Why Wear  Safety Glasses?  

 Wearing the proper protection equipment for every task that you are involved in is very important for your safety.  Safety glasses are one of the many important pieces of equipment you can wear.  Your eyes can be harmed by falling debris or any large moving objects.  Knowing the right type of Safety glasses to select is essential for your good health.  Safety glasses protect your eyes while you are working in any potentially dangerous environment.  There are many types of Safety Glasses but the main categories are goggles and safety glasses with side shields.  Of course the type you wear is dependent on the situation you are in.  You may need a tinted safety glass because you are working outside in the sun.  There are also many features that you should consider, you may need glasses made of shatter-resistant plastic, there are types as mentioned above with side shields that will protect your eyes from flying debris or splashing liquids.  Some people think that regular eyeglasses can be used in place of Safety Glasses but if an object hits your eyeglasses, the glass or plastic lens could shatter and shards can become lodged in your eye, not something you want to gamble on.  You can order prescription safety glasses from your optometrist.  You can also purchase large safety glasses that will fit over your regular eyeglasses.  There is one thing that is for sure you do not want to take a chance that your eyes are not protected it is just common sense.

Warning!

Safety Glasses can get damaged and if they become scratched, you should replace them with new ones, immediately if you do not, you take the chance that your vision may become impaired.

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   Ear Plugs & How To Use Them?  

Janitorial Supplies Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin – Amerisource Industrial Supply

Earplugs are designed to be placed inside the ear canal to protect the wearer from the damaging effects of excessive noise, or to block the entrance of water, wind, dirt or debris. They are made from a variety of materials, from foam to wax to rubber, are disposable or non-disposable and offer a wide range of protection levels.

Things You’ll Need

Insert memory foam earplugs by holding the plug between your thumb and index finger. Squeeze the earplug and roll it between the two digits, compressing the foam. Place the earplug into your ear canal. As the foam begins to expand, it will conform to the shape of your ear, sealing the canal and blocking out or muffling surrounding noises. Keep the earplug from pushing out of the canal as it expands by applying light pressure on the end for 10 seconds.

Use plastic or rubber earplugs. These work in a similar manner as memory foam, but are longer lasting as you can wash them with soap and water after use. To use these plugs made of soft silicon, slightly angle the tip of the plug towards your nose and slide it into the ear canal as far as it will comfortably go. To get a seal, wiggle the protruding end a bit while giving the plug a gentle push. Once seated, silicon earplugs will allow the wearer to hear the voices of those around while blocking out dangerously loud sounds.

Get a pair of molded ear plugs. These are commonly made from wax or putty. To use molded plugs, pinch off a portion of the plug material and roll it into a ball. Place the ball over the entrance to the ear canal. Flatten the material over the opening, pressing firmly with your thumb to ensure the creation of a good seal. Do not push the material into the ear canal; use it only to cover the opening. With proper use, molded ear plugs will provide you with re-usable, waterproof, noise reducing ear protection.

If you’re uncomfortable with the thought of inserting something into your ear, try a set of noise blocking earmuffs. To use them, simply place the large, noise reducing cups over your ears and put them in the best position by adjusting the headband. Earmuffs are available in a wide variety of styles, offering various levels of noise reduction.

Put in flight ear plugs before your next plane trip. These bear a strong resemblance to silicon rubber ear plugs, and are inserted and used the same way. However, they contain a ceramic core that helps reduce the air pressure changes generated by rapid altitude changes during takeoff and landing.

Make your own earplugs. Coat a cotton ball with petroleum jelly and insert it into the ear canal. This type of homemade ear plug blocks out most background noises and has the added benefit of preventing water from entering

Tips & Warnings

Wearing earplugs anytime you’re exposed to noise above a level that allows normal conversation can help prevent long-term loss of hearing. Situations where you should consider hearing protection include operating a lawn mower or other lawn and garden power equipment, attending a loud concert, and any occupational exposure that involves loud machines.

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Janitorial Supplies Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin – Amerisource Industrial Supply

What you should know about Trichloroethylene (TCE)

New EPA assessments to eliminate all Chlorinated solvents.

On September 28, 2011, the EPA issued their “final health assessment” for trichloroethylene (TCE), one of the most widely used chlorinated solvents nationwide, to the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS.) It states:

 “The final assessment characterizes the chemical as carcinogenic to humans…”

 What does this mean?

