New OEE Calculator for Manufacturing Efficiency
Uncover your facility’s biggest losses and discover how close to perfection your production line is running with our new OEE calculator. As leaders in the industry, we are consistently striving to provide the improvement tools needed by manufacturers. This calculator is intended to start you on the journey of OEE and make it as simple…
Jesse Allred | July 11, 2019 | Company Updates, Lean, Safety Solutions | 2 min read
Machine Guarding (Safety Requirements + Expert Tips)
Machinery-related injuries can be devastating. Those operating or maintaining unguarded machines are at risk for crushed hands and arms, severed limbs and fingers, abrasions, amputations, and lacerations, or even death. Industries using dangerous machines (like power saws or milling machines) are required to eliminate or control any preset hazards. Machine guards serve as a safeguard…
Jesse Allred | June 27, 2019 | Safety Solutions | 3 min read
Addressing Lockout/Tagout for National Electrical Safety Month
Since May is National Electrical Safety Month, it’s the perfect time to address common electrical hazards in your workplace. One of the most important components of electrical safety is the control of hazardous energy, AKA lockout/tagout. Electrical energy can be fatal when accidentally released, and employees are at risk for shock, burns, electrocution, or other…
Jesse Allred | May 13, 2019 | Safety Solutions, Visual Safety | 2 min read
Managing Inventory with Rack Labels
With rows and rows of aisles and shelves, operating an efficient warehouse can be a difficult and complex task. There is a considerable amount of planning that takes place in the development of a warehouse management process, but rack labeling is a simple and cost-effective way to control inventory. Facilitating the flow of inventory, keeping…
Jesse Allred | May 2, 2019 | Industry News, Lean, Safety Solutions | 2 min read
How to Spring Clean Your Facility
Most people associate spring cleaning with clearing out the attic or organizing the closet, but the same energy can be applied to the workplace! Spring is an excellent opportunity to evaluate your facility and organize for efficiency. Focus on getting rid of items cluttering the workplace and making an environment that allows for more productive…
Jesse Allred | April 12, 2019 | 5S | 2 min read
Are you up to date with OSHA?
OSHA works to assure safe and healthy working conditions and uses their authority to keep regulations and standards up to date. Below we have compiled some updates from the agency this year and what changes may be in the future. Higher Fines OSHA penalties were updated earlier this year and apply to any citation issued…
Jesse Allred | April 5, 2019 | Industry News, Safety Solutions | 2 min read
Improving Facility Safety With a Visual Communication Strategy
Visual communication fosters a strong safety culture in the workplace. Visual communication reinforces training, displays best practices, suggests safe operating guidelines, and keeps workers aware of hazards. Visual cues like signs and floor tape help to quickly communicate important information in a matter of seconds. Implementing a visual communication strategy is relatively inexpensive, but the…
Jesse Allred | March 29, 2019 | Safety Solutions, Visual Safety | 3 min read
Pipe Marking for Anhydrous Ammonia
Anhydrous ammonia is widely used in food production as a cost-effective refrigerant. Although efficient, ammonia is a very dangerous chemical that can pose serious risks to those working with, or around, the substance. The corrosive properties of ammonia are extremely hazardous to human health; within just a few seconds of contact, it can burn, blister,…
Jesse Allred | March 14, 2019 | Safety Solutions | 2 min read
The Importance of Valve Tags in Pipe Marking
An effective pipe marking strategy is more than just labels—it also includes the use of valve tags. While valve tags are not required by the ANSI/ASME pipe identification standard, they are an important visual tool that can improve safety and efficiency in the facility by reducing the risk of spills, accidents, and workplace injuries caused…
Jesse Allred | February 28, 2019 | Safety Solutions | 2 min read
Pipe Marking Season: Auditing Your Facility’s Pipes
Spring is just around the corner. As we leave behind the freezing temperatures and enter a new season, we also usher in the beginning of Pipe Marking Season. With longer days and spring cleaning in mind, it is the opportune time to evaluate your pipes and ensure they are properly labeled. If you are not…
Jesse Allred | February 13, 2019 | Visual Safety | 3 min read
Introducing the Winner of the 2018 Fall Scholarship
When we started our Creative Safety Supply scholarship competition, we had no idea of the impact we’d be making on so many students, nor the impact their stories would have on us. We’ve helped a working mom of a special needs child return to school to become an art teacher. We’ve given to a med…
Jesse Allred | November 13, 2018 | Company Updates | 4 min read
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations of 2018
Earlier this week at National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Houston, OSHA announced the top ten most violated standards of the 2018 fiscal year. The highly anticipated list was announced by Patrick Kapust, OSHA’s Deputy Director of the Directorate of Enforcement. At the end of every fiscal year, OSHA announces the top ten violations…
Jesse Allred | October 25, 2018 | Safety Solutions | 3 min read
Is your business compliant with Proposition 65?
August 30th, 2018 is the official day that new Prop 65 regulations will take effect. Originally enacted in 1986 as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, Proposition 65 works to inform those in California of potentially hazardous chemicals present in products or areas. There are a wide variety of chemicals (both naturally occurring…
Jesse Allred | August 28, 2018 | Safety Solutions | 3 min read
National Safety Month Week 4: Warehouse Traffic Safety
It is the last week of National Safety Month and the National Safety Council is focused on driving safety. In this post, we will explore warehouse traffic and how to keep both drivers and pedestrians safe in the workplace. Industrial traffic almost always includes forklifts and pedestrians, but can include flatbed carts, utility trucks, and…
Jesse Allred | June 27, 2018 | Safety Solutions | 3 min read
National Forklift Safety Day
Today is National Forklift Safety Day! Sponsored annually by the Industrial Truck Association, the day aims to reduce the number of forklift-related fatalities and injuries. Since the mass production of power lift trucks in the 1930s, forklifts have been a staple to countless warehouses, facilities, and construction sites. The average forklift weighs nearly 5 tons…
Jesse Allred | June 12, 2018 | Safety Solutions | 3 min read