporatePROFILES 3M

Accuform Signs

Banom

3M offers a comprehensive, diverse portfolio of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) solutions providing respiratory protection, hearing protection, fall protection, reflective materials for high visibility, protective clothing, protective eyewear, head and face protection, welding helmets, and other adjacent products and solutions such as tactical safety equipment, detection, monitoring equipment, active communications equipment and compliance management. Visit www.3M.com/PPESafety.

2011 was a record-breaking year for Accuform Signs, and we think it’s just a sign of what’s to come in 2012. We celebrated the year with two award-winning products: the STOPOUT™ 120/240 Circuit Breaker Lockout and our innovative Store-Boards™, a vital aspect of 5S and the visual workplace. We’ve expanded our North American operations and continually hire new employees to meet an ever-increasing demand by our customers for fast, reliable service, world-class customer care, and innovative solutions to meet your safety needs. At Accuform Signs, we make products that Inform, Protect and Motivate™ your workforce for 2012 and beyond. Visit www.accuform.com.

Banom manufacturers cut-resistant gloves and sleeves for the sheet metal, glass, paper and food industries. We have extensive in-plant experience and a proven track record for reducing laceration incidents as well as total spend. We understand the difference between sheet metal edges, knife blades and sheet glass. Each glove within our product line is specifically designed for these unique and different hazards. For more information about cut resistance, please visit our website at banom.com and click on the “What you need to know” section or call us at 800-227-7694.

Bluewater Manufacturing

Chapman Innovations

Columbia Southern University

BlueWater Mfg., Inc. specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of innovative passive fall protection products. Our extensive line of OSHA-compliant products range from self-closing safety gates and warning line systems to a variety of free-standing, nonpenetrating guardrail systems designed for flat and standing seam roof applications. We pride ourselves on building high quality products with an emphasis on creating unique and innovative safety solutions. If you’re looking for high quality products and a seamless process from start to finish, consider BlueWater Mfg. Inc. for all your fall protection needs. For more information, visit our website at www.bluewater-mfg.com.

CarbonX® fabrics and apparel deliver the ultimate in protection, significantly outperforming competitors. CarbonX fabrics are comprised of a proprietary blend of high-performance fibers and are inherently flame resistant. CarbonX fabrics will not burn, melt, or ignite when exposed to direct flame; are highly resistant to molten metal splash and flammable liquids; and offer excellent protection from arc flash hazards. Even after intense exposure, CarbonX fabrics maintain their strength and integrity and continue to protect over time. Their thermal protective properties will not wash out or wear away. CarbonX fabrics are used in baselayer garments, glove, balaclavas, socks, jackets, pants, shirts, outerwear, and other applications. Visit www.chapmaninnovations.com.

One of the nation’s top completely online universities, Columbia Southern University was established to meet the demand for alternatives to the traditional university experience. CSU online programs allow non-traditional students to honor career and family commitments while steadily reaching their educational goals. CSU features associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and certificate programs in many fields including OSH, business, emergency management and fire science. CSU also offers: maximum transfer credit, affordable tuition, self-paced or structured learning and no ACT, SAT or GRE required. Apply today at no cost! Visit www.columbiasouthern.edu.

ICC Compliance Center

Encon Safety Products

Not only is training mandated by the regulatory agencies, but it is essential to productivity and safety. ICC Compliance Center has been providing training products and services for 25 years. We focus on quality training materials, up-to-date regulatory information and have professional, knowledgeable instructors. We provide hazardous materials/dangerous goods training on a variety of topics, including shipping by air, ground, sea, biological substances, dry ice and WHMIS regulations, and soon to come GHS. Choose live in-person training, or instructor-led recorded webinars. Training materials are also available, including: guidebooks, training kits, training certificates, wallet cards and more. Visit www.thecompliancecenter.com.

Encon Safety Products is a highly respected leader in reliable and innovative products to protect people and provide emergency personal treatment. With over 45 years of experience, Encon® designs and manufactures market-leading first-aid emergency shower and eyewash products, personal protective equipment including safety eyewear, goggles and hearing protection, and hazardous-area storage cases for the protection and security of people, plant and equipment. As a quality manufacturer, Encon® is certified to the ISO 9001:2008 Standard by Det Norske Veritas (DNV). Additionally, all Encon® PPE Eye Protection is third-party certified to the ANSI, CSA (as marked) and CE (as marked) Standards. Visit www.enconsafety.com or call 1-800-AT-ENCON.

GFG

Glove Guard

The G450 Gas Detector from GfG Instrumentation offers exceptional performance for an extremely affordable price. The G450 is compact, durable and very easy-to-use. G450 sensors are warranted for three full years, ensuring that the G450 has the lowest cost-ofownership of any confined space gas detector on the market today. Replacement sensors carry the same three-year warranty as the original sensors. The optional motorized pump operates in diffusion and sample-draw modes, and can be easily attached or removed from the instrument when sampling needs change. The H2S sensor offers 0.1 ppm resolution to comply with the latest TLV® requirements. Visit www.gfg-inc.com.

Glove Guard, LP is committed to providing quality products that meet the basic need of keeping up with required personal protective equipment. The Glove Guard® and Utility Guard™ glove clips have a proven record of keeping gloves close at hand, thereby reducing glove loss and hand injuries. Their new Utility Catcher™ clip is a versatile ‘catch-all’ for most everything else! Originally designed as an easy and convenient way to keep up with a hard hat, it is actually a multipurpose clip that can keep up with other PPE items or tools such as extension cords, ear muffs and much more! Visit www. gloveguard.com.

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Georgia Steel Georgia Steel & Chemical has been developing safe and effective respirator hygiene products for protecting personnel and meeting OSHA, ANSI, NFPA and CSA Standards for over 35 years. Products include high and low volume mask washers and dryers, respirator cleaning, disinfecting, and storage kits, respirator wipes, ready-touse and concentrated disinfectants, rinse agents, cleaning detergents, lens cleaning products, and mask storage accessories. For more information, visit www.georgiasteelco.com, email: info@ georgiasteelco.com or call (800) 296-0351.

Hy-Safe Technology ISHN JANUARY 2012

www.ishn.com

The Hy-Safe Single Swivel Attachment Point can be installed on steel, concrete or rock bolt underground structures. The easy-toinstall Swivel Anchor rotates 360 degrees, giving the user more flexibility. It can be used as an anchorage point overhead, on a side structure or on the floor. The Swivel Anchor consists of a stainless steel plate and ring assembly. Visit www.hysafe.com or call 800-642-0775 for more information.

corporatePROFILES

66

Heat Trak

The Hilsinger Company

Ion Science

HeatTrak’s Electric Snow-Melting Mats keep your facility safe, clean, and snow-free all winter long by preventing snow and ice accumulation on walkways and stairs. The mats plug into any standard 120V or 240V outlet generating heat to melt snow on contact. No more shoveling, no more salting, and no more slipping! Unlike other heat mats that need to be buried under layers of concrete, HeatTrak® mats are portable and designed to lie on top of existing surfaces. Built with non-slip, reinforced SBR rubber, these durable mats are designed to be left outside for the entire winter season. Call 866-766-9628, e-mail [email protected], or visit www. heattrak.com.

Since 1956, tens of thousands of eye care professionals have come to rely on Hilco® for smart solutions to common business problems, and for innovative products and programs that promote business growth. The company’s extensive product range — more than 20,000 strong — and its focus on innovation, service and value have strengthened its market position. Today, Hilsinger, through its Hilco, Wilson Ophthalmic, and Leader Sports businesses, is the leading supplier of eyewear and eye care accessories, supplies, and equipment in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia and serves numerous major customers in continental Europe and South America. Visit www.hilco.com.

Ion Science introduces the revolutionary Tiger Select for detection of benzene and Total Aromatic Compounds in one hand-held instrument. Utilising the high output 10.0 eVdetector, a reading for Total Aromatic Compounds (TACs) is seen immediately on start-up. Should aromatics be detected, a Draeger benzene pre-filter tube can be easily attached to ensure rapid detection and selective measurement of benzene. Throughout the measurement process, Tiger Select displays real-time data ensuring the final reading represents the full value of actual benzene present. Benzene concentrations are displayed down to ppb levels giving you the most accurate, reliable data you can count on. Visit www.ionscience.com.

U.S. Safety U.S. Safety is one of the nation’s leading prescription safety eyewear and PPE manufacturers in the U.S. Specializing in: eye protection, fall protection, toe protection, head protection, face protection, prescription safety eyewear. Founded in 1935 by A.F. Parmelee, U.S. Safety’s unmatched reputation for customer value is based on our unique combination of personalized service with cost-effective, customized solutions to workplace hazards. We welcome you to the many Fortune 500 and small businesses alike that have chosen U.S. Safety as their partner for a safer workplace. Call: 1-800-8215218 Opt. 2, email: [email protected] or visit www.ussafety.com.

Lighthouse Safety, LLC

Mechanix Wear

Miller Fall Protection

Mil-Ram

Mechanix Wear redefines high-performance hand protection with the 2012 M-Pact® work glove. Each generation of the M-Pact® is refined to absorb more punishment and relieve hand stress, so the user can feel the intensity of the job without the impact. Features include: Thumb, index finger and palm reinforcement for better grip and abrasion protection when performing repetitive tasks; a new molded rubber exoskeleton design provides finger and knuckle protection against heavy impact; Trekdry™ lining fuses bamboo moisture-wicking technology for breathability and flexibility; and PORON® Performance Cushioning in the palm absorbs shock and vibration. See more at www.mechanix.com.

The leader in personal fall protection products and services for over 65 years, Miller Fall Protection, a brand of Honeywell Safety Products, introduces their new Miller EPIC Barrier Systems that provide safety at height solutions for multiple workers. Most commonly used in building construction and in elevated areas where workers are exposed to leading edges, Miller EPIC Barrier Systems offer a durable, reusable safety solution. Engineered for quick and easy installation to reduce labor costs, the barriers are available in four cost-effective safety systems — EPIC ULTRA, EPIC Post-NBarrier, EPIC Basic, and EPIC Stair Barrier. For more information visit: www.millerfallprotection.com.

MIL-RAM Technology, Inc., ISO 9001:2008 UL registered, is a leading innovator in industrial gas detection specializing in fixed gas detection systems utilizing our unique patented “no false alarms” sensor technology. MIL-RAM is a technical, engineering-based company with strong emphasis on product design/customization to meet specific application requirements. Over the last 22 years, MIL-RAM has developed a comprehensive and evolving product line offering practical and cost-effective gas detection solutions to numerous industries worldwide. MIL-RAM’s gas and flame detection instruments/systems, wireless telemetry systems, and chemically selective sensors are designed to monitor and detect hundreds of different hazardous gases and vapors. Visit www.mil-ram. com.