This assessment has already made an impact on our industry. While some aerosol manufacturers have kept TCE in their formulations, the solvent’s availability has become very limited. Dow, for example, no longer makes TCE accessible to our industry while PPG has chosen to significantly raise its price and limit its availability. This in turn has driven up costs and resulted in higher prices for molders and mold makers who use products like mold cleaners, which contain TCE as a solvent.

This final EPA assessment is the beginning of an inevitable phase-out of TCE from our industry, and molders and mold makers need to re-evaluate the products they use in manufacturing. We also believe that other aerosol manufacturers need to start the process now for finding safe, effective alternatives to the mold releases, mold cleaners, rust preventives, lubricants and other products you use.

What can you do?

To eliminate TCE from your operation, molders should take a hard look at all the aerosols and chemicals used in their manufacturing and cleaning and mold maintenance processes. It’s not as simple as looking at the product label, however. Unlike consumer products, industrial aerosols and chemicals are not subject to the same regulations and requirements and will most likely NOT show ingredients on their label.

You need to review the MSDS kept on file at your company for each product, and/or contact the manufacturer to determine if formulation you’re using contains TCE or other chlorinated solvents.

What alternatives do you have?

There are several solvent alternatives similar to TCE currently being used in aerosol and chemical formulations.  They include:

1) Perchloroethyelene (PERC). The most popular solvent in the dry cleaning process, PERC is also being used by some product manufacturers in the molding and mold-making industry. Though PERC’s benefits are similar to those of TCE, OSHA standards and guidelines limit workers’ exposure to the solvent in order to minimize health hazards.

2) Toluene. Used far less frequently as a solvent, toluene is a clear, colorless liquid with a strong, sweet, pungent odor. You may recognize its distinctive scent in paint thinner, fingernail polish, spot removers, lacquers, adhesives, rubber and antifreeze.  

Inhaling high levels of toluene, however, can be extremely dangerous. Repeatedly breathing toluene over long periods of time can cause death, permanent brain damage, unconsciousness or depression.

3) Chlorine-free solvents.  There are effective alternative solvents that have no known health or environmental issues. Slide Products made the decision to eliminate chlorinated solvents from our products in July 2011, well before the EPA assessment was made public.

By proactively eliminating TCE from the few products in our line that had this solvent, and not using any chlorinated solvents of any kind, we’ve eliminated the questions and guesswork involved in selecting products that are safe, effective and better for the work environment.

 Side bar

A little “chlorinated” history

Over the past few decades our industry has been required to make several formulation changes as a result of new research and regulations. CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) were eliminated in the 1980’s over concerns they were harmful to our environment and the ozone layer.

 In the 1980’s 1, 1, 1 trichlorethane determined to be a factor in depleting the ozone layer. In 1989, the Montreal Protocol effectively eliminated the use of this solvent worldwide.

 In the mid 1990’s OSHA changed its exposure guidelines for methylene chloride solvents. Though not specifically stating methylene chloride was a safety hazard, OSHA’s guidelines for exposure to the solvent were so strict it financial impact to be so significant companies chose to eliminate its use and avoid all the additional costs.

 Trichloroethyelene (TCE), one of the most common man-made chemicals found in our environment, is a widely used chlorinated solvent and is frequently found at Superfund sites across the country. The final EPA assessment, in our view, is the beginning of a phase-out of this chemical.

That is all.

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Your Hard Hat Has an Expiration Date?

       
    Expiration Stamp

It is hard to believe, but a Hard Hat, and it may be the one you are
wearing right now has an expiration date.  This date is imprinted on the inside of the hat by the manufacturer.  It is recommended that a Hard Hat be replaced every five years.  If you work outside then you may have to replace them every two years.  This may be the result of ultraviolet radiation that will cause a natural degradation over time of the plastic.

You Can Test your Hard Hat– To See What Condition Your Hard Hat is in you can do the Crackle “Pop” Test.  To perform this test all you have to do is hold the Hat upside down and squeeze the two sides together if you hear a cracking sound then the jig is up and you need a new Hard Hat.  If your ear plugs are in when you do the test then what can I say?  But seriously your hat will no longer provide the necessary protection that you will need in the event of any impact to your head.

