Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

Compressed Gases Training








The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). It provides information on how to make sure employees don't expose themselves to existing electrical hazards or create them.



Extreme care has to be taken with compressed gases. Related to that you also need a high standard of training to ensure employee compliance with safety rules.

Basic Rules for Compressed Gases
There are various precautions dependent upon the type of compressed gas. Still, there are a series of rules that apply to all compressed gases:

• Use cylinders only in well-ventilated areas.


• Keep them away from heat and ignition sources.


• Never smoke around compressed gas cylinders.


• Make sure they are secured upright when in use.


• Open valves slowly, making sure they are pointed away from you and co-workers.


• Don't try to force valves that won't open.


• Don't tamper with safety devices.


• Make sure that equipment is compatible with the cylinder pressure and contents.


• Check all connections before use and periodically during use to make sure they are not leaking.


• Keep valves closed when cylinders are not in use.


• When a cylinder is empty, close the valve, disassemble equipment properly, replace the valve protection cap, mark the cylinder "empty" or "MT" and store it separately from full cylinders.

Storage Requirements
OSHA is very specific about compressed gas storage requirements. While there is some variation depending on the gas, all must be stored:

• In a dry, well-ventilated area at least 20 feet from combustible materials, heat sources, or electrical wiring.


• Away from stairs and elevators in locations where they are unlikely to be knocked over or banged.


• Secured upright by chain or cable at least 20 feet from oxygen cylinders with valves closed and valve protection caps screwed down
  with the oldest cylinders placed so that they will be used first.

The Right Moves
The potential for accidents increases when compressed gas cylinders are moved. When they must be moved, employees should take these precautions:

• Move cylinders secured upright to a hand truck or other appropriate device.


• Keep valve protection caps on when moving cylinders.


• Don't try to carry cylinders by hand; don't roll them; don't drag them.


• Make sure not to bump, bang, or drop cylinders.


• Keep them away from sparks, heat, fire, and electrical circuits while moving them.


• Avoid handling cylinders with oily or greasy hands (oil or grease could react with the gas and start a fire, or slippery hands could lose their grip and result in a cylinder hitting the ground or another object).

Labels: Safety Compliance, Safety Management, Training

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Labels: Announcements, Health Insurance, Insurance

Our Container has Finally Arrived!

Bio Shield Coveralls, printed front & back with Duraclean "After-The-Disaster" logo, with hood and boots (Case of 25 Individually Wrapped) will be available for shipment in the very near future. Sizes are available from Large to 4-X as well as 6-X; order now to ensure delivery.

Item # 2245-L case of 25 $125.00
Item # 2245-XL case of 25 $125.00
Item # 2245-2XL case of 25 $125.00
Item # 2245-3XL case of 25 $130.00
Item # 2245-4XL case of 25 $135.00
Item # 2245-6XL case of 25 $135.00

Call 800-251-7070 to order or place your order 24/7 on-line at: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=2245.

Labels: Announcements, Coveralls, Mold Remediation

Does Your Company Need to Strengthen your Policy Regarding Employee Use of Cell Phones?



Some employers have decided to after getting a wake-up call in the form of a dangerous accident!

Many companies have rules against employees using cell phones while driving or performing other safety-sensitive tasks. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last week began banning drivers from even bringing their phones work. The penalty if they’re caught with a device: immediate termination.

The new policy is a response to a recent accident that hospitalized nearly 50 passengers. One trolley crashed into another, totaling both and causing $9.6 million in damage.

The trolley operator at fault, who was also hurt, admitted he was writing a text message to his girlfriend at the time of the accident. Police say he also ran a red light just before crashing, the Boston Globe reports.

Before the new zero-tolerance policy, MBTA employees were allowed to carry phones while working, but not use them. A first-time violator received a three-day suspension.


Employers’ Liability

There’s no word yet on any legal action being taken against MBTA. But plenty of other companies have gotten in trouble when an employee’s cell phone causes an accident — even when employees were just driving as part of their normal commutes to the office.

In a court case last year, a company was sued after an employee rear-ended another car. She wasn’t on duty at the time. But she was making a work-related phone call on cell phone issued by her employer. So the driver of the other car sued. The final bill to the company: $5.2 million. (Cite: Ford v. McGrogan)

Courts have ruled differently in this type of case, but most agree that, if the driver is performing work for the company on a company-issued device, the company is liable for the accident.

How can you limit your company’s liability? Lawyers recommend creating policies that:

• prohibit talking, texting and e-mailing while behind the wheel (whether the employee has a hands-free headset or not)
• require phones to be turned off while driving to avoid distracting incoming calls, and
• remind employees — and their bosses — that they aren’t expected to make calls and do other work while driving.
  

It may be a good time to review your company policy!

Labels: Company Policy, Safety Management

Make an Immediate Impact on Your Business Marketing and Collections!
Just a short note regarding a great Benefit……

On April 30, 2009 we held our first web-based meeting on marketing and included presentations from four Duraclean franchises. Tammy Jankowski, Joe Bartz, George Gibson, and Rick Criss all gave insight to marketing successes in their areas.

Next Thursday, May 28th, we have our second Pro-Talk web-based meeting. The thought process of these meetings is to have professionals talk to members of the Duraclean Franchise system to add dollars to your bottom line.

This month we have scheduled two vendors with opposite and very necessary products. At 4:00 pm Central Daylight Savings Time BFC will kick off the meeting with a PowerPoint presentation explaining all the benefits of their Duraclean on-line marketing products. These products include your ability to personalize specific Duraclean folders, sell sheets, advertising specialties and miscellaneous marketing products from your computer 24/7.