Moldex

OHD

Moldex’s expertise is hearing and respiratory protection to keep workers safer. This laser-like focus results in an offering of innovative world class products. Our core products are manufactured in the U.S.A. Moldex is specialized in an age of generalization. With over 50 patents, Moldex is dedicated to developing innovative solutions that address the hearing and respiratory needs of industrial and healthcare employees. Moldex is the only company in the world to offer a PVC-Free hearing and respiratory product line. All our products are made with no compromise in quality or safety protection and with absolutely no added cost. Visit www.moldex.com.

Occupational Health Dynamics has a range of products and services to help you protect your employees and manage your occupational risks. Whether you are looking for a respirator fit tester, a noise dosimeter, an audiometer or a sound level meter, we can provide you with a complete solution. We are the exclusive Distributor, Service and Calibration Center for Cirrus Research Noise Instruments in the U.S., and we can offer you a wide range of sound level meters and environmental noise products as well as the doseBadge, the Original Wireless Noise Dosimeter. For more information, call 888-464-3872 or visit www.ohdusa.com.

J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

ISHN JANUARY 2012

www.ishn.com

You can trust J. J. Keller to help you keep your employees safe, your workplace OSHA-compliant, and your business running smoothly. Get the products and services you need to build and maintain a successful safety program from a company with nearly 60 years of safety and regulatory compliance experience. Contact J. J. Keller for all of your workplace safety needs; including employee training, personal protective equipment (PPE), signs, tags, labels, posters, forms, publications, supplies, consulting services, technology and online tools. Call 800-327-6868 or visit jjkeller.com today.

Lighthouse Safety, LLC specializes in fall protection, rescue and confined space assessment training and equipment, representing top manufacturers since 1978. Compliance with new 2012 ANSI standards will impact your company’s equipment needs. We offer an unbiased look at equipment from many manufacturers and we can address compatibility issues. Our instructors work with OSHA and are members of the ANSI committee. We can help you develop your company policy for proper equipment and use, and provide turnkey safety solutions. With new ANSI standards for self-retracting lifelines and horizontal lifelines coming in 2012, staying ahead of the curve is imperative. Visit us at www.lighthousesafety.com or call (262) 790-1155.

Elvex® Elvex® Corporation is a leader in Personal Protection Equipment for over 30 years and in 50 countries! We specialize in high performance and quality safety products for Eye, Head, Face, Hearing and Chain Saw Protection. At Elvex® we fully understand the safety, comfort and style of the user. Each and every product that we sell is certified by independent laboratories to ANSI, ASTM or CE EN Standards. At Elvex® we offer innovative products for practical solutions, like our Go-Specs I™. To view our entire product line visit www.elvex.com or call 1-800-888-6582 for a free catalog. Elvex® is Committed to Innovative Solutions.

corporatePROFILES Protective Industrial Products (PIP)

RUD

Se-Kure

The MK8 Evolution by JSP, distributed exclusively by Protective Industrial Products, meets and exceeds ANSI Z89.1-2009 standard for Type II, Class E, G and C. The MK8 offers side (lateral) impact protection as well as side penetration protection. The expanded polystyrene liner also helps absorb the forces of impact offering all-around head protection. A ratchet suspension allows the user to easily adjust the fit while wearing. The MK8 Evolution® will ensure maximum protection in the highest risk environments, such as mining, tunneling, demolition, construction, refineries, offshore and marine, without compromising comfort. For more information, visit www.pipusa.com or call 800-262-5755.

Walk and work with confidence and safety with RUD Shoe Chains. RUD Bergsteiger shoe chains are a safety product designed for fall prevention on snow and ice. Made from case-hardened, high-grade steel chain links for exceptional grip and designed for secure grip on slippery ground, providing excellent traction for those who must work outside during the winter. RUD shoe chains are the professional choice for utility workers, delivery personnel, maintenance workers, winter sportspersons and hikers. Slick surfaces, snow, ice, oil, mud, slippery rocks and wet grass can cause accidents that can be prevented by the use of wearing RUD Shoe Chains. Visit www.rudchain.com.

We are proud to be a “Made in America” manufacturer of quality mirrored safety products. The experienced staff at Domes and Mirrors has been providing mirrored domes and convex mirrors for over 30 years. We also provide custom printed products, second surface printing under the mirror and custom laser cutting technology. We offer quality products at competitive prices through our distribution partners. Check out our website at www.domesandmirrors.com for a look into our company.

Shermco Industries

Rigid Lifelines / div. of Spanco, Inc.

Stanco Safety Products

Shermco Industries is a provider of safe, electrical restoration, reliable testing, repair, professional training, maintenance and analysis of rotating apparatus and electrical power distribution systems and related equipment for the light, medium and heavy industrial base nationwide. With a corporate location in Irving, Texas, a sales office in Brussels and service centers in Austin, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Houston, Sweetwater and Tulsa, Shermco has over 450 full-time employees. The company is a member in good standing with the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA), American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the International Electrical Testing Association (NETA). Visit www.shermco.com.

Rigid Lifelines™ a division of the industry leading material handling company, Spanco, Inc., engineers and manufactures overhead fall protection systems that utilize enclosed steel and aluminum track with a rolling trolley. When compared to cable fall protection systems, the division’s groundbreaking alternative provides decreased fall distance through their rigid design which ensures a typical fall is arrested within 2 feet (.6m) or less. Rigid Lifelines™ has designed and installed over 2,000 fall protection systems in the field, and has locations in Morgantown, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit www.rigidlifelines.com.

Stanco is beginning its 25th year of providing personal protective clothing and equipment to the industry. Stanco’s value proposition is a unique blend of custom USA manufacturing and high value/ low-cost imported products. We pride ourselves in introducing new electrical arc flash clothing options and are involved in all facets of the testing process. Stanco has enhanced safety and comfort to meet required standards and produce a superior line of protection. Nationwide sales representation, customer educational programs and attention to detail demonstrate Stanco’s commitment to serve the needs of the market. Visit www.stancomfg.com.

Victor Equipment

Tingley Rubber

All Victor® EDGE™ regulators are easy to use, reliable, designed for performance and unmatched for safety. Because connecting to the wrong gas cylinder can have serious repercussions, EDGE regulators clearly show the gas being used with brightly colored knobs. EDGE regulators are designed to act like a shock absorber in the event of a cylinder accident. The three-stage “Crumple Zone” is built into the adjusting knob and helps protect against serious cylinder damage in the event of a fall. To find out more about the expanded lineup of EDGE regulators, including liquid cylinder, line, station and high flow models, visit www.victorequip.com.

Tingley Rubber’s new Winter-Tuff™ Ice Traction Rubber Overshoes are lightweight and flexible. Injected molded and 100-percent waterproof, Winter-Tuff’s 46 rust and corrosion resistant tungsten carbide studs provide excellent slip resistance on ice and snow-packed surfaces. The natural rubber upper protects your shoes up to the ankle from the elements. The material stays extremely flexible in the coldest of temperatures for all-day walking comfort. Unlike other slip-resistant overshoes, Winter-Tuff hugs your shoe for a snug, comfortable fit. The high stretch rubber makes for easy on/off and is durable. Walk with confidence with Winter-Tuff. For more information, visit the Tingley website at www.tingleyrubber.com.

U.S. Chemical Storage

VAC-U-MAX

U.S. Chemical Storage manufactures hazardous material storage buildings in a wide range of sizes with custom options. Buildings may utilize fire rated and explosion relief construction. Non-fire rated models, modular buildings and a variety of accessories are also available to meet a wide range of material handling needs. These prefabricated buildings meet EPA and OSHA requirements, and they are a compliant storage solution. Designed for storing flammables, combustibles, solvents, paints, corrosives, pesticides, caustics, equipment housing and more, these buildings offer a turnkey solution for safe handling and storage of drums, totes and other chemical containers. For more information, call 866-352-0467 or visit www.uschemicalstorage.com.

VAC-U-MAX is a premier manufacturer of industrial vacuum cleaners for manufacturing and municipal facilities, government installations and environmental sites. VAC-U-MAX heavy-duty industrial vacuums improve your facility’s cleanliness, improve working conditions and safety for your employees, reduce down-time of valuable production equipment, enhance your quality control efforts and recycle material previously considered as waste. Wet and dry applications include housekeeping of dust on floors, walls and machine surfaces; bulk powder spill recovery; liquid spill cleanup; sump cleaning and tank emptying; and process clean-out. Customengineered vacuum cleaning systems are also available. For more information, call 800-VAC-U-MAX (822-8629) or visit www. vac-u-max.com/vacuum.

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True North A cornerstone of maintaining worker comfort and protection is to ensure that employees are provided with the right combination of work wear layers. DragonWear clothing provides this adaptability through the technique of layering. The advantage of layering clothing is it allows for quick adjustments based on activity level and changes in the weather. DragonWear offers three distinct layers: base layers with Power Dry FR wicking t-shirts and under garments, middle layers with the heat trapping Power Grid 1/4 zip and pants, and the outer layers with FR Nomex fleece tops and bottoms like the Exxtreme Jacket. See www.dragonwear.com for more information.

Workrite Uniform Company ISHN JANUARY 2012

www.ishn.com

Workrite Uniform Company has been making the highest quality FR Workwear since 1973. Our wide range of rugged FR outerwear has been a premier part of our line for many years. The line features our popular brown duck products including a bomber jacket, insulated field coat, bib, and coverall; and the more recently introduced Dickies FR insulated hooded jacket. Both the bomber jacket and field coat feature hidden snaps for an optional hood, and the bomber has a zipper for the optional zip-in liner. For more information, go to www.workrite.com or contact Mark Saner at 800-521-1888 ext. 236 or [email protected].

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ADVERTISER

index

RS

Company

10

3M www.3M.com/The3MDifference 3M www.3M.com/detection Accuform www.accuform.com AIHA www.aihaap.org Air Control Industries www.aircontrolindustries.com Airgas www.airgas.com ArcWear www.arcwear.com ASSE www.asse.org Banom www.banom.com Blue Water Manufacturing www.bluewater-mfg.com BST Solutions www.bstsolutions.com BW Technologies by Honeywell www.gasmonitors.com Capital Safety www.capitalsafety.com CarbonX www.carbonx.com Carnie Cap www.carniecap.com Casella CEL www.casellausa.com Checkers Industrial Safety Products www.cableprotector.com Columbia Southern University www.columbiasouthern.edu/ishn Draeger www.draeger.com/sensorsavings.com Dupont Sustainable Solutions www.training.dupont.com Dust Collection Products www.dustmuzzle.com Elvex Corp. www.elvex.com Encon Safety Products www.enconsafety.com GBG Enterprises www.mybootsaver.com Georgia Steel & Chemical Co. www.georgiasteelco.com GfG Instrumentation www.gfg-inc.com Glove Guard www.gloveguard.com

243 24

220 250 217

91 209 215 141 29 240 242 256 203 234 14 213,218 247 204 237 233 226 168 236

RANDY GREEN, Publisher East/West/Southeast Advertising Manager (800) 837-7370 ext. 3, (248) 244-6498 Fax: (248) 244-6439, E-mail: [email protected] DAVE JOHNSON, Associate Publisher/Editor (610) 666-0261; E-mail: [email protected] DONAS BRADFORD, Central/Middle Atlantic Advertising Manager (630) 631-4902; Fax: (248) 786-1397 E-mail: [email protected] LYDIA STEWART, Classified Advertising (248) 758-0137; Fax: (248) 758-0138 E-mail: [email protected]

This index is published as a courtesy to our readers. No responsibility is assumed for errors or omissions.