Now let’s talk about the inside webbing of your Hard Hat, that is recommended to be replaced every 12 months.  The webbing comes out and should be replaced because of all the wear and tear.  The webbing acts as your shock absorber and creates a secure fit for your head.  The idea is to keep your hat on so there are no near miss accidents that cause you injury.

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There are many types of stretch wrap film. Each has qualities that are particularly suitable in addressing the specific needs of your stretch wrapping operation, such as load size and type, performance requirements as well as budget. The following lists some of the most important types of stretch film, their attributes and applications. Click on a stretch wrap film below for details.

Cast Stretch Film 
Cast stretch film also called cast film or cast wrap, is manufactured using the cast extrusion process. Typical characteristics of cast stretch films are: excellent optics, clear, glossy, superior tear resistance, quiet unwind, consistent cling and consistent film thickness. Cast stretch film products: Hand & Machine rolls can be cast or blown film.

Blown Stretch Film 
Manufactured using the blown film extrusion process and also referred to as blown film. Typical blown strecth film characteristics are: poor optics, hazy, dull, excellent puncture resistance, very noisy unwind and high force on load.

Hand Stretch film 
Stretch film designed specifically to be applied manually is referred to as hand stretch film. It is also referred to as hand film, hand stretch wrap, hand wrap or manual pallet wrap. It is typically utilized in lower capacity packaging operations. However the efficiency of manual stretch wrap packaging should be regularly re-evaluated against potential benefits of upgrading to a machine wrapper. Choosing the right stretch applicator will result in more efficient and cost effective packaging operations.

Machine Stretch film 
Stretch film designed to be applied with a stretch wrap machine is referred as machine stretch film. It provides many advantages over hand film including: faster and more efficient packaging, reduced packaging material costs, safer application, more secure loads and more. Common machine stretch film types: cast machine stretch film, blown machine film and prestretched films.

Prestretch films 
Prestretched film is film that is stretched before wrapping a load. Prestretch film benefits include:

Specialty Stretch film 
Specialty stretch films are designed to answer very specific packaging needs that more general purpose stretch packaging solutions cannot accommodate. A small sample of some specialty stretch packaging films are below, each are linked to a product details page.

• UVI Stretch Wrap – UV Ray reisistance
• Tinted Wrap – Protect valuable items
• Vented Pallet Wrap
• Wide Web Wrap
• Pallet Covers
• Anti-Static
• Hi Performance Film

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Cost per Hand Dry Towel Comparison

	Towel	Twl/ft	Case	Cost Per		Hand Dry
Towel Type	Size	Per Case	Price	Towel/Ft		Used	Cost
Center Pulls	7.8×13	3180	$30.00	$0.0094	twls	3	$0.028
Cfolds	13×10.25	2400	$20.00	$0.0083	twls	3	$0.025
Multifolds	9.125×9.5	4000	$26.00	$0.0065	twls	3	$0.020
Scott Fold	9.4×12.4	4375	$35.00	$0.0080	twls	2	$0.016
enMotion	10×800	4800	$52.00	$0.0108	ft	1.5	$0.016
Multifolds Brown	10.25×9.25	4000	$20.00	$0.0050	twls	3	$0.015
Single Folds	10.25×9.25	4000	$20.00	$0.0050	twls	3	$0.015
Intuition White	8×700	4200	$41.00	$0.0098	twls	1.5	$0.015
Intuition Brown	8×700	4200	$39.00	$0.0093	twls	1.5	$0.014
White Roll Towel	8×800	4800	$25.00	$0.0052	ft	2.5	$0.013
Brown Roll Towel	8×800	4800	$22.00	$0.0046	ft	2.5	$0.011
White Roll Towel	8×1000	12000	$ 79.00	$0.0066	ft	1.5	$0.010
Hand Dryer							Utility Cost
* Includes waste, loss and misuse

The above indicates that Kimberly Clark’s 1000 or 1005 white roll towels using a controlled towel dispenser is the lowest cost towel alternative.  There are other factors to consider in selecting an appropriate towel system

1. Bathroom decor and fit with dispenser options and styles
2. Personal choice for folded towel style over roll towels
3. The desire to keep options open and select any manufacturers towels

The lowest cost folded towel options is singlefolds followed closely by Scottfold and Multifold towels.  Centerpull towels along with household towels ie Bounty are and have been the most expensive hand drying alternatives.