After we discuss how to increase your business the second half of the hour will be a discussion on how to collect for the work you do. In your “Monthly Analysis” mailing you received an informational sheet titled, “Top Ten Ways to Improve Collections.” This sheet was an introduction to “Green Flag Profit Recovery”, an innovative and affordable collections system with proven results and a company you should investigate.

All in all, spending an hour on your computer on Thursday May 28th promises to be rewarding and will have a positive effect on your company’s bottom line. To register and receive your log in information contact Danielle (danielle@duraclean.com) at 800-251-7070 and let’s add dollars to your bank account!

Labels: Announcements, BFC, Marketing, Pro-Talk

Electrical Safety for 'Unqualified' Employees

The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). It provides information on how to make sure employees don't expose themselves to existing electrical hazards or create them.

Most electrical servicing and repair tasks should be limited to workers who have been fully trained on electrical hazards and procedures.

"Unqualified" Defined

There is the potential for fatal accidents when electricity is concerned. OSHA says that only "qualified" workers can perform electrical maintenance and repairs (29 CFR 1910 Subpart S). Qualified workers are those who have been fully trained to identify exposed live electrical parts and their voltage, and who have learned exactly what procedures to follow when they work on exposed live parts or are close enough to be at risk. Everybody else is "unqualified." They shouldn't be working with electrical wiring or trying to repair electrical equipment.

An example from OSHA's fatal accident files makes that clear:



An employee decided on his own initiative to fix two lighting fixtures that weren't working. Unfortunately, he hadn't bothered--or known enough--to shut off the power at the circuit breaker panel. Nor had he tested the wires to see if they were live. They were, and he was electrocuted.



Prime Risk Group Considerations

According to NIOSH statistics, "Unqualified" workers can include:

• New hires and young male employees making unauthorized electrical repairs.


• 41 percent of workplace electrocution victims are people who'd been on the job less than a year, and 64 percent were males under the age of 35 (NIOSH study).

Electrical Safety Training

What do unqualified workers need to know? Although you don't want unqualified workers performing electrical work, those who have a job that might expose them to the risk of electrical shock, need some electrical safety training, too. They have to know:

• Electrical hazards in the workplace


• Procedures to follow to protect themselves when they work around electricity


• Tasks can only be performed by qualified workers (e.g., maintenance and repairs)


• How to report electrical problems


• What to do in the event of an emergency involving electricity.

Electrical safety basics the "unqualified" employee should follow are:

• Inspect electrical tools and equipment before use to make sure insulation and wiring are in good condition.


• If a piece of electrical equipment shocks, smokes, smells, or sparks, turn it off, tag it out, and report it to your supervisor. Don't use it!


• Check plugs to make sure you have a good, tight connection.


• Outdoors or in wet areas use only cords that are approved for use under these conditions, and plug into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).


• Don't touch anything electrical with wet hands or while standing in a wet area.

Don't contact anything electrical with anything metal.

Use only insulated, non-conductive tools around power sources.

In areas with flammable liquids, vapors, or combustible dust, use only electrical cords and equipment identified as safe for that use.

Make sure equipment doesn't spark or get hot enough to ignite flammable or combustible materials in the area.

Don't overload outlets, circuits, or motors.

Don't let grease, dust, or dirt build up on electrical equipment.

Keep electrical equipment well-lubricated to prevent overheating.

Don't reach blindly into a space that may contain energized parts.

Use extension cords only if necessary and when rated high enough for the job.

Don't fasten electrical cords with staples, nails, or anything that could damage the insulation.

In Conclusion

• Electrocution is a leading cause of death in the workplace.


• More than half of those deaths are caused by two things—defective electrical equipment and failure to follow safe procedures.


• Accidents involving electricity can cause fires that can damage your facility and injure or kill employees.


• Because almost every job—even an office job—involves some contact with electricity, all employees should recognize electrical hazards and know how to prevent electrical accidents.

May is National Electrical Safety Month!

Labels: Safety Compliance, Safety Management, Training

# posted by The Duraclean Team @ 1:45 PM

New National Team Ownership (from left): John Link, Jim Olmstead, Russell Frederick and John Kelly

As we continue to seek ways to effectively expand Duraclean's involvement in the Large Loss Arena it became evident we needed to move "The National Team" to the next level. Over the past eighteen months we had meaningful discussions with four separate groups and we presented the same agenda to each. First, we were interested in forming a Large Loss Franchise capable of responding to catastrophic events; and two, John Kelly would have some form of ownership in the new company. On Thursday May 7, 2009 we accomplished our goals and we exceeded our expectations.

The franchise was purchased by a new LLC whose owners have an unmatched resume within our industry. Actually the new company is a coalition of two successful companies and John Kelly.

The majority member is Recovery Construction Services from Roseville, Michigan headed up by John Link and Russell Frederick. RCS is one of only three companies in our industry that are ISO9001 certified.

Next, member is Jim Olmstead owner of Teasdale Fenton Carpet Cleaning & Restoration of Cincinnati, Ohio. Teasdale was one of the oldest dye houses in the United States going back to the 1830's. Both Jim's technicians and company are IICRC certified.

Both Recovery & Teasdale are over-the-road Disaster Response Teams and have worked Hurricanes Ivan through Katrina, numerous floods in New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Northern Ohio, Indianapolis plus Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Most recently both were involved in Hurricane Dolly, Hurricane Gustov, and Hurricane Ike. They bring to Duraclean a tremendous amount of Disaster Response Experience.

To these two companies we add the experience and sales capabilities of John Kelly and we believe we have a combination that will add equity to each Duraclean Franchise. Every National Disaster Event will now see the Duraclean Flag Flying from a Central Command RV and Duraclean decals on vehicles all over the area. This should translate into marketing power for each and every Duraclean Franchise that wishes to take it to their marketplace. If you have any additional questions please call Vince Caffarello.

Labels: Announcements, National Team