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Company

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214

55

241

7

221

Gorbel 50 www.gorbel.com GSL Inc. 54 www.gsl-inc.com Heat Trak 36 www.heattrak.com Hilco 49 www.hilco.com Honeywell Safety Products, Sperian and North 13 www.honeywellsafety.com Howard Leight by Honeywell 2 www.howardleight.com/veripro ICC/TheCompliance Center 60 www.thecompliancecenter.com Implus Footcare LLC 5 www.implus.com Interactive Safety Products 58 www.helmetsystems.com Ion Science Americas 44 www.ionscience.com J.J. Keller & Associates 42 www.kelleronline.com Lighthouse Safety LLC 58 www.lighthousesafety.com MCR Safety 24 www.mcrsafety.com Mechanix Wear 71 www.mechanix.com Miller Fall Protection/Honeywell 25 www.millerfallprotection.com Mil-Ram 52 www.mil-ram.com Moldex 15 www.moldex.com Occupational Health Dynamics 62 www.ohdusa.com Parker Hannefin 6 www.parker.com/precisionfluidics Pelsue 61 www.pelsue.com Premier Fall Protection 48 www.premierfallprotection.com Protective Industrial Products 33 www.pipusa.com Pure Safety 23,32 www.puresafety.com Revco Industries 43 www.blackstallion.com Rigid Lifelines 8 www.rigidlifelines.com RUD Chain 64 www.rudchain.com Safety Rail Source 52 www.safetyrailsource.com

Scaffold Training Institute www.scaffoldtraining.com Scott Health & Safety www.scottindustrialsafety.com Se-Kure Domes & Mirrors Inc. www.domesandmirrors.com Sellstrom www.sellstrom.com Shermco Industries www.shermco.com/training Sierra Monitor Corp. www.sierramonitor.com Stanco Safety Products www.stancomfg.com Summit Training Source www.safetyontheweb.com Tencate Protective Fabrics www.tencateprotectivefabrics.com Tingley Rubber www.tingleyrubber.com True North Gear www.dragonfur.com TSI Inc. www.tsi.com/roadshows U.S. Chemical Storage www.uschemicalstorage.com U.S. Safety www.ussafety.com Uvex by Honeywell www.uvex.us Vac-U-Max www.combustibledustvacs.com Victor Professional www.victoredge.com Westex www.westex.com Wiley X Eyewear www.wileyx.com Workrite www.workrite.com

31,47

23

22

15

63

18

32

246

29,57

202

10,11

245

18

232

30

225

3

257

27

212

53

17

54

129

70

238

5

79

50

253

9

205

32,56

249

61

229

6

39

51

22,219

44

227

42

207

19

244

51

239

NICOLE KIRSCHNER, Art Director MAUREEN BRADY, Managing Editor (610) 409-0954; E-mail: [email protected] MAUREEN PARAVENTI, Assistant Editor (248) 786-1667; E-mail: [email protected] VINCE MICONI, Production Manager (248) 244-6254; Fax: (248) 244-6439 E-mail: [email protected] KEVIN HACKNEY, Marketing JILL BUCHOWSKI, Audience Development Manager STACEY NOOCHA, Multimedia Coordinator JILL DEVRIES, Reprints (248) 244-1726; E-mail: [email protected]

www.ishn.com

211 210 208 223 216 33 206 222 230 248 201 171 224 3 127 65 93

List Rental customers, please contact: Postal: Kevin Collopy, 800-223-2194 x684; [email protected] Email: Michael Costantino, 800-223-2194 x748; [email protected]

44 45 40 59 20 18 38 30 39 8 37 46 61 5 41 38 21 35 17 4

CORPORATE DIRECTORS JOHN R. SCHREI, Publishing RITA M. FOUMIA, Corporate Strategy MICHAEL T. POWELL, Creative LISA L. PAULUS, Finance ARIANE CLAIRE, Marketing VINCE MICONI, Production BETH A. SUROWIEC, Clear Seas Research

BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information

ANSI/ASSE A10.8-2001 Safety Requirements for Scaffolding

ISHN JANUARY 2012

254

For subscription information or service: (847) 763-9534; E-mail: [email protected]

Visit the ASSE Bookstore at www.ishn.com for standards, books and exam preparation including:

ANSI/ASSE A10.38-2000 R2007 Basic Elements of an Employer’s Program to Provide a Safe and Healthful Work Environment ANSI/ASSE Z15.1-2006 Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations

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page

NIKKI SMITH, Directories MARLENE J. WITTHOFT, Human Resources SCOTT KRYWKO, IT

INDUSTRIAL SAFETY & HYGIENE NEWS (ISSN 8755-2566) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: INDUSTRIAL SAFETY & HYGIENE NEWS, P.O. Box 2149, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2.

ANSI/ASSE Z359.12-2009 Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems

Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to INDUSTRIAL SAFETY & HYGIENE NEWS, P.O. Box 2149, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

69

classifieds

MARKETPLACE

An advertising section for positions available, equipment for rent, equipment for sale, consultants, business services, computers & software and training

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industry

events

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Awards

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) will sponsor the First Annual Award of Excellence ceremony on June 6, 2012, at the ASSE Safety 2012 Professional Development Conference in Denver, Colorado. Top certificants representing the CSP, OHST, CLCS or CHST certifications will receive an Award of Excellence in recognition of outstanding leadership, knowledgeable expertise in their profession, and voluntary commitment to advancing the SH&E field of practice. Guidelines, nomination, endorsement and petition forms can be found at www.bcsp.org/awardofexcellence. John E. Salce, retired senior scientist – eye, face and head protection at 3M Company’s research and manufacturing facility in Southbridge, Mass., is the 2011 recipient of the Robert B. Hurley Distinguished Service Award from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). Salce was honored for the achievements of a career that spanned over 40 years in the design, testing and manufacturing of personal protective equipment for workers. Businesses

Camfil Farr Air Pollution Control (APC) will host a free educational webinar titled: “The New EPA National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), Rule 6X: Are You Compliant?” The webinar will take place on Thursday,

February 16th from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST). To see more information or register for the event, visit www. farrapc.com/rule6x. UL, a world leader in advancing safety, has acquired PureSafety, a leading provider of Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) software solutions. More than 250 knowledgeable professionals join UL’s fast growing training and advisory services practice, which provides relevant data, information and business intelligence to UL’s worldwide customer base. PureSafety’s workplace safety training courseware, safety management, employee health and clinic management solutions become an integral addition to UL’s service capabilities. Casella CEL Inc., a business unit of IDEAL INDUSTRIES, Inc., has launched a new website that delivers faster, more useful content and is designed to illustrate the advantages of Casella and CEL brand instrumentation over the competition. One key feature is an Applications guide that helps prospective clients select the best technology solution for their individual needs. Visit www. casellausa.com. Delmhorst Instrument Co. has launched a newly designed website at www.delmhorst.com. According to the company, the modern and intuitive user interface allows for quick and easy navigation to information on its full line of moisture meters and accessories. Radians, Inc., a Memphisarea company for more than nine

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years, moved to a new facility in Memphis at 5305 Distriplex Farms Road in December of 2011. Radians will be adding new staff members to better serve its customers. For more than 30 years, Tyndale has been helping companies manage employee protective apparel programs, while supporting the nation’s economy by manufacturing clothing in America with American-made materials. A manufacturer and distributor whose product line has exclusively been available to large corporations, Tyndale announced its madein-the USA product line is now available to individuals in need of FR clothing through Retail. TyndaleUSA.com.

february

Movements

OHST Certification Preparation Workshop, February 2-4, Las Vegas, NV, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.seminarfest.org

ONGUARD Industries, LLC has promoted Mary Steinebrunner to vice president, marketing & business development. Ms. Steinebrunner has been a valued part of the organization beginning with its predecessor the Bata Shoe Company in April 2000 as the sales & marketing administrator. She was promoted to marketing manager in October 2001, and to director, marketing in January 2003. Sempermed announced the hiring of the newest member of the Alternate Care sales team, Brian Vladika. Based out of Chicago, Brian is now the territory manager for Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky as well as parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.

casellausa.com 800.366.2966

Las Vegas, NV, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.seminarfest.org Reducing Losses from Occupational Health Risks & Environmental Exposures, February 2-4, Las Vegas, NV, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.seminarfest.org CSP Certification Preparation Workshop, February 2-4, Las Vegas, NV, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.seminarfest.org CHST Certification Preparation Workshop, February 2-4, Las Vegas, NV, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.seminarfest.org

Math Review, February 26, Atlanta, GA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification ASP Certification Preparation Workshop, February 27-29, Atlanta, GA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse. org/certification Safety Management I, February 27-29, Atlanta, GA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification Safety Management II, March 1-2, Atlanta, GA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification

march CSP Certification Preparation Workshop, March 1-3, Atlanta, GA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification

ASP Certification Preparation Workshop, March 12-14, San Francisco, CA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse. org/certification Safety Management I, March 12-14, San Francisco, CA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification

© 2011, Casella USA, All rights reserved.

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Safety Management II, March 15-16, San Francisco, CA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification CSP Certification Preparation Workshop, March 15-17, San Francisco, CA, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse. org/certification Math Review, March 25, Des Plaines, IL, American Society of Safety Engineers, (847) 699-2929, www.asse.org/certification

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SUPPLEMENT TO

An information service to safety equipment distributors

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ONLY

JANUARY MAY 2012 2010

Social media doesn’t interest most safety pros Results of ISHN’s exclusive reader survey By DAVE JOHNSON, Associate Publisher, Chief Editor

H

as anyone figured out how to use social media in the business-tobusiness world? You hear that question often at safety trade association meetings and expos. Right now, the question begets shrugged shoulders, as if to say, “Beats me. Haven’t figured it out, but don’t feel like I can stop trying. There might be something to it.”

Time to experiment

Demographics make a difference

No time to socialize at work

Age plays a significant role in the use of social media. Keep in mind the aver-

Right now social media is in its infancy as a business tool. This explains why

so few EHS pros want to receive safety news updates through social media. Only 2% are extremely interested, according to ISHN’s research, and 8% are very interested. There are a fair number of fence-sitters who can’t decide, which is not uncommon with evolving technology. Twenty-four percent tell ISHN they are somewhat interested. Most, 65%, are not very interested or not at all interested in getting news updates via social media. The EHS profession’s male-dominated baby boomer demographics also explain the very low appeal of Facebook (6% usage) and Twitter (3% usage). Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s billionaire owner, isn’t making his billions from middle-aged middle managers. Not yet, anyway.

Check back in 15 years Fact is, according to ISHN’s reader research, EHS pros are not for the most continued on the next page

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Your customers, environmental safety and health (EHS) managers, are experimenting, too. Almost two-thirds (62%) of ISHN readers surveyed in October, 2011 for our annual State of the EHS Nation White Paper use one or more social media websites for business purposes. Most popular is LinkedIn (34%), followed by Google+ (26%), YouTube (19%), Wikipedia (11%), Facebook (6%), Twitter (3%) and MySpace (0%). About four in ten professionals do not participate in any social media websites for business purposes.

age age of an EHS pro is 52, according to ISHN’s study. Forty-two percent are between 55 to 64. According to research by the Pew Research Center, social media users under the age of 50 are especially likely to say that these tools help them keep up with existing friends and reconnect with old ones. Roughly seven in ten users under the age of 50 say that staying in touch with current friends is a major reason they use online social platforms, and just over half say that connecting with old friends they’ve lost touch with is equally important. Note that each of these uses of social media is representative of users under age 50. Still, a relatively large number of older adults point to connections with friends as a major reason for their social networking site usage as well. Not surprisingly, most people young and old use social media tools to socialize — to keep in touch with family and friends, to find old friends, and especially for older men, to connect to others with similar hobbies or interests, according to the Pew research.

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Social media doesn’t interest most safety pros continued from the previous page

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part gadget guys and gals. Fifty-five percent do not use a smartphone for business purposes. The 45% that do use iPhones, Androids, Blackberries and the like use them mostly (96%) for email, searching the Internet (71%) and smartphone apps (46%). Only 5% of pros use a personal tablet device such as an iPad for business purposes. Of course we’re early in the going here as far as social media being employed for business purposes. Imagine how different the responses would be if you asked EHS pros 15 years ago, at the beginning of the Internet Age, how they used the Internet, versus the responses you’d get from them today. Fifteen years from now social media could be embedded in business communication practices. Or in five years. Or maybe never.

2

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s billionaire owner, isn’t making his billions from middle-aged middle managers.

web site, which is now rich and deep in compliance assistance content. ) In contrast, 50% of readers use professional society websites, such as those of ASSE, AIHA, and the NSC. )A slightly higher percent, 56%, use product vendor websites.

Age plays a significant role in the use of social media. Keep in mind the average age of an EHS pro is 52, according to ISHN’s study. ) A much lower percent, 36%, use safety distributor websites. )Virtual safety trade shows have been visited at least once by 25% of those we surveyed, the same percentage that watch online safety and health videos. ) Podcasts and blogs have a long way to go to reach any kind of critical mass with the EHS audience. ISHN’s survey found only 13% of pros listen to podcasts, and 9% read blogs. In the safety world, lonely is the life of a blogger, getting little feedback and interaction from readers.

How your customers use the ‘Net We did ask ISHN readers how they use the Internet to access safety and health information in 2011. ) OSHA and other regulatory agencies, which 15 years ago were not far along in developing web content, now are the dominant source for safety and health info. More than three-quarters of ISHN readers (76%) use the OSHA

) Product information/specs — 81% ) Ability to contact company via email — 48% ) Answer to FAQs — 39% ) Ability to make a purchase online — 38% ) Ability to interact with expert systems to obtain product information — 35%

Fifteen years from now social media could be embedded in business communication practices. Or in five years. Or never.

How customers use your web site Let’s look more closely at how EHS pros use vendor websites. Only 4% visit safety manufacturers’ site daily. Most visit either weekly (26%) or monthly (32%). What web site content of safety equipment manufacturers do pros find most useful?

) Request a quote — 31% ) Ability to watch products via video — 28% ) White Papers/technical bulletins — 26%

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Mike Canon on mergers and acquisitions

After the handshake How to avoid an acquisition ending badly ne of my most successful clients offered some insight I’ve never forgotten. We worked hard on a number of successful acquisitions and after the closings, I was always ready to sit back, relax and have the proverbial cigar and a brandy. My client was happy, but couldn’t quite bring himself to relax, because, as he reminded me “the hard part is after the sale.” At the risk of impeding my M&A consulting practice, I agree with the observation that far too many acquisitions end badly, resulting in disappointing profits and broken careers. When you see or live through one of these sad stories, as I have, you have to ask what could have been done differently? What follows is a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” drawn from my personal experience, which I’ve judiciously supplemented from other M&A industry sources.

FOR DISTRIBUTORS ONLY JANUARY 2012 www.ishn.com

O

4

1 — Be sure your company is wellsuited to handle an acquisition before you begin the process. You must have the financial strength, a strong management team and the systems in place to make the deal work. I’m reminded of two very bright MBAs out of one of the nation’s most prestigious universities who went on a buying spree of safety distributors in the mid nineties. They knew the mechanics of structuring leveraged buyouts, but they did not have the management experience or the operational systems in place to make it work. The only winners after the crash were the sellers who got paid nicely at closing for the businesses.

Many of you will remember the Figgie International distributor acquisitions in the nineties that resulted in Safety Supply America. Despite diligent efforts on the part of its field management, this deal crashed. Most observers and participants said this was due to a lack of pre-existing sales and purchasing planning, all of which was exacerbated by the lack of an integrated IT system.

2 — Be sure you really understand what makes your targeted acquisition work, or not work! If they are in a similar business, but go to market differently or have dramatically different compensation expectations, or major cultural differences, you need to know this and have a plan to overcome such potential pitfalls. Sometimes, the synergies and economies of scale you thought were in place don’t really exist, which can cause debilitating, post-closing profit pain.

3 — Don’t let your ego get caught up in an emotional bidding war resulting in paying too much. We’ve all seen this happen in publically-traded companies. Believe me, it happens in the world of industrial safety. There are numerous examples that come to mind in both the distribution and manufacturing segments of our industry. Judge the deal on its merits for your company’s future and don’t forget that “walking away” on price with a friendly handshake can

leave the door open for a later round of talks if the seller’s presumed deal didn’t go through.

4 — Try to be on your best behavior during negotiations. Leave your ego at the door when entering talks and make friends with the potential seller. You can always be friendly and firm and preserve the relationship even when the going gets tough. There are books written on this subject, but you’d be surprised how often personal chemistry can make or break the deal.

5 — Don’t place too much, or too little, faith in the management of the existing team. Try very hard to analyze what’s working well and what’s not. As a rule of thumb, it generally makes more sense to go carefully with changes than to plan a wholesale shakeup. You really don’t want the best performers to quit because of the uncertainty of their future before you’ve had a chance to get to know the players.

6 — Think realistically about existing sales trends. Also the continuity of key customer and key employee relationships. For instance, you can count on your competitors doing anything they can to gain an edge, including but not limited to, hiring away your starting lineup. In general, a buyer’s marketing due diligence is the most critical part of continued on page 10

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Mike Smeaton on the Safety Marketing Group

What makes you SUCCESSFUL?

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What does that say about PASSION, DRIVE, being COMMITTED! What does this have to do with Safety Equipment Distributors?

hirty or more years ago a 3M rep said to me while making end-user calls, “Mike this is no scrimmage today… every day is a Super Bowl!”

Network-Enabled Gas Detection Combustible Gas, Oxygen Deficiency, Toxic Gas Detection Sierra Monitor’s IT Series (Information Technology) gas sensor modules have unmatched integration capability to meet network-enabled requirements. Loaded with “Best in Class” features and benefits desired by today’s safety and instrumentation professionals, the IT Series enhances safety information while reducing operating costs. Benefits found only in the IT Series include: Low Maintenance Costs Six to twelve months calibration intervals, the longest in the industry, cuts maintenance costs in half!

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I think a lot! The Safety Industry is full of passionate, committed and successful Independently Owned Safety Equipment Distributors and many of them belong to The Safety Marketing Group! We fight the battles every day. Every year that passes, the Safety Specialist sees a new set of competitors; someone else that decides to sell Safety Equipment or at least take orders for the products. But in spite of “generalists” taking orders for Safety Equipment; WE the Safety Specialists still survive, prosper and become even more successful. Maybe it is because we behave differently, maybe it is because we know this is not a scrimmage, it is the real deal; after all we are helping prevent injuries and fatalities every day! SMG had a great year in 2011! We experienced approximately 24% growth over 2010, which was a record year for us! We expect to see continued growth in 2012 because our Board of Directors and Distributor Members have developed an ability to focus on the clear path ahead. Even though all Safety Equipment Specialists are faced with Supplier Consolidation and Customer Consolidation, we can help you through the maze. Why go it alone? Every day is a Super Bowl! Success comes in cans; failure comes in cant’s (Author Unknown) Mike Smeaton is president and CEO of the Safety Marketing Group, 16228 Flight Path Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604; (352) 848-2547 (office); 813-528-1014 (cell); [email protected] / http:/My.SMGna.com The Safety Marketing Group (SMG) is a buying-marketing group of 60 + independently-owned safety equipment distributors along with 50 + suppliers with “synergy,” resulting in improved distributor profitability and increased supplier market share.

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Many flame-resistant (FR) garments look the same. But close inspection reveals key differences that can improve a garment’s protection level, wear life, comfort and overall value. At Workrite, we recognize FR as a technical safety product, which is why we do more than “cut and sew” apparel. We invest in quality—from fabric, to construction, to delivering a durable, cost-effective garment each and every time. Here are just some of the ways in which Workrite builds a better flame-resistant garment.

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Mike Canon on mergers and acquisitions continued from page 4

the pre-acquisition homework.

7 — After the closing, make every effort to understand the acquired business. And its customers, its employees, its suppliers, its current and potential markets, and its competitive environment. Do whatever it takes to open the lines of communication to ensure the quality of information that goes into refining your plan. As one turnaround pro told me in an interview years ago, the feedback you get will help you pick some of “the low hanging fruit” which can cheer everybody up on all sides of the deal.

8 — Get on with the plan and modify it where needed.

By now, in a perfect world, you’ve developed a sound understanding of the business, you’ve fine-tuned your objectives, and you now need to get moving as efficiently as possible to maximize sales and profits. And, since cash is king especially after an acquisition, you can’t forget balance sheet performance. It’s amazing, but true, that after an acquisition there are often many quick, non-controversial, financial buttons to push that for some reason never got pushed before out of ignorance, tradition or both. The little things, such as negotiating extended payment terms, taking all cash discounts, charging more for shipping and handling, honing in on late paying customers, and returning dead inventory, all have a way of adding up.

FOR DISTRIBUTORS ONLY JANUARY 2012 www.ishn.com

9 — Underscore your commitment to make existing good will become excellent good will.

10

BOOT SAVER A Solution to a Costly Problem Safety shoes and boots often shows signs of premature wear at the frequent points of contact, causing steel toe exposure. BOOT SAVER represents significant savings by extending the life of your footwear. For a distributor nearest you, contact GBG Enterprises Inc. Phone: USA 1-800-609-2668 CANADA 1-800-645-4758 www.mybootsaver.com

Seriously, the importance of making a strong showing of service and quality to your new customers after acquisition time can’t be understated. A lot of times, your customers are quietly sitting back there thinking, “Here we go! I found a great supplier who’s taking care of me. But now this new hotshot company that

bought them is going to screw it all up because they’re probably a bunch of numbers guys who don’t really care about the customer.”

10 — Love your existing suppliers. But it’s also time to let ’em know you’re going to shop around. You may be shocked to find out about better deals that never came knocking, because competitive suppliers had given up on ever trying to get through your purchasing door. I remember years ago in an earlier life that I put all business forms “out on contract” at the company where I was the new boss. Everyone was amazed that we saved over 30% for the year, but they shouldn’t have been!

11 — Be sure to continue paying full attention to your existing business. This goes without saying, but it’s easy to get sidetracked in the excitement of pursuing the new deal. So, don’t get sidetracked! In summary, the long-term rewards of a successful acquisition usually erase the painful memories of the process. Think about the really big, strong and respected companies you know; very few have gotten where they are without a successful acquisition program in place over the years. Mike Canon owns Brooksville Consulting, LLC. Brooksville Consulting concentrates on assisting buyers and sellers in achieving their objectives by a focused approach to the opportunities available. Mike can be reached at: 67 Village Walk Lane, Ponte Vedra, FL 32082; (904) 2853088; cell: (904) 687-5223; email: [email protected]; website: www. brooksvilleconsulting.com.

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Fastenal reports 20% increase in Q3 sales Vending machine installations increase significantly he Fastenal Company of Winona, MN, reported Q3 2011 sales of $726,742, up from $603,750 in 2010, for a 20.4% positive change. During the first nine months of 2011, Fastenal opened 94 new stores (the company opened 90 new stores in the same period of 2010).The 94 new stores represent an increase of 3.8% since December 31, 2010. (Fastenal had 2,490 stores on December 31, 2010.) Fastenal had 14,927 employees as of September 30, 2011, an increase of 12.4% from the 13,285 employees on December 31, 2010. The growth in 2010, and into 2011, generally continues the improving trend we saw in the latter half of 2009. The negative growth in 2009 relates to the general economic weakness in the global marketplace. The change in currencies in foreign countries (primarily Canada) relative to the United States dollar improved our daily sales growth rate by 0.9% during the first nine months of 2011. The 2011 and 2010 growth was more pronounced in Fastenal’s industrial production business (this is business where the company supplies products that become part of the finished goods produced by its customers) and less pronounced in the maintenance portion of its manufacturing business (this is business where Fastenal supplies products that maintain the facility or the equipment of its customers engaged in manufacturing). The 2009 contraction was more severe in Fastenal’s industrial production business and less severe

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in the maintenance portion of its manufacturing business.

New strategy In April 2007 Fastenal disclosed its intention to alter the growth drivers of its business. For most of the preceding ten years, the company used store openings as the primary growth driver of its business (the historical rate was approximately 14% new stores each year). As announced in April 2007, Fastenal began to add outside sales personnel into existing stores at a faster rate than historical patterns. Fastenal funded this sales force expansion with the occupancy savings generated by opening stores at the rate of 7% to 10% per year. The goal was four-fold: (1) to continue growing business at a similar rate with the new outside sales investment model, (2) to grow the sales of the average store to $125 thousand per month in the five-year period from 2007 to 2012, (3) to enhance the profitability of the overall business by capturing the natural expense leverage that has historically occurred in existing stores as their sales grow, resulting in a growth of pretax earnings to 23% of net sales by 2012, and (4) to improve the performance of business due to the more efficient use of working capital (primarily inventory) as our average sales volume per store increases. The economic weakness that dramatically worsened in the fall of 2008 and continued into 2009 caused Fastenal to alter the “path-

way to profit” in 2009. These changes centered on two aspects (1) temporarily slowing new store openings to a range of 2% to 5% per year, and (2) temporarily stopping headcount additions except for new store openings and for stores that are growing. During 2010, Fastenal modified its thought process around the “pathway to profit” in two regards: (1) with a structurally lowered cost structure and improved gross margins, the company concluded it could hit its profitability target with average store sales of $100 - $110 thousand per month by 2013; and (2) Fastenal decided to hire fewer store-based employees and instead added resources focused on specific sales opportunities, such as national accounts personnel and dedicated sales specialists (manufacturing, government, industry focused, and industrial vending solutions). During the first nine months of 2011 and 2010, Fastenal closed 18 and seven stores, respectively. Fastenal has closed 52 stores in its 40+ year history.

Vending machine installations The company has made significant progress in the development of automated solutions (industrial vending) for customers. Fastenal has installed more than 12,000 vending machines in the first three quarters of 2011. That compares to about 6,000 installed in all of 2010 and less than 2,000 installed in 2009.

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FORCEFLEX™ – Field-tested and Rough Neck approved ForceFlex HV200 is water and wind resistant. 3M Thinsulate® lining and snow guard cuffs with heat pack pockets outfit your hands for extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions on oil rigs to construction sites. So, Bring on the cold! We are MCR Safety. Just try to outwork us. www.mcrsafety.com/hv200

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Q3 sales up 10% Safety, Security and Protection Service sales increase 14.1% 3M reported third-quarter sales of $7.5 billion, up 9.6 percent year-on-year. Operating margins were 21.0 percent. Earnings were $1.52 per share, a 1 percent decline versus the third quarter of

2010. The company generated $1.0 billion in free cash flow during the quarter, equal to 94 percent of net income. Third-quarter worldwide sales growth was 9.6 percent, of which 3.7 percent

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came from acquisitions, 3.1 percent from foreign exchange impacts, 1.9 percent from organic volume growth and 0.9 percent from higher year-on-year selling prices. Organic volume growth was below recent trend levels, reflecting weakness across the electronics market along with generally slowing economic growth in the developed world. 3M also noted that a number of its customers reduced inventories during the quarter in anticipation of slowing demand. Five of the company’s six business segments expanded sales in the quarter, with Industrial and Transportation up 15.1 percent, Safety, Security and Protection Services up 14.1 percent, Health Care up 10.9 percent, Consumer and Office up 4.6 percent and Electro and Communications up 1.0 percent. “The business environment remains challenging, as the economic softening that we experienced late in the second quarter continued into the third,” said George W. Buckley, 3M chairman, president and chief executive officer. Buckley continued, “Looking ahead, early evidence suggests slower growth will persist through year end, therefore we are responding to lower demand with aggressive cost management and operational discipline in developed economies.

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Products available in: 8-cal, 11-cal, 20-cal, 35-cal, 45-cal, 59-cal & 100-cal. P.O. Box 1148 • Atlanta, TX 75551 903-796-7936 • 1-800-348-1148 www.stancomfg.com

• Sales of $954 million, up 14.1 percent in local currency, including 5.7 percent from acquisitions. • Strong double-digit local-currency sales growth in personal safety, roofing granules, track and trace, security systems and corrosion protection businesses. • All geographic regions posted positive sales growth, with the U.S. at 28 percent, Asia Pacific at 25 percent, Latin America/Canada at 21 percent and Europe at 1 percent. Operating income rose 23 percent to $202 million; operating margin of 21.1 percent.

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Airgas Q2 sales up 12% Strength in manufacturing sector paves the way Airgas, Inc., the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, and related supplies, reported record net earnings of $77.7 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, for its second quarter ended September 30, 2011. Second quarter sales were $1.19 billion, an increase of 12% over the prior year. Total same-store sales grew 10% in the quarter, with hardgoods up 14% and gas and rent up 7%. Acquisitions contributed sales growth of 2% in the quarter. Sequentially, sales increased 2% from the first quarter both in total and on a sales-per-day basis. “We continue to see strength in the manufacturing-intensive regions of the U.S. and in our petrochemical and energy customers,” said Airgas Chief Executive

Officer Peter McCausland. “The relative outperformance in our hardgoods business on the strength of sales to large manufacturing customers and the mix shift within hardgoods to welding and automation equipment had a dilutive effect on our gross margin, but are generally indicative of sustained activity levels in the manufacturing economy. While this is cause for optimism, given the global economic uncertainty that unfolded during the quarter, we are paying close attention to our business trends and have proven in the past that we can quickly adjust our cost structure if warranted.” Airgas, Inc. (NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, and hardgoods, such as welding

equipment and supplies. Airgas is also one of the largest U.S. distributors of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants, and ammonia products. More than 14,000 employees work in approximately 1,100 locations, including branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities, and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog, and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.

KKR acquires Capital Safety $1.12 billion acquisition ohlberg Kravis Roberts struck its second oil and gasrelated deal within a week with a $1.12 billion acquisition of Capital Safety, the UK-based maker of safety harnesses. The U.S. private equity group agreed to take over the company from Arle Capital Partners, the buy-out group that was spun out of UK’s Candover Investments in April. The acquisition follows KKR’s $7.2 billion deal to acquire Samson Investments, the U.S. oil and gas company, in the world’s largest buy-out this year outside of the real estate sector. The transactions underline how the world’s biggest private equity

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groups are still finding ways to finance deals despite a sovereign debt crisis in Europe that has slowed down the lending market and derailed a number of sales processes. Bankers said Capital Safety, which has seen several chief executives being replaced since Arle bought it in 2007, was easier to finance because it generates the bulk of its profits in the U.S. despite being headquartered in the UK. Arle had initially tried to get a higher price by selling it to U.S. technology company 3M, but the talks faltered. In the auction with private equity groups that was reignited last month, KKR com-

peted with rivals Cinven Group and EQT Partners. Warburg Pincus, the U.S. buy-out group, dropped out of the process a few weeks ago. Capital Safety produces safety and protection equipment for the construction and oil and gas industry. Its revenues rose by almost a fifth to $246 million in the past financial year, which ended in March.

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PIP acquires McHenry Knitting and Manufacturing P

the leading suppliers of knitted and cut-and-sewn personal protective products in the industry. MMI will carry on the reputation for excellent customer service and rapid delivery of custom manufactured products that the industry come to expect from McHenry. “MMI builds on PIP’s has “The acquisition of MMI is an exciting addition to PIP,” said Joe commitment of president of PIP. “MMI builds ‘Bringing the Best of Milot, on PIP’s commitment of ‘Bringing the Best of the World’ to the industhe World’ to the trial market.” industrial market.” “MMI adds a substantial level of manufacturing capabilities to our organization,” said Joe Milot III, Manufacturing Inc. (MMI), will director of manufacturing operaoperate the business in the same manner that made McHenry one of tions at PIP. “MMI is a recognized industry leader of customized knitted and cut-andsewn sleeves and apparel, offering customers world class service that cannot be offered by off-shore manufacturing. Steven TThe Traction 360º is designed for servers, Robins, who will janitors, delivery drivers or anyone who works jjan oversee the MMI on wet or greasy floors. s. operations • Fits Fit Most M t FFootwear t • Works in Extreme together with our Temperatures subsidiary, PR • Oil & Gas Resistant esign Patented Non-Slip Design Industries, Inc. in Minnesota, has 30 years of expeHeavy Duty Tractionn Device Device De rience in the for Working on Packed ked industry and is Snow and Ice. committed to • Durable/Lightweight expanding the • Custom Fits Most Footwear manufacturing • Removable jobs here in the Performance Strap U.S. and offering exceptional For more information f andd a ffree samplel callll ‘Made in the 800.446.7587 • yaktrax.com USA’ products.” ©2012 Yaktrax “With this addition of MMI, PIP rotective Industrial Products, Inc. (PIP), a leading supplier of personal protective equipment, acquired last summer McHenry Knitting and Manufacturing, Inc. A new PIP company, McHenry

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We know “Non-Slip” inside and out!

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will now be the leading domestic manufacturer of these crucial products for American industry”, said Steven Robins, president of PR Industries. “PIP offers MMI a solid financial profile and a history of service that will enable the McHenry organization to grow well into the future,” commented Bob McHenry, founder of McHenry Knitting and

MMI is committed to expanding manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. Manufacturing. “I am pleased that McHenry has joined the PIP family and our traditions will continue.” McHenry Knitting and Manufacturing, Inc. was founded in 1994 by Bob McHenry and manufactures personal protective products from Kevlar®, Dyneema®, cotton and many other fabrics in its Bluffton, Indiana facility. The Company’s products include sleeves, aprons and protective hoods for industrial and construction applications. The Company is committed to the highest quality in American made products as well as prompt service and delivery to distributors.

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Infrared technology just got personal.

Extremely small, very reliable and flexible due to interchangeable sensors The new Dräger X-am 5600 is ideal for personal monitoring applications. It continuously monitors your workplace for explosive, combustible, and toxic gases as well as oxygen. Thanks to innovative infrared technology you not only benefit from increased instrument sensitivity, but also from a significantly lower cost of ownership. The new Dräger infrared sensors feature a long lifetime, larger calibration intervals and a high resistance to poisoning, which is easy on your budget as well. www.draeger.com

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MSA announces record Q3 sales & earnings Fall protection performs particularly well SA announced net sales for the third quarter of 2011 were a record $298 million compared with $242 million for the third quarter of 2010, an increase of $56 million, or 23 percent. Net income in the third quarter 2011 was a record $20 million, or 54 cents per basic share, an increase of $10 million, compared

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with $10 million, or 27 cents per basic share, for the same period last year. “It is certainly gratifying to see the solid progress our team is making in executing our strategy,” said William M. Lambert, MSA President and CEO.

Fall protection performs well “For the quarter we achieved good revenue growth across most

“Our most recent results reflect the commitment of our team.” of our core industrial product lines in both emerging and developed

markets. In particular, our fall protection business performed very well, growing 21 percent when compared to the same quarter a year ago, and gas detection grew 13 percent. “When we factor in the impact of General Monitors, our quarterly gas detection sales grew 51 percent. Additionally, I am encouraged by the 300 basis point improvement we achieved in gross profit margins across all of our products in both developed and emerging markets. While the economic environment remains volatile and an ever-present concern, our most recent results reflect the commitment of our team and the success they are having in generating growth in what continues to be a challenging marketplace,” he added.

General Monitors boosts sales Third quarter sales in the company’s North American segment increased $32 million, or 28 percent, versus the same period of 2010. Organic sales increased $16 million, or 14 percent, while the company’s recent acquisition of General Monitors increased sales by $16 million in the quarter. Organic sales of gas detection products increased $4 million, while sales of head protection and fall protection products were both up $2 million on higher shipments to core industrial markets. Shipments of ballistic helmets to the military were $6 million higher in the quarter.

Sales in the company’s European segment increased $10 million, or 17 percent, when compared to the third quarter of 2010. Currency translation effects

The company’s recent acquisition of General Monitors increased sales by $16 million in the quarter. increased third quarter European segment sales, when stated in U.S. dollars, by $5 million, primarily related to a stronger euro. Local currency organic sales decreased $1 million, while the acquisition of General Monitors increased sales in our European segment by $6 million in the quarter. Local currency organic sales in core industrial markets increased $6 million, while sales in military markets increased $1 million. These increases were offset by an $8 million decrease in shipments to fire service markets. Sales in MSA’s International segment increased $14 million, or 21 percent, in the third quarter of 2011. On a local currency basis, sales increased $9 million reflecting strong product demand in Latin America and Asia, primarily in industrial markets across a broad group of product lines. Currency translation effects increased second quarter International segment sales, when stated in U.S. dollars, by $5 million, primarily related to a strengthening of the Australian dollar, Brazilian real, and South African rand.

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MSC Industrial Direct sales up 15.6% in Q4 Fiscal 2011 net sales increased to $2.02 billion SC, one of the largest direct marketers and distributors of MRO supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States, reported financial results for its fiscal 2011 year and fourth quarter ended August 27, 2011. Net sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 were $533.2 million, an increase of 15.6% over net sales of $461.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Operating income for the fiscal 2011 fourth quarter rose 33.2% to $93.9 million from $70.5 million in the same quarter a year ago. As previously announced, the company acquired American Tool Supply, Inc. and its affiliate, American Specialty Grinding Co., Inc. (togeth-

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er, “ATS”), during the quarter. For the 2011 fiscal year, net sales increased 19.5% to $2.02 billion from $1.69 billion in fiscal year 2010. Operating income for fiscal 2011 was $349.8 million, or 17.3% of net sales, compared to $241.8 million, or 14.3% of net sales, in fiscal 2010. For fiscal 2011 the company reported net income of $218.8 million, an increase of 45.5% over net income of $150.4 million a year ago.

Record revenue & profitability David Sandler, chief executive officer, said, “The results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2011 were excellent, highlighting our market leadership and ability to capitalize on the current environment. We achieved many important milestones, including record levels of revenue and profitability. We further enhanced our metalworking value proposition and leveraged our consistently strong cash flow to invest for the future.” Erik Gershwind, president and chief operating officer, stated, “Our performance reflected the continued strength we are seeing from our core manufacturing customer

base despite broader economic uncertainties. Mr. Sandler concluded, “MSC is well positioned as we head into fiscal 2012. Business conditions throughout the bulk of our manufac-

Business conditions throughout the bulk of our manufacturing segment generally remain solid. turing segment generally remain solid. Customers broadly reiterate their focus on doing more with less, which bodes well for the MSC model and our future growth prospects. While customers express some caution about future business conditions as a result of the current economic uncertainty, we are confident in our plan to take disproportionate market share in any environment. Against this backdrop, MSC will continue to focus on executing on our strategic investment plan to further build out our capabilities and extend our market presence. We will do so while maintaining flexibility to adjust investment levels as market conditions warrant.” Based on current market conditions, the company expects net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 to be between $538 million and $550 million. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. distributes approximately 600,000 industrial products from approximately 3,000 suppliers to approximately 320,000 customers. MSC reaches its customers through a combination of approximately 19 million direct-mail catalogs, 105 branch sales offices, 1,051 sales people, the Internet and associations with B2B eCommerce portals.

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THE LEADER IN PROTECTIVE FABRICS Arc and Flash fires can be devastating. TenCate Tecasafe® Plus provides the best in protection against Arc and Flash fire burns. It’s next-generation technology is compliant in NFPA 2112 and all four NFPA 70E categories, and its inherently flame-resistant properties won’t wash or wear out. Tecasafe Plus is soft and breathable making the clothing comfortable for your workers to wear, yet remains like new after continual industrial launderings. TenCate Tecasafe® Plus is made in the United States by TenCate Protective Fabrics, USA, and its reputation lives up to that of the TenCate value proposition: Comfort, Durability, Protection and Affordability. If you're not wearing protective work clothing made with TenCate Tecasafe® Plus fabric, demand it. Your safety may depend on it.

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Some companies see color as a way to make their products sell more. We see it as a way to

KEEP YOU SAFE. Most people recognize colors faster than they can read and process words. When it comes to safety, being ABSOLUTELY clear about what you are doing is paramount. Connecting to the wrong gas tank can have serious repercussions. That is why we’ve designed the new EDGE™ Regulator to clearly show what gas is being used with brightly colored knobs. It’s just a better, safer way to work. The smartest, most advanced operators use the smartest, most advanced tools. To learn more about the regulator designed to be the SAFEST on the market, go to www.victorequip.com. Get serious about safety. Get the new EDGE Series Regulator from Victor. Other regulators just aren’t worth the risk.

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You can’t help but notice our line of Hi-Viz Safety Work Gloves. But what you won’t see is the countless hours of research and development that goes into creating gloves that outperform all others. Testing on the toughest jobs in the roughest conditions have helped us create gloves that will help you work faster, safer and cleaner—all while giving you more power and control. Mechanix Gloves. The Tool That Fits Like a Glove.®

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Grainger shuts 25 U.S. branches in 2011 Forecasts 2012 sales growth of 10-14% hicago-based Grainger announced it will close 25 branches in the U.S. before yearend at its Annual Analyst Meeting. The distributor also forecast its sales for the fourth quarter 2011 and for 2012. For the 2011 fourth quarter, Grainger expects sales to grow 12 percent to 13 percent. For the full year 2011, the distributor expects growth of 11 percent to 12 percent. Grainger forecasts growth will continue at that pace, with sales increasing 10 percent to 14 percent in the full year 2012. Organic sales growth for 2012 is forecasted at 6 percent to 10 percent. As part of the meeting, Grainger provided the following outlook for sales and earnings in 2011 and 2012: • For the 2011 fourth quarter, the company is forecasting sales to increase 12% to 13%, and expects

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earnings per share for the quarter to be between $1.94 and $2.09, excluding unusual items. The company also announced today that it intends to close 25 branches in the United States before year end, and expects to incur a charge of approximately $14 to $18 million, or $0.12 to $0.15 per share, which is excluded from fourth quarter and 2011 guidance. • For the full year 2011, the company reiterated its sales growth forecast of 11% to 12%, and narrowed its earnings per share forecast to be between $8.85 and $9.00, excluding unusual items. The company’s prior 2011 full year EPS forecast of $8.80 to $9.00 was issued on October 18th in conjunction with its third quarter 2011 earnings release. • For the full year 2012, the company is forecasting sales to increase 10% to 14%, and expects earnings per share to be between $9.90 and $10.65. Organic sales growth for 2012 is forecasted at 6% to 10%.

DuPont delivers 32% higher sales for third quarter 2011 Sales increased 32 percent to $9.2 billion with 15 percent higher local prices, 4 percent currency benefit, 1 percent higher volume, and a 12 percent net increase from portfolio changes. Sales in developing markets grew 38 percent. “The resilience and diversity of DuPont’s business portfolio was evident in our strong third quarter results. Despite turbulent global economic and market conditions, we delivered solid growth through innovative products and process technologies, disciplined execution and continued productivity gains,” said DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman. Safety & Protection business segment — Sales of $1.0 billion were up 15 percent, with 8 percent higher selling prices and a 7 percent increase from the MECS acquisition. Higher selling prices primarily reflect pricing actions to offset raw material cost increases. PTOI of $118 million decreased $16 million on destocking in industrial markets and higher spending for growth initiatives including the Cooper River Kevlar® expansion, which more than offset the impact of the acquisition and favorable currency. Expectations for the fourth quarter include slowing global growth, some destocking, and the recognition that a portion of Agriculture sales in Latin America was shifted to the third quarter by the early start of the planting season.

WE FOCUS ON COMFORT SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON WORK.

P E R F O R M A N C E . CO M F O RT. F L E X I B I L I T Y. The new ACSi SCBA, featuring the Advanced Carrying System, is the lightest solution in its class. Its Thermoflex backplate and padded harness provide the ultimate in comfort and flexibility. And it’s NIOSH-approved for use in industrial environments. With reliable pneumatics and simplified maintenance, it’s a must-have for your team.

LET’S WORK.

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© 2011 Scott Safety. SCOTT, the SCOTT SAFETY Logo, Scott Health and Safety, ACS and Thermoflex are registered and/or unregistered marks of Scott Technologies, Inc. or its affiliates.

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

True North LLC; (800) 873-5725; www.truenorthgear.com

True North: Patent-pending products in the pipeline

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Tell us a little about the history of your company.

32

True North began in 1992 with a line of backpacks that featured a patented suspension system, designed for the outdoor recreation market. Because of the comfort and functionality of our patented suspension, we received a steady stream of requests from wildland firefighters to make firefighting packs. The company eventually designed the Firefly™, which became a top-selling wildland firefighting pack, and began an ongoing series of design collaborations with firefighters to develop equipment based on their needs and performance-based criteria. Today True North is one of the most recognized brands in firefighting equipment. The company has since diversified into the industrial safety market with such products as Nomex® FR fleece outerwear under the DragonWear™ brand. DragonWear® flame and arc-resistant clothing has been well received by the utility, petrochemical and other industries where arc and fire hazards exist. Offering comfort, style, performance and security, the DragonWear® clothing line includes FR jackets, shirts, pants, headwear and more. DragonWear FR apparel is manufactured in the USA. Though we’ve grown, our headquarters are still in Seattle, Washington, just up the street from the garage where we started.

What has been your company’s business strategy to gain market share? Focus on the customer. Ask them what they need, give them what they ask for. True North is

very innovation driven and we are constantly researching new materials, new designs and new production methods. This allows us to provide the solutions that our customers are looking for but haven’t been able to find elsewhere. A good case in point was our work on developing the Dragon Shield™ FR Soft Shell Jacket. We created a 98 percent wind blocking, water repellent, 4-way stretch, inherently FR jacket to shield you from the elements. People at the NSC Expo were amazed when we introduced it this fall. They kept telling us “this is exactly what I’ve been looking for”. The demand for it has been terrific.

Describe the core branded products of your company that you promote most heavily. In the industrial safety market, we’re really focused on FR knit clothing under our DragonWear® label. DragonWear® has raised the bar for comfort and performance in cold-weather FR outerwear. DragonFur Nomex fleece is lighter and provides more ease of movement while still providing protection from the elements. We expanded our clothing line in 2011 to include lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight moisture-wicking FR shirts and undergarments for all four seasons. The garments are comfortable, provide excellent freedom of movement, and offer a genderspecific fit.

How do distributors contribute to your success in the marketplace? Distributors are the critical “last mile” between us and the market-

place. Distributors are in the unique position of knowing the customer’s needs and having a wide knowledge of available products that can satisfy that customer’s need. In that capacity, the distributors are the interface between us and the customer without whom we cannot be successful.

Do you offer distributors training and other valueadded services? We visit our distributors to provide direct training to their staff. We attend tradeshows where we work in the distributor’s booth, which allows their staff to both learn more and to see how we sell our products. We go with distributor’s sales staff to call on customers to offer support and answer detailed customer questions. We also have on-line tools such as product videos, which are very educational.

What business characteristics do you look for when selecting to work with a distributor? The main things we look for in a distributor are competence and experience. Our company and our products are built on integrity and we look for distributors who embody those characteristics. Anybody can offer a low price; we want distributors who have strong customer relationships built on service.

Do you have any recent news to report? We added a new marketing manager, Lidia Lesniewska, and a new product designer, Rachel Linkhart, in 2011. We plan to add a regional sales manager to our continued on page 34

The OG-220S is ANSI 287.1 and CSA Compliant.

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True North LLC; (800) 873-5725; www.truenorthgear.com

continued from page 32

team in the 1st quarter of 2012.

Describe your current financial picture. Sales grew at 15 percent in 2010, and True North is on track for at least 15 percent growth again in 2011. From 2003-2009 True North had a sustained growth every year of 30 percent. The sales growth is attributable to listening and responding to customers’ demands. Eighty percent of the products at True North are a direct result of a customer request to create a product that they have been unable to find. In a typical year, True North designs and tests 25 new products, of which 10-15

make it into production. The other driver is a sustained focus on marketing and brand-building. In any

True North will continue to be known for innovation, quality and best-in-class customer service. given month True North is running a diverse array of ads in print and online, as well as participating in multiple tradeshows nationally and internationally.

ny’s future? In the near term, as well as the long term, True North will continue to be known for innovation, quality and best-in-class customer service. Those attributes will continue to drive sustained growth as they have in the past. Not only will we continue to expand via our current product lines, but we have several new patent-pending product lines in development that will make significant additions to our sales volumes.

What should distributors know about your compa-

Manufacturing growing faster than general economy November was 28th consecutive month of expansion he manufacturing sector continued to expand in November, the 28th consecutive month of expansion, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. According to the Institute for Supply Management, the Purchasing Managers Index was 52.7 percent, 1.9 percentage points higher than October’s reading. “A very strong improvement in new orders and production paints a rosy picture for near-term manufacturing activity,” said Daniel J. Meckstroth, chief economist for MAPI. “In addition, strong gains in motor vehicle production, capital equipment production, and oil field goods continue to drive moderate industrial growth.

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Still recovering “The fact that manufacturing is growing faster than the general

economy, though, is unsurprising since the industrial sector is still catching up,” he added. “Manufacturing production has recovered only a bit over one-half of its loss from the 2008-2009 recession, in contrast to full recovery in GDP for the economy at large in the third quarter of 2011. Of the 18 manufacturing industries, eight are reporting growth in November, in the following order: Wood Products; Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; and Paper Products. The nine industries reporting contraction in November — listed

in order — are: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; and Machinery.

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Honeywell Q3 sales up 14% to $9.3 billion oneywell’s strong third quarter results are a continuation of the momentum we’ve seen across our businesses in 2011,” said Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote. “Our third quarter sales growth reflects a particularly robust Commercial Aerospace upcycle, with growth in both original equipment and aftermarket sales. It also highlights the company’s extensive innovation pipeline and increasing presence in high growth regions in all our businesses. Our long-cycle backlog continues at near record levels, with sustained strong orders growth particularly at UOP, ACS Solutions, and Commercial Aerospace. Further, our short-cycle businesses, such

H

as Turbo Technologies, Advanced Materials, and ACS Products are performing well overall.” “Despite signals of slower economic growth, we expect positive organic growth to continue the rest of this year and into 2012,” concluded Cote. “The repositioning actions we took in the third quarter, funded by non-operational gains, better position our businesses for 2012 and beyond. These repositioning tailwinds, combined with our great positions in good industries, execution track record, and disciplined playbook, will be keys to our continued outperformance.”

Automation and Control Solutions

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Benzene detection?

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Tiger Select Total Aromatics Compounds (TACs) and benzene in one instrument. • Instant read-out on start up • Measures benzene with or without tube attachment • Detects down to ppb levels • Continuous readings displayed as max level reached • 15 minute STEL mode • Best performing PID technology

The right answer you can count on. Tel: +1 877 864 7710 Email: [email protected] For more information visit:

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• Sales were up 14%, compared with the third quarter of 2010, with 6% growth from acquisitions net of divestitures, 4% impact from favorable foreign exchange and 4% organic growth due to higher Products volumes and Solutions sales. ACS continues to benefit from new product introductions, emerging region expansion, and favorable macro trends such as safety, security, and energy efficiency. • Segment profit was up 15% and segment margins increased 20 bps to 13.8% driven

by higher volumes and project sales, partially offset by inflation and investment for growth across the portfolio. • Building Solutions was awarded a $20.5 million contract at Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2 in London to provide an integrated fire safety, public address, and voice alarm system that will help ensure the more than 20 million passengers expected to pass through the terminal have a safe and comfortable travel experience. • Process Solutions was awarded a $2.5 million contract by PetroChina Company Limited in Dalian, China for an integrated process control system in a liquid natural gas (LNG) facility. The contract expands Honeywell’s position in the highly competitive LNG marketplace in China. Honeywell will provide its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS), Safety Instrumented Systems, Operator Training Systems, and fire and gas solutions to fully automate the facility, optimize the maintenance and testing of process safety instruments, and improve overall reliability. The facility will store six million tons of LNG and supply 8.4 billion cubic meters annually. • Honeywell Life Safety was selected by the Department of Fire & Rescue in Prince William County, Virginia to provide personal protective equipment for 600 fire fighters and more than 1,000 volunteers. The five-year deal valued at up to $3 million includes Morning Pride coats, pants, rubber boots, and hoods, as well as a cleaning and care contract. Life Safety was also selected by Landis+Gyr to provide up to 4,000 Honeywell Optima Plus gas detectors, valued at a potential $4 million, for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Ideas that restrict sales performance: “I have my own style of selling” By DAVE KAHLE

ccasionally, at a seminar or training program, I’ll overhear one salesperson mention this to another — “ I have my own style of selling.” From my perspective, that idea is more detrimental to that salesperson’s success than almost any other. Not only that, but that idea holds down entire sales forces, renders sales management impotent, and dissipates the sales team’s potential. Of all the ideas that detract from sales performance, this is the most malignant.

O

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Don’t ignore best practices

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Here’s why. In the profession of sales, just like in every other profession, there is a set of best practices — specific things to do, behaviors and processes that are proven to produce results. (see my article, Best Practices for Salespeople, for more details at www.davekahle.com.) “Planning for every sales call,” for example, is a best practice. Those salespeople who adhere to that discipline achieve better results than those who don’t. That’s an easy example. The truth is, though, that there are literally dozens of best practices, impacting every aspect of the sales process. There are proven ways to identify your highest potential prospects, to approach a prospect, to uncover opportunities, to present your solutions, to acquire agreement, and to leverage that transaction into greater opportunities. The world is full of sales trainers who make a living teaching some of these practices. And, professional salespeople make it a quest to continually seek the best practices, and to inject them into their routines, turning them into habits. Here’s the problem. When a salesperson believes that he/

she “has his own style of selling,” they are negating the entire concept of best practices and discounting the past 70 years of development of the sales profession. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, it doesn’t matter what practices the vast weight of professional judgment reinforces, it doesn’t matter what behaviors research identifies as effective — the only thing that matters is “my style.” How can anyone teach you anything as long as you have “your style?” While I occasionally hear that in my seminars, I’m convinced that the salespeople who really believe it are the ones who don’t show up at the seminars. Why bother? They have their own style.

Avoiding accountability I suspect that, in many cases, there is something deeper going on. I suspect that those salespeople who maintain that they have their “own style” are really hiding a more profound situation. Maintaining that you have “your own style,” is a way of avoiding scrutiny and sliding out from under accountability How can anyone teach you anything? How can anyone coach you? How can anyone question anything that you do? That’s the issue! I believe that many salespeople who maintain they have their own style are really, at the heart, insecure about their performance. They may understand that they aren’t really suited to selling, and they are insecure and uncomfortable with what they do. So, to avoid scrutiny, to escape being accountable for their actions, they hide under the cloud of “their own style.”

“Their own style,” is then, in many cases, the hiding place of the mediocre. Salespeople who announce it, sales managers who allow it, and sales executives who tolerate it are severely limiting the performance of their sales teams.

The two most important decisions a salesperson makes It’s 10 a.m. Tuesday, and you are about to visit one of your customers. Why are you here? That’s the question I have asked innumerable distributor salespeople. Unfortunately, the answer too commonly is, “ Because it’s Tuesday at 10.” In other words, the salespeople who answered in that way had not stopped to consider whether or not this call was potentially worthwhile, and certainly had not entertained the notion that it might not be a worthwhile investment of their sales time. That is a shame. They have squandered their most valuable resource — sales time — by abdicating their greatest responsibility. “Sales time” is that portion of a salesperson’s work week wherein they are interacting with their customers and prospects. It can be on the phone, over an interactive webinar, or in person. It’s the heart of the job, wherein the salesperson exercises all the skills, concepts, practices and tools he/she has acquired over the years. Sales time is when the salesperson expresses the essence of what it means to be a professional salesperson. If it were not for sales time, there would be no salespeople. Of all the tasks that a salesperson performs on the job, almost all are in preparation for, or in reaction to, sales continued on page 40

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Ideas that restrict sales performance continued from page 38

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time. All the results for which salespeople are held accountable accrue as the result of what happens during sales time. Yet, sales time accounts for only about 25% of the typical salesperson’s work week. That makes the decision as to how to invest sales time one of the most important decisions that a salesperson makes. Specifically, the decision about investing sales time takes the form of these two questions, the two most important questions a salesperson asks; the key to a salesperson’s effectiveness: Who should I see? What should I do? Those two decisions are not made once and then assigned to a file. Rather, they are made over and over again every day, multiple times in the course of that day. In the long run, the salespeople who make those decisions well will sell more, earn more, be more fulfilled, and have more fun than those who don’t make those decisions. Make the wrong decisions, and you find your sales time squandered on prospects and customers who aren’t worth the time. Make the right decisions, and you find your sales time invested where it will bring you the greatest return on investment.

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Three obstacles to smart time management Why don’t all salespeople make these decisions effectively? Here are three common obstacles.

1. Great relationships with customers This is the crutch of the mediocre salesperson, and the rationale proposed to excuse all kinds of ineffective sales behaviors. Here’s the way this works: A salesperson, new in the territory, naturally gravitates to those customers who are “nice people,” those customers who are agreeable and amenable to spending time with the salesperson. Eventually, the salesperson spends more and more

time with those people who he/she perceives “like” him. Instead of making strategic decisions about the best place to invest sales time, the salesperson allows his existing relationships to overwhelm his strategic responsibility. What should I do? Who should I see? The answer for the salesperson who claims great relationships with his customers is too often I’ll go see those people who I think like me.

2. Habits/routines This is the hiding place of the salespeople who are too lazy or untrained to mindfully and thoughtfully answer the two questions. Over the years, they develop habits and routines, and allow them to overwhelm the responsibility for making good decisions. They simple don’t think about it. Is this the best way to organize my territory? Should I be seeing these people this frequently? Are there prospects out there upon whom I should be calling? Is my sales time most effectively invested this week? The salespeople who are ruled by thoughtless routines have no answer for these questions, because they have never asked themselves the questions. Their sales time is squandered, the decisions about it swept under the rug and hidden from view.

3. Self image Some salespeople are hindered from making effective decisions about the investment of their sales time by their own views of themselves. Where it may be far more effective to call on a production engineer, for example, the salesperson who is hindered by his self image may just not be comfortable calling on anyone other than the machine operators. While this hesitancy to call on decision makers who are older, more accomplished and

more educated than the salesperson is the most common expression of this obstacle, the opposite can also be true. This is the salesperson who has such an inflated view of himself that he won’t call on the operators, handlers and end users of the products he sells because he believes that to be beneath him. Regardless, this obstacle raises up to block the roadway of the salesperson who knows it is more effective to call on some other class of customer, but whose image of himself just doesn’t allow him to see himself as successful in those encounters. In my three-plus decades of selling experience and 21 years of working with tens of thousands of salespeople, I have found that few salespeople are ineffective because they are totally incompetent in conversation with a customer. Most are far less effective than they could be because they fail to make these two decisions consistently well. On the other hand, those handful of salespeople who are the superstars are often obsessed with the need to make these decisions well. Making these two decisions well, consistently, hour-by-hour, day-by-day, year after year, is often the most important difference between the accomplished, professional and productive salespeople, and those who are not. About the Author © copyright by Dave Kahle Dave Kahle has trained tens of thousands of B2B salespeople and sales managers to be more effective in the 21st Century economy. He’s authored nine books, and presented in 47 states and seven countries. Dave offers a variety of resources that can help your business stay competitive in changing times. To learn you can reach Dave by phone at 800-331-1287 or send him an email at dave@davekahle. com. Visit Dave’s website: www. davekahle.com

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Revco Industries; 800-527-3826 / 562-777-1588; www.revcoindustries.com

Revco Industries: Glove & apparel innovators for 35+ years Tell us a little about the history of your company. Revco Industries has been innovating performance protection under the Black Stallion® and BSX® brands for over 35 years. Headquartered in Southern California, we still manufacture in the USA as well as design product lines here for global production to ensure competitive prices for distributors. Our Western Distribution Center is just east of Los Angeles and a newly upsized Eastern Distribution Center is located near Memphis in the state of Mississippi.

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What has been your company’s business strategy to gain market share?

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We have always preferred to work on a long-term partnership basis with our distributors and have no intention to stray from this tradition. While our main focus is on making the right products very well and at reasonable prices, we support our distributors in any way possible insofar as to enable them to fulfill the needs of their customers.

Describe the core branded products of your company that you promote most heavily. The Black Stallion® and BSX® brands of gloves and protective wear are renowned across industries for quality, reliability, and innovation. Our brands have been tested in boom and lean years, serving our distributors well throughout.

er that constantly seeks to move forward and stay ahead of the pack. This characteristic usually applies to both parties and makes for the best success in promoting our exciting product line.

Do you have any recent news to report? Revco headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, CA

How do distributors contribute to your success in the marketplace? Distributors are truly the framework that supports Revco’s success. They are the partners we count on to channel our amazing products from California to Maine, and beyond.

Do you offer distributors training and other valueadded services? Training is a must in our industry, even for gloves and protective wear. As a leader in innovation, often there are advantages and features we need to educate the market about. That involves passing accurate information on to our distributors. As true partners, we make sure our distributors have the right support to do their jobs, including custom marketing tools, joint end-user calls, and other special programs.

What business characteristics do you look for when selecting to work with a distributor? Revco seeks distributors who wish to partner with a manufactur-

Our Eastern Distribution Center expanded to a new property in Olive Branch Mississippi. All operations are online as of November 2011 with better service to all our distributors.

Describe your current financial picture. While the economy may remain volatile, we are financially sound and focused on growth. Inventory has not been an issue for us through the past years of fluctuations and we continue to invest in comfortable stocking levels and sales support to our distributors.

What should distributors know about your company’s future? Revco’s expertise continues to be with innovative, quality glove and protective wear solutions. We are positioned well to support any distributor engaged in maintenance and growth in virtually any industrial segment, including the growing oil, gas, mining, and 70E areas.

“Safety is definitely a difficult balancing act.” Joseph Infantolino Use your smart phone to scan this code or visit youtube.com/user/3MHealthSafety to watch a video of Joseph sharing his views on health and safety.

Kawasaki Rail Car builds some of the world’s finest rail trains in Yonkers, New York. Safety and Health Administrator, Joseph Infantolino, is a strong advocate for a culture of safety at Kawasaki Rail Car. “3M makes it easier because they will give us the products to try. Then I prove and show they’re cost effective and they’re going to be the best practice to protect our employees from potential hazards. 3M products are all reasonably and competitively priced so it makes winning management over easy, and as far as the employees using the equipment, they’re comfortable in it.”

– Joseph Infantolino, Safety and Health Administrator Kawasaki Rail Car Yonkers, New York

The power to protect your world.

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© 3M 2011 All rights reserved.  3M is a trademark of 3M Company. Kawasaki is a trademark of Kawasaki.