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Type of Trash

1. Trash with sharp objects require low density liners
2. Wet trash requires thicker liners to hold the liquid but not liners will hold liquid for long periods
3. General office trash is best contained with high density liners

Trash container

1. Formula for sizing W+L + 2-3 inches by Depth plus 4 inches.  For circular containers use have the circumference

Type of bag High Density or Low Density

1. Low density bags stretch more than high density
   1. bags that use recycled fibers are more brittle
   2. Measure of thickness is generally mil
2. High density bags have higher tensile strength but they are more brittle and can zipper when punctured
   1. Measure of thickness is generally micron

$ per pound

1. This is the key measurement of value.  You are essentially buy a block of plastic that has been blown into a bag shape

Bottom, top configuration and seams

1. Flat bottoms have one seem and this tends to be the weakest part of the bag
2. Star seals are best with no direct seam on the bottom of the bag. 
3. Bags can have plain tops or draw tapes or handles for tieing

Pack – flat, coreless rolls, convenience

1. Flat or bulk packaging has the bags loaded in the box folded or in randomn order
2. Coreless rolls have the bags rolled flat in bundles of 25 or so bags.  They can be perforated where the next bags has to be torn off or interwoven for easy removal
3. Convenience packaging has all the bags on a single roll in the box.  They have a dispenser box option where liners can be taken off the roll one at a time.

Manufacturing Process

Resin is melted and blown into a long tube – color may be added. The tube is cut to length and the ends is gathered and sealed. Bags are cooled and packed.

Sizes     Mics  Mils

24×25              6                      .3
24×33              8                      .5
30×36              10                    .6
33×39              12                    .9 or 1
40×48              14                    1.3 or 1.5
38×58              16                    1.7 or 2.0        
43×47              22                    3.0

Mils to Mic Conversion

WxLxMil/15=LBS per 1000
MIL=MIC/25.4
MIC=MILX25.4

Competitive Information to acquire when cross referencing or specifying a bag.

Size
Thickness – Equivalent means nothing
Case Weight
Pack
Count
Color
Manufacturer
Mfg Code

Manufacturers

Berry
Heritage
Pitt Plastics
Inteplast
Rollpak
Repulic
Fortune

High Density            Low Density

Tensile Strength                                                          More Elastic
More Leak Proof                                                         Holes won’t make bag fail
Zippers – good for paper waste                            Good with sharp trash, glass etc
Lower cost per bag                                                     
Fastest growing

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Rental shop towels are typically manufactured overseas and shipped  to a commercial laundry facility in the US.  The first use of a laundered shop towel may be as a white towel (virgin use).  Upon return from its first use, the towel may be dyed red or blue and laundered before being shipped to the next industrial customer.  After each round of use, the launderer picks up the dirty  towels from the industrial customer and returns them via truck to the laundry for cleaning.  The dirty towels frequently contain hazardous industrial solvents and chemicals from the processes in which they were used. Each time the dirty  towel is laundered, the waste comes off in the laundering process and can end up in several places: •Volatile Organic Compounds (from solvents) evaporate into the air where they can be inhaled by the laundry workers who load the washers and driers •The solvents and chemicals that were on the towels are washed out into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works •Sludge from the oil, grease, grime and chemicals is collected from the laundering process and usually is disposed of in the landfill. •After laundering, the towels are then sent out again-typically to a different industrial customer – they are returned to generate more VOCs, sludge and water pollution.  A laundered towel may be used many times; but, ultimately, it will become too dirty and ratty for more use and will be discarded in the landfill.

 

Disposable wipers are typically manufactured in the USA.  These product ship direct to a distributor who takes these direct to the customer for use.  After the wipers have been used, they are either sent to a landfill if they are non-hazardous or are picked up by a hazardous waste hauler who properly disposes of the wiper often using methods that result in a waste to energy conversion.

Benefits:

1. Comfort of knowing that hazardous waste has been handled correctly and liability has been minimized.
2. Waste from process is disposed of properly.  Minimizes risk of exposure to public and environment. (alternate statement to first point)
3. No left over contaminants or residue on wiper from previous user.
4. Hazardous waste is hauled only one time to a destination that is prepared to handle it versus a continuous movement of contamination through many cycles of use.